Tag Archives: Nick Curl

World Poetry Celebrates Poet and Musician Nick Curl!

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This is a sample of Nick Curl’s cartoon work. Both Sharon and Big Bessie thank him for his help. For more info, please go to his link and comment on his work. He is interested in working with others. Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCur5re54wuR5sGm_EJZbu3A

Ariadne’s Notes: On September 6, the World Poetry Café , CFRO, 100.5 FM, Welcomed the poet, musician and cartoonist, Nick Curl to the show. A wonderful interview of Nick’s music, his answer to a question by a 12 year old living in Japan about how to get started in cartooning. Also, a Miracle poem  by Monsif Beroual from Morocco.

World Poetry Director Vani Pradeep from India sent another motivational  segment  and Jeanneclaire Probst , World Poetry Correspondent sent another poem.

Included was another story from the Big Bessie Series by Sharon Rowe. Victor Schwartzman was away but the technical controls were kindly supplied by Kerry Buckner with our great thanks.

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HERE IS THE RADIO SHOW!

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Nicholas Curl:

Currently resides in Pittsburgh, PA.
On Facebook as Nick Curl.
Earned a BSEE degree from University of Michigan in 1983.
Earned a MSEE degree from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1995.
Earned a MBA degree from Georgia State University in 1998.
After graduating from high school in 1975 I enlisted in the United States Army. While in the Army I began to learn how to play the guitar. I never took music lessons so for a long time I didn’t understand how a songwriter wrote a song.
In 1978 I received an Honorable Discharge from the Army. I attended various universities and built a career in computer hardware/software design and test and held employment in various industries including Aeronautical, Telecommunications and Consumer Products. During this time my guitar remained mostly in its case but it was always in the back of my mind that writing songs was something I wanted to do.
I retired from engineering in 2014 and began to dabble in poetry and music. I began creating animated poems. Some of the poems may be useful for teaching children about relational concepts such as empathy, friendship and helping those in need.
I was able to find information on the internet about music theory. I downloaded diagrams that showed the guitar chords and notes for songs that I liked. I used the diagrams to play the songs and it sounded like it does on the radio. By studing the diagrams, I began to understand how songwriters used music theory to create their songs.
I create animated poems primarily meant for young children but can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Some poems are designed as “feel good” stories and may be used to provide teaching points for young children about how to interact with others in a positive way. In such cases a main character finds themselves in a difficult situation requiring assistance. Someone provides assistance and a new friendship is created. These poems attempt to convey three positive concepts: recognizing when someone is in need of help; performing an act of kindness; and developing friendships.
Each poem consists of two parts: text and video. Although the text can be presented as a stand alone poem, the video provides a necessary part of the overall story.
I now spend most of my free time creating music and animated poetry. I upload the poems and songs to my YouTube channel called

nik-Vidz:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCur5re54wuR5sGm_EJZbu3A
Still very much an amateur in both songwriting and poetry, I continue to seek out opportunities to connect with other like-minded people who share my interests in animation and music – two enjoyable areas of entertainment.

Being There

A honey bee buzzed right by me and nearly knocked me down.
But then she circled back to see that I was safe and sound.
“Please pardon me, good sir.” said she. “I’m not my self today.”
“For something bad has just occurred, much to my dismay.”
And as she told me of her plight her eyes began to tear.
It soon was clear, as she drew near, that she had much to fear.
“My babies and me live in a tree that’s just around the bend.”
“A row of trees is what you’ll see and ours is at the end.”
“A sudden gust of wind and dust blew through and shook our tree.”
“I heard a thump and felt a bump, my babies next to me.”
“And when I felt it save enough I went outside and found”
“Our home that once was way up high had fallen to the ground.”
“My babies are too young and must not venture from the hive.”
“And now I fear if we stay here my babies won’t survive.”
“I must return my babies to the safety of the tree.”
“And so I seek a kindly soul to help my family.”
“You need not take another step.” said I to the bee.
“For I am here and I will help return you to your tree.”
With no delay she lead the way and took me on a run.
And when we arrived I saw the hive lying in the sun.
With gentle hands I raised the hive and set it in a space
Where never will another wind dislodge it from its place.
So now the bee and family are safe once again.
And on this day, I’m glad to say, I’ve found another friend.

Nick Curl (C) All rights reserved by the author.

World Poetry Celebrates the Great Scott Reeves!

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To buy the CD , go to https://www.creativejazz.com/ 

Ariadne’s Notes: The World Poetry Café Radio Show  on  June 28,  1-2 pm PST on CFRO 100.5 FM with the team of Ariadne Sawyer, Producer and host, Victor Swartzman , super tech and Sharon Rowe special volunteer  welcomed  the e-Poem section by Ahmad Al-Khatat. He was born in Baghdad on May 8th. From Iraq, he came to Canada at the age of 10, the same age when he wrote his very first poem and also Md Khalilur Rahman, a published poet from  Dhaka, Bangladesh  with a love poem.

https://www.facebook.com/100010381603885/posts/601260053563376/

We also welcomed the  wonderful and talented creators from three disciplines, animated poetry, Nick Curl, Jazz musician and educator, Scott Reeves with his new CD Jazz Orchestra’s Without a Trace . Media courtesy of Braitwaite and Katz .The amazing actress Niketa Calame with her words of wisdom and answer to a young actor from Nigeria . 

