Dec 7, 2021 1:44 PM
Pat Metheny’s Side-Eye: A Raised Eyebrow
In mid-March 2020, Pat Metheny and his band flew into South America from the Asia-Pacific, just days after his latest…
Side-Eye is Pat Metheny (left), Joe Dyson and James Francies.
Dec 7, 2021 1:44 PM
In mid-March 2020, Pat Metheny and his band flew into South America from the Asia-Pacific, just days after his latest…
Gerald Clayton directs the Monterey Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.
Oct 19, 2021 2:08 PM
Though reduced to just a third of its usual capacity, the 64th Monterey Jazz Festival (Sept. 24–26) somehow pushed…
Galactic will headline the John Coltrane International Jazz and Blues Festival.
Jul 13, 2021 4:21 PM
The jazz festival season for 2021 has certainly been a moving target, mostly for the good. With a host of late-breaking…
While recording There Is A Tide, Chris Potter was able to focus on thinking like a producer.
Dec 30, 2020 8:55 AM
An uncanny lightness runs through There Is A Tide, saxophonist Chris Potter’s latest full-length album, one where he…
Veronica Swift has both a historical connection to the music and a desire to expand its artistic purview.
Dec 3, 2020 8:58 AM
Welcome to our enthusiastic, optimistic look at the future.
Below, DownBeat presents short profiles of two dozen…
James Francies is among the 25 artists DownBeat thinks will help shape jazz in the decades to come.
Oct 9, 2020 12:40 PM
With Flight, his spirited debut album released by Blue Note in 2018, pianist James Francies avoided musical…
Pianist Joey Alexander is set to stream a performance on Friday.
Oct 2, 2020 9:49 AM
As performers look to replace income from lost gigs and regain a sense of community amid the coronavirus pandemic, a…
Danilo Pérez helms a big band on Aug. 30 during the Detroit Jazz Festival.
Sep 4, 2019 9:13 PM
The 40th annual Detroit Jazz Festival over Labor Day weekend was a smorgasbord of style, spanning Detroit blues, North…
James Francies arranged a version of Rufus’ “Ain’t Nobody” for his debut album, which was met with approval from the song’s original singer, Chaka Khan.
Apr 13, 2020 1:26 PM
Jazz pianism today stands at an apex.
There have been other moments in the music’s history when innovation rushed…
Eric Harland (left), Chris Potter and James Francies have recorded a new album, Circuits.
Apr 16, 2019 9:22 AM
Saxophonist Chris Potter’s new album, Circuits, simultaneously is a step forward and a return to earlier territory.…
Pianist James Francies has released his Blue Note debut, Flight.
Nov 8, 2018 9:40 AM
In 2015, when pianist James Francies signed with Blue Note, he was a 20-year-old sophomore at The New School for Jazz…
