Bixin Ventures is thrilled to be part of EigenLayer’s latest fundraising round led by Blockchain Capital. EigenLayer is a decentralised trust layer for applications to build upon where existing ETH stakers can opt in to secure new applications on EigenLayer with their stake, while being subjected to slashing on-chain (on ETH) if they act maliciously. We are excited about EigenLayer’s ability to unlock a new innovation paradigm where developers can build applications while sharing security/borrowing trust from Ethereum. In this article below, we will look to share our insights on EigenLayer.
Evolution of Ethereum’s Trust Layer
Blockchains have inherently fostered trust networks without the need for centralized regulatory entities. Bitcoin was the first of many to do so, creating a trust layer built upon Proof-of-Work consensus mechanism , thereby supporting the transfer of value between users. However, Bitcoin’s model of trust has severe limitations, such that there was an extremely high barrier to innovation for applications. Ethereum took a different route to not only separate the application layer from the trust layer, but also added a universal Turing-complete execution layer (better known as the EVM). This provided the space for innovation, as applications were able to deploy on Ethereum without requiring them to bootstrap their own security, instead relying on Ethereum’s trust layer.
Following the Merge, Ethereum made the transition from Proof-of-Work to the Proof-of-Stake consensus mechanism. Compared to PoW where miners compete with hardware and utilise their computational power, PoS required participating nodes to put up (stake) a specified amount of collateral to vote to reach consensus.
This allowed the implementation of an economic punishment mechanism in the form of slashing, to penalise nodes in the event of malicious/dishonest behaviours, in addition to rewarding the nodes that perform their roles correctly. This brought about two main benefits to Ethereum’s trust layer:
- First, an improvement in the economic security of the trust layer since implementation of slashing substantially increases the cost of corruption for an external adversary who attempts a bribery attack, while profit from corruption remains the same
- Second, an expansion of node governance capabilities that provides more optionality over node behaviors. For example, Ethereum can dynamically determine the penalty for malicious nodes based on the total amount slashed during a certain period, thereby increasing the penalty for colluding malicious nodes. Moreover, Ethereum can also confiscate funds of offline nodes to ensure finality and the liveness of the blockchain in the event of an inactivity leak, where too many nodes are absent to reach consensus.
Existing Limitations with Ethereum’s Trust Layer
While Ethereum has strong economic security, many applications built on top of Ethereum rely on crucial middleware such as oracles (e.g. Chainlink) or cross-chain bridges that are secured by their own set of validators and nodes to ensure economic security. Therefore, the cost of corruption for certain applications on Ethereum is the minimum of the security budget across all the various middlewares that the application relies on. Given Ethereum’s slashing mechanisms happen only at the consensus level, it will be unable to penalise any malicious activity that happens to any of these crucial middleware pieces.
In order to expand the slashing mechanism of the Ethereum trust layer, EigenLayer introduces a novel mechanism in cryptoeconomic security called re-staking. In this case, Eigenlayer enables staked ETH to be rehypotheticated, allowing applications to be secured by re-staked ETH rather than their own tokens. Ethereum validators are given the choice to opt-in to EigenLayer’s smart contracts, which not only alters their withdrawal addresses, but introduces a new smart contract-level slashing mechanism. As such, when an Ethereum verification node providing security and validation services through EigenLayer is found to have acted maliciously or violated consensus rules, EigenLayer is able to penalise and slash their collateral via the smart contract. This extended mechanism helps to align the economic interests and actions of the application layer and Ethereum validators, making it possible for applications and middleware deployed outside of Ethereum to leverage the pooled security of Ethereum’s trust layer.
To support re-staking, EigenLayer serves an open marketplace where AVSs can rent pooled security, allowing the supply-side (Ethereum validators) and the demand-side (application layer) to determine the value of services provided through a free-market mechanism. Validators can decide whether or not to participate in providing their services to a particular application depending on their preferred risk-benefit ratio and slashing conditions. Applications can easily purchase trust at market-oriented prices, leveraging the diverse resources among validators to achieve a better balance between protocol security and performance.
What EigenLayer Enables
Accelerating Innovation at the Application Layer
By establishing a marketplace between applications and Ethereum validators, EigenLayer further modularizes the trust and execution layers of Ethereum. Applications deployed outside of Ethereum are able to utilise the modular trust layer to easily pool trust, greatly reducing the capital cost of security and increasing capital efficiency. This brings huge benefits to applications and middleware that value economic security such as oracles, data availability layers, decentralized sequencers, cross-chain bridges, and side chains, allowing them to direct focus and resources towards protocol innovation and improving user experience, accelerating innovation at the application layer.
Furthering Protocol Layer Innovation
By introducing a slashing mechanism at the smart contract level, EigenLayer has the ability to implement rules for participating nodes without having to alter the existing consensus mechanism.
An example of such a use case could be to help achieve single-slot finality. Ethereum currently utilises Gasper for consensus, marking blocks as ‘finalised’ and determining which fork of the blockchain should be used. However, Gaspar only provides finality for the first slot of every epoch (checkpoint block), with those in between having to wait until the next checkpoint block is finalised. With EigenLayer, it is possible to implement a mechanism where nodes sign off on the finality of a block. Nodes who have restaked via EigenLayer can attest that they will not fork a block and build on a chain that does not include it, thereby creating a potential pathway to finality.
Another example that contributes towards MEV management, specifically in enabling partial-block MEV-Boost. In MEV-Boost’s current form, block builders are only able to submit complete blocks. To prevent block proposers from stealing profit from builders, they are only allowed to view the contents of the block after signing off its header and proposing it to the rest of the network. With EigenLayer, this behavior can be prescribed to proposers prematurely, making it such that block proposers who deviate from it or fail to include a builder’s transactions be penalised and slashed. This way, not only are block builders able to propose partial blocks instead of only complete blocks, proposers are also able to include their own MEV-extraction transactions as well. This enables block proposers to participate in block building and obtaining MEV profits, further decentralising the builder role. And as block proposers are able to include any type of transactions in partial blocks, they can also contribute to increasing Ethereum’s censorship resistance.
Improving Economic Security of the Ethereum Trust Layer
Ethereum validators are able to obtain additional revenue providing services through EigenLayer. This increases the yield on ETH staking, and assuming investors are rational, more capital will flow into the Ethereum ecosystem and more ETH will be staked. With a higher total amount of ETH staked, the economic security of the Ethereum trust layer is further enhanced, providing better security for applications and middleware, attracting more to utilise EigenLayer’s features, creating a positive feedback loop.
Incentivising Staker Decentralisation
With EigenLayer, applications are able to specify their preference or criteria for nodes participating in its tasks on EigenLayer. With high levels of decentralisation being a core need for many applications like encryption systems for on-chain privacy, one can expect applications to demand its participating nodes be part of a decentralised quorum. This presents new demand for operators of home validator nodes, who fall under a largely decentralised category of nodes, increasing profitability and thus attracting new entrants, contributing to further decentralization.
Compromising of the Ethereum Trust Layer
Besides programmed slashing following rule violations, there may be instances of unintended slashing due to programming bugs or malicious protocols, resulting in honest nodes losing their staked funds. In the situation where unintended slashing happens on a large scale, the economic security of the Ethereum trust layer may be greatly compromised. The team has employed two mitigants to such risk cascades, the first being to minimise such risk through rigorous auditing, and the second to provide a veto system for slashing, where the governance committee in place can veto instances of unintended slashing through multi-signature voting, providing a safety net for extreme cases.
Overleveraging through Re-staking
As Ethereum validators constantly seek additional revenue providing services through Eigen Layer, the situation where there are multiple instances of re-staking might arise, and a particular validator set might be securing a total value greater than its staked collateral. This opens up potential vulnerabilities as the profit from corruption outweighs the cost of corruption, reducing the economic security of the trust layer. This balance between seeking additional revenue and security will need to be monitored as EigenLayer is implemented, with possible mitigants or restrictions being enforced as required.
With the future of blockchains trending towards one that heavily emphasises modularity, what EigenLayer is building stands to benefit not only the Ethereum ecosystem as a whole, but even those outside of it. EigenLayer is set to unlock a new innovation paradigm on both the application and middleware layer, while allowing base layer Ethereum to maintain its credible neutrality. This enables Ethereum to break away from the constant trade-off of democracy and agility, by giving application developers a new space to test new implementations and business models.
Today, EigenLayer is already working on developing new products such as EigenDA, that provides a hyperscaled data availability layer for Ethereum to unlock higher bandwidth while optimising for cheaper and more consistent fees. Partnerships with teams like Mantle are a testament to what EigenLayer is setting out to acheive: to push the limits on existing technological boundaries, and we are extremely excited to see how this all fits into hyperscaling Ethereum.


