Jan 31, 2018 8:01 PM

Sun Ra and Buddha seem to have things in common. Both have their own metaphysics and philosophies; complete conceptions…

Dec 4, 2017 4:11 PM

“We took a long vacation,” Jon says.

“Yeah, 36 years,” Annie adds.

Except for a brief reunion in the…

Sep 30, 2017 10:19 AM

Trumpeter Randy Brecker has transcended the steps on the “musical bus” many times. Consider the fact he was one of…

Aug 29, 2017 10:33 AM

There were no straight lines, no sudden leaps, no predictable trajectory in John Abercrombie’s coming of age as a…

Jul 28, 2017 10:36 AM

Clark Terry is a man of many parts. He is a staff musician at NBC in New York; he is one of the city’s most…

Jun 30, 2017 10:38 AM

A few weeks ago an unfounded rumor scurried through New York’s music circle: DownBeat’s coverage was going to go 60…

Jun 5, 2017 1:23 PM

Art Blakey sat on the edge of the bed in a Detroit hotel room. Dressed only in a T-shirt and shorts, his powerful arms…

Apr 25, 2017 2:29 PM

Can recordings alone make a successful band?

Almost any self-styled sage in the music business will assure you that…

Mar 6, 2017 10:13 AM

On Nov. 9, the day after Donald J. Trump shocked the world, Larry Coryell was sitting in his Orlando home, cussing out…

Dec 2, 2016 4:35 PM

The current Schwann Catalog lists no less than 16 available albums by Mose Allison, representing just about a decade of…