Downtown San Diego: Oasis Contemporary Jazz Awards 2011

The Oasis Contemporary Jazz Awards for 2011 will be held in Downtown San Diego this March 10-March 13th.  There will be fantastic shows for those who love smooth jazz.  Our friend Denis Poole has written a great post and we thought we would share it.  You can also visit Denis's Smooth Jazz Therapy website for more details.

Oasis Awards Salute Dr Martin Luther King Jr.

Today, January 17, 2011 is Martin Luther King Day and I am indebted to my good friends at the Oasis Contemporary Jazz Awards for sharing the words of Dr King as they relate to Jazz. They are taken from his opening address to the Berlin Jazz Festival in 1964.

Remember, the Oasis Contemporary Jazz Awards for 2011 will take place in San Diego over the weekend of March 10 to 13. Over fifty artists will be appearing so, for more information and to purchase tickets, go to www.oasisjazzawards.com

God has wrought many things out of oppression. He has endowed his creatures with the capacity to create-and from this capacity has flowed the sweet songs of sorrow and joy that have allowed man to cope with his environment and many different situations.
Jazz speaks for life. The Blues tell the story of life's difficulties, and if you think for a moment, you will realize that they take the hardest realities of life and put them into music, only to come out with some new hope or sense of triumph.

This is triumphant music.

Modern jazz has continued in this tradition, singing the songs of a more complicated urban existence.

Click below to continue reading the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

When life itself offers no order and meaning, the musician creates an order and meaning from the sounds of the earth which flow through his instrument.

It is no wonder that so much of the search for identity among American Negroes was championed by Jazz musicians. Long before the modern essayists and scholars wrote of racial identity as a problem for a multiracial world, musicians were returning to their roots to affirm that which was stirring within their souls. Much of the power of our Freedom Movement in the United States has come from this music. It has strengthened us with its sweet rhythms when courage began to fail. It has calmed us with its rich harmonies when spirits were down.

And now, Jazz is exported to the world. For in the particular struggle of the Negro in America there is something akin to the universal struggle of modern man. Everybody has the Blues. Everybody longs for meaning. Everybody needs to love and be loved. Everybody needs to clap hands and be happy. Everybody longs for faith.

In music, especially this broad category called Jazz, there is a stepping stone towards all of these.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Downtown San Diego Condos: Today is was The Old Spaghetti Factory

The trek for Downtown San Diego food continues.  As you can see, I began my journey to eat my way around a block at Funky Garcias.  You would think I could contain myself to one block, but our friends and clients, Denis and Annette Poole had never eaten at The Old Spaghetti Factory.  Who was I to decline, even though The Old Spaghetti Factory is in a different block.

FUNKY GARCIAS

THE OLD SPAGHETTI FACTORY 

Denis and Annette are visitors from the UK.  We met them several years ago when they decided to purchase a second home in Downtown San Diego.  They purchased a condo in the Gaslamp District, and we are lucky to have them come visit every 6 to 8 weeks.  We always enjoy catching up over a good meal.

Denis and Annette had not been to The Old Spaghetti Factory and I thought this would accomplish two goals...to have a good meal with friends, and to add to my Downtown San Diego eating project.

Denis and Annette Poole outside The Old Spaghetti Factory

We had a very enjoyable lunch and the food was as good as ever.  Denis is really into Smooth Jazz and we were talking about the exciting events in his life.  I will go into greater depth in a future blog post, but for now, Denis has his own website Smooth Jazz Therapy.  Dennis writes reviews on a variety of smooth jazz music and he has been nominated for American Smooth Jazz Journalist of the Year.  I am voting for him and if you are interested in music reviews, read Denis' reviews and then VOTE for Denis Poole at the AmericanSmooth Jazz Awards site.  As mentioned above, I will further entertain you with all of Denis' journalistic activities, but if you have a moment right now, vote for Denis.  It will be exciting to have someone we know and respect win such an award.

This is a series of articles by Sharyn and Victoria Crown, Downtown San Diego real estate agents specialzing in Downtown San Diego condos.  Visit us on  our San Diego Crowns Real Estate  Facebook page.

Yes...I know my formatting leaves something to be desired.  I am only happy that I can figure out how to blog in the first place.

