Happy Birthday Billie Holiday

 Happy birthday to…

 Billie Holiday

who put her energy into the music

with her instrument.

 

She had a tone like no other.

She wore in her hair a flower.

She sang with timing power.

She got on stage and towered

Any song on the repertory.

 

“God bless the Child” and her musicality.

Like poetry in motion.

Like her sound was an ocean.

Like what a great fortune to listen to her bend her voice in contortions. 

______________________________________________________

During the course of my day as I sat at my desk, moments away from the work found me trying to sketch her face. I find lines to be like poetry. I find art to be so soothing. It makes me feel good and I love it a lot.

If you are interested in coming to see some live music showcasing some good jazz and some funk tunes that will make you want to move your feet, I want to invite you out to an event I will be singing at this Friday night.

 I will be performing live with the Yaacov Mayman Band

This Friday, April 11, 2025

8-10PM

at

Duet Restaurant

located at 6181 Strickland Avenue

in Brooklyn, NY .

The restaurant is great and the music is awesome. 

Fr all future events and postings, you can check out my IG page at

http://instagram.com/jnotemusic 

P is for Poetry

 

P is for poetry

A rhyming story

set to melody

rhythm

and words at play

 

P is for poetry

So sweet and buttery

Oh yesiree

Makes me feel so fluttery

Free and so merrily

Twinkling jazz do-re-mis

The lingual flattery

In the soliloquies

Perfume like Chantilly

Metaphor simile

Poetry literally

Is just so dope to me

Release the inner me

Meters and melodies

Waving like over seas

Lyrically vocally

April Poetry Writing Challenge

The earth has been revolving beneath our feet and here we are; the first day 

of National Poetry Month and Jazz Appreciation month.

I love both poetry and jazz. I could venture down any given thoroughfare, pivoting over 

my favorite jazz tune and I would be just in my nature singing it, as natural as cherry 

blossoms when spring comes into swing. 

Thickets hardly ever stand in the way of my desire to write a couplet in rhyme in my time when I feel the vibe, and it's in my design, READY to rain on a blank page.

As I stole glances at the sun peeking its way through the curtains of the night sky, it dawned on me that This brand-new season that has come upon us with this new set of 24, is a special month. 

I need to write more. I want to get into the swing of appreciating a musical genre and culture I really love. It's time to let my poetic voice ring-a-ling-a-ling louder than a Cynthia Erivo vocal belt. 

I mean, what is jazz anyway? It is poetry in rhythm. It is a metaphor for love. It is an onomatopoeia for life.

With that in mind, I decided to set myself on my own 30-day writing challenge, just to try to reframe my mind to focusing on completing a task and actually writing like I ought to. A poem a day with a jazz twist; something like a margarita with a twist of orange. I am celebrating both jazz and poetry through art and words, harmoniously. 

My 30 days of poetry have begun. I accept the challenge. I'm getting tipsy already. My first installment is here.  

The Soothing Sounds

 

A broad swathe of music wraps around my aching body.

It soothes.

It empowers.

Its waves exhilarate me.

 

My emotional tide waves are at high.

The jazz in me be-bops melodic sighs.

My tears fall when the music inclines.

A jolt of poetry vibrates 9.5.

 

My soul starts its dance atop the leather of congas.

It’s legs shuffling in a full-blown tantrum,

casually winnowing away from the discord notes,

and catapulting into a tri-tone.

 

Microgrooves of 78s.

Santana’s “Shango” and “What Does it Take.”

The sound of Samba invites me to dance and engage

I was clad in music which was a band-aid for my aches. 

_______________________________________________________________

Now, here is an idea. If you are a writer and you want to join in the fun of writing and also the challenge of getting your thoughts out daily, join in this challenge. Let me know if you also will try to be consistent for the next 30 days, post it and send me the link. I'd love to read it. 

Also, tell me what you think. Would love comments, suggestions on how to improve, or just a hello to say that you stopped by.

Either way, thanks for reading.

Happy poetry and jazz month.

Peace! 

