Press Quotes:
"'On
sonnyrollins.com,' [Jazz Journalists Association President, Howard] Mandel
continues, 'You can see
Mikayla Gilbreath, a 13-year-old saxophonist from Tempe, Arizona.' On one
of the podcasts, Gilbreath, who
first heard Sonny’s music in her grade school... is seen meeting Sonny
backstage. ...And she tells how she
became committed to the jazz life. ...'I heard Sonny Rollins, and I just
loved it. I loved the way it sounded and
I just -- I wanted to play jazz instead of just music.' ...Mandel asked her
if there was anything odd about having
been 'drawn to the music of someone whose background is so different from
hers.' ...Wisely, the 13-year-old
answered, 'You know, I really don’t think it matters. It’s the
music that kind of brought us together. It wasn’t
the fact that I was white and he was black, or that he was old and I was
young. It was just--it was the music
that we both loved.'" Nat Hentoff,
JazzTimes Magazine, "Bridging Generations,"
September, 2007.
"It is remarkable
to learn that such a young girl, only 14 years old, who plays the alto saxophone
for only two years
now, reached such a high level in playing. Only few kids from that age can
refer to the great master in jazz, Sonny
Rollins, who has said about hearing Mikayla playing... 'Bravo, very nice!
She's got talent.'" Hans Koert,
Keep Swinging Jazz Blog, in The Netherlands,
November 12, 2007. The article went on to label Gilbreath as the
"young US 'Candy Dulfer.'" The article is available in both Dutch and
English.
"Mikayla's Totally Jazzed"
is a new column that will feature artist interviews and thoughts on jazz
by saxophonist/
student Mikayla Gilbreath. Despite her young age, she's managed to connect
with a surprising number of well-known
musicians, hosting a pre-concert reception at Sonny Rollins' 50th Anniversary
Carnegie Hall Concert in 2007 that was
attended by artists including Jimmy Heath, Lou Donaldson, Paquito D' Rivera,
Joe Lovano, David Liebman, Dr. Lonnie
Smith and Marion Meadows. At fourteen she's already a confirmed jazz lover
and surprisingly accomplished musician,
and while one goal of this column is to reach out to youth and help them
connect with the music she loves, Mikayla's
writing and fresh perspective will appeal to jazz fans of all ages."
Managing Editor John Kelman,
AllAboutJazz.com,
January 7, 2008.
"Given such
an open and welcoming environment, it's no surprise that The Jazz Network
has attracted such familiar
names as David Benoit, Alex Bugnon, Onaje Allan Gumbs and Lenny White to
its member roster, and earned
accolades from the likes of fellow members Billy Cobham, Will Downing, Alphonse
Mouzon and Buster Williams.
"Yet it's not only established artists who hang out together over this
electronic backyard fence [The Jazz Network].
There are plenty of tomorrow's aspiring stars as well, such as 15-year-old
jazz saxophonist and journalist Mikayla
Gilbreath. 'I heard Sonny Rollins,' she says, explaining her passion, 'and
I just loved it. I loved the way it sounded,
and I wanted to play jazz instead of just music.' Has anyone of any age ever
put it better? Jazz instead of just music."
Alan Kurtz,
Jazz.com,
June 29, 2008.
Featured on other websites:
SONNYROLLINS.com - "Meeting Sonny" - The Sonny Rollins Podcast
Episode # 3
( Once page loads, locate
and click on thumbnail image labeled
"Meeting Sonny" on Sonny's
Video Player. )
NATIONAL
PUBLIC RADIO - "Saxophonist Sonny Rollins Still Swinging
Strong"
-
in the audio
portion of Howard Mandel's article.
( Click on
"LISTEN" once
page loads. Mikayla's segment begins at about
the 7:15 mark. )
ALLABOUTJAZZ.com - "Mikayla's Totally Jazzed" -
Mikayla's recurring column features interviews with
established jazz artists, emerging jazz musicians, and noted
jazz educators. Also available is
Mikayla's
AAJ Musician Profile.
JAZZTIMES Magazine (September, 2007) - in Nat Hentoff's
article entitled "Bridging Generations."
JAZZ.com - in Alan Kurtz's article
"The Jazz Network Takes Off"
KEEP SWINGING Jazz Blog in the Netherlands (11-12-07)
- This article is available in both Dutch and English.
THE JAZZ
NETWORK
-
Mikayla's Profile page. Mikayla has also been
featured twice on TJN's home page.