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We still have very limited accommodation for the Commonwealth Games. We are just a walk from most venues and centrally placed in Surfers Paradise. This will be the sporting event of the year, dont miss out!
Please ring us on 07-5538-2678.
For details of this event see the link below:
RT @nzolympics: //Selection Announcement – Men’s Hockey “We’re really looking forward to the challenge of the Commonwealth Games and we…
RT @SeanSafo: Time To Represent!!! I Have Been Selected To Represent Team Ghana In The 100m & 4x100m At The Commonwealth Games In Australia…
Commonwealth Games: @imranirampal to lead India’s 18-woman hockey squad at #CWG2018. Savita Punia named vice captain
We now have super fast Internet! We went with TPG FTTB (Fibre to the Basement, rather than the slower NBN which is just HFC (Hybrid Fibre Cable) and only goes to the node. We are very happy with the service and you will be too! Free for all guests!
Jul 13, 2015 … The Arts Centre Gold Coast has launched a new and inclusive festival, showcasing the fabulous and celebrating all things LGBTIQ. GLITTER is …
Celebrate, come together and be whoever you want to be at Glitter Festival 2016.
Launched amidst the backdrop of an idyllic Gold Coast day, Glitter laid all its cards on the table this week and revealed an impressive hand. See some of the great photos here!
From Thu 6 – Sun 9 October, the 2016 festival offers an incredible program comprising of events, music, theatre, film and visual arts. Glitter contains an equal mix of earthy, raw and thought provoking content and events of total fabulousness! There truly is something for everyone.
Undertaken and proudly presented by The Arts Centre Gold Coast with the blessing of the City and the Mayor, Glitter Festival embodies unification and inclusion and celebrates this togetherness with flair of nostalgia, fun and honesty. It encompasses everything that is unique about our City and celebrates pride in an undefined way – a way that is distinctly Gold Coast.
Stay at The Emerald Surfers Paradise to attend the Glitter Festival Gold Coast for a Special Deal.
Are you travelling to the Gold Coast of Australia and planning on staying for some time? We hope you’re staying long enough to acquire some incredible experiences in the Australian style. For all the above reasons, The Emerald Surfers Paradise Hotel is, indeed, the dream of any overseas budget traveller.
We do not just offer some rooms for rent! We are committed to making your stay here memorable! Here are four things that represent the greatest gains with us:
1. Serviced Apartments with an Incredible Panoramic View
All our serviced apartments have two bedrooms including an en-suite with spa off the master bedroom and a main bathroom. Thus, you and your family or partner can enjoy a relaxing atmosphere right there, in your private accommodation setting.
All apartments have a full kitchen: A stove, fridge, and all the necessary cooking utensils. As an overseas budget traveller, you may feel the need to adapt. So, you will be able to deposit food, make your coffee or even cook food during these change days.
Plus, every apartment has three balconies, placing you in a sort of surrounding view of the area.
By the way! The view is stunning since the resort is right on a canal waterway of the Nerang River. Can you picture yourself sitting on a balcony, enjoying the sun while watching the rhythmic bouncing of kayaks?
2. Fantastic Options for Water Activities
Now, you may be thinking that watching kayaks is not all you’ve expected from a coast, and you are right! There are many more fun opportunities than that! For instance, you can enjoy our heated pool at any hour of the day, savouring the calming sense of it.
Our hotel is also only a 7-8 minutes walk from the heart of Surfers Paradise. Whether you are a passionate surfer or just keen on surfing, this is the place to be.
Known for its consistent waves, the Gold Coast hosts lots of international surfing competitions. So, you can watch incredible surfing performances and learn from the best. If you are a surfing novice, though, this is the perfect place to start learning. There are lots of trainers who will be happy to pass on the art of surfing.
You can also hire a boat or a jet-ski and start off on an exciting journey on water. Or, you could be adventurous with themed parks and whale watching cruises. For all these attractions, we’ve teamed up with Experience Oz to offer you the best options for entertainment and pricing.
The Emerald Surfers Paradise is just minutes away from the buzzing life of the Gold Coast. Lots of LGBTIQ community members who’ve experienced it, said they’ve especially enjoyed the local scenery, nightclubs, and gay-friendly activities.
There are all sorts of entertainment, and they are available throughout the entire year. Concerts, themed productions, cabaret, acrobatics or magic shows, you name it! There’s something for all sorts of tastes, ages, and pockets. As an overseas budget traveller, you will be able to enjoy most of these attractions.
As for food and drink experiences, the choices are almost endless. You can always sit by the river on the balconies and enjoy a tasty BBQ. Or, you may check the restaurants in the neighbourhood. There are so many dining experiences that they provide! You could try seafood buffets, dinner cruises, dinner with live entertainment, etc.
The nightclubs are also quite dazzling, and if you’re not paying attention, they may even become addictive.
Finally, The Emerald Surfers Paradise is 5 minutes away from the Fortitude Valley Centre and Shopping Mall. So, there’s your perfect place to do real or window shopping for food, clothes or souvenirs.
4. Longer Stay Amenity for Overseas Budget Travellers
Apart from our decent pricing system in general, our hotel offers discounts for longer stays: From $89 a night or $600 per week.
Up to 3 months rentals in winter are also more profitable as they spare you of a formal lease and a great bond.
If you would like to know more about offers and discounts, please give us a call at +61 7 5538 2678 to get up-to-date information.
At The Emerald, every apartment has a Spa Bath Gold Coast style! Pamper yourself while you watch the incredible river views. Sip champagne in the Spa while you watch the boating traffic pass by. The Bath is located in the en suite bathroom off the main bedroom so it is very private! The Emerald is only 10 minutes walk from the heart of Surfers Paradise. We are one of the few hotels with this facility on the gold coast.

domain: travel


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I suddenly have the urge to go fishing and swimming!
Shut up and take my money!
A real life Super Mario water world.
Much better to look at Super Mario Graffiti then gang tags.
The super hero you never heard about.
She's can do other tricks too...
He must be a mario brothers fan!
This guy turned his smartphone into a super Nintendo to play Super Mario World.
I want that Super Mario Cake at my wedding.

domain: game


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Who is Binayak Sen?
Binayak Sen has played mutiple roles over the years; academician, pediatrician, public health specialist, human rights activist and now, according to a Chattisgarh court, a Maoist and a traitor.india Updated: Dec 24, 2010 16:24 IST
Binayak Sen has played mutiple roles over the years; academician, pediatrician, public health specialist, human rights activist and now, according to a Chattisgarh court, a Maoist and a traitor. Here is a brief sketch of his life and works.
--He started his academic career at Christian Medical College, Vellore, doing his MBBS and later on, an M.D in Pediatrics. He then went on to join the the Centre for Social Medicine and Community Health at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, one of India's most prestigious universities, as a faculty member.
-- His next stop was in Hoshangabad district of MP, where he began his commitment to rural health programmes, working in a community based rural health centre focusing on tuberculosis.
-- In the seventies, he joined the Medico Friend Circle, a national organisation of health workers trying to evolve an alternative health system to cater to economically weak sections of rural India.
-- Dr Sen further extended his ambit working with mine workers in Dalli Rajahara. His work included helping the workers set up and sustain a hospital of their own called Shaheed Hospital under the banner of the Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha. This was followed by a mission hospital in Tilda where Sen focussed on his specialty; Pediatrics and later, Community Health.
-- In the late eighties he moved to Raipur, developing models of primary health care in Chhattisgarh. Ironically, he was a member of the state advisory committee which pioneered a community based health worker programme across the state called the Mitanin programme. Alongside, he consulted a weekly clinic in a tribal community in Dhamtari district. He also acted as an advisor to the Jan Swasthya Sahyog, a health care organization working on rural low cost models of community health in the Bilaspur district of the state.
-- Dr Sen and his wife, Dr Ilina Sen, then went on to create 'Rupantar', an NGO which trains, deploys and monitors community health workers spread across 20 villages. Rupantar then branched out to cover alcohol abuse, violence against women and food security.
-- While working in Chattisgarh, Dr Sen extended his expertise and dedication to human rights movements, albeit in his own way. He served as the General Secretary of the state Peoples' Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) Committee for five years and as Vice President of the National Committee for the three years. His work was vast in scope, covering fake encounters, custodial deaths, hunger deaths, malnutrition, and dysentery.
-- Dr Sen is also responsible for one of the first few voices against Salwa Judum, the state sponsored reactionary peoples movement. His fact finding team, was one of the first few to study and highlight the excesses and dangers posed by the Salwa Judum, instantly bringing him under the state government's scanner.
Recognising his contribution to the field of community health care, Dr Sen has been graced with the following (chronologically)
-- In 2004 Dr Sen was decorated with the Paul Harrison award for a lifetime of service to the rural poor, and award given annually by his alma mater, the Christian Medical College, Vellore.
-- In 2007 he was awarded the RR Keithan Gold Medal by The Indian Academy of Social Sciences (ISSA) for "his outstanding contribution to the advancement of science of Nature-Man-Society and his honest and sincere application for the improvement of quality of life of the poor, the downtrodden and the oppressed people of Chhattisgarh."
-- Surprisingly or maybe not in April, 2008, while he was still incarcerated, the Global Health Council nominated him as the winner of the 2008 Jonathan Mann Award for Global Health and Human Rights.
On May 14, 2007, Dr Sen, was arrested under the provisions of the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act, 2005, (CSPSA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The allegations claimed that he had acted as a courier for a Maoist leader Narayan Sanyal lodged in the Raipur Jail and then absconded. The charges against him were as follow:
b) Criminal Conspiracy
c) Sedition, anti-national activities and making war against the nation
d) Knowingly using the proceeds of terrorism
e) Links with the Maoists
First Published: Dec 24, 2010 16:19 IST

domain: sociology


The San Antonio City Council votes Thursday morning on another annexation plan.
This one focuses on an area on 281 North or what the city has called the ‘commercial corridor.’
“It’s about 1.6 square miles from south of the current city limits all the way up to the Comal County line,” Deputy City Manager Peter Zanoni said.
Essentially, it’s about a 4.5 mile stretch of property.
“Annexing it will help to control growth, make sure it’s orderly, it will allow us to get some revenues and provide services to the area,” he said.
This was part of a council compromise. The original plan was to look at annexing commercial and residential areas, but Zanoni said the council decided to focus on residential property annex in 17 years.


The Workers’ Party has welcomed the restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly today (9th May 2007).
Waterford Workers’ Party candidate Councillor John Halligan said that the restoration of the assembly was most important for the people of
Northern Ireland and for the whole island of Ireland.
“The Workers’ Party warmly welcomes the restoration of the Assembly after many years of difficult negotiation, setbacks and stalling. However we cannot let this day go past without reflecting on the fact that over three and a half thousand people were needlessly killed in a sectarian conflict that should never have happened”, said Councillor Halligan.
“It is somewhat ironic that the two parties which are centre-stage today, Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionist Party, have been the key organisations and individuals who bear the greatest responsibility for the turmoil and bitterness of the last thirty years, the legacy of which remains a very potent force in Northern Ireland society”
Councillor Halligan said that self government for Northern Ireland also brought a great responsibility on the new executive and its ministers to deliver for the people of the province and in particular to deliver in terms of public services such as health, education and the creation of employment.