I am featuring each featured  guest separately  on this site to give them more exposure. This feature is for the wonderful musician and educator Scott Reeves.

 TO LISTEN TO THE SHOW NOW HEARD IN 109 COUNTRIES CLICK HERE!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Scott Reeves Jazz Orchestra celebrates its first decade on Without a Trace from Origin Records. 

This17-piece big band’s second release features a stellar line-up of New York City jazz greats on bandleader/composer/trombonist Reeves’ vibrant originals and reimagined jazz classics.

The Scott Reeves Jazz Orchestra celebrates its first decade

on Without a Trace, due out March 16, 2018 from Origin Records

The 17-piece big band’s second release features a stellar line-up of New York City jazz greats on bandleader/composer/trombonist Reeves’ vibrant originals and reimagined jazz classics

“[Reeves’] compositions are sophisticated yet accessible, his arrangements scrupulously burnished and invariably engaging.”

– Jack Bowers, All About Jazz

 “This group of fabulous musicians are continuing and developing the great tradition of big band music.” – Adrian Fry, London Jazz News

Duke Ellington famously insisted that he never wrote music for instruments, but tailored each piece for the particular individuals in his band. After nearly ten years together with a remarkably stable line-up featuring some of the most gifted musicians on the New York City jazz scene, the Scott Reeves Jazz Orchestra offers bandleader, composer and trombonist Scott Reeves a similar opportunity. The big band’s thrilling second album, Without a Trace, showcases the results with a decade-spanning repertoire drawing from both original compositions and bold new arrangements of jazz standards.

Scott’s two books, Creative Jazz Improvisation and Creative Beginnings (both published by Prentice-Hall), are among the most widely used texts in their field.

They have been used in the USA at schools such as the University of Southern California, University of Texas, Cincinnati Conservatory, Rutgers, William Paterson University, City College of New York, Georgia State University, Philadelphia University of the Arts, Temple University, Miami/Dade College and High School for the Performing Arts, University of Minnesota, and Berklee. 

In Europe, they have been adopted by academies such as Brunel University in London, The Royal Conservatory in Brussels, and the Università della Musica in Rome.

Scott has also written eleven articles and papers on jazz; his article on jazz arranger Gil Evans was the feature story for a 1995 issue of Jazz Educators Journal. His compositions and arrangements for jazz ensemble are available from Reebone Music, Aebersold Jazz, and UNC press.

“I’ve had people describe my band as sounding like ‘swinging dissonance’,” Reeves says with a laugh. “A lot of my music is overtly swinging in the tradition of big band jazz, but in the majority of my work I’m trying to get away from the typical harmonic palette.”

It helps when bridging such a stylistic gulf to be supported by some of the most talented and sought-after musicians in modern jazz, and Reeves can count many of them as regular band members for the whole of the 17-piece Orchestra’s existence. The line-up on Without a Trace includes saxophonists Steve Wilson, Tim Armacost, Vito Chiavuzzo, Rob Middleton, Jay Brandford and Terry Goss; trumpeters Seneca Black, Nathan Eklund, Chris Rogers, Bill Mobley and Andy Gravish; trombonists Tim Sessions, Matt McDonald, Matt Haviland and Max Siegel; pianist Jim Ridl, vibraphonist Dave Ellson, bassist Todd Coolman, and drummer Andy Watson. Stunning vocalist Carolyn Leonhart, on a break from her busy touring schedule with Steely Dan, guests on the lovely title tune.

Having been able to get know his musicians’ sounds so intimately over the years, Reeves has become adept at styling his arrangements to spotlight their particular talents. Not that there’s much that a virtuoso like Steve Wilson – an in-demand guest soloist for most bands, but regular lead alto with Reeves’ Orchestra – couldn’t handle. Wilson’s fiery yet controlled voice drove Reeves’ take on Kurt Weill’s classic “Speak Low,” which begins with a nod to Bill Evans’ classic rendition from his New Jazz Conceptions album before surging along on an Afro-Cuban beat. Trumpeter Chris Rogers and drummer Andy Watson follow with their own blistering solos.

Leonhart’s elegant turn on Reeves’ own “Without a Trace” follows. Where the orchestra’s debut, Portraits and Places, featured wordless vocals as a coloristic element, here Reeves pens lyrics to craft a love song that matches the emotion and drama of some of the Songbook standards in his repertoire. Leonhart’s subtle grace belies the tune’s angular melody, which combine to conjure a uniquely dark-tinged atmosphere for the song. The familiar “All or Nothing at All” is completely reimagined in Reeves’ handling, with an Ahmad Jamal-inspired groove and a taste of John Coltrane’s immortal “Giant Steps,” giving the timeless tune a feeling unmoored from any particular era.

