Video: SxSW 2012 @ the Elephant Room

Video: “I Got Rhythm”

Mother’s Day @ the Witte: 3 Divas

The annual Mother’s Day celebration in the courtyard continues with vocalists Bett Butler, Katchie Cartwright, and Joan Carroll, joined by every diva’s dream of a rhythm section: bassist Joël Dilley, pianist Aaron Prado, and Austin drummer Steve Schwelling. We’ll be presenting the first annual Mary Parchman Award for Jazz Excellence to its namesake (read all about the legendary local pianist here). The weather forecast is cooperating, too, calling for clear skies and temperature in the upper 70’s. Food and drink will be available from Picante Grill. Bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on, and for heaven’s sake, bring your mother!

Mother’s Day @ the Witte: 3 Divas
Sunday, May 13, 4-7 pm
Witte Museum
3801 Broadway, San Antonio TX 78209
210.357.1900
$8.00 Adults
$7.00 Seniors, Active Military (with ID)
$6.00 Children (ages 4-11)
Ages 3 and younger, KRTU & museum members - FREE

The Mary Parchman Award for Jazz Excellence

Our accomplishments in life are built on the legacies of others. We need role models in order to visualize what we want to become.

This is true of working professional jazz musicians, who learn their spontaneous and ephemeral art by listening to those who came before them. It’s a hard road and a tough life, often playing under difficult conditions, frequently underpaid and under-appreciated, with hard work and hard-won accomplishment often falling on deaf ears. 

Historically, it’s been especially challenging for women musicians in the predominantly male jazz world, and those who have navigated that road successfully over time deserve our recognition and appreciation. That’s why we’re creating the Mary Parchman Award for Jazz Excellence, what we hope will be an annual award presented to one outstanding woman who has shown long-term commitment to the performance, presentation, preservation, and encouragement of jazz in San Antonio; has made a significant contribution to the local jazz scene; and has proven to be a role model for jazz musicians and listeners.

Read More

(Source: Spotify)

Video: “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”

Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.

— Ella Fitzgerald

Saturday, April 28: King William Fair

The family-friendly King William Fair is one of our favorite Fiesta events, starting with the outlandish and irreverent morning parade, where you’ll see everything from bicycle floats (or floating bicycles) to walking, talking hot dogs.

Art of the Duet @ the King William Fair
Saturday, April 28, 3:45-4:30 pm
King William Park Gazebo, King William & Turner, San Antonio
Admission: $10 adults; 15 yrs. & under free

Thursday, April 19: Fiesta Jazz Market @ Main Plaza

We’ll celebrate the first night of Fiesta with a free trio performance at Main Plaza’s annual Jazz Market. Austin drummer Mike Koenning will join us.

The Art of the Duet Plus One
Thursday, April 19, 5:30-7:30 pm
Jazz Market, Main Plaza, San Antonio
Free

Anybody pursuing the art of lyric writing has a responsibility to his fellow man: for his language that he uses and for his thoughts that he lets fly in the air.

— E.Y. “Yip” Harburg

Monday, April 2: Danny Kaye & Ethel Merman

Did you know that the singer who introduced the Gershwins’ jazz classic “I Got Rhythm” to the world in 1930 was Ethel Merman? And that Danny Kaye was a scatting maniac? Learn about these legends’ lives and music as we wrap up the third season of AMERICAN MUSICAL GENIUSES, the concert/lecture series with author Herb Keyser.

Bett Butler & Herb Keyser
AMERICAN MUSICAL GENIUSES: Danny Kaye & Ethel Merman
Monday, April 2, 7:30 pm
Josephine Theatre
339 W. Josephine, San Antonio TX 78212
Tickets: $25 ($22 seniors/students/military)
For tickets and information, call the Josephine Theatre box office at 210.734.4646 or visit www.josephinetheatre.org.

More information about the American Musical Geniuses series is at www.musicaltheatregeniuses.com.

Joël w/ Morgan King Group @ First UU Church April 1st

The First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Antonio regularly features jazz in their spiritual celebration. Joël will join saxophonist Morgan King the first Sunday in April. It’s always joyous.

Joël w/the MORGAN KING GROUP
Sunday, April 1, 11 am
First Unitarian Universalist Church
7150 W Interstate 10, San Antonio, TX 78213-3465
210.344.4695

CHICKS DIG JAZZ @ Carmens Thursday, March 29

Bett will be joining Joan Carroll, Katchie Cartwright, and surprise guest artists to celebrate women in jazz Thursday, March 29, 8:30 pm at Carmen’s de la Calle Cafe. Viva Estro-Jazz!

Bett, Joan Carroll, Katchie Cartwright, & Friends
CHICKS DIG JAZZ
Thursday, March 29, 8:30 pm
$5 at the door
Carmen’s de la Calle Cafe
720 East Mistletoe Av, San Antonio TX 78212
210.737-TAPA (8272)

Put simply, pianist/vocalist Bett Butler and bassist Joël Dilley make great records.

— Jim Beal Jr., San Antonio Express-News

LOVE STORIES: A Concert & Dual CD Release

SxSW last Saturday night was the best ever. Drummer Philip Marshall and saxophonist Paul Klemperer played beautifully, and we had a big, enthusiastic crowd. (Jazz showcases are in the minority at this annual music/film/technology extravaganza, so we were delighted to see such a great turnout at Austin’s Elephant Room, one of our favorite places to play.) Back again this year with her competent and professional crew was stage manager Heather Mosley, who pointed out that it was like a family reunion; and the jazz club’s staff are always awesome (thank you, Will & Jeff!). We got to meet videographer Joyce Klemperer—down from New York for the film portion of SxSW—who captured part of the performance on video.

We’re really looking forward to this Saturday night, when we’ll have the official San Antonio release of American Sampler and Tom Orf’s Twilight Time at the Josephine Theatre (click here for complete info.) We’ll be joined by some awesome musicians: Philip Marshall on drums and Joe Gonzales of Acoustic Dream on guitar. It will be a night of beautiful music about love and passion played by people who passionately love playing this beautiful music!

We’ll be taking donations for Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio; a donation of $5 or more will get you a Chamber Jazz t-shirt. And we’ll have CDs available at a special price: 2 for $20 (regularly $13-$15).

Please join us for this very special evening. Call 210.734.4646 and ask Margie for the best available seats (although there are no bad seats at the Josephine).

I’ll join Kory Cook at noon today on KRTU 91.7 fm to talk about the new album, and Joël and I both will guest Thursday, 5:30 pm, on Jim Beal Jr.’s Third Coast Music show on KSYM 90.1 fm.

We hope to see you very soon!

Best wishes from both of us,

Bett & Joël