May 26, 2026 10:40 AM
Miles Davis at 100: Love for a Complicated Genius
Editor’s Note: The iconic trumpeter, composer and bandleader Miles Davis would have turned 100 today (May 26, 2026).…
Onstage, Rollins would move about restlessly, thrusting his tenor sax in the air as he blew.
(Photo: Michael Jackson)May 26, 2026 11:08 AM
Sonny Rollins, the iconic saxophonist, composer and improviser whose career stretched from the origins of bebop to 21st century free melodicism — encompassing calypsos,…
How best to mark Miles Davis’ centennial? By allowing the stories to flow, and cross-discussions to happen.
May 26, 2026 10:40 AM
Editor’s Note: The iconic trumpeter, composer and bandleader Miles Davis would have turned 100 today (May 26, 2026).…
“The elders are very serious about making sure that the tradition of the music stays alive,” said Jordan Williams.
May 26, 2026 10:30 AM
For pianist Jordan Williams, the title of his debut album Playing By Ear (Red Records) isn’t metaphorical. It’s…
George Benson and Ledisi sing a duet rendition of “Moody’s Mood For Love” at this year’s SFJAZZ gala.
May 26, 2026 10:15 AM
Since its founding in 1983, the non-profit SFJAZZ organization has bestowed Lifetime Achievement and Beacon Awards…
Bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa worked with Kenny Barron, Kenny Garrett, Jimmy Heath and Jon Faddis.
May 26, 2026 10:00 AM
DownBeat acknowledges the recent passing of four important figures in the jazz world: bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa (age…
“I wanted to get into the real feeling,” Melissa Aldana says of studying the work of singers from Cuba’s filin tradition in preparation for her collaboration with pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba.
May 19, 2026 11:46 AM
Melissa Aldana is an investigator. She’s not comfortable resting on what she knows, instead seeking to learn more and…
Superposition cooked up a pliable and porous sound at this year’s April Jazz Festival in Espoo, Finland.
May 19, 2026 11:38 AM
As with other Scandinavian countries plugged into the European cultural ethos, jazz festivals in Finland have a long…
Nate Wooley has been the leader on over 50 records — including two releases on Pyroclastic — and has appeared as a performer on almost 400.
May 19, 2026 11:05 AM
Nate Wooley has been appointed artistic director of Pyroclastic Records, a non-profit label that has earned a place as…
Sullivan Fortner performs at the Gilmore International Piano Festival in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
May 19, 2026 10:48 AM
His stride gave him away. It was closing night, May 10, at the 2026 Gilmore International Piano Festival, and Sullivan…
Dave King (left) and Reid Anderson offer insights into why The Bad Plus’ chemistry was cool, the accomplishments many and its longevity so fruitful.
May 12, 2026 11:42 AM
The scene still sticks with me. I had heard the oddball name of this new group being dropped around town, and…
“You cannot quit,” drummer Adonis Rose, right, told vocalist Phillip Manuel. “There’s no way in hell you can stop being a performer, as great as you are.”
May 12, 2026 11:33 AM
As if Grammy-winning drummer, composer, producer and educator Adonis Rose didn’t already have his plate full as…
