Pre-registration wristbands will be distributed beginning at 7 a.m. Monday until 8 a.m. Wednesday outside the Frank Erwin Center (1701 Red River) at the University of Texas at Austin. Singers who obtain wristbands must return by 5 a.m. Wednesday to line up for auditions. (Auditioners will not be permitted to camp out.)

ATTENTION:

Musicians/Singers/Songwriters/Film Makers/Actors/Agents
Get noticed by having a listing in the Music/Film Issue coming in September for only $50!

The magazine will posted here and your link to your website will be accessible to thousands.

Deadline: August 20

Contact Renee Judkins at austinwideopen@aol.com or call 512-269-6865.

Jeff Lofton’s 1950s Miles Davis Tribute
at NYC’s Iridium Jazz Club

New York – After recent success in Austin, “Jeff Lofton’s 1950s Miles Davis Tribute” makes its New York debut Saturday, August 21, at 12:00 midnight, at the Iridium Jazz Club, 1650 Broadway. Tickets are $20.00. Lofton, an Austin-based jazz trumpeter, composer and bandleader, presented the show at One World Theatre in March, with media sponsor NPR-affiliate KUT 90.5 FM. The tribute features compositions and interpretations made famous by the first great Miles Davis Quintet during 1950 – 1959 and includes selections from “Kind of Blue.”

“Listen up Miles Davis fans…” from the Austin American-Statesman and “… channels Miles Davis…” from The Daily Texan were early reviews when Lofton arrived from South Carolina in 2007 as a mostly unknown to Austin’s music scene. Word-of-mouth about his new, unique sound drew jazz fans to the debut of “Jeff Lofton’s 1950s Miles Davis Tribute” at the historic Victory Grill in September 2007. Soon his shows were being described as “…crazy good and crazy crowded…” by the Austin American-Statesman. Lofton presented the tribute again at the Scat Jazz Lounge in Ft. Worth, and in collaboration with the University of Texas’ Blanton Museum’s hosting of the touring “Birth of the Cool” exhibit.

In November Lofton released his second jazz album, “Jazz to the People.” The Austin Chronicle placed “Jazz to the People” in the list of “Top 9 Austin Albums of 2009,” and chose the Jeff Lofton Quartet as the critic’s pick for best jazz band for their annual poll. The Austin NPR affiliated, KUT 90.5, chose “Jazz to the People” as one of the “Top 10 Albums of 2009: DJ Picks.” Called “… a delightfully swingin’ affair…” by the Austin Chronicle, the self-produced album is receiving airplay from San Diego to New Orleans to Harlem and abroad.

Lofton is known in Austin for taking jazz to mainstream venues usually known for hosting blues and folk, such as Antone’s, Momo’s and the Ghost Room. In 2008 Lofton performed at the fourteenth annual Jazz at St. James Festival in Austin, which featured jazz legends Curtis Fuller and David “Fathead” Newman. In 2009 the Jeff Lofton Quartet, featuring legendary jazz vocalist Donna Hightower, opened for Javon Jackson at the Jazz at St. James Festival. In June the Jeff Lofton Quartet performed at the San Antonio Arts and Jazz Festival.

Lofton was featured in the music category of the Austin American-Statesman’s 2010 Out and About 500 list. The reader-nominated list includes 15 categories of what the paper describes as people “who are everywhere, all the time, often doing good, weaving the social fabric of Austin. Five hundred social units – couples or singles …”

Lofton’s listing includes his wife, writer/publicist Dean Lofton, and says, “Austin has elaborated a long jazz history. Yet this South Carolina couple recently gave the scene a jump start with their ubiquitous presence and articulate advocacy.”

The Music category includes nationally renowned musicians such as Martie Maguire of the Dixie Chicks; industry producers such as Terry Lickona of the “Austin City Limits” KLRU/PBS television show; and entertainment giants such as Charles Attal and Charlie Jones of C3. Other categories include a wide-range of names known well-beyond Austin, from Dan Rather to Willie Nelson to Gov. Rick Perry.