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Release of the final report of the first Caritas Forum on the theme "Aarm mécht krank, krank mécht aarm". For Caritas Luxembourg, this first edition of the Caritas Forum highlighted important areas of work for the next government.
Under the coordination of Ronnen Dësch, several organizations, including Caritas Luxembourg, have put together some of their demands to the political parties in order to inform voters.
The Caritas network is mobilised to help people in Morocco, Libya and Greece.
Caritas Luxembourg is appealing for solidarity to help the victims of the earthquake in Morocco.
A few days ago, the children returned to school. For many, it was a chance to inaugurate the new schoolbags they had bought over the summer. Unfortunately, some were not so lucky.
On this 19 August, World Humanitarian Day, we have a special thought for all those who make it possible for Caritas humanitarian aid to reach people in need of assistance.
L’ASTI asbl, la Croix-Rouge luxembourgeoise et Caritas Luxembourg collaborent cet été pour proposer deux nouvelles activités en faveur des résidents réfugiés des centres d’accueil du Kirchberg « Bâtiment T « et « Tony Rollmann ».
Demain sera voté à la Chambre des Députés le projet de loi relative au vivre-ensemble interculturel. Tout en saluant l’introduction du concept de vivre-ensemble interculturel, Caritas Luxembourg considère que le projet de loi ne va pas suffisamment
The Sodexo "Lunch Pass" campaign raised a great amount of money in 2022. The 2023 edition has just been launched.
It was 5 months ago. A devastating earthquake hit Turkey and Syria. More than 56,000 people lost their lives, including 50,000 in Turkey alone. In the Antakya region, the worst hit, the earthquake caused massive destruction, while the area was

domain: news


Proof that autonomous vehicles are safe to put on the road begins with rigorous models of the sensors that guide them.
Holger Krumm | dSPACE GmbH
Onboard sensors are critical for autonomous vehicles to navigate the open road, but the real environment is full of obstacles. Everyday interferences such reflective surfaces, whiteout conditions, fog, rain, traffic congestion, and objects (i.e. pedestrians, parked vehicles, buildings, signs) clutter the atmosphere and can result in sensor misreads or false targets.
The sheer volume of testing necessary to evaluate every possible driving scenario makes it impractical to conduct real test drives on the road. The solution lays with the creation of virtual driving scenarios and sensor-realistic simulation, which can take place in the safety of the lab.
An efficient approach is to validate autonomous driving functions by using realistic, off-the-shelf simulation models (i.e. such as dSPACE Automotive Simulation Models – (ASM) and a virtual testing platform. With a setup like this, entire test scenarios can be virtually reproduced, including the environment sensors (camera, radar, Lidar, etc.), the vehicle under test, traffic, roads, driving maneuvers, and the surrounding environment.
Sensor-realistic simulation is the most efficient way of verifying and validating the environment sensors onboard autonomous vehicles. The basic premise behind sensor-realistic simulation is that sensor models mimic real sensors by generating the same kinds of signals. The sensor models use a geometrical approach to calculate distance, velocity, acceleration, horizontal and vertical angles to the nearest point of every detected object. The software models generate raw data from the sensors to simulate the environment (i.e. traffic objects, weather, lighting conditions, etc.) to mimic the feedback a real vehicle would receive.
The sensor simulation process involves the following stages:
Sensing – The simulated sensors receive a signal representative of one or more objects. The sensors detect the virtual targets as they would real objects. The sensors begin to capture real-time information such as distance, angular position, range and velocity.
Perception – Through imaging or signal processing, the sensors recognize the presence of the object(s).
Data fusion – The validation process begins as the raw data collected from the various sensors feeds to the CPU of the electronic control unit (ECU). Here, the information is combined and processed (this is also known as sensor fusion) in real-time to create a target list (or point cloud) of objects, both static and moving.
Application – The object list is run through a perception algorithm where object classification, situation analysis, trajectory planning and decision-making activities take place. Based on the outcome, the ECU determines what actions the autonomous vehicle should take.
Actuation – The ECU sends output signals to the appropriate actuators to carry out the desired action.
For validation purposes, the sensor data gathered during the testing process must be recorded and stored in a time-correlated manner (i.e. time-stamped, tagged, synchronized) so it can be played back in the laboratory later.
It takes detailed and realistic models to address the high-complexity needs associated with autonomous sensor systems (i.e. decision algorithms, motion control algorithms). The more realistic the sensor model, the better the results. Depending on the level of complexity, sensor models can be grouped into three general types: Ideal ground truth/probabilistic; Phenomenological/physical; and Real/over-the-air (OTA).
Ideal ground truth/probabilistic sensor models are technology independent. They are primarily used for object-list-based injection (i.e. 3D and 2D sensors used to detect traffic lights, traffic signs, road objects, lanes, barriers, pedestrians, etc.). These kinds of models help check whether an object is detectable within a set range.
In a sensor simulation experiment, ground truth/probabilistic sensor models provide ideal data (ground-truth information), which can optionally be superimposed with probabilities of events (probabilistic effects). For example, superimposition is used to simulate the typical measurement noise of radar. The simulation returns a list of classified objects (vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, traffic signs, etc.) as well as their coordinates and motion data (distance, relative speed, relative acceleration, relative azimuth and elevation angle).
Ideal ground truth/probabilistic sensor models are typically validated via software-in-the-loop (SIL) simulations, which are faster than real-time, and in hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulations, which take place in real-time. They can also be deployed on cluster systems to play a part in conducting high volumes of tests.
Within the dSPACE toolchain, these sensors are part of the ASM tool suite (e.g. ASM Ground Truth sensor models). They run on a CPU together with the vehicle, traffic and other relevant environment models. These models are easy to configure, and simulation always takes place synchronously.
Phenomenological/physical sensor models are physics-based. They are based on the measurement principles of the sensor (i.e. camera uptakes, radar wave propagation) and play a role simulating phenomena such as haze, glare effects or precipitation. They can generate raw data streams, 3-D point clouds, or target lists.
Because these models address physical effects, they can be quite complicated. Calculation typically takes place on a graphics processing unit (GPU). These models also are typically validated in a SIL or HIL test setup.
Within the dSPACE toolchain, phenomenological/physical sensor models are visualized in MotionDesk and calculated on a dSPACE Sensor Simulation PC, which incorporates a high-performance GPU card and can facilitate deterministic, real-time sensor simulations with a high degree of realism.
Real/over-the-air sensor models are also physics-based models. They are used in tests with real physical signals and real sensor ECUs to analyze real-world sensor behavior.
Validation can take place by stimulating the whole sensor over-the-air on a radar test system (i.e. dSPACE Automotive Radar Test Systems – DARTS). This approach is useful for object detection scenarios. Alternatively, validation can take place on a complete radar test bench when there is a need to integrate other vehicle components (i.e. front bumper, chassis).
Sensor-realistic simulations rely on a bus system like CAN, CAN FD, FlexRay, LIN or Ethernet that carries signals and vehicle network traffic. So any autonomous vehicle simulations must include simulations of bus behavior, ranging from simple communication tests and rest bus simulation to complex integration tests.
Additionally, the sensor model must interface to the device-under-test to inject data for simulation testing. A high-performance FPGA can be used to feed raw sensor data, target lists and/or object lists into the sensor ECU in a synchronized manner. For example, the dSPACE Environment Sensor Interface (ESI) Unit was designed for this role. It receives raw sensor data, separates it according to the individual sensors, and then inserts the time-correlated data into a digital interface behind the respective sensor front end.
Other interfaces that are supportive of autonomous driving development include FMI, XIL-API, OpenDrive, OpenCRG, OpenScenario or Open Sensor Interface. These interfaces give engineers the option of integrating valuable data from accident databases or traffic simulation tools for co-simulation activities.
With regard to cameras, the preferred practice today is to use over-the-air stimulation to feed raw image data directly into the camera’s image processing unit. As the camera sensor captures the image data stream, the animated scenery is displayed on a monitor and engineers can detect ranges and sensor outputs to the nearest point of an object (i.e. distance, relative velocity, vertical and horizontal angles, etc.), as well as sensor timings (i.e. cycles, initial offset, output delay time).
To validate camera-based sensors, simulations must account for different lens types and distortions – such as fish-eyeing, vignetting and chromatic aberrations. Additionally, test scenarios must factor in the use of multiple image sensors, as well as sensor characteristics (i.e. monochromatic representation, Bayer pattern, HDR, pixel errors, image noise, etc.).
The next generation of sensor simulation products is capable of producing highly realistic visualization using technologies such as 3-D remodeling, physics-based rendering, ray tracing, and dynamic lighting. The detail of different terrains, environmental lighting (i.e. haze, shadows), lens flare, glare effects, dynamic materials (i.e. rain, snow, fog), and much more can have 3D photo-realistic qualities to help boost simulation accuracy.
Simulations of sensors such as Lidar and radar generally detect objects by computing the path of reflections for Lidar signals or how electromagnetic waves will propagate for radar. The procedure involves sending beams into a 3D scene and capturing their reflections, which allows for the integration of physical effects such as multipath propagation into the modeling. The result is a physically correct simulation of the propagation of radar waves or a near-infrared laser beam.
Values for parameters such as reflection points, angles, distance, range, Doppler speed, diffuse scattering, multipath propagation, and so forth are collected and processed to calculate the vehicle’s distance from an object and to describe the surrounding environment (i.e. in the form of a point cloud). Gathered data is used to generate a target list that includes information on distance and the intensity of the reflected light (for Lidar sensors) or the frequency of an echo signal (for radar). The resulting sensor-realistic simulations help validate the behavior of the sensor path.
Tools for sensor-realistic simulation
Models supporting virtual test drive scenarios, for example, driving maneuvers, roads, vehicles, traffic objects, sensors, etc. (i.e. dSPACE ASM)
Software to support the 3-D animation and visualization of simulated test drive scenarios (i.e. dSPACE MotionDesk)
An FPGA powerful enough to synchronously insert raw sensor data into sensor ECUs (i.e. dSPACE ESI Unit)
A processing platform with a high-performance GPU to calculate environment and sensor models and generate raw data and target lists (i.e. dSPACE Sensor Simulation PC)
A scalable PC-based platform that can support SIL test setups and high-volume cluster tests (i.e. dSPACE VEOS)
A real-time system for HIL test setups that offers integration options for various sensors (i.e. dSPACE SCALEXIO)
A radar test system or test bench that can perform over-the-air simulation of radar echoes (i.e. dSPACE DARTS)


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Description: American Pit Bull mix, one year, 10 months old. Yogi, a playful pup who loves people, came to the shelter as a Camp Fire survivor. His ideal adopter would be one who is loving and willing to go out on adventures. He could curl up with a human companion and watch a good movie together. Yogi gets pretty excited when he sees other dogs and may be able to live with one. He has not been tested with cats. After a troubled past, he looks forward to a happier future.
Information: 343-7917, ext. 201, or www.buttehumane.org.
Description: Domestic shorthair mix, 4 years old. Stripey is a handsome brown and black tabby who came to the shelter with his brother Buffy. He is now looking for his purr-fect family. Stripey is a little nervous around new people but warms up with familiarity. He loves to be brushed, and could be and indoor cat with some outdoor privileges so he can run and stretch his legs (and maybe lose some of his extra fluff). He would love to go home with another cat but is not sure how he feels about dogs yet. A slower paced lifestyle would be best for him.
Information: 343-7917, ext. 164, or www.buttehumane.org.

