Aug 30, 2022 11:45 AM
Joey DeFrancesco, Who Helped Revitalize the Hammond B-3 Organ, Dies at 51
The music world is mourning the unexpected passing of Joey DeFrancesco, who died Aug. 25 from a massive heart attack,…
Whether riffing on his latest album, his dynastic jazz family, his formative experiences in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, his teaching experiences, his interest in science or his love of sports, Branford Marsalis speaks his truth.
(Photo: Scott Chernis)During 2019, DownBeat published hundreds of articles and album reviews. What’s below, though, are some features and web stories that seemed to have stuck out, whether for the sheer quality of the prose or simply the importance, thoughtfulness or audacity of the performers who were profiled.
There’s a lot to wade through, so take your time, and let the intensity and virtue of each of these players wash over you. Your new favorite recording might be buried in there somewhere.
For a look at some of our best stories from 2018, head over here. DB
Alicia Olatuja Has Faith in Her Voice
A Renewed Spotlight on Anthony Braxton
Branford Marsalis Discusses the Genre, Teaching Music and Getting Up Early
Brian Blade Leads ‘Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration’
Church of St. John Coltrane Marks 50 Years, Sets Fundraiser
The Complex Sounds of Caspar Brötzmann
Cultivating the Legacy of Sam Rivers
ECM and Manfred Eicher on the Search for the Sublime
Eric Dolphy: The ‘Prophet’ of Freedom
For New Live Recording, Dave Liebman Heads Back Out ‘On The Corner’
Gilles Peterson on U.K. Scene, Brownswood, Starting a New Festival
Guitarist Rez Abbasi Crafts New Soundtrack for 1929 Silent Film ‘A Throw Of Dice’
How Musicians Are Evolving the Legacy of Resistance
The Kaleidoscopic Colors of Hiromi’s Pianism
Ivan Conti’s Been Combining Jazz, Rock, Samba for Decades
Jamaaladeen Tacuma and The Last Poets Move Beyond the Nation’s Combative Moment
James Carter Reimagines the Art of Django Reinhardt
Jane Bunnett & Maqueque Fosters Connection Between Cuban Music, Jazz
Jazzmeia Horn is Steeped Tradition, Yet Fully Planted in the Present
Jenny Scheinman on Risk, Adventure and Starting a New Band with Allison Miller
Jerry Bergonzi Shines with ‘Seven Rays’
Joshua Redman Finds ‘Founts of Inspiration’
Kendrick Scott at the ‘Height of Optimism’
Kenny Barron on Compatibility, Writing and Mulgrew Miller
Linda May Han Oh Reaches Across the Musical Spectrum
Melissa Aldana’s Indisputable Command
Mike Patton, Jean-Claude Vannier Collaboration Predicated on Versatility
Miles Davis Documentary Premieres, Portraying a Man of Contradictions
Miles Davis’ ‘Rubberband’ Finally Arrives
Noah Preminger in Perpetual Motion
Now’s the Time for Brandee Younger
Patrice Rushen’s Journey Through Jazz, Pop and Hollywood
Poncho Sanchez Provides the Percussive Punctuation
The Price, Cost and Value of Digital Music
Ron Carter, Beatniks and Corrective History
Sara Gazarek Charts Path Through Loss, Heartache on ‘Thirsty Ghost’
Separated by 50 Years, Israels, Diehl Find Common Ground
Terri Lyne Carrington Transforms the Culture
Theo Croker is a ‘Catalyst for Action’
The Transformative Power of Nat ‘King’ Cole
Three British Labels are Deep in Dialogue with the American Jazz Tradition
DeFrancesco recorded his first album and toured Europe as a member of Miles Davis’ band at age 17.
Aug 30, 2022 11:45 AM
The music world is mourning the unexpected passing of Joey DeFrancesco, who died Aug. 25 from a massive heart attack,…
“My dad saw Hendrix open for the Monkees here in Jacksonville, and he told me it was the first time he had ever dropped acid. Pretty intense,” Trucks said,
Sep 20, 2022 2:05 PM
It is hard to fathom the depth of loss that Derek Trucks must have felt in 2017. First, his uncle Butch Trucks, a…
Gazarek is glad just to be able to have the chance to perform jazz to a wider audience from this planet, in this time.
Sep 20, 2022 11:39 AM
Of all the things Sara Gazarek imagined, hoped or dreamed she would ever do in her life, singing on a stage as an alien…
Three-time Grammy winner Lewis had tremendous success at crossing over from the jazz charts to the pop charts.
Sep 13, 2022 1:17 PM
Jazz pianist, three-time Grammy winner and NEA Jazz Master Ramsey Lewis, who successfully crossed over from the jazz…
Pharoah Sanders brought beauty and spirituality to the avant-garde forefront.
Sep 27, 2022 3:47 PM
Pharoah Sanders, the saxophonist and composer who became famous for his mid-1960s work with saxophonist John Coltrane,…