To honor Lofton’s contribution to the local jazz scene, Austin’s mayor proclaimed January 15, 2009, as “Jeff Lofton Day” in the live music capital of the world. The Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau selected Lofton’s original, “Shana’s Song,” for the “Austin Music Vol. 8″ compilation CD, released in February 2009. The Austin American-Statesman included Lofton in the “2009 Fortunate 500: Music” list.

“Jazz to the People” includes nine original compositions and interpretations of “Georgia on My Mind”and “Crazy,” and features Alex Coke on sax, Red Young on piano, Chris Jones on bass and Masumi Jones on drums. Danielle Howle performs vocals on “Crazy.”

Lofton recorded his first jazz album, “Jazz Therapy,” in 2005, with the Jeff Lofton Quartet. The self-produced CD mixes old style be-bop with modern forms of jazz in the tradition of Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and John Coltrane. “Jazz Therapy” includes Roland Haynes on piano, Reggie Sullivan on bass and Kenneth Salters on drums.

Born in Germany to American parents, Lofton grew up in Columbia, South Carolina, where he studied music at the University of South Carolina. Playing trumpet for over thirty years, Lofton has sat in with or shared the stage with such musical talents as guitarist Jim Mings, saxophonist Rene Sandoval, Ron Westray and Wycliff Gordon of the Wynton Marsalis septet, Fred Wesley of the James Brown horn section, Fred Hampton of the Chicago A.A.C.M., and South Carolina musicians Skip Pearson, Robert Gardner, Dr. Dick Goodwin, Dr. John Enkey, Teddy Linder and many others. Since moving to Austin he has performed with Butch Miles, Dr. James Polk, Donna Hightower, Alex Coke, Red Young, Marc Devine and Tony Campise, among others.

Lofton also works as an R&B and hip-hop producer, producing such artists as Legend and The Gutsmen. As a winner of a juried competition, Lofton was included on the South Carolina Arts Commission’s Arts in Education Roster. Lofton teaches private lessons and has lead jazz clinics for high school students in Austin.

In South Carolina, the Jeff Lofton Quartet had a strong following from a long-running Friday night residency at Meritage in the Vista, as well as performances at Mac’s on Main and at the Three Rivers Music Festival. Lofton is also well known for the Jazz Therapy Jazz Quintet featuring himself and Skip Pearson performing at the club Group Therapy. Other groups Lofton has played with include Defellas (an avant guard jazz group), Deja Voodoo (a hip-hop/jazz fusion group) and Wadada (a reggae group).

COUNTRY ARTIST & HIT SONGWRITER GEORGE DUCAS
TO BRING HIS MUSIC BACK HOME TO TEXAS
WITH NEW MUSIC & LIVE SHOWS


Austin, TX — Houston native George Ducas is set to release an aptly titled soundtrack for Texas summer driving on August 17 with his new EP, VOLUME UP, WINDOWS DOWN, and its first single, “Never Goes Away,” that is starting to be played on Texas radio as Ducas begins touring the Lone Star State with shows in Houston, Austin and Lubbock.

The song was co-written by Ducas and Texas artist Randy Rogers, who enjoyed recent Top 40 country chart success with the Ducas-penned “Kiss Me In The Dark.” To introduce fans to his real country sound with a modern kick, Ducas will be initially offering the track as a free download on iTunes as well as donating proceeds from its sales to Texas Children’s Hospital.

Ducas is also a song source and co-writer for other popular Texas artists including Kevin Fowler and Eli Young Band. His composition “Always The Love Songs” became a national Top 10 country chart hit for Eli Young Band and was the top Texas music song for 2009.

“What I missed was making records and writing songs and singing them, and letting the songs breathe every night in front of crowds at shows,” Ducas explains. His appetite to get back on the road was whetted after Sara Evans invited him to open her Greatest Hits Live tour and dates last summer in Europe with Dierks Bentley that included an appearance before some 30,000 people at the prestigious Crappone Festival in France and selling out London’s legendary Borderline club.

