September 2017

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Cover

Ambrose Akinmusire

The Thinker

The acclaimed trumpeter talks about his new double album, which was recorded live at the Village Vanguard, as well as his next project and his relocation to the San Francisco Bay Area.

Features
  • Fred Hersch

    Truth Teller

    The pianist discusses his new solo album, Open Book, as well as his memoir, Good Things Happen Slowly: A Life In and Out of Jazz. DownBeat proudly presents an excerpt from the book.

  • Roscoe Mitchell

    ‘People Don’t Like To Be Categorized’

    The pioneering multi-instrumentalist has a new double album, Bells For The South Side, which features four of his trios. It was recorded live at Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art.

  • Matt Wilson

    Life’s Calling

    The drummer pays tribute to the poet Carl Sandburg (1878–1967) with an ambitious new album, Honey And Salt. It includes original music, vocals by guitarist/singer Dawn Thomson and recitations of Sandburg’s work by numerous jazz stars.

Blindfold Test

Louis Hayes was tested on the following tracks for the “Blindfold Test”:

  • Brian Lynch Sextet: “The Outlaw” from Peer Pressure (Criss Cross Jazz)
  • Roy Haynes: “My Heart Belongs To Daddy” from Birds Of A Feather: A Tribute To Charlie Parker (Dreyfus)
  • Tommy Flanagan: “I Love You” from Super-Session (Enja)
  • Benny Green: “Bish Bash” from Live In Santa Cruz! (Sunnyside)
  • The Very Tall Band: “Salt Peanuts” from What’s Up? (Telarc)
  • David Hazeltine: “Cedar’s Blues” from I Remember Cedar (Sharp Nine)
  • Emmet Cohen: “If This Isn’t Love” from Masters Legacy Series, Volume 1 (Cellar Live)
Also in this Issue
Indie Life
  • Ropeadope Records
  • Yoko Miwa
  • Berta Moreno
Keyboard School
  • Bill Cunliffe on Melding Classical Music & Big Band Jazz
  • Herbie Hancock synthesizer solo transcribed
  • Master Class by David Lopato
  • Pro Session by Vadim Neselovskyi


PLUS: Dozens of album reviews, product reviews and much more!