JNote

http://instagram.com/jnotemusic

Tonight, April 29, 2023, The Ed Jackson Quartet featuring Stephanie Jeannot at the Jackson Room

Music adds great value to my life. I love what happens in the unique cultural art spaces where musicians can vibe with each other and enjoy the deep reckonings of jazz music; especially when you can add your own harmonic ideas to it and make it flow. Jazz for me is a powerful driving force and I love it a lot.

And so, as your weekend steamrolls along, I hope that perhaps you will join me for a night of jazz music at the Jackson Room. This evening, April 29, 2023 from 7PM to 10PM at the Jackson Room located at 192-07 Linden Blvd in St Albans, NY, I will be featured with the Ed Jackson Quartet, singing a few songs that capture the joys of vocalizing jazz music. 

It is Jazz Appreciation Month and it’s Duke Ellington’s birthday; a

perfect day to echo some of the best of Ellingtonian jazz pieces and more, in a jazz club located in a place where so many of the jazz greats lived. The night will be part instrumental, and part vocal jazz and it will be awesome.

The evening might dictate that you get engrossed in a song, sing along, dance to the musical grooves, and simply feel the euphoric sense of freedom that the improvisational jazz conversations embody.

I will agree that I find enjoyment in spinning the plethora of jazz 45s in my music collection, but nothing beats the experience of live music because it allows experiential moments that you are bound to remember vividly in your memory.  And so with that in mind, I hope that you will join us for this special night of music happening this evening, April 29^th, 2023, from 7PM to 10PM at the Jackson Room located at 192-07 Linden Blvd in St Albans, NY. 

You will be amongst fellow enthusiasts in the charming, ambient corner.

Hope to see you there. Looking Forward!

Happy International Jazz Day

A surge of excitement comes over me when I hear the impeccably smooth sounds of jazz flowing out of my Behringer 328i speakers. The joy of the music takes over and I am caught up in the rapture of the passionate intensity of it all. 

There is an assortment of enthusiastic jazz artists from all around the globe that shift my mind to peace when I hear their musical expression. The diversity of style from jazz great to jazz great gives me a pure passion to listen to their razzle dazzle. Sarah Vaughan is one of my all-time favorite singers. Her cultural contribution has had a profound impact on me and I often find myself playing her awe inspiring works on repeat and echoing her sweet refrains.

And so, as an artist, anytime I get to vocalize and to dress up a melody with my voice, it makes me feel invigorated. Each opportunity is a unique moment in time within itself. I get excited to progress towards a live performance.

I enjoy prancing about the stage and trying to circulate my energy through the room. There is nothing quite comparable to the feeling you get when you are fully immersed into what you love to do most. It is like a force of positivity taking over. Even more, when I get to echo my body of original works before a crowd.

In honor of International Jazz day and as we come to a conclusion of Jazz Appreciation Month, I hope your heart will be into checking out my jazz tune.

Its’s entitled “You are the One” and was written by (me) Stephanie Jeannot and John Mueller. It was released on the album, The Stephanie Jeannot & John Mueller Project on October 10, 2020 and this is the video to the link: https://youtu.be/gjhhtZYn6No

Thank you so much for reading my blogpost. Happy International Jazz Day.

BOP ALONG!

Talks of Jazz, The Music and The Culture with Lon Ivey

On Sunday evenings when New York is being illuminated by the light of the moon, some folks log on to their computers or phones to listen attentively to the positive vibrations of my radio show, Jazz on the JNote.

Because April was Jazz Appreciation Month, I thought it would be fitting to capture the energy and excitement of the melodious artform by featuring some of the world’s many men and women of jazz who could talk to a meaningful extent about their momentous journeys as craftspeople of music. The idea danced through my head for a while. I am thankful for the most part that I was able to shape the vision into reality and remained remarkably consistent throughout the entire month of April, even in these benighted times.

Our special guest on April 5, 2020 was NYC drummer, Lon Ivey who had an endless supply of ideas that he was willing to share about how his career started, about his definition of jazz and about how young aspiring artists can prosper in their efforts to yield their fruit. 