New Condos Downtown San Diego: Denis' take on Rob Thorsen

If you love Smooth Jazz, then I knowyou will enjoy Denis' notes on Rob Thorsen, and if you want to read more than you ever imagined about Smooth Jazz, don't forget to visit Denis Poole's Smooth JazzTherapy website.  Denis still loves San Diego and being from the UK loves the weather.

‘Lasting Impression’ is the latest CD from upright bass player Rob Thorsen. Given that he has been a key figure on the San Diego jazz scene since his arrival from San Francisco in 1989 it’s a title that is totally apt and now, under the nurturing wing of the excellent Pacific Coast Jazz Records, looks all set for even greater recognition. Thorsen has played with a literal ‘who’s who’ of jazz performers including Kenny Burrell, Nestor Torres and Kenny Rankin while as a recording artist he has previously released the albums ‘First Impression’, ‘Evolution’ and ‘Moon Ray’.

The eclectic nature of ‘Lasting Impression’ is entirely indicative of what Thorsen is all about and with four original compositions resting easily with his interpretations of tunes from writers as diverse as Charlie Parker, George Gershwin, Charles Chaplin and John Coltrane there is clearly something for everyone. Indeed his zesty take on ‘The Man I Love’ shimmers with the intricate trumpet of Gilbert Casellanos, his own composition ‘Cigarones’ sparsely evokes the sights and sounds of Costa Rica yet perhaps best of all is the introspective ‘Smile’ that finds Thorsen combining with pianist Geoffrey Keezer to magnificent effect.

Sometimes it’s nice to travel ‘straight ahead’ and Rob Thorsen’s ‘Lasting Impression’ is a delightful vehicle with which to do so.

For news on Rob Thorsen visit his website at http://www.robthorsen.com/and to find out about more great music coming from Pacific Coast Jazz visit www.pacificcoastjazz.com

By Sharyn & Victoria Crown, Downtown San Diego real estate brokers

This is part of a series of articles entitled, New Condos, Downtown San Diego Style

Notes From Denis: Thornton Winery

Denis Poole is not only a smooth jazz expert, but a "second home" resident in downtown San Diego. Travel with Denis as he explores Thornton Winery's Champagne Jazz seriew.

Click to read more ...

New Condos Downtown San Diego - Notes From Denis

Thanks to Valentin Sighinas for use of this photo

 Notes From Denis

The best thing about writing a blog is you can ask other people to write about their experiences. One of our client/friends is Denis Poole. Here is his first entry for us. We hope you enjoy as much as we enjoy it.

Spare, inexpensive and comfortable, Dizzy’s Jazz Club at 3^rd Avenue and K Street sits amidst the urban regeneration that typifies much of downtown San Diego. My visit to this appealing venue coincided with a celebration of the musical collaborations of French vocalist Henri Salvador & Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim performed by the outstanding Allegato Quintet. Featuring vocalist Allison Adams Tucker with Danny Green on piano, Duncan Moore drums, the excellent Evona Wascinski on upright and electric bass plus Tripp Sprague playing sax, flute and harmonica, the combo were well rehearsed and struck an instant chord with the small but appreciative crowd.

Not only that, the Allegato Quintet exemplifies the depth of local talent routinely on offer in San Diego. The linguistically dexterous Tucker recently released her own solo album ‘Come With Me’ which I have described elsewhere as indicating that great jazz is not always defined by what a song is but more by how it feels. At Dizzy’s she generously shared the limelight with her fellow players of whom the performance of Danny Green was particularly notable. In fact Greens debut CD ‘With You In Mind’ is now available and already catching the attention of those ‘in the know’. The sophisticated maturity that it displays suggests he has a promising career ahead of him.

As for Dizzys, it has existed as a music space since 2000 when owner Chuck Perrin struck a deal for a dusty storage room in an old 1911 warehouse across the street from where Petco Park now is. When in 2007 the city mandated that the old warehouse undergo a massive retrofit, Dizzy’s moved to its current location at the San Diego Wine & Culinary Center where patrons now have the added benefit of enjoying a glass of wine and a snack from the Center’s menu.For more, and to check out Dizzy’s schedule, go to www.dizzyssandiego.com

Denis Poole is an English music writer with a second home in downtown San Diego. His work can be found both on-line and in magazines worldwide. Check him out at www.smoothjazztherapy.com

By Sharyn & Victoria Crown, Downtown San Diego real estate agents

This is part of a series of articles entitled, New Condos, Downtown San Diego Style