BB 9
Business Blast and Links. A screening of ROUND MIDNIGHT in San Francisco. The end of Finale.
August 31: trio with Anthony Cox and Kevin Washington at Crooners in Fridley, MN (Minneapolis)
September 1: solo piano at Piedmont Piano Company (Oakland, CA) This performance will address “The history of jazz piano.”
FOGCUTTER FILM SERIES VOLUME 1
The Four Star Theater in San Francisco
September 11
Bertrand Tavernier’s Round Midnight, starring Dexter Gordon with a score by Herbie Hancock
I will join host Robert Mailer Anderson for discussion of the movie and perhaps even a live performance of Thelonious Monk’s title composition. There are also rumors of a special guest. Full details here.
The big news is the end of Finale notation software. Jeffrey Sultanof has a detailed history.
The Broadway music preparation community is particularly hit; imagine many years of music for Broadway shows, many thousands of pages of scores and parts that are affected. Social media is flooded with reactions; what many consider essential music software will in effect die in a matter of months.
I moved from Finale to Dorico a few years ago, and recommend Dorico to others as well. But how long will Dorico last? This is a truly solemn moment. We are slaves to our software.
FWIW, my Finale files opened up smoothly in Dorico when I transferred via XML. There were little flaws in formatting, but the pitches were there.
If you are switching notation programs, I recommend inputting someone else's score to start (rather than doing anything creative). When I first opened Dorico, I "engraved" an obscure Ulysses Kay piano sonata and the first movement of the Stravinsky Octet. Afterwards, I could use Dorico.
George Grella: Hot Links: Ferragosto Edition (lotta interesting sounds here!)
Robert Doerschuk: Sam Moore Remembers Al Jackson Jr. (the backbeat conversation continues)
Vinnie Sperrazza: Kenny Clarke and Miles Davis (Bag’s Groove and Walkin’ for starters)
Mark Blankenship: “The Happy Organ,” Dave “Baby” Cortez (1959) (I love this piece of music!)
Nate Chinen: Brad Mehldau's Book of Revelations (new memoir from the famous pianist)
Nelson George: The Spook Still Sitting by the Door (this film has the last recordings of the Herbie Hancock Mwandishi sextet)