Apr 2, 2024 12:59 PM
Saxophonist, Sonic Explorer Casey Benjamin Dies at 45
Casey Benjamin, the alto saxophonist, vocalist, keyboardist and producer who stamped his distinctive sounds on the…
Bassist Christian McBride (left), saxophonist Joshua Redman, drummer Brian Blade and pianist Brad Mehldau reconvened in the studio after more than two decades for RoundAgain.
(Photo: Michael Wilson)
Drummer Antonio Sánchez and vocalist Thana Alexa have reached a point of mutual influence.
(Photo: Jimmy & Dena Katz)
Guitarist Pat Metheny topped two DownBeat Readers Poll categories this year: Guitar and Jazz Album, for his disc From This Place (Nonesuch).
(Photo: Jimmy & Dena Katz)
Lakecia Benjamin’s latest album features compositions by Alice Coltrane and John Coltrane.
(Photo: Elizabeth Leitzell)
James Erskine’s documentary Billie includes vintage photos that have been digitally colorized by artist Marina Amaral.
(Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images, courtesy Greenwich Entertainment)In 2020, DownBeat sought to cover the breadth of jazz, while also working to represent what was going on in the country at large—socially, politically and economically.
We published hundreds of stories and album reviews during the past 12 months, and the pieces here—whether drawn from the print edition or web-only features—have been viewed by readers more than any others. Perhaps it’s the musicians who were profiled here—or what they spoke about. Maybe it was their impeccable musicianship that drew readers in or the sterling prose that described their playing. Maybe it’s because readers like movies and lists.
A lot of music and information gets parsed here, so don’t rush through anything. Let the work—in addition to informing and perhaps inspiring—distract you from the next few months of difficulty we’re all set to face. But make sure to savor each turn of phrase or thoughtful metaphor, and maybe go track down a new record.
For a few of our best-read stories from 2019, take a look here. And for print and digital subscription options, head over here. DB
Binge These Jazzworld Movies While You’re Stuck At Home
You’re at home. We’re at home. Let’s take a break from coronavirus anxiety and watch a movie … or three.
What are some career options for artists who have a degree in music and/or extensive musical training?
Five Essential Keith Jarrett Albums To Mark His 75th Birthday
Transcendent music is timeless. That’s the thought that comes to mind as fans around the globe marked Jarrett’s 75th birthday.
The Sound And Myth Of Charlie Parker At 100
To say that Parker was one of the greatest jazz musicians who ever lived is a bit like saying the Mona Lisa is a well-known painting.
Pat Metheny’s Cinematic Vision
A conversation with the guitarist is similar to one of his shows: Some parts seem carefully constructed, while others are loose, improvisational flights. But the thematic undercurrent is one of sturdy, satisfying logic.
John McLaughlin Heads Out On The Road Again
In an interview published in DownBeat’s November 2017 issue, guitar legend McLaughlin lamented the fact that a progressive arthritic condition in his right hand was forcing him into semi-retirement.
Billie Holiday Documentary Chronicles Two Lives
How does one craft a Holiday biography with a surprise ending?
In Newport, A Quiet August And The Virus’ Financial Fallout
Fort Adams State Park—traditionally home to the Newport Jazz Festival—was uncharacteristically quiet the first week of August this year.
These 25 Performers Could Shape Jazz For Decades
An enthusiastic, optimistic look at the future.
Redman, Blade, Mehldau, McBride Defy Notions Of The Genre
Twenty-six years ago, a new quartet led by a rising star in the jazz world demonstrated how the music could be inclusive, expressive and joyful, an emphatic rebuttal of the perception that the genre was too esoteric and incapable of relating to other forms of popular music.
Five Black Jazzworld Figures Recount How Racism Impacted Their Careers
Though jazz is a genre shared and revered by people of all backgrounds, there’s no equivocating: The music is the sonic embodiment of the Black experience in America.
The Shifting Technique Of Kurt Rosenwinkel
The guitarist described a change in his approach as “steps towards the way that I really hear the guitar in my mind,” reflecting his frustration with certain aspects of guitar playing, and his determination to overcome them.
Eddie Kendricks’ People Was No Accident
By 1972, Kendricks, the Temptations singer who led the ensemble through classics like “Just My Imagination,” was ready for a new sound.
Joey DeFrancesco Expands His Skill Set
Multi-instrumentalist and jazz organ icon DeFrancesco has rarely has spent an extended period of time at home during his 33 years as a professional musician.