“Working with artists like Randy Rogers, Kevin Fowler and Eli Young Band made me realize that I could get back home to Texas and do that. I’m fortunate enough to be successful as a songwriter, but for me, it doesn’t end there. I can’t be totally satisfied unless I’m out there singing my songs too.”

And there’s no better place for Ducas to do that than back in his home state where his love for music was born. “I feel like Texas is the last bastion of independent country music,” he adds. “I’m a Texan and want to be a part of it and find my own place in it.”

Raised on Willie Nelson, Jerry Jeff Walker and ZZ Top, Ducas debuted as a hit country artist in the 1990s on Capitol Records with the Top 10 single, “Lipstick Promises.” He followed it with such other hits as “Teardrops,” “Hello Cruel World,” “Kisses Don’t Lie,” “Every Time She Passes By” and “Long Trail of Tears,” and toured with Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Evans and Bentley, among others. He has since established himself as a writer of hits including the multi-week #1 single “A Real Fine Place To Start” for Evans, Radney Foster’s Top 10 hit “Just Call Me Lonesome,” and the Top 20 George Jones/Garth Brooks duet “Beer Run (B Double E Double Are You In).”

Sun, Jun 6 2:00p Frank Erwin Center, Austin, TX

Star Wars: In Concert, a unique multi-media event featuring music from all six of John Williams’ epic Star Wars scores, begins its worldwide arena tour on October 1, 2009 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

Austin – Singing Latin-inspired rock and blues Myrna Cabello celebrates Latin Music Month with a performance in the Live from the Plaza series at Austin City Hall, 301 W. 2nd Street, Friday, May 14, at 12:00 noon.

Cabello recently returned from New York where she played the Sugar Bar. Owner Valerie Simpson said, “That song ‘Drunk’ is a hit in this city.” “Drunk” is one of ten originals from Cabello’s debut CD Letting Go, released in 2009 at the Long Center.

Margaret Moser of the Austin Chronicle wrote, “If the topic has been Latino music – and it has – then Myrna Cabello’s Letting Go comes at the right time. Her sultry vocals pepper her originals with salty blues rock (“Drunk”), spicy bilingual offerings (“Un Dia,” “River”), and tasty balladry (“Answers”). Better yet is Cabello’s all-star support, including Ponty Bone, Reese Wynans, and Sly & the Family Stone saxman Jerry Martini.”

An Austin native and accomplished actress, when Cabello began pursing singing in 2005, she quickly became known for belting out heartfelt blues and rock. She was “discovered” at her first gig ever at Café Mundi by Clay Shorkey. He added her to the line-up of a Texas Music Museum Tejana exhibit where she performed with other great Latina artists including Rita Vidaurri.

The Austin American-Statesman soon described her as “one of the best Austin artists you’ve never heard of (but will).” In 2006, Austin City Council honored her with “Myrna Day,” and she was inducted into the Texas Music Museum as an influential Latina artist.

In 2007 Cabello was diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy. Realizing the partial facial paralysis may prevent her from acting again, she focused on her singing, even doing gigs in over-sized sunglasses. She is grateful to have recovered fully, and continued pursuing music.

The Austin Convention and Visitor’s Bureau chose the track “Un Dia,” from Letting Go, for their Latin compilation CD for 2009.

Patricia Vonne describes Cabello’s exuberance onstage as “… fiery and contagious. She’s a multi-talented artist whose innovative mix of Latin, blues and rock is helping to pave the way for other Latinas.” She’s also shared the stage with Del Castillo, Pride and Joy, Shelley King and Sara Hickman.

Musicians on Letting Go include: saxophone player Jerry Martini (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Sly and the Family Stone), saxophone player Tony Campise (Stan Kenton Quartet, Tony Campise Big Band), keyboard player Reese Wynans (Double Trouble), accordion player Ponty Bone, bassist Glenn Fukanaga (Lloyd Maines, Joe Ely, Asleep at the Wheel), and drummer Hector Muñoz (Alejandro Escovedo).