jazz

A musician who has pioneered the use of the bass clarinet as a solo instrument and two sculptors were named Thursday as the winners of the 2014 Baker Artist Awards

Laurel senior centers and other organizations are offering variety of trips, workshops and other events for older adults during May.

At Anne Arundel Community College, spring carries a major entertainment season to the Robert E. Kauffman Theater stage at the Pascal Center for the Performing Arts.

We view busking as an important, lively piece of Baltimore's cultural offerings. We see ourselves as the people's entertainers and as cultural ambassadors to visitors. Baltimore's busking scene could remain as it is now — limited and scattered, an exception rather than the rule — or as a waiter from Tapas Teatro said, it could help Baltimore become "a real city."

The Glenelg High School Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Barry Enzman, will hold its 15th annual Jazz Under the Stars picnic dinner and concert at Chapel View Farm in Woodbine on Saturday, May 24, beginning at 5 p.m.

The River Hill choir participated recently in the World Strides Heritage Festival at George Mason University along with students throughout the region from North Carolina to New York. Under the leadership of music teacher/choral director Amy T. Hairston, the students performed masterfully.

Howard County datebook

Smooth Sounds for Seniors! That's the title of the new concert series just for seniors ages 60 and better at the Montpelier Arts Center, in Laurel.

When you paint on a wall in the middle of the city, people want to talk to you.

Our schools do a great job of offering cultural events to the community, including Jazz at the Ridge every spring at Marriotts Ridge High School. This year's concert, on Friday, April 4, at 7 p.m., will feature Marriotts Ridge jazz ensembles and vocalists, as wells as guest artist Scott Paddock.

Anne Arundel County datebook

Louis G. Hecht, an owner of the Triangle Sign Co. and antiques appraiser who immersed himself in Baltimore's classic jazz scene, died of congestive heart failure Saturday, his 92nd birthday, at Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital. He lived in Pikesville.

Goucher College announced Wednesday that Jose Antonio Bowen, dean of the arts school and a music professor at Southern Methodist University in Texas, will be its next president.

Boy Scout Troop 793 is a large, active troop which is chartered by, and meets at, the Glenelg United Methodist Church on Burntwoods Road. The troop works hard to support the food pantry at the church through Eagle Scout projects, fundraisers and food donation drives.

Senior Briefs

The beat goes on in 2014, at least when it comes to capital jazz in Annapolis provided by a program nurtured by the late Joe Byrd and, before that, by his brother Charlie Byrd. A tradition set by those two will again draw major talent to Annapolis this year for a series of jazz concerts at 49 West Café and at O'Callaghan's Hotel.

St. Louis Knights of Columbus will host a Longaberger Basket Bingo in the church social hall on Jan. 31.

Pamela Audrey Hall, a former radio station program director who was active nationally in jazz and contemporary gospel music circles, died of cancer Jan. 21 at St. Agnes Hospital. She was 57 and lived in Ellicott City.

Maysa Leak refused to get her hopes up on Grammy nomination night last month. Besides, it was already a celebration of a different kind; she threw her son 14-year-old Jazz a birthday party.

Summer camps in Maryland and beyond

Dayton Oaks Elementary School's reading specialist Deborah Castleman is proud to announce that Jocelyn Baker, Imirie Billey, Merina Billey, Rishi Khosla, Poppy Knerr, Anya Nguyen, Tevi Sanchez and Isabel Sowry were the school winners of the Maryland Young Authors contest.

"Jazz at the Lake" is on Saturday, Jan. 18, at 7:30 p.m., in the Jim Rouse Theatre at Wilde Lake High School.

Senior Briefs

Howard County datebook

Cockeysville man, Josh Christina, at 18, is the youngest person to be named to the Maryland Country Music Hall of Fame, along with another member of their band, Good Old Stuff. Christina also released a CD as a solo artist in November.

Howard County datebook