He definitely had some knowledge to pass on that you might get in a typical classroom situation from a teacher delivering a lesson and leaving students well-equipped to move forward. I admire his courage and was honored to have him present on the show. For the most part, it was an intelligent discussion of unique viewpoints, shared stories and prodigious knowledge.

The question, what is jazz alone, can set someone off on a spate of wondering. And so, it is interesting to tap into the brain of different people to see what their philosophies are. The engaging melodies, the conversation and the cultural landscape of jazz is what the show is centered on.

Some of the viable community of listeners tune in while plopped on their couches in the comfort of their living rooms. Some of the members of the diverse audience, listen to the montage of jazz while driving in cruise control down the thoroughfares of their hometowns. Others enjoy the creative freedom of jazz that is built into this show while sitting on the sand at the ocean and taking in the atmosphere.

I thought the content of this show was worth sharing for folks who didn’t get a chance tocapture the energy of the show when it was aired. On any given Sunday, Jazz on the JNote can be heard all around the globe at 7PM EST at http://theenglishconnectionmedia.com.

If I aroused interest in you and you are willing to patronize of the arts and to take in the absorbable, joyous sounds, you can get your fix on the episode of Jazz on the JNote Radio Show which was hosted and produced by Stephanie Jeannot and featured NYC drummer Lon Ivey; as previously aired on April 5, 2020. Here is the link:  https://youtu.be/8-O_Syg_8PQ via @YouTube. 

Listening might do a few things. It might lift your spirits and fill your heart with content. It might calm the mind that is usually full of busy thoughts. It might birth new feelings of creativity in you. It might get you moving them undulating hips to the twists and turns of the music. It might even compel you to want to listen to a live show on a Sunday evening at 7PM EST at http://theenglishconnectionmedia.com.  You might have negative feedback to sting me like a bee because it was a dismal experience for you. Or, you might be in the absence of care just because it is not your thing.

Regardless, I feel mightily blessed that you took the time to read my blogpost. Your simple act of kindness means everything in the world. I am content that there are still ways to have a connected presence with people all over the globe such as in the human connection that is present in reading, writing and music. I am eternally grateful to you.

Love and Appreciation For the XYZ of Jazz

It is always a pleasure for me when I can indulge in the sweetness of jazz. It captivates me like no other genre and I joyfully indulge in it when presented with the opportunity to embrace the pomp and pageantry of it.

I remember the day when my good friend presented the thought to me of being the featured vocalist at his weekly jazz event. Imagine how filled with curiosity the Roman Catholic church raised choir girl that I was who was more accustomed to singing R&B than any other genre was. How could I not look at him with a quizzical gaze? The idea made me take a hard look at myself, but I decided to try my best to handle the weight of the idea and I did it.

If for nothing, my good friend affected my life like none other because from that point on, I

have been on this non-stop journey of discovery, research and mind-blowing experiences to remember. If it were not for him, I would have never decided to approach jazz with more intentionality or accumulate knowledge of its history to base my 30-paged college thesis on jazz and racism. Or, I may not have ever decided to become more indulged in studying music theory and practicing my craft. And if it were not for him, I would have never started my radio show on jazz. And so, whenever I am afforded with the opportunity to sing in this beautiful genre of music, I simply rejoice because I love how jazz has truly made a personal connection with me.  

Jazz Appreciation Month

Every April is Jazz Appreciation Month. The Smithsonian Institute started this cultural celebration in 2001 and since, it has been a way to honor those influential innovators who have come before us in history and jazzed up the world with their beautiful music.  

And so, it was with great zeal to have joined in the plethora of performers in Eric Frazier’s 2018 Fort Greene Park Spring Jazz Festival which happened in the midst of Jazz Appreciation Month in Brooklyn, NY. Jazz is not a fossilized genre of music; it is very much alive. So, with that in mind, I must say that the afternoon was filled with a full swath of emotions.

What makes jazz so appealing to me is that no matter who is playing their instrument or vocalizing, each comes with their own individual expression and create very genuine reactions. Each comes with their own spunk of character with their difference in method based on culture and environment, and the joy of the company and the spirit of the music is what is felt in the air.