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Art Museum Jokes
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Performance is all about hitting the right notes.
Constructing and managing diversified portfolios to help reach your financial goals.
Don Linzer firstname.lastname@example.org 412.697.5222 Nancy Skeans email@example.com 412.697.5376
A d v i s or s
WELCOME TO OUR 25TH SEASON! Welcome to MCG Jazz and the second half of what has been an amazing 25th anniversary season! I hope you have enjoyed the jazz photo and CD covers art in the galleries. It has been an honor for us to have presented so many jazz legends for you over the years. We’re excited about so many of the spring shows and glad that so many of you will be joining us for the “Once in a Lifetime” Jazz Party on March 3. We will honor many of the Pittsburgh Jazz Legends as well as present a concert event featuring FIVE PLAY and Marlena Shaw. If you haven’t bought your tickets yet, stop by the box office before you leave today. The second half of the season is upon us and I’m sure you know that means that we are already planning 2012-13. Watch for an announcement in early April. Looking forward to a terrific spring!
JAZZ IS (OUR) LIFE Marty Ashby Executive Producer Renée Govanucci Associate Producer Amy Constantine-Kline Customer Relations Manager Eric Granata Production Manager
Kahmeela Friedson Administrative Assistant Bill Majetic Production
André Johnson Front of House Coordinator
Season Booklet © 2012 MCG Jazz, a program of Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild, an affiliate of Manchester Bidwell Corporation.
TABLE OF CONTENTS MCG Jazz Staff.......................................................................................................... 1 International Guitar Night.......................................................................................4 Jon Faddis Quartet...................................................................................................8 BNY Mellon Jazz Presents The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra with New York Voices............................................................................................14 Lee Ritenour.............................................................................................................18 Toots Thielemans & Kenny Werner...................................................................22 BNY Mellon Jazz Presents Chick Corea Piano Solo Concert.....................24 Oscar Castro-Neves & Paul Winter Brazilian Days Revisted....................... 28 Kurt Elling Swings Sinatra.................................................................................... 30 MCG Jazz 2011 Donor List...................................................................................32 Facility Information and FAQs............................................................................ 34
WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR
MCG Jazz programs are made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.
Deep roots. Great chops. “Our jazz faculty has the talent and experience to inspire tomorrow’s great jazz musicians.” –Mike Tomaro, Chair of Jazz Studies Hal Leonard Publications Yamaha Performing Artist, Vandoren Performing Artist Co-artistic Director, Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra
Sean Jones (pictured), Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies Artistic Director, Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra Mack Avenue Records Downbeat Magazine Rising Star
Duquesne University’s legacy of academic excellence prepares students for success. For more information about Duquesne and our jazz program visit www.duq.edu/music or contact us at firstname.lastname@example.org or 412.396.6080.
Pittsburgh, Pa. A Catholic University in the Spiritan Tradition
20 7:00 & 9:30 PM
INTERNATIONAL GUITAR NIGHT WITH CALABRIA FOTI AND JOE NEGRI Brian Gore (USA) – Guitar Adrian Legg (England) – Guitar Lulo Reinhardt (Germany) – Guitar Marco Pereira (Brazil) – Guitar Calabria Foti – Vocals/Violin Joe Negri – Guitar
THE INTERNATIONAL GUITAR NIGHT (IGN) is the world’s premier touring guitar festival, and brings together the most interesting and innovative acoustic guitarists to exchange musical ideas in a public concert setting. For each tour, Brian Gore invites a new cast of guitar luminaries to join him for special evenings of solos, duets, and quartets that highlight the dexterity and diversity within the world of acoustic guitar. Brian founded IGN in 1995 as a forum for the world’s finest guitarists/composers to play their latest original songs and share musical ideas and talent with their peers. This year IGN’s 11th North American tour features Adrian Legg, Lulo Reinhardt, Marco Pereira, and Brian Gore. San Francisco-based guitar poet Brian Gore is gaining a reputation as one of the most interesting and influential performers of “the next generation”. A musical romantic, his compositions draw inspiration from myth and modern literature. Gore is an artist in residence at the Boulder Chautauqua, sponsored by Acoustic Guitar Magazine. His music has been featured on NPR’s nationally syndicated Echoes Radio, and many other local public radio programs. Lulo Reinhardt is a spontaneous and spirited musician whose guitar has led him on many a musical voyage of discovery. His curiosity has taken him everywhere from southern Spain in search of flamenco roots, to South America, exploring the various musical styles of Latin Jazz. Lulo expresses his artistic personality in his gypsy influences, reflecting his character. Joe Satriani once said, “[Adrian Legg] is simply the best acoustic guitar player I’ve ever heard…he plays like he has hammers for fingers.” Since the 1990 release of his first U.S. recording Guitars and Other Cathedrals, Adrian Legg has more than lived up to the expectations stirred by an ongoing avalanche of praise from critics, fans, top guitar magazines and peers alike. All this has led him to be voted ‘Best Finger style Guitarist’ four years straight by the readers of Guitar Player magazine. Continued on next page
WWW.INTERNATIONALGUITARNIGHT.COM WWW.CALABRIAFOTI.COM WWW.JOENEGRI.COM IGN: A five part series of live recordings is available at www.candyrat.com. Calabria Foti: A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening [MoCo Records] 2007 Joe Negri: Uptown Elegance [MCG Jazz] 2004 Afternoon in Rio [MCG Jazz] 1999
INTERNATIONAL GUITAR NIGHT WITH CALABRIA FOTI AND JOE NEGRI
Marco Pereira lived in France for five years and received a classical guitar master’s degree in performance from the Université Musicale Internationale of Paris, as well as a master’s degree in Musicology from the University of Paris-Sorbonne with his thesis Hector Villa-Lobos and his guitar work. In Paris, he was strongly influenced by jazz and Latin-American music which characterizes his compositional work, in addition to Brazilian styles. IGN audiences cherish the virtuosity of the playing and the friendly, informal ambiance of the performances. Participants relish the chance to play with peers from different genres, and to collaborate rather than compete. This unique brand of “guitar positivity” has helped make IGN the most successful guitar showcase of its kind. Joe Negri Joe Negri, a Pittsburgh icon and guitar legend, may be most familiar to national audiences for his 30-year tenure as the affable Handyman Negri on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood (PBS) but he has appeared with a roster of legendary artists including Michael Feinstein, Tony Bennett, Andy Williams, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Buddy Defranco and YoYo Ma. Negri’s discography includes several MCG Jazz albums: Uptown Elegance, Guitars for Christmas, and Afternoon in Rio as well as guest appearances on numerous others. Calabria Foti Johnny Mathis once said, “Listening to a beautiful voice is one of my greatest pleasures in life, and Calabria Foti’s voice is some of the most beautiful and artistic music I have ever heard!” In addition to Mathis, Ms. Foti has received high praise from industry giants Jack Jones, Andy Williams, Neal Hefti, Cy Coleman, Clint Eastwood, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, John Pizzarelli, Christopher Cross, Dave Koz, Chris Botti and many others. Famed composer Johnny Mandel said, “She’s a true artist in every way, and she has the ability to tell a story and touch your heart”. Calabria is also an accomplished violinist and performed the virtuosic violin solo for the long-running theme to PBS’ Great Performances. She has recorded CDs with Barbra Streisand, Michael Buble, Steve Tyrell, Michael Bolton, Renee Olstead, Natalie Cole, Pat Boone, Willie Nelson, Peter Marshall, and Paul McCartney.
7:00 & 9:30 PM
JON FADDIS QUARTET Jon Faddis – Leader & Trumpet David Hazeltine – Piano Todd Coolman – Bass Dion Parson – Drums
Jon Faddis is a complete and consummate musician — conductor, composer, and educator. Marked by both intense integrity and humor, Faddis earned accolades from his close friend and mentor Dizzy Gillespie, who declared, “He’s the best ever, including me!” As a trumpeter, Faddis possesses a virtually unparalleled range and makes the practically impossible seem effortless. Time Out New York praised Faddis as “the world’s greatest trumpeter.” Born in 1953, Faddis began playing at age eight, inspired by an appearance by Louis Armstrong on television. Meeting Dizzy Gillespie at 15 proved to be a pivotal beginning of a unique friendship that spanned over three decades. Shortly after his 18th birthday, Faddis joined Lionel Hampton’s big band, following that working as lead trumpet for the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra at the Village Vanguard. He formed his own quartet, and soon began directing big band orchestras, including the Grammy-winning United Nation Orchestra, the Dizzy Gillespie 70th Birthday Big Band, the Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Stars, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band (1992-2002), and the successor to the CHJB, the Jon Faddis Jazz Orchestra of New York (2003-present). The Chicago Jazz Ensemble, which celebrated its 40th anniversary at Columbia College Chicago, named Faddis as its Artistic Director in autumn 2004. Faddis has also served as guest conductor and featured guest with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Faddis’ original compositions include the Jazz opera Lulu Noire (1997); others may be heard on his Grammy-nominated Remembrances (Chesky 1998), Into the Faddisphere (Epic 1989), and Hornucopia (Epic 1991). Faddis’ album, TERANGA (Koch 2006) features new compositions and special guests Alioune Faye (sabor), Abdou Mboup (djembe & talking drum), Russell Malone (guitar), Gary Smulyan (baritone saxophone), Clark Terry (flugelhorn & vocals), and Frank Wess (alto flute). Jon Faddis regularly leads master classes and clinics worldwide, and teaches as a full-time faculty member at the Conservatory of Music, Purchase College-SUNY (where he is Artist-in-Residence, Professor & Director of Jazz Performance) and as a guest lecturer at Columbia College Chicago. In 2005, the Jon Faddis Quartet headlined at the Heineken San Juan Jazz Festival, the Newport Jazz Festival, the Kingston Jazz Festival, the Performing Arts Center at Purchase College-SUNY, St. Louis’ Jazz at the Bistro, and other great venues. The Jon Faddis Quartet is also regularly featured at special events, such as the Friends of Education benefit at the Museum of Modern Art (2004) and at the Neuberger Museum of Art at Purchase College-SUNY, where Faddis premiered his own compositions based on artwork by Romare Bearden on display there (2002). Faddis has maintained his quartet, with various personnel, for over twenty-five years; in its early years, the Jon Faddis Quartet toured for the United States State Department and continues to tour worldwide today.
WWW.JONFADDIS.COM TERANGA [Koch Records / E1] 2006 Things To Come [MCG Jazz] 2003 The Carnegie Hall Jazz Band [Blue Note Records] 1995 9
Nancy Lynches and Wells Fargo Advisors applaud MCG Jazz in celebration of the 25th Anniversary Season!
Nancy Lynches, CFPÂŽ Senior Vice President - Investment Officer One Oxford Centre, Suite 3600 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 800-282-3800 email@example.com www.home.wellsfargoadvisors.com/nancy.lynches
Investment and Insurance Products: u NOT FDIC Insured
u NO Bank Guarantee
u MAY Lose Value
Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. ÂŠ2009 Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC. All rights reserved. [74129-v2]
Making a difference
enriching lives through the arts
To learn more, visit www.novachemicals.com
3583 Butler Street borelli-edwards galleries
Pittsburgh PA 15201 (Lawrenceville) 412.687.2606 â€˘ t-f 11-6 â€˘ SAt 11-5
begalleries.com regional art | Japanese prints | archival FraMing | appraisals
7:00 & 9:30 PM
BNY MELLON JAZZ PRESENTS THE LEGENDARY
COUNT BASIE ORCHESTRA NEW YORK VOICES WITH
The Count Basie Orchestra and the New York Voices reunite tonight to recreate the magic that won MCG Jazz our first Grammy Award back in 1997. Count Basie Orchestra with New York Voices, Live at Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild (MCG Jazz) was a critically acclaimed wonder that would go on to win the Grammy for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance. This is the first time that these two groups of artists have reunited since the live recording of the album in 1996. William “Count” Basie started the Count Basie Orchestra in 1935, in Kansas City, Missouri. Within a year, America was listening in on popular radio shows throughout the country to hear what would become “The Swingingest Band In All The Land”! Since Basie’s passing in 1984, Thad Jones, Frank Foster, Grover Mitchell, Bill Hughes and now, Dennis Mackrel have led the Count Basie Orchestra and maintained it as one of the elite performing organizations in jazz. The Count Basie Orchestra has won 17 Grammy Awards and 20 Downbeat and Jazz Times polls. More than any other big band in jazz. Drummer/Composer/Arranger Dennis Mackrel was a child prodigy. He began playing the drums when he was two years of age. He graduated from Clark High School in Las Vegas, Nevada and attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. While attending UNLV, he was a member of the acclaimed UNLV Jazz Ensemble where his drumming and arranging skills caught the attention of vocalist Joe Williams. In January of 1983, Dennis joined the Count Basie Orchestra on the personal recommendation of Mr. Williams. He would become the youngest member of the orchestra and the last drummer to be hired by Mr. Basie personally. Celebrating their 20th Anniversary in 2009, New York Voices is renowned for their excellence in jazz and the art of group singing. Their interests are rooted in jazz but often Brazilian, R & B, classical, and pop influences are infused with equal creativity and authenticity In 1989, they singed their first record deal with GRP Records and release their self-titled debut album, New York Voices. They received rave notices and domestic and international recognition in the jazz world and followed up this acclaimed debut with three more releases before the end of 1994. In 2007, NYV released their 7th studio CD, A Day Like This (MCG Jazz). They showed their Brazilian influences, mixed with swinging trio numbers and a couple Big Band romps and included a handful of original songs from the members, a particularly strong suit for this multi-talented ensemble. Continued on next page.
WWW.BASIEBAND.ORG WWW.NEWYORKVOICES.COM Count Basie Orchestra with New York Voices, Live at Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild [MCG Jazz] 1997 New York Voices, A Day Like This [MCG Jazz] 2007
BNY MELLON JAZZ PRESENTS THE LEGENDARY
COUNT BASIE ORCHESTRA NEW YORK VOICES WITH
NYV travels the globe with their elegant music, amazing audiences the world over with their impeccable voices and stunning arrangements. They present workshops and clinics to high school and college music students and in 2009, held the first annual New York Voices Vocal at Bowling Green State University. It was attended by people from 8 different countries ranging in age from 13 to well into their 50’s. Each NYV singer individually directs their own choir, while offering a wide array of classes during the 6 day intensive. To find out more about the camp, visit BGSUJazz.com. THE LEGENDARY COUNT BASIE ORCHESTRA DIRECTED BY DENNIS MACKREL
NEW YORK VOICES
Marshall McDonald – Alto Saxophone Cleave Guyton – Alto Saxophone Doug Lawrence – Tenor Saxophone Doug Miller – Tenor Saxophone John Williams – Baritone Saxophone Mike Williams – Trumpet Scotty Barnhart – Trumpet Freddie Hendrix – Trumpet Bruce Harris – Trumpet Clarence Banks – Trombone Dave Keim – Trombone Alvin Walker – Trombone Mark Williams – Bass Trombone Will Matthews – Guitar Bobby Floyd – Piano James Leary – Bass Marion Felder – Drums
Kim Nazarian Lauren Kinhan Darmon Meader Peter Eldridge
LEVINFURNITURE Furnishing beautiful homes since 1920 levinfurniture.com
Proudly Supporting Jazz in Pittsburgh and Manchester Craftsmenâ€™s Guild
16 7:00 & 9:30 PM
LEE RITENOUR Lee Ritenour – Guitar Jesse Milliner – Piano/Keyboards Melvin Davis – Bass Sonny Emory – Drums
Growing up in L.A. in the 60’s, Grammy award winning guitarist Lee Ritenour received a rich cross section of exposure to jazz, rock and Brazilian music. From one of his first sessions at 16 with the Mamas and Papas to accompanying Lena Horne and Tony Bennett at 18, his forty year eclectic and storied career is highlighted by a Grammy Award win for his 1986 collaboration with Dave Grusin, Harlequin; 17 Grammy nominations; numerous #1 spots in guitar polls and the prestigious “Alumnus of the Year” award from USC. He has recorded over 40 albums, with 35 chart songs, notably the Top 15 hit “Is It You,” which has become a contemporary jazz radio classic. In the 90s, Ritenour was a founding member of Fourplay, the most successful band in contemporary jazz, with keyboardist Bob James, bassist Nathan East and drummer Harvey Mason. The first Fourplay album in 1991 spent an unprecedented 33 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s contemporary jazz chart. Adding to this legacy is his latest CD Smoke ‘n’ Mirrors; the recently completed Grammy nominated recording Amparo, (a follow-up with Dave Grusin to their highly-successful 2001 Grammy Award nominated contemporary classical crossover CD) and producer of Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band’s latest CD Act Your Age (which is nominated for 3 Grammys). It’s been a long road since the seventies, when Ritenour’s legendary Tuesday night appearances at the famed Baked Potato, with a band including Dave Grusin, Patrice Rushen, Harvey Mason and Ernie Watts became part of the musical landscape for five years. Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, George Benson, Al Jarreau, Joe Sample, and even Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell could be seen in the audiences that would pack the house till the wee hours of the morning. From rock to blues to jazz, his diverse music became the foundation of over 3,000 sessions as a young guitarist with a broad spectrum of artists such as Pink Floyd, Steely Dan, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, B.B. King, Frank Sinatra, Simon & Garfunkel, Ray Charles, Peggy Lee, Aretha Franklin and Barbra Streisand. Not to forget the dazzling array of talent appearing on his solo works and collaborations, notably — Phil Collins, Brazilian greats Ivan Lins, Caetano Veloso, Djavan and Jao Bosco, George Benson, Chaka Kahn, Herbie Hancock, Michael McDonald and opera great Renee Fleming.
WWW.LEERITENOUR.COM Wes Bound [Concord] 2012 Six String Theory [Concord] 2010 Harlequin [GRP Records] 1990
Manchester Bidwell Corporation’s Board of Directors is proud to support MCG Jazz’s 25th season! Clifford R. Rowe Chair Nancy L. Rackoff, Esq. Vice Chair M. Elise Hyland Secretary Michael A. Bryson Treasurer William E. Strickland Jr. Scott G. Brown, Esq. Lauren Craig, CPA Chereé Johnson Scott M. Lammie Jeffrey A. McDaniel David L. Motley Robert N. Peirce Jr. R. Damian Soffer Tony Torres
Life Members E. Peter Benzing Nancy L. Bromall Jack L. Burley, Sr. George Fechter Diana Jannetta Don Alan Linzer John Pelusi Michael Schurko John Unkovic Doris Carson Williams
Emeritus Livingston Biddle (Deceased) Carolyn Byham Anthony L. Bucci Dorothy A. Davis, Esquire K. Leroy Irvis (Deceased) Claudette R. Lewis Glenn R. Mahone Frank Mont (Deceased) Theodore Roberts, Jr. Milton A. Washington Alfred W. Wishart, Jr.
Ex Officio Paulo Nzambi Jeffrey P. Teasdale
I am inspired My favorite subject is history. » I’m excited to be on the soccer and swim teams next year.
» Ellis provides just the right amount of fun, education, and help. » At Ellis I always learn new things.
Open House Thursday, April 5 » 9:00 am
Pittsburgh’s Only Age 3 – Grade 12 Independent Girls’ School www.TheEllisSchool.org 412.661.4880
Inspiring Young Minds Since 1968
From its origins as a community ceramics studio in a North Side row house, MCG Youth & Arts has grown to the amazing center and menu of programs we offer today. Our focus remains on promoting positive change among Pittsburgh youth by engaging students, their families and communities in learning through the arts. Discover more about programming at www.mcgyouthandarts.org
MCG Youth & Arts is grateful to its partners including Pittsburgh Public Schools and for the support of individuals, foundations, and corporate donations. Our programs qualify for Educational Improvement Tax Credits. To learn about giving call 412-323-4000 Ext. 201. ©2010 MCG Youth & Arts is a program of Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild, a subsidiary of Manchester Bidwell Corporation
Invest Your Mind, Not Your Money
in a life-changing education in one of eight majors at Bidwell Training Center
Discover how we can help you or someone you know start toward a better future.
1815 Metropolitan Street | Pittsburgh, PA 15233 412-323-4000 or toll free at 1-800-516-1800
www.bidwell-training.org ©2010 Bidwell Training Center, a subsidiary of Manchester Bidwell Corporation
24/25 8:00 PM / 2:30 PM
TOOTS THIELEMANS & KENNY WERNER
Toots Thielemans is the greatest living virtuoso (and perennial winner of Downbeat and Jazz Times’ Readers and Critics Polls alike) on his “Miscellaneous Instrument”, the harmonica. Toots was named a 2009 American Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts, and his moving rendition of Louis Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World, stole the show at the award ceremony at Lincoln Center. Quincy Jones once said of Toots, “he ranks with the best that jazz has ever produced.” With a career that goes back to World War II, Belgian-born Toots has played with everyone from Benny Goodman and Charlie Parker, to Paul Simon and Jaco Pastorius. Everyone has heard Toots, if not live or on record, then on the soundtrack of such movies as Midnight Cowboy, or playing the Sesame Street Theme, or whistling on that famous Old Spice ad on TV. Millions saw him on a Today Show feature in 2005, and 2700 more saw him in person at The Magic of Toots, a sold-out Carnegie Hall tribute in 2006. At his 80th Birthday week at the Blue Note in NYC, Billy Joel and Stevie Wonder stopped by to sit in, not surprising since Toots is revered by musical giants both young and old. In 2012 Toots turns 90 and is touring the States with his longtime pianist and musical director Kenny Werner, a pianist of seemingly infinite capacity. A Grammy-nominated composer, an evening with Kenny is a lyrical (but never predictable) journey through the vast seas of improvised music. Kenny’s all-star quintet featuring Randy Brecker, David Sanchez, Scott Colley, and Antonio Sanchez, recently released their 2011 Half Note CD Balloons, recorded at the Blue Note in NYC last year. Kenny loves to play trio with Scott and Antonio or with his longtime trio mates Ari Hoenig and Johannes Weidenmueller. In 2012 Kenny will debut two new bands: a quintet co-led by David Sanchez and featuring Brazilian percussionist Café, and a new quartet with trumpeter Avishai Cohen, bassist Omer Avital, and drummer Johnathan Blake. In addition, Kenny’s writing for large ensembles is nothing short of brilliant. His recent masterwork, No Beginning No End, a commissioned suite for Jazz soloists plus a 36-piece wind ensemble, written by Kenny in memory of his late daughter Katheryn, earned Kenny a Guggenheim award, and has now been released on Half-Note. For the deeply moving story behind this extraordinary music, visit http://nobeginningnoend.org. Kenny followed that up with more great writing for his current Half-Note CD Institute of Higher Learning, with the Brussels Jazz Orchestra. Kenny is also a teacher of profound insight, who has literally changed students’ lives. The reigning guru of Jazz Education since the publication of his book Effortless Mastery, he is also much sought after for college lectures and residencies, and while on campus often performs as guest artist with student ensembles, as well as with his trio.
WWW.TOOTSTHIELEMANS.COM WWW.KENNYWERNERLIVE.COM Toots Thielemans & Kenny Werner [Umvd Labels] 2002
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06 7:00 & 9:30 PM
BNY MELLON JAZZ PRESENTS
CHICK COREA PIANO SOLO CONCERT
A DownBeat Hall of Famer and NEA Jazz Master, 16-time Grammy winner, and undisputed keyboard virtuoso, Chick Corea has attained living legend status after four decades of unparalleled creativity and an artistic output that is simply staggering. From straight ahead to avant-garde, bebop to fusion, children’s songs to chamber music, along with some far-reaching forays into symphonic works, Chick has touched an astonishing number of musical bases in his illustrious career while maintaining a standard of excellence that is awe-inspiring. A tirelessly creative spirit, Chick continues to forge ahead, continually reinventing himself in the process. Since embarking on a solo career in 1966, Chick has been at the forefront of jazz, both as a renowned pianist forging new ground with his acoustic jazz bands and as an innovative electric keyboardist with Return to Forever and the Elektric Band. His extensive discography boasts numerous essential albums, beginning with his 1968 classic, Now He Sings, Now He Sobs. Chick continues to make a significant impact on the scene, as evidenced by 2007’s Grammy-winning The Enchantment (duets with banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck), 2008‘s The New Crystal Silence (duets with longstanding collaborator Gary Burton), 2009’s Returns (documenting Return to Forever’s 2008 reunion tour) and 2009’s Grammy-winning Five Peace Band Live (with John McLaughlin, Christian McBride, Kenny Garrett and Vinnie Colaiuta). A full slate of activities scheduled for 2010 will keep this ever-evolving artist at the forefront of the jazz world and beyond, including a gala tribute to a pianistic hero Bill Evans, reunion tours with Gary Burton and with the celebrated trio of Miroslav Vitous and Roy Haynes, and the premier of the Freedom Band quartet with Haynes, McBride and Garrett. Chick recently performed in Pittsburgh with the newly reunited Return to Forever. The lineup included guitarist Frank Gambale, bassist Stanley Clarke, violinist Jean-Luc Ponty and drummer Lenny White. It marked the first time they played together as a group in 25 years. Before embarking on its eagerly anticipated world tour, Concord Records released the two-CD set, Return to Forever: The Anthology, which gathered together for the first time the best of RTF’s classic albums, completely remixed and remastered. Chick recently performed in Pittsburgh with the newly reunited Return to Forever. The lineup included guitarist Frank Gambale, bassist Stanley Clarke, violinist Jean-Luc Ponty and drummer Lenny White. It marked the first time they played together as a group in 25 years. Before embarking on its eagerly anticipated world tour, Concord Records released the two-CD set, Return to Forever: The Anthology, which gathered together for the first time the best of RTF’s classic albums, completely remixed and remastered.
WWW.CHICKCOREA.COM Forever [Concord] 2011 Chick Corea & Hiromi, Duet [Concord] 2009 Solo Piano – Originals [Concord] 2000
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Sound Relationships. Every year, the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild brings people together through the power of music. Reed Smith is proud to support MCG Jazz and to join in celebrating its 25th season of memorable performances.
ReedSmith The business of relationships.
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14/15 8:00 PM / 2 :30 PM
OSCAR CASTRO-NEVES & PAUL WINTER BRAZILIAN DAYS REVISITED
Oscar Castro-Neves, a Brazilian guitarist, arranger, and composer, is considered a founding figure in Bossa Nova. He was born as one of triplets and formed a band with his brothers in his youth. At 16 he had a national hit with Chora Tua Tristeza and by 1962 played the first ever Bossa Nova concert in the United States at Carnegie Hall with peers such as Antonio Carlos Jobim and also Stan Getz, Gary McFarland and Lalo Schifrin. He has worked with a diverse array of musicians including Yo Yo Ma, Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Stevie Wonder, João Gilberto, Lee Ritenour, Airto Moreira, Toots Thielemans, John Klemmer, Carol Welsman and Diane Schuur. He currently lives in Los Angeles, California where he has worked as an orchestrator for several films including Blame it on Rio and Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit. In 1961, Paul Winter, a native of Altoona, Pennsylvania, founded the Paul Winter Sextet at Northwestern University where they won the Intercollegiate Jazz Festival and were signed by Columbia Records. The next year, the band toured Latin America as cultural ambassadors for the United States State Department, playing 160 concerts in 23 countries. The Sextet was also the first jazz band to perform at the White House. Winter’s band changed its name to the Paul Winter Consort in the late 1960s, and contributed to the development of world music and space music. The Consort’s 1972 release, Icarus, was produced by George Martin. Most of the musicians who worked on this album went on to form the jazz group Oregon. The Consort has continued over the years with different musicians. It was during that State Department tour in 1962 when Oscar and Paul met. Oscar was moved by Paul’s music, its spirit and Pals commitment to beauty and dedication to the Earth and all living creatures. Paul sites Oscar as his ‘living link” to Brazil and the music that made him feel at home and changed his sax playing forever. In the late 1960s, Oscar and Paul reconnected in the U.S. Oscar joined the Paul Winter consort and they collaborated continuously since then. In 1992, they returned to Rio de Janeiro together to play a series of concerts during the Earth Summit and it was there that they resolved to act on their long-standing dream of making a duet album. The resulting project was Brazilian Days, consisting of 12 Brazilian folk songs. “Samba songs of eternal summer, of sun and suffering, of the sea and life’s shadows,” as Paul describes it. They have achieved the Brazilian concept of “saudade,” a kind of bittersweet longing which means (loosely translated) “glad to be feeling.”
WWW.OSCARCASTRONEVES.COM WWW.PAULWINTER.COM Brazilian Days [Living Music] 1998
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12 7:00 & 9:30 PM
KURT ELLING SWINGS SINATRA
Kurt Elling – Vocals Laurence Hobgood – Piano John McLean – Guitar Harish Raghavan – Bass Ulysses Owens – Drums
Kurt Elling is among the world’s foremost jazz vocalists. He has been named “Male Singer of the Year” by the Jazz Journalists Association on half a dozen occasions in the past ten years, and during the same interval has been the perennial winner of the DownBeat Critics Poll. He is also a Grammy winner, and every record he has made has been Grammy nominated. Elling’s rich baritone spans four octaves and features both astonishing technical mastery and emotional depth. His command of rhythm, texture, phrasing, and dynamics is more like a virtuoso jazz instrumentalist than a vocalist. His repertoire includes original compositions and modern interpretations of standards, all of which are springboards for inspired improvisation, scatting, spoken word, and poetry. Declared The New York Times, “Elling is the standout male vocalist of our time.” Said The Washington Post, “Since the mid-1990s, no singer in jazz has been as daring, dynamic or interesting as Kurt Elling. With his soaring vocal flights, his edgy lyrics and sense of being on a musical mission, he has come to embody the creative spirit in jazz.” He has been featured in profiles for CBS Sunday Morning, CNN, on Ramsey Lewis’s Legends of Jazz, and in hundreds of publications. Elling has recorded and/or performed with an array of artists, including Bob Mintzer, Terence Blanchard, Dave Brubeck, Jon Hendricks, Charlie Hunter, Al Jarreau, Christian McBride, and Kurt Rosenwinkel. He served as the Artist-inResidence for the Singapore Music and Monterey Jazz Festivals. He has also written multi-disciplinary works for The Steppenwolf Theatre and the City of Chicago. The Obama Administration’s first state dinner featured Elling in a command performance. Elling is a renowned artist of vocalese—the writing and performing of words over recorded improvised jazz solos. The natural heir to jazz pioneers Eddie Jefferson, King Pleasure, and Jon Hendricks, Elling has set his own lyrics to the improvised solos of Wayne Shorter, Keith Jarrett, and Pat Metheny. He often incorporates images and references from writers such as Rilke, Rumi, Neruda, and Proust into his work. The late poet and Bollingen Prize winner Robert Creeley wrote, “Kurt Elling takes us into a world of sacred particulars. His words are informed by a powerful poetic spirit.” In 2010 Elling completed an extensive tour with the Monterey Jazz Festival All-Stars and staged Passion World, a commissioned event for Jazz at Lincoln Center with French accordion virtuoso Richard Galliano, singing songs of love and loss in five languages. The Gate, Elling’s much anticipated new recording, opened 2011. Produced by the legendary Don Was (The Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan), Elling’s latest offering features inspired interpretations of songs by The Beatles, Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, and Stevie Wonder. Certainly among his strongest albums, The Gate may well be the finest of his career.
WWW.KURTELLING.COM The Gate [Concord] 2011 Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane & Hartman [Concord] 2009 Bob Mintzer Big Band, Old School, New Lessons [MCG Jazz] 2006 Bob Mintzer Big Band, Live at MCG [MCG Jazz] 2004 (CD & DVD) 1 9 8 7
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DONOR LIST 2012 These gifts given in support of the 2011–12 season. Gifts given after December 31, 2011, will be recognized in the fall 2012 program book.
Chairman’s Circle ($100,000 and Above) Richard King Mellon Foundation
Producer’s Circle ($50,000 to $99,999) BNY Mellon Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation UPMC Health Plan
($10,000 to $49,999) Baierl Automotive Bill Strickland National Endowment for the Arts NOVA Chemicals Pennsylvania Council on the Arts The Pittsburgh Foundation
($5,000 to $9,999) Buncher Family Foundation
($2,500 to $4,999) David Beaudreau David Marrangoni Ron Morris Clifford Rowe Herbert and Barb Shearer
($1,000 to $2,499) Joy Borelli-Edwards
Michael & Kathryn Bryson Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council Elsie H. Hillman Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Scott Lammie Don Alan Linzer Shirley Reineman Mr. & Mrs. Tony Torres Wi. Patterson Charitable Trust
Diamond Record Member ($500 to $749)
Debra Abell Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Baker Michael & Carol Bleier Tony Bucci Bill Caroselli Stephanie Dangel & Thomas Reiter Keith Garver Cindy and Murry Gerber Robert Hill Janet Kafka Gerri Kay Daniel Lee Cecelia Miller Dr. & Mrs. EF Oesterling H Ward & Shirley Olander Susan & Scott Portnoy Norman & Marilyn Weizenbaum
Platinum Record Member ($250 to $499)
Raymond & Harriet Baum Tilden Bennett Chester Berschling Michael and Kathryn Bryson Alan & Anna Marie Caulkins Stephen & Stephanie Colodny
Debbie Cotts Alfred Cupelli Nellie Curran Dick Rhoton Rick & Kathy Dorman Michele Fabrizi Russell Feingold Scott & Sue Gaugler Kevin Gennuso Michael Goldstein Ulysses Hamiel David Hillman Charlotte & Jackie Jones Jay & Annabelle Joseph Robert & Lila March Barry Mars Diane Matway William McClendon R. McDonald Dale & Rachel Middleman Barbara Miller Lena Miller Scotti and Jeanne Mulert Mark Pasquerilla Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation Mary DeWinter Fund Tim & Judy Robison Dan & Bonnie Sandman Carole Schuman Lee Silverman Myrna & Lee Silverman Dr. & Mrs. William Simmons John & Andrea Spina John Paul & Andrea Spina William Sprague Gordon Telfer Amy Tonti William Trischler Jackie Walker Susanne Wilkinson Timothy & Carla Zema
Gold Record Member ($100 to $249)
Arleen Adelson Ron Altany Brooks & Helen Bartlett David Beaudreau Dane Bennington Franklin Blackstone Franklin & Bonnie Blackstone Michael Bozic Michael Robert & Jane Brandenstein William Cagney Victor Capretto Cynthia Cook Lauren Craig Rabbi Sion & Helaine David Marton & Yvonne Dawson John & Frances Earman Bob Ennis Russell Feingold Susan Flynn Tom & Cheryl Fogarty Robert Gaudio & Clare McDonald John Gooch John & Joanne Greenwald CA Griffith Gail Handy Craig Heryford Jill Hollingshead Derf Hopsecger Vicki Horne S. Jayakumar Gregory Kaminski Lynn Klein Susan Dudley Lav Curtis & Joan Lehman Jorge Lindenbaum John Lynch Mark Mariaskin
Clayton Mariner David Marrangoni Burl J. F. Moone Susan Page Joe Pozycki Edwin & Margaret Ratay James & Stacy Reszler Mike Ross Dr. Jeannette South-Paul Marlis Stacy Jerold & Judy Starr David Steinbach Barbara Steinberg Rebecca Stern Guy Stofman Darlaine Taylor Regina & Peter Vercilla Peggy Whitehurst Marc Zelenski
Jazz Family (up to $99)
Dorothy Davis & David Lynch Sanford & Patricia Berman Al Bowers Amy Constantine-Kline Debbie Cotts Bruce Court C. W. Donohue Freda Ellis Robert & Peggy Fayfich Michael Goldstein David Hammer Alan Hayes Alan Helgerman Craig Heryford Richard & Donna Hopkins June James Gerri Kay Norman Keen Michelle Kienholz Milton Klein
Ram Kossowsky Jennie Leghart Paul Lyons Claus Makowka Quynh McGuie William R. Morrison Richard Morycz Edward & Eleanor Nemeth Christopher Ng Steven Obenreder Susan Page Dan Poljak Margaret Qualters Gae Reano Charles Reeves Charlie Roche Barbara Sachnoff Mendlowitz Deborah Scotto Branden Simbeck Lloyd Stires Harold Street Dean & Elizabeth Sutherland Joel Swanson Anthony Watson Mary Williams Jenny Bain in honor of Paul Wolsk Gregory Jordan in memory of Charlotte Holzer
In-Kind Borelli-Edwards Galleries Google JazzTimes This IS Red
FACILITY INFORMATION A Box Office • Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. • On performance days the box office opens 3 hours prior to the earliest performance. • The box office phone number is 412-322-0800. Tickets are available online at mcgjazz.org. Ticketing policies • Please review all ticket purchases carefully before leaving the box office or when your tickets arrive by mail and bring up discrepancies immediately. Review your tickets for seat assignments, concert date and time. • Single tickets are non-exchangeable and non-refundable. • Subscription tickets may be exchanged to another performance, availability permitting. There is no fee to exchange tickets to another performance of the same artist. A fee of $3.00 will be charged when changing to a different artist. Group sales • Please call the box office to arrange to bring groups to MCG Jazz concerts. Discounted tickets are provided to groups of 10 or more and reception space, catering and other amenities are available to you. Children • Children are always welcome at MCG Jazz and we invite you to bring yours at any time. All children must have a purchased ticket, but student discounts are available for most shows. Please remove disruptive children. Parking • MCG has parking lots in both the front and rear of the building. Front parking is reserved for MCG Jazz Club Members with a parking pass. The rear lot is free and open to all other patrons. In the event that the lots are full, you may park on the street or at the Casey Industrial Park. Latecomer & re-entry policy • Please arrive 15 minutes before the scheduled start time of your concert. Latecomers will be seated at the first convenient pause in the program. • House management and ushers will not open the doors after the lights are dimmed or during the artist’s performance. Management accepts no responsibility for this inconvenience. Cameras and recording devices • Recording devices are not permitted in the concert hall. • Please turn off all cell phones, pages and other electronic devices. • Remember: the light and sound from your cell phone, Bluetooth headset or other personal device is distracting to others.
AND FAQS Special accommodations • Wheelchair seating is available and can be requested when buying tickets. If you have any other needs, please bring them to the attention of the box office when purchasing tickets or to an usher upon arrival at the hall. Restrooms • Restrooms are located just beyond the Connie Kerr Gallery. Lost & Found • Please call the box office at 412-322-0800, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Smoking • Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild is a non-smoking facility. Concealed weapons • Concealed weapons are not permitted on the property. Coats & bags • A coat rack is provided at your convenience. Please do not carry large bags, strollers, or other disruptive items into the concert hall. Management accepts no responsibility for items left at the coat rack. Dress code • MCG Jazz does not enforce any type of dress code. Many patrons dress “business casual” or “evening casual” but please wear whatever makes you most comfortable. Refreshments • Refreshments can be purchased at the bar in the main lobby. • Food & drink or any kind is not permitted in the concert hall. • Management reserves the right to refuse service and admission to any person whose conduct is deemed inappropriate or disruptive to the audience or performers. Fire exit • The concert hall fire exit is located at the front right-hand side. If the fire alarm is activated, please follow the directions of MCG staff and ushers to safely leave the hall. Concierge Service • If you need assistance with finding transportation, an usher or staff member would be happy to help you. • Cab service and ACCESS will pick up and let off directly in front of the concert hall entrance. • Port Authority provides bus service to an from downtown via bus number 14. You can catch this bus on Beaver Avenue opposite Harbor Gardens Park.
BNY Mellon Jazz, celebrating 25 years of bringing great jazz experiences to you.
It’s our pleasure to support MCG Jazz’s 25th anniversary season — Once in a Lifetime.
©2011 The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation.
UPMC Health Plan is pleased to support the Manchester Craftsmenâ€™s Guild Jazz Concert Series.
A special thank you to our sponsors, patrons and volunteers.