“I always try to transform a song in some way when I do an arrangement,” Reeves explains. “I learned that particularly from studying Gil Evans’ music. He would take a tune and it would somehow end up in a completely different universe from where it originally started.”

Reeves’ entrancing original “Incandescence” was inspired by a trip to the south of France, where the composer – an amateur astronomer when away from the bandstand – marveled at the star-filled skies over a medieval walled village. The very next day he was at the piano in his rented house, capturing the majesty and mystery of that experience in music. “Shapeshifter” is similarly evocative, built on a tonal twelve-tone row that adds a touch of sci-fi strangeness (with an explicit wink towards Star Trek).

“JuJu” has been a favorite of forward-looking jazz musicians since Wayne Shorter first recorded it more than 50 years ago; of course, being one of the most forward-looking of them all, Shorter has never been interested in doing things the same way. John Patitucci, the longtime bassist in Shorter’s revered modern quartet, gave Reeves the lead sheet for the sax icon’s current approach to the song, which Reeves combines with a sax-section arrangement of Shorter’s original solo, making this version something of a portrait of Shorter’s incredible evolution. Another portrait of sorts, the lively “Something for Thad” closes the album with a brisk homage to another of Reeves’ bandleading heroes, the great Thad Jones.

Though the prospect of leading a big band in the current music-industry environment is a daunting one, Reeves has learned all the right lessons from his mentors: assemble brilliant musicians; pen original, heartfelt music and inventive arrangements; innovate without losing touch with the tradition. With all of those elements radiantly in place, the Scott Reeves Jazz Orchestra takes its place among jazz’s most compelling ensembles on Without a Trace.

*Source: Katherine Growdon, Braithwaite and Katz with thanks.

 

World Poetry Celebrates Nick Curl ‘s Animated Poems!

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*Photo from World Poetry Canada International Advisor and beloved friend Dr. Hadaa Sendoo from Mongolia. He writes beautiful poetry in a yurt in the summer.

Ariadne’s Notes: The World Poetry Café Radio Show  on  June 28,  1-2 pm PST on CFRO 100.5 FM with the team of Ariadne Sawyer, Producer and host, Victor Swartzman , super tech and Sharon Rowe , special volunteer  welcomed an e-Poem by Ahmad Al-Khatat. 

https://www.facebook.com/100010381603885/posts/601260053563376/

He was born in Baghdad on May 8th. From Iraq, he came to Canada at the age of 10, the same age when he wrote his very first poem and  Md Khalilur Rahman, a published poet from Dhaka, Bangladesh  with a love poem. We also welcomed the  wonderful and talented creators from three disciplines, animated poetry, Nick Curl, Jazz musician and educator, Scott Reeves with his new CD Jazz Orchestra’s Without a Trace . Media courtesy of Braitwaite and Katz .T he amazing actress Niketa Calame with her words of wisdom and answer to a young actor from Nigeria . 

I am featuring each guest separately  on this site to give them more exposure.

 TO LISTEN TO THE SHOW NOW HEARD IN 109 COUNTRIES CLICK HERE!

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Currently resides in Pittsburgh, PA.

On Facebook as Nick Curl.

Earned a BSEE degree from University of Michigan in 1983.

Earned a MSEE degree from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1995.

Earned a MBA degree from Georgia State University in 1998.

After graduating from high school in 1975 I enlisted in the United States Army. While in the Army I began to learn how to play the guitar. I never took music lessons so for a long time I didn’t understand how a songwriter wrote a song.

In 1978 I received an Honorable Discharge from the Army. I attended various universities and built a career in computer hardware/software design and test and held employment in various industries including Aeronautical, Telecommunications and Consumer Products. During this time my guitar remained mostly in its case but it was always in the back of my mind that writing songs was something I wanted to do.

I retired from engineering in 2014 and began to dabble in poetry and music. I began creating animated poems. Some of the poems may be useful for teaching children about relational concepts such as empathy, friendship and helping those in need.

I was able to find information on the internet about music theory. I downloaded diagrams that showed the guitar chords and notes for songs that I liked. I used the diagrams to play the songs and it sounded like it does on the radio. By studing the diagrams, I began to understand how songwriters used music theory to create their songs.

I now spend most of my free time creating music and animated poetry. I upload the poems and songs to my YouTube channel called nik-Vidz:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCur5re54wuR5sGm_EJZbu3A

Still very much an amateur in both songwriting and poetry, I continue to seek out opportunities to connect with other like-minded people who share my interests in animation and music – two enjoyable areas of entertainment.”

The Orchestra

They chirp and tweet, it’s their routine, like clockwork every morn.

It seems to me a symphony of whistles, flutes, and horns.

The songs they sing are quite unique, the tunes they play divine.

There’s something new, a twist or two, it’s different every time.

First one, then two, they all join in. Who orchestrates this band?

It’s what they say in their musical way that makes it all so grand.

Nick Curl (C) All rights reserved by the author.