Inspired by vintage jazz record-album covers, Pasadena, Calif., artist Paul Rogers captured the eclectic nature of jazz music and the spontaneity and improvisation of jazz artists in creating art for the Jazz Appreciation Forever Stamp.

“With this evocative Jazz stamp, we celebrate the music and the musicians who play it in studios, clubs and concert halls and on festival stages,” said Thurgood Marshall Jr., vice chairman, Postal Service Board of Governors. “I can’t think of a more perfect place to dedicate this new stamp than here in New Orleans, the birthplace of so many legendary jazz performers… and where jazz first flowered near the dawn of the 20th century.

“Jazz is a pastime that brings people together, regardless of race, ethnicity or background,” said Marshall. “It’s a lot like the Postal Service, which has been bringing people together for over 235 years, through the power of the mail.”

Title: Jazz Appreciation
Date of Issue: 26 March 2011
Country: USA
Denominations: Forever

Source: www.usps.com

Among the distinctive musical genres and styles represented by the music legends featured on the Forever stamps are Tejano, tango, samba, Latin jazz and salsa. The honorees are:

Texas-born Selena Quintanilla-Perez (1971-1995) — known to fans simply as Selena — helped transform and popularize Tejano music by integrating techno-hip-hop beats and disco-influenced dance movements with a captivating stage presence. A Grammy recipient, the “Queen of Tejano” broke gender barriers with record sales and awards. Even after her tragic death, Selena remains an important representative of Latin culture.

A superb and evocative singer, Carlos Gardel (1890?-1935) was one of the most celebrated tango artists of all time. Raised in Argentina, Gardel helped popularize the tango in the United States, Europe and throughout Latin America through his performances and recordings. Known as “the man with the tear in his voice,” also achieved fame as one of the stars of Spanish-language cinema.

Born in Portugal and raised in Brazil, Carmen Miranda (1909-1955) achieved fame as a samba singer before moving to New York City, where she gained celebrity in theater, film and radio. The “Brazilian Bombshell” appeared in 14 Hollywood musicals and recorded more than 300 songs. Her exotic colorful outfits and persona also became her signature.

Born in New York City to Puerto Rican parents, Tito Puente (1923-2000) was a musical virtuoso known as El Rey, “The King.” With dynamic solos on the timbales and orchestral arrangements that have become classics in Latin music, Puente helped bring Afro-Cuban and Caribbean sounds to mainstream audiences. He performed for more than 60 years, and his legacy includes more than 140 albums.

A dazzling performer of many genres of Afro-Caribbean music, Celia Cruz (1925-2003) had a powerful contralto voice and a joyful, charismatic personality that endeared her to fans from different nationalities and across generations. Settling in the United States following the Cuban revolution, the “Queen of Salsa” performed for more than five decades and recorded more than 50 albums.

Title: Latin Music Legends
Date of Issue: 16 March 2011
Country: USA
Denominations: Forever x 5

Source: www.usps.com

Source: http://www.posti.fi/

The guitar is a plucked string instrument consisting of a wooden box, a neck on which is attached the fretboard, an acoustic sound hole in the center and six strings. The fretboard is embedded with metal frets that allow the different notes. This instrument is known as classical or Spanish guitar. There are four types of acoustic guitars: the classical guitar, the Flamenco guitar, the electric guitar and the electro acoustic guitar.

The lute is a guitar-like instrument with a deep round back and a teardrop-shaped soundboard. The sound hole is not open, but rather covered with a grille in the form of an intertwining vine or a decorative knot, carved directly out of the wood of the soundboard. There are different varieties such as the Arabic lute, the Chinese or pipe and the Spanish lute which was introduced in Europe from Al-Andalus in the Islamic period.

The mandolin is a musical instrument with four double strings and a soundboard which can be concave or flat. It is of Italian origin and has been used by many great classical and modern composers both in traditional music as well as in other music styles. Among its variations is the Italian mandolin, folk and bluegrass.

The violin is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It consists of a sounding board of an elegant ergonomic shape. It comprises two upper bouts, two lower bouts, and two concave bouts at the waist, providing clearance for the bow. The back and ribs are typically made of maple. The soundboard has two openings in the middle called F-holes. It is used in classical, folk and modern music.

Title: Musical instruments – Spain
Date of Issue: 24 January 2011
Country: Spain
Denominations: 0,35 € x 4

Source: www.correos.es

Thanjavur Balasaraswathi was a celebrated Indian dancer, and her rendering of Bharatanatyam, a classical dance style, made this style of dancing of South India well known in different parts of India, as also many parts of the world.

Veenai Dhanammal was a highly accomplished Carnatic musician, and the torchbearer of the school of Carnatic music that goes by her name. She was both a vocalist and a performer on the veena. The prefix “Veenai” in her name is an indicator of her exceptional mastery of that instrument.

Title: Famous musicians of India
Date of Issue: 3 December 2010
Country: India
Denominations: 500p x 3

Source: www.indiapost.gov.in

Luciano Pavarotti, born in Modena on the 12th October, 1935, revealed his vocal talent at a very early age, passing hours in front of the record player and ransacking his father’s record collection, an amateur tenor.

In his teens he continued his vocal training with Maestro Arrigo Pola and then with Maestro Ettore Campogalliani, with whom he perfected his phrasing and concentration. According to Pavarotti, these were his only and most esteemed teachers. 1961, the year in which Pavarotti won the international competition “Achille Peri”, was the real start of his singing career and on the 26th April, 1961, he made his début in the Teatro Municipale in Reggio Emilia with La Bohème by Puccini.