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Ms. Estell and Ms. Demetra’s 2023 College Prep Class in the house.
"Nothing is more valuable than my life,” is new Alive & Free Collegian
Gabrielle Grice's favorite Coachsim.
Street Soldiers Radio shared the stories of two Alive & Free Omegas- one from then, and one from now. Two of my favorite guys- USF professor Dr. Reginold Daniels and USF college student Aaron Meneses joined us to share their stories. Some get it right away and some get it sooner or later….and when they both got it! The message is simple. Never give up on yourself! The past doesn’t matter. It’s never to late to become the person you are meant to be.
Multiple studies have found a strong link between heavy social media and an increased risk for depression, anxiety, loneliness, self-harm, and even suicidal thoughts. Street Soldiers Radio discusses the impact of social media on our mental health with health professionals Jamal Kizzee LMFT, Sabrina Robertson LCSW and LaShara Johnson.
Community members who were born and raised in California's East Palo Alto share their memories, history and achievements as we celebrate the 40 year anniversary of EPA.
“I got to see a glimpse of EPA prior to the 90’s and the late 80s. It was just like you closed your door one night and opened it in and it was like night and day. I grew up in a predominantly black community and businesses were owned by black folks. I can clearly recall going to our local corner store and if I even attempted to act a fool, ‘I’m going to tell your uncle’ and that straightened me out real quick,” shares Ms. Demetra Jones as she reminisces on growing up in East Palo Alto.
Street Soldiers Radio talks about the recent Supreme Court decisions on affirmative action and student loans.
Also a conversation with participants inthe Alive & Free Prescription Training.
Guest: Stanford Law Professor Rick Banks.
Call in at 1-877-955-1061 to share your thoughts.


