Jun 9, 2026 10:54 AM
In Memoriam: James Blood Ulmer, 1940–2026
With deep sorrow and profound love, we announce the passing of James Blood Ulmer, a boldly innovative guitarist,…
John Coltrane’s Blue World, which includes 27 minutes of previously unheard music, is set for release Sept. 27.
(Photo: Jim Marshall)John Coltrane and his classic quartet still have unissued music to offer 21st-century listeners.
Set for release Sept. 27, Blue World collects a batch of previously unheard takes—“Naima,” “Traneing In” and “Village Blues” among them—along with “Blue World,” a contrafact of “Out Of This World,” which was the opening track on the bandleader’s 1962 album Coltrane. The new album will be available digitally, on CD and LP.
Coltrane, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy Garrison and drummer Elvin Jones congregated at Van Gelder Studios in June 1964 to record these tunes, which initially were intended for the soundtrack to Gilles Groux’s 1964 film Le Chat Dans Le Sac, according to a press release. Only about 10 minutes of the 37-minute recording were used in the film.
The Impulse! release comes on the heels of 2018’s warmly received Both Directions At Once: The Lost Album, which topped the Historical Album category in the 2019 DownBeat Critics Poll. Both Directions Once documents the same band at Van Gelder Studios on March 6, 1963.
For additional information about Blue World, visit the UMe website. DB
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,…
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…
A drummer’s drummer, Rodney Holmes gigged with everyone from Joe Zawinul and Carlos Santana to Steve Kimock and the Brecker Brothers.
Jul 22, 2026 12:37 PM
Drummer Rodney Holmes, a powerful presence behind the kit who emerged as an in-demand player on the New York scene…
“There was something about her tone and sound and phrasing — an intimacy, a vulnerability, an honesty,” says Joshua Redman, who produced Cavassa’s record after she toured with his band.
Jun 16, 2026 1:27 AM
Gabrielle Cavassa is an avowed perfectionist. So when she failed to place despite becoming a finalist in the 2018 Sarah…
