‘One’, the legendary album for Bob James, now on the following services!
Apple Music / iTunes / Spotify / Deezer / Google Play / Amazon / Amazon Music
‘One’, the legendary album for Bob James, now on the following services!
Apple Music / iTunes / Spotify / Deezer / Google Play / Amazon / Amazon Music
‘One’, the legendary album for Bob James, is now available on the following services!
The Soweto International Jazz Festival has been cancelled. Hopefully we will be able to return to perform for the passionate fans of South Africa soon!
#soweto #southafrica
———————————–
Soweto International Jazz Festival Update | Issued by International Arts Solutions (IAC)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
INTERNATIONAL ARTS SOLUTIONS LLC PRESS STATEMENT
Johannesburg, South Africa (16 June 2018)
Dear Soweto International Jazz Festival supporters, artists and partners,
It is with a heavy heart that we have to announce the full cancellation of this year’s Soweto International Jazz Festival (SIJF).
Due to logistical delays, we could not get the permission needed from The Joint Operations Committee. We have always been committed to ensure that all our events are safe and we remain committed to ensure we always comply with all by-laws and City regulations. We have been advised by our attorneys that we have legal grounds to pursue this matter further and we will rigorously defend all our legal rights in the coming days.
The SIJF team had worked diligently over the course of eleven months to ensure we delivered a world class festival and give everyone the best possible experience.
Our team worked extremely hard to meet this momentous task and to ensure all the rigorous standards were in place. Unfortunately, due to matters out of our control we don’t believe that goal can be accomplished right now.
By bringing this unique international offering to Soweto, we had hoped to give the Soweto community and the South African community at large a world-class event that not only entertains, but also empowers and uplifts the community. Events of this nature also provide employment opportunities, albeit only temporary, but local vendors and suppliers would have benefitted a great deal from this weekend’s festivities. It pains us that they are being denied these opportunities due to this cancellation.
“We deeply regret the loss of the economic impact this festival was due to have on the local community. We privately invested close to R15 million. The festival was due to employ 150 local musicians and 300 local suppliers. All our suppliers were from Soweto to a cost of R4,5million (security, cleaning staff, fencing staff, stage, sound, catering services plus many more.) We had 22 vendors set up which included food, arts and craft. We also had an event mentorship management programme which had engaged with 50 students from Soweto Skills Academy,” said Nolan Baynes, General Manager of International Arts Solutions (IAC).
We had also hoped that the festival was able to serve as a platform for local and international artists to collaborate and we remain committed to ensuring this happens. All our international artists are already in South Africa, including Charlie Wilson, Deborah Cox, Neville Brothers, Bob James, Rico Love, Gordon Chambers plus many more.
International soul singer Deborah Cox said “I am extremely disheartened that the festival was not allowed to happen. I was looking forward to performing for the amazing people of Soweto and Jozi.”
Local jazz artist Ernie Smith says “I am very disappointed at the lost opportunities for us, my community and fellow artists.”
Everyone who bought tickets for Friday 15th, Saturday 16th and Sunday 17thJune concerts will be given full refunds via Webtickets and this process has already begun.
We sincerely apologize this announcement took so long, but we wanted to make sure we had exhausted all the options to make this festival possible before we made the final and very difficult decision to cancel. We sincerely hope to bring this amazing concept back in 2019.
Issued by International Arts Solutions (IAC)
If you didn’t see Bob James at the Boerderij in Zoetremeer, Nederlands, you missed out! It was a tremendous show, with the always festive dutch crowd.
Join fOURPLAY for a tribute filled weekend at the 28th annual Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest in Philadelphia on April 7 & 8…Get your Tickets today!
Be one if the first to witness the Bob James Trio experience…Get your TICKETS now!
Bob James is thrilled to be on board for SMOOTH SUNDAYS by SmoothJazz.com at St. James Live in Atlanta!
Tickets are available at StJamesLiveATL.com.
Newly released for 2018 is the amazing children’s album, Miss Hilary Please and The Flying Trapeze, What Makes Me Special. Building self esteem and encouraging expressive play through imagination and movement, the 18 original songs on this album will have children up on their feet!
While exploring how spiders move (Real Cool Spider), singing in Spanish (Speaking Spanish), splashing in a mud puddle (Thunderstorm Celebration), and gobbling with the turkeys (Talkin’ Turkey), young children will delight in “play-acting” through physical engagement and song. A little like a nanny, and a little like a friend, Miss Hilary Please and The Flying Trapeze, What Makes Me Special sees the light inside of everyone and encourages each child to see their own light, and to share it with the world around them. Harness the unlimited potential of every child, and the assurance that even though they are small, they can do great big things! (The Biggest Gift) With special guest performances by Grammy Award-winning pianist, Bob James, and a charming forward written by Tony Award winning-Broadway director, Jack O’Brien, this cd is a must for any young child’s music library.
“I hope you’ll check out this ultra-creative labor of love heartwarming irresistible project!!… the result of several years of my daughter Hilary’s devotion to teaching elementary students in Canton, OH. She & her husband Kevin DiSimone decided to use their songwriting talents to enhance the classroom instruction and have ended up with a charming selection of songs that have a universal appeal to both children and adults. I am very proud of their achievement & so happy to have a made a small contribution. The brilliant title song ‘What Makes Me Special’ is destined to become a standard!!” – Bob James
“Masterful and impressive…Hilary and Kevin are not only teaching children with their music, they are creating an experiential environment of learning and love! This CD is a gift.” – Gail Martino [Director of Artful Living and Learning]
Take a listen to the album at HearNow.com at MissHilaryPleaseandtheFlyingTrapeze!
About Miss Hilary Please and The Flying Trapeze:
A team of highly experienced professional musicians, Kevin DiSimone and Hilary James have performed and recorded individually, and as a duo with nationally known artists Barry Manilow, Carly Simon, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross, Bette Midler, Willy Nelson, Billy Preston, Bob James, Rick Braun, Chuck Loeb, Patty Austin, Sam and Dave, Jerry Mulligan, and Jean Michel Jarre. They have performed at The Blue Note jazz club Japan and NYC, Birdland, The Bottom Line, CBGB’s, The Beacon Theater, Madison Square Garden, Town Hall, Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Wembly Stadium, The LA Forum, The Hollywood Bowl, The Greek Theater, and at The Tokyo Jazz Festival. Hilary is the daughter of Grammy Award-winning jazz keyboardist and composer of the theme from the iconic television series Taxi, Bob James. She has recorded two albums with him, Flesh and Blood on Warner Brothers Records, and Christmas Eyes on Koch Records. As an actress, she has performed both off and on Broadway.
Kevin spent several years as keyboardist, vocalist, composer and producer with superstar Barry Manilow. His voice has been heard on numerous national television commercials, as well as several major film scores including three Woody Allen Films.