Blockchain Association and Chamber of Digital Commerce merges together in Canada
The chamber of digital commerce, the first and most significant in the world has amalgamated with Blockchain Association of Canada (BAC), from now onwards the association will be known as Chamber of Digital Commerce, Canada. The news of the merger came into light via a press release published on the website of the association.
The merger of these two associations will send a strong message to the stakeholders and policymakers of the blockchain ecosystem as told by the officials of the newly built association.
Tanya woods was declared as the administrator of the Chamber of Digital Commerce. Previously she was working as a legal strategist and executive director of BAC. She has also worked for the government of Canada and many other multinational companies like Microsoft, Nintendo, etc. she will be administering the operation of the association from Ottawa.
The executive chairman of Blockchain research institute said that Canada is well positioned to become the world leader of blockchain industry, and it is crucial for the country to have a uniform local community that will support the adoption of the blockchain.
On July 2014 the Chamber of digital commerce was founded. It has around 200 members, and all of them has intention of investing in the blockchain technology. Some of the renowned members of the association are IBM, Overstock, Microsoft, and Bitpay.
Canadian Border Service Agency agreed to examine a blockchain sending solution developed by IBM, in October 2018 as per a report. The blockchain applied system will authorize the distribution and trading process parallelly it will lower the cost and minimize the error.
According to Tanya woods, Canada is a front-runner when innovation, entrepreneurship and digital economy is the matter. Further, she added that Canada needs to have robust blockchain ecosystem that it can coordinate with the policymakers so that the industry grows well in Canada.
Tanya has experience of many years and is a important advisor of the blockchain association and to the government of Canada. She is also a robust activist for the blockchain community of Canada. As opined by the president of Chamber of Digital Commerce.
As per a press release this North American nation is a host of some of the prominent innovators of the blockchain technology. The country is committed to support innovation and the digital economy through numerous policies.


