Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
In Memoriam: John Hammond Jr., 1942–2026
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
Cécile McLorin Salvant feels she’s getting closer to her voice with Ghost Song.
(Photo: Shawn Michael Jones)Cécile McLorin Salvant has premiered the title track of her new album Ghost Song well ahead of its official March 4 release date.
As her debut on Nonesuch Records, the album will feature a mix of seven originals and five interpretations on the themes of ghosts, nostalgia and yearning.
“It’s unlike anything I’ve done before — it’s getting closer to reflecting my personality as an eclectic curator,” Salvant said. “I’m embracing my weirdness.”
Of the title track, Salvant said, “What if the love has gone, the love has left you and you have the emotions around that, and you’re still going through them, still engaging with the ghost of that love? Some songs are so painful to come out, but this one came out pretty quickly. I’ve had some loss the last couple of years: my grandmother, the drummer in my band [Lawrence Leathers].”
Here’s a video of the album’s initial offering:
Ghost Song may be preordered and comes with an exclusive, limited-edition signed artwork by Salvant when purchased from the Nonesuch Store. Cécile McLorin Salvant plays four shows at SFJAZZ in February and two nights featuring the music of Ghost Song at Jazz at Lincoln Center in May. DB
Hammond came to the blues through the folk boom of the late 1950s and early 1960s, which he experienced firsthand in New York’s Greenwich Village.
Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
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Each of the 25 JAMs has delivered a poster featuring a jazz legend that is sent out to schools across the nation. This year’s poster features Tony Bennett.
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Every April for the past quarter century, something remarkable has happened across the United States and far beyond.…