For Asian–American Jazz Artists, Pandemic Uncovers Deep Wounds
The artists interviewed for this story each expressed a genuine fear of leaving their homes, due as much to the reported uptick in anti-Asian sentiment as their civic duty to flatten the curve.
Societal Reckoning Over Racism Encompasses The Jazz Community
For a time, it seemed as though the coronavirus pandemic was going to completely dominate the news in 2020. And it did, until the Black Lives Matter movement ignited protests around the world following George Floyd’s May 25 killing in Minneapolis by city police.
Facing An Uncertain Future, Jazz Artists Get Creative
Artists in numerous countries were asking questions and facing dilemmas as airline travel became increasingly prohibitive and jazz clubs and large venues began closing.
Blindfold Test: Walter Smith III
After almost a full year as chair of Berklee College of Music’s Woodwind Department, 39-year-old tenor saxophonist Smith sat for his first Blindfold Test.
Lakecia Benjamin Pursues a Spiritual Quest
Pursuance is Benjamin’s most ambitious project so far, not only for its eye-popping lineup, but for the magnitude of its subject matter
The Vintage Vibe Of Robert Cray
When it comes to Cray’s long, storied career, time and musical fashion have been slippery slopes of the saga.
The Chance Music Of New Orleans’ Kidd Jordan
Master improvisers can turn on a dime. So, when keyboardist Darrell Lavigne called Jordan in early March to set up a recording session while he was in New Orleans, the elder saxophonist sprang into action.
Antonio Sánchez, Thana Alexa Grow Their Partnership
Now married, theses artists of Mexican and Croatian lineages share a home studio in Queens, where they frequently collaborate on their music.
Pandemic Spurs Marc Ribot, Music Workers Alliance To Demand Economic Fairness
With music-streaming services paying a relative pittance to independent acts and niche artists like himself, Ribot depends on the money he gets from live performances—at clubs, theaters and festivals—to pay his bills.
How Ethan Iverson Fosters Creativity During The Pandemic
Whether folks have come to his music through recent leader dates, his previous work with The Bad Plus or his writing on the Do The Math blog or in The New Yorker, Iverson started posting quick-hit interpretations of TV themes to Twitter during the pandemic.
How Aaron Parks Creates New Worlds On His Second Little Big Album
Pianist Parks writes compositions that bring together jazz, rock and electronica, while his Little Big quartet makes complex meters sound straightforward.
Terence Blanchard Addresses The Past Through Work With Spike Lee And Preps For Brighter Future
At some point, jazz historians are going to need to survey the work that trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard has done with filmmaker Spike Lee.
Pandemic-Era Insights From Chick Corea, Christian McBride, Brandee Younger And More
It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Musicians around the globe had gigs, recording dates, mixing sessions—stuff to do. But now, performers are stuck at home.
‘How Does It Feel To Be Free?’
For generations, jazz has expounded ideas of freedom and power, explicitly and implicitly.
Benjamin possessed a fluid, round sound on the alto saxophone, and he was often most recognizable by the layers of electronic effects that he put onto the instrument.
Apr 2, 2024 12:59 PM
Casey Benjamin, the alto saxophonist, vocalist, keyboardist and producer who stamped his distinctive sounds on the…
“He’s constructing intelligent musical sentences that connect seamlessly, which is the most important part of linear playing,” Charles McPherson said of alto saxophonist Sonny Red.
Feb 27, 2024 1:40 PM
“I might not have felt this way 30 to 40 years ago, but I’ve reached a point where I can hear value in what people…
Albert “Tootie” Heath (1935–2024) followed in the tradition of drummer Kenny Clarke, his idol.
Apr 5, 2024 10:28 AM
Albert “Tootie” Heath, a drummer of impeccable taste and time who was the youngest of three jazz-legend brothers…
“Both of us are quite grounded in the craft, the tradition and the harmonic sense,” Rosenwinkel said of his experience playing with Allen. “Yet I felt we shared something mystical as well.”
Mar 12, 2024 11:42 AM
“There are a few musicians you hear where, as somebody once said, the molecules in the room change. Geri was one of…
Henry Threadgill performs with Zooid at Big Ears in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Apr 9, 2024 11:30 AM
Big Ears, the annual four-day music celebration that first took place in 2009 in Knoxville, Tennessee, could well be…