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Endless summer for Ohio Valley Beach Volleyball
LOVELAND - There's a local venue that conjures up images of Jimmy Buffett, the Beach Boys and the duo of Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor. On a sunny day this time of year, you'll see sand, bikinis, Panama Jack sun products and a tiki hut or two at Grand Sands.
With a coconut-laced beverage, you could fool yourself into thinking you were in Florida, California or Hawaii. Instead, the beach volleyball facility sits in seasonally tropical Loveland. off Loveland-Madeira Road, just before Kemper Road.
It is the home of the Ohio Valley Beach Volleyball Club led by director Rob Long. The organization started with 25 kids and has grown to close to 400 counting boys that participate. Among the girls, 11 have earned NCAA beach volleyball opportunities in the last three years.
"Everybody's like, 'What? I didn't know it was a sport!'" Grace Garanich of Mercer/Ursuline said. "It's really legit. Nobody knows that. It's on the rise."
Recently, the group played in Gulf Shores, Alabama, (near the Florida Panhandle) in a junior tournament coinciding with the NCAA beach tournament. Ohio Valley's 15-year-olds were fifth, the 16-year-olds were third and Abbie Hughes of Mason and Jordan McKinney won the 18-year-old division knocking off a top team that had players heading to Pepperdine and Florida State. Hughes and partner have since won events in Georgia and North Carolina.
Abbie Hughes will move on to play at Florida International with Jordan Smith joining her sister, Katie Smith, at South Carolina.
Abbie's father, John Hughes, is the assistant director of the group and enjoys the reactions he sees from teams on the West Coast or the South when they find out a team from Ohio is competing. It's likely similar to the how the Jamaican bobsled team felt in their original Winter Olympics.
"You get no respect," Hughes said. "'You're from Ohio!' they say. 'What kind of beach is there?' Then we start beating everybody. You have to win to get respect. We've won all over from California to Florida. We're a top five beach club in the country."
The "pale" kids from Cincinnati have made their mark thanks in part to the great foundation of indoor volleyball in the area. All of the girls have come from solid programs, including recent state champions Mount Notre Dame and their arch-rival Ursuline. On the summer sand, Cougars and Lions mix, as do Thunderhawks and Firebirds (Lakota East and Lakota West).
Leah Malloney also attended Ursuline and now plays at North Florida. She heard about the Ohio Valley Beach Volleyball Club and decided to join in to stay in shape, now she's a college athlete playing a game many see on vacation.
"You have the sun out and you're with your friends," Malloney said.
Added Hughes, "We have a big talent base to pull from. Cincinnati's one of the strongest areas in the country."
USA Volleyball recently featured the team mentioning how the game has spread in the Midwest. Grand Sands also has indoor beach courts, with plans to add more. Many of the girls finish their indoor school season and begin training on the sand. Some on the squad, come from the Columbus area and some training is also done at a venue closer to the state capital.
Ohio Valley Beach Volleyball Club allows players who may not be blessed with the prototypical 6-foot-tall indoor frame to succeed in a 2-on-2 setting. The group also tries to keep costs in line with other select sports by renting facilities as a group with parents chipping in on the cooking.
"It much cheaper than any other sports you can imagine," John Hughes said. "It's a lot different than baseball where everyone gets their own hotel room. We kind of put them all together in a condo. Every kid from every level of society gets to know each other. We eat together, hang out together and play together."
The end result is the opportunity available to play a collegiate sport in Ray-Bans, Oakleys and some sunscreen on your nose. Some girls, like Hannah Keating (Morehead State/Lakota East) and Abbie Hughes (Florida International/Mason), have the unique opportunity to play indoor volleyball and beach volleyball at their schools as there are at least 50 colleges offering the beach game.
"Our first year, we made the NCAA tournament in Gulf Shores," South Carolina Gamecock Katie Smith said. "It's really cool to come back and have this (Grand Sands) here and keep training."
During July, the Ohio Valley Beach Volleyball Club will be in Long Beach and Santa Monica, California, along with Siesta Key, Florida. In between, they're at Grand Sands in Loveland where the average summer temperature is 75. With a little imagination, you can smell the salt air from the Little Miami River.

