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…
Bassist Ben Allison’s new album, Little Things Run The World (Palmetto), features a rendition of John Lennon’s “Jealous Guy” plus six of Allison’s original compositions and a song by guitarist Steve Cardenas. Allison arranged “Jealous Guy” for his band Man Size Safe as a nod to Donny Hathaway’s rendition of Lennon’s song.
Fusing rock, jazz, americana, blues and soul music, Little Things Run The World was inspired by biologist E.O. Wilson’s acceptance speech for the 2007 TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Prize. Wilson’s commentary on the interdependence of all creatures great and small is an underlying theme on the record and a direct inspiration for the album’s title.
Palmetto will sell Little Things Run The World CDs and mp3s exclusively on its website, palmetto-records.com, starting Dec. 4. The album will be available in stores starting Jan. 22.
The album features:
Ben Allison, bass
Michael Sarin, drums
Steve Cardenas, guitar
Ron Horton, trumpet
Michael Blake, saxophone
More info: benallison.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…