His career went from strength to strength with outstanding successes and interpretations and standing ovations on all the world stages, making Pavarotti one of the greatest tenors of the century.

Title: 75th Anniversary of the birth of Luciano Pavarotti
Date of Issue: 5 October 2010
Country: San Marino
Denominations: € 2,20

Source: www.aasfn.sm

The Drifters Showband: This famous midlands band started when two Dolan brothers, Joe and Ben, together with some friends, entered a talent contest and won. They had a string of hits including ‘The Answer to Everything’. The band went through many line-up changes and Joe became an international star.

The Freshmen: The Freshmen formed in the early 1960s in Ballymena, Co. Antrim and was fronted by Billy Brown and Derek Dean. They were not the usual Showband which played cover versions of the hits of the day. They mostly wrote their own songs and were noted for their brilliant vocal harmonies. Some of their hits include ‘Go Granny Go’ and ‘Just to See You Smile’.

The Royal Showband: This famous band from Waterford formed in 1957 and within two years had turned professional. Brendan Bowyer was the front man and they enjoyed many successes. They were the first Showband to release a single ‘Come Down the Mountain Katy Daly’, the first Irish act to win the Carl Alan Award in Britain, and they travelled to Las Vegas and became the first Irish Showband with international appeal.

Title: Legendary Showbands – Ireland
Date of Issue: 23 September 2010
Country: Ireland
Denominations: 55c x 2, 82c x 2

Source: www.irishstamps.ie

Robert Alexander Schumann was born in Zwickau, Germany, on 8 June 1810. He is unanimously considered to be one of the most brilliant composers of Romanticism. Schumann had a very short and difficult life. While still young, he lost the use of the fourth finger in his right hand and was forced to interrupt his piano career. He then focused on composing music, which came to express his deep passion and restlessness. Apart from his many compositions for orchestra, Schumann is especially known for his piano works with which he reached the highest point of his artistic maturity. The German composer is said to have had flattering words for his Polish contemporary: “You can recognize Chopin even in the moments of silence”.

Title: Bicentenary of birth of Fryderyk Chopin and Robert Schumann
Date of Issue: 20 September 2010
Country: Vatican
Denominations: € 0.65, € 1.00

Source: www.vaticanstate.va

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The shofar’s significance is especially highlighted on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, which the Torah refers to as the “Day of Shofar Blasts”. The Book of Numbers (29, 1) states that “in the seventh month, on the first day of the month… a day when the horn is sounded”. This statement is somewhat surprising – why is the blowing of the shofar noted as the central commandment on Rosh Hashanah, the day when, according to Jewish belief, all people are judged before God?

The answer to this question lies in the Babylonian Talmud, Rosh Hashanah tractate page 17A, “Rabbi Abbahu said… the Holy One, blessed be He, said ‘Sound before Me on a cornet made of a ram’s horn, that I may remember you, for your sake, the offering of Isaac, the son of Abraham’”. The sound of the shofar, made of a ram’s horn, was meant to remind those who hear it of the strength of Abraham’s faith, as he was prepared to sacrifice his son and of God’s mercy, as He called forth a ram for Abraham to sacrifice in place of his son.

During the Temple period, the priests played various instruments, such as horns and shofars, while performing their holy duties. Other instruments were also noted in the Book of Psalms, psalm 150, “Praise Him with the blasts of a horn, praise Him with harp and lyre. Praise Him with timbrel and dance, praise Him with lute and pipe”. After the destruction of the Temple, the custom of playing instruments during prayer ceased and only the use of the shofar remained.

The Wisemen learned from the Torah that the “teruah” blast (series of blasts) is to be blown three times, each preceded and followed by the “teki’ah” (long single blast). Since they were unclear as to precisely what kind of blast was referred to in the Torah, whether “shvarim” (three short blasts) or “teruah” (series of nine staccato blasts) or a combination of the two, it was decided that all three would be heard during prayer. The three combinations of the shofar blasts appear on the stamp tabs. The First Day Cover features the text of the blessing recited in the synagogue prior to blowing the shofar.

The shofars used by Jews of varying origins are mostly made of ram’s horn, while the Jews of Yemen use a twisted shofar made from the horn of an African antelope, called a Kodu.

Title: Festivals 2010 – Shofars
Date of Issue: 25 August 2010
Country: Israel
Denominations: 1.70, 4.20, 6.10 NIS

Source: www.israelpost.co.il

The horn is a circular shaped instrument with a 35cm diameter. Horns have a mouthpiece and valves in the upper part and a conical bore that gradually becomes wider. The three or four valves, usually rotary, are operated with the left hand, to route the air into extra tubing to change the pitch. In its central part, there are also additional screws.

The sound of the horn is produced by the vibration of the lips in the mouthpiece and by blowing air into the instrument. More lip tension and faster air produces higher notes. It is a prominent solo instrument in European and American symphonic orchestras and in most of them there is a horn section with four or more players. The horn is also played in bands and chamber music and is a standard member of the wind and brass quintets.

Horns were first used in hunting and warfare and it wasn’t until late 17th century when they were introduced in court and royal horse hunts. Around 1815 the use of pistons (which go up and down when pushed controlling the flow of air) was introduced and opened up a great deal more flexibility in playing in different keys. The horn is an instrument with a very rich and expressive sound and a wide range of notes resulting in a mellow or a harsher pitch.

The horn depicted in the stamp is a 20th century piece belonging to the musical instrument collection of the Museo Interactivo de la Música de Málaga (MIMMA).

Title: Musical Instruments – The Horn
Date of Issue: 1 July 2010
Country: Spain
Denominations: 0,64 €

Source: www.correos.es