domain: sports


A couple of interesting proposals hit the Portland Development Bureau’s in-baskets in the past week.
- E. John Rumpakis, a longtime Portland Realtor and civic leader, is in the preliminary stages of developing a 222-unit senior living complex with underground parking on a two-and-a-half block site at 1115 N.E. 21st Ave. Rumpakis said it’s too early to discuss the proposal until legalities are taken care of. Ankrom Moisan Architecture is designing the project.
- In North Portland’s Eliot neighborhoods, Ivy Street Partners LLC submitted plans to complete tenant work for New Seasons Market’s newest location at 3445 N. Williams Ave. The city approved the $2.6 million project Jan. 18. LRS Architects is designing the space; R & H Construction is the contractor.
- At River Place, a development group helmed by Homer Williams has asked the city to begin the design review process for a six-story, 203-room Hyatt House extended stay hotel at Southwest River Drive and Southwest River Parkway. Williams’ group, Riverplace Hotel Investors LLC, has an option to purchase the 1.12-acre property, formerly a steam plant operated by Pacific Power & Light Co., from the Portland Development Commission.
- And last but not least, Portland State University is seeking permission to install a 45 FOOT tall barometer in its engineering building, 1900 S.W. Fourth Ave. Assuming that’s not a typo, we’ll report back on the dramatic teaching tool when we hear back from PSU officials.


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Type of Bar: Après bar/dinner restaurant
The Plug: A fun atmosphere with a great group of friendly staff. With direct access from the slopes, it’s a great place to go for an après drink or a bite to eat. Though called a bar, they have a great snack & dinner menu for a bar. Food is served from 2.30pm til 9pm daily and they do the best crepes in town. They also do a traditional Nabe hot pot upon booking a day before. Definitely a favorite for everyone who’s tried it. Side note… coolest logo hoodies in town.
House Specialty: Crepes and hot apple juice with rum
Open house: 2-10pm (food available until 9pm)
Average Price of a Drink: 600 Yen
Phone number: 0269-67-0109
Media: https://www.facebook.com/GuesthouseNeo/ @neobar_nozawaonsen
For more information on Nozawa Onsen’s restaurant and bar scene, please refer to our informative online guide at https://www.nozawaholidays.com/restaurants-bars/

domain: food