And so, it was a pretty nice event from the music, to the musicians, to the beautiful spring day that it was, to the people and everything that made the afternoon a splendid occasion.

To my delight, I felt enchanted to sing one of my favorite jazz standards. It is by Harry Warren and Al Dublin and what makes me like it so much is for one simple reason. I am a big English nerd and there is a play-on-words in the song. Its title, September in the Rain, would suggest it is a song for the fall season but in the song, the lyrics say, "though spring is here." I think it is the way the writers wrote these tunes that give me butterflies the most. They truly had a way with words and I just love that. In that particular Brooklyn environment and in the warmth of that spring day, it felt right to sing this song.

I invite you to check out the performance from the festival here: https://youtu.be/BK8faET7Nn4 

Today’s blog post was prompted by love and I threw myself into writing mode with that in mind and come to this point with a roar of satisfaction. I hope that I sparked in you, even a small bit of interest n my story. 

The warm feeling in my heart can’t even truly define my gratitude. You richly bless me by taking the time out the routine of your day to read my thoughts and I thank you for your continued support.

Jazz Music Poetry

There are two things being celebrated all month of April that I really love. The first is poetry. It is National Poetry month and I both love poetry and am a poet.

 It is also Jazz Appreciation Month and I love jazz and am also a singer who enjoys singing jazz or adding a tinge of jazziness to a tune.

Writing The 
Jazz In

MY writing plan this month is to challenge myself somewhat in the way that I have seen others done; from A to Z; one letter per day of the month, everyday through April, except Sundays, 

but in a jazz poetry 

type of way.

Today is the third and I missed the first and this is the AB portion of my month long writing journey. 

Which takes us to Anita Baker and her beautiful song that gave me the courage to want to share my passion with you today.

Anita Baker

I am "Caught up in the Rapture" of love for the music;

you know why?

Because "music comes from an icicle as it melts, 

to live again as spring water," or as the trees that grow back their leaves after they went bald and the winter cold left their greenery receding [Henry Williamson].

Our body is made up of 85% of water. We need eight glasses of water a day to stay healthily hydrated. Just 8 minutes of music a day can give you positive energy for the day. 

Caffeine eliminates two glasses of water per 8oz cup. Every cup we have featuring caffeine, add two extra glasses of water to your daily recommended value for your body to function properly and avoid ailments from the residue that piles up in our colon. The recommended value of listening to music is at least one song. I can't count on just one hand, how many times I listened to an inspirational tune that just encouraged me to keep hold of that mustard seed. One song can make a difference to your day. 

Music flows like water, which is my favorite drink, and also such an energizing wonder of the world that by mere touch, can change your life and can remove mountains. Water refreshes. Music refreshes. 

Music is medicinal; like a psychiatrist to calm your crazy. I am crazy in love with music. I am also crazy to think that the one so busy that they are the first one to clock out of Facebook with a done, might be with time to actually not be too "Caught Up in the Rapture" to enjoy a moment of jazzed up music. 

But who am I?

I am a vocalist and music springs in my heart like the seeds after April showers standing to face the sun. I experience the fever that no tea or pill seems to cure. But I get on the stage and sing a tune and all of a sudden, I magnetize energy and it comes and slams open my door. 

  

I Sing Because . . .

 I think I have the spring fever for singing.
It is the substance giving me this natural high
I am experiencing.  

Maybe the beam of the summer sun will tame 

this crazy love from 

wildly sprouting in me. Or maybe not. 


Speaking of singing . . . 

if you have not seen the movie Sing yet, you should. Such a great movie. Singers should definitely take the time to look at it to see what they are talking about as far as music is concerned. It is a movie that can be enjoyed by all ages and will keep you engaged. I loved it and so many around me raved because it resonated. Anyway, enough of me babbling away.

Order the special edition DVD and add it to your collection today! 

Disclosure: I was not hired to write about or to promote the movie being discussed in this blog post. I am however, an affiliate of Amazon.com and will be compensated, should you click on link to their store and purchase this product.