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 Chicago Jazz Ensemble (CJE), led by Artistic Director Jon Faddis, continues the Ninth American Heritage Jazz Series with The Music of Duke Ellington: Featuring Ellington’s Sacred Concerts, Dec. 14 at Chicago’s Harris Theater. Preceding the concert, Faddis will discuss the legacy of Ellington with music writer and broadcaster Neil Tesser.
Ellington called his Sacred Concerts the most important works he’d ever written. These works, composed between 1965 and 1973, combine elements of jazz, European classical, choral music, blues, dance, spirituals and gospel. Faddis and the CJE will be joined by a full gospel choir, featuring CJE vocalist Bobbi Wilsyn with special guest vocalists Stephanie Dixon, Maggie Brown and Robert Sims. Tap dancer Bril Barrett also joins the Ensemble.
More info: chijazz.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.
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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.
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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.
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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.”
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Pianist Abdullah Ibrahim, the NEA Jazz Master from South Africa who helped fuse the folk music of his home country with…
