Photo: courtesy of Big Jay McNeely
Big Jay McNeely made some of the biggest waves on the 1940s R&B scene with his screaming tenor sax
As one of the titans who made tenor sax the solo instrument of choice during rock’s primordial era in the late 1940s, Big Jay McNeely could peel the paper right off the walls with his sheets of squealing, honking horn riffs. “The king of the honkers” has been wailing hard for over seven decades, and he’s still going strong. Continue reading
Photo by B Plus, courtesy of Dana Axelrod
On Feb. 5, 2017, composer, arranger and producer David Axelrod, whose work has been sampled by several of the biggest names in hip hop, passed away at the age of 83.
This interview with Linda A. Rapka was originally published in the May 2011 issue of the AFM Local 47 Overture newspaper.
A golden producer in the heyday of Capitol Records, David Axelrod lent his magic to hit jazz, funk and soul records of the 1960s and ’70s. He churned out a succession of gold records and top singles with artists including Lou Rawls, Cannonball Adderley and the Electric Prunes, and his signature sound is a sampling favorite of today’s hip hop artists. His keen eye for spotting unlikely successes garnered him a lasting imprint on some of the most eccentric albums of the era. Sailor-mouthed and charmingly surly, Axelrod minces no words about his improbable highs and cavernous lows during six decades in the industry. Continue reading
L.A. County Fed Executive Secretary-Treasurer Rusty Hicks, keynote speaker Bryan Stevenson, Senator Kamala Harris, Supervisor Hilda Solis, and SEIU 2015 President Laphonza Butler. (Photo: Monica Almeida, The Newspaper Guild)
On Saturday, January 14, 2017, nearly 1,000 community and labor leaders and elected officials gathered for the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast hosted by the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor.
Held at the Westin Bonaventure downtown, the event kicked off with an address by newly elected United States Senator Kamala Harris. Sen. Harris has not only been a champion for California’s working families, but she has been a leader in reducing recidivism and providing tools to re-enter back into civilian life. Continue reading
Kudos to all the talented AFM Local 47 Los Angeles musicians involved in scoring these motion picture and TV shows released in 2016! Continue reading
Congratulations to all of the talented AFM Local 47 Los Angeles musicians, composers and music prep personnel who worked on this year’s Oscar-nominated projects! Continue reading
by Paul Castillo, President, TMA SoCal
The Theatre Musicians Association, commonly referred to as the TMA, is one of five Player Conferences in the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (the “AFM” or “Federation”). Continue reading
AFM Local 47 Director Pam Gates, legendary Life Member Quincy Jones, and President John Acosta at the LA Jazz Society Jazz Tribute Awards Concert on Nov. 19, 2016. (All photos courtesy of LA Jazz Society)
Featured performers included Patti Austin, Emily Bear, the Clayton Brothers, Siedah Garrett, Justin Kauflin, Alfredo Rodriguez & more
This year’s Jazz Tribute Awards Concert presented by the Los Angeles Jazz Society was held Saturday, Nov. 19 at The Montalban Theatre in Hollywood honoring the one and only Quincy Jones with our 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award.
“Celebrating the World of Quincy Jones” saluted him for his many years of mentorship and support of young musicians, along with his multitude of musical achievements. The extensive performer list includesd Patti Austin, Emily Bear, Jeff and John Clayton, Darynn Dean, Siedah Garrett, Justin Kauflin, Alfredo Rodriguez, Hubert Laws, Rickey Minor, Greg Phillinganes, Katie Thiroux and the LA Jazz Society Big Band. Continue reading
* Updated 2/13/2017 to include winners, marked in bold italics *
Congratulations to all nominees in the 59th annual GRAMMY® Awards!
The excerpted list below highlights recordings performed here in Los Angeles with members of the American Federation of Musicians Local 47, nabbing 49 noms (and 11 wins!). We salute not only the musicians directly nominated, but also the many recording and music prep musicians behind the scenes whose work shines through on these recordings! Continue reading
Founded in 2009, Oakwood Brass – Outreach Project seeks to revitalize brass chamber music through lively, engaging performances of intentionally curated repertoire to attract new listeners to classical instrumentation.
This year the group presented instrument introduction concerts at Cleveland, Jackson, Longfellow, and Washington elementary schools in Pasadena, and Royal Oaks Elementary in Duarte. These programs were partially funded by the Local 47 Trust, Tournament of Roses Foundation.
Students learning to breathe in and out with control for 4, 6, 8, and 10 counts.
Local 47 Live Business Rep Michael A. Ankney (second from left) visited the Cabrillo Music Theatre Orchestra musicians at a recent production of “Evita” at the Kavli.
Perhaps one of the most well known figures in Latin American political history, Evita Peron remains a revered figure in her homeland. The fascinating life of Argentina’s first lady takes center stage in the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical, a production that’s almost as legendary as Peron herself. “Evita” took the Kavli stage for the first time in a run Oct. 14-23, 2016. Continue reading