May 26, 2026 11:08 AM
Sonny Rollins Passes Away at 95
Sonny Rollins, the iconic saxophonist, composer and improviser whose career stretched from the origins of bebop to 21st…
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) has announced that six musicians will be added to its Jazz Wall of Fame at a June 1 ceremony.
The event will be highlighted by the induction of three ASCAP Jazz Living Legends: drummer Louie Bellson, pianist/vocalist Dave Frishberg and vibraphonist Terry Gibbs. This year’s group of inductees also includes three posthumous honorees: violinist Stéphane Grappelli, pianist/composer James P. Johnson and guitarist Django Reinhardt.
Louie Bellson, Dave Frishberg, Terry Gibbs, Rufus Reid, Gene Bertoncini, Eric Reed, John Clayton, Joseph Alessi, and Aaron Weinstein will all participate as presenters and/or performers.
Trombonist/composer Wycliffe Gordon will be presented with The ASCAP Foundation Vanguard Award for his innovative musical activity as a composer, instrumentalist, performer and educator in the field of jazz.
For more information, visit: www.ascap.com
Onstage, Rollins would move about restlessly, thrusting his tenor sax in the air as he blew.
May 26, 2026 11:08 AM
Sonny Rollins, the iconic saxophonist, composer and improviser whose career stretched from the origins of bebop to 21st…
To the world, James Blood Ulmer was a legend, a visionary and a musical force whose sound was distinctive and unique. To his family, he was their teacher, their storyteller and a source of strength.
Jun 9, 2026 10:54 AM
With deep sorrow and profound love, we announce the passing of James Blood Ulmer, a boldly innovative guitarist,…
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).…
Clockwise from top left, Mary Halvorson, Patricia Brennan, Adam O’Farrill, Keith Jarrett’s At the Deer Head Inn: The Complete Recordings, Sheila Jordan and Jaki Byard.
Jul 16, 2026 1:34 PM
The DownBeat Critics Poll never ceases to amaze! And the 74th Edition offered plenty of accolades for poll veterans and…
Ibrahim was an early jazz acolyte, studying the music via 78s he would buy from soldiers stationed in South Africa — who also gave him the nickname “Dollar.”
Jun 30, 2026 3:19 PM
Pianist Abdullah Ibrahim, the NEA Jazz Master from South Africa who helped fuse the folk music of his home country with…
