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…
On May 16, Ropeadope Records will drop the long-awaited Christian McBride 3-CD set Live At Tonic. This release is the first from the bassist in three years and he brings his ace band along for the ride. The band features Geoffrey Keezer on piano and keyboards, Ron Blake on tenor and soprano saxophones and flute, and Terreon Gully on drums. The set also includes an all-star cast of special guests including Charlie Hunter on guitar, Jason Moran on keyboards, Jenny Scheinman on violin, DJ Logic on turntables, Eric Krasno on guitars, Scratch on beatbox and Rahsaan Peterson on trumpet.
The album is more than three hours of jazz, pushed to its limits, with elements of hip-hop, funk and soul mixed in. Recorded on January 3 and 4 at the Tonic, the set includes some of McBride’s most popular songs, improvised. McBride and his band performed two sets each night, and well into the following mornings, and all that music is captures on each disc.
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…
“Cerebral and academic thought is a different way to approach music,” Flea says of his continuing dive into jazz. “I’ve always relied on emotion and intuition and physicality.”
Mar 30, 2026 10:30 PM
In the relatively small pantheon of certifiable rock stars venturing into the intersection of pop music and jazz, the…
Vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater will be among the headliners at this year’s DC JazzFest.
Mar 2, 2026 9:48 PM
The first wave of artists scheduled to perform at the 2026 DC JazzFest have been announced. This year’s headliners…
“These days, with curated news, where people only get half the story, people can’t even speak to family members anymore,” Schneider laments.
Mar 10, 2026 1:43 PM
Maria Schneider is doing her part to try to fix what ails America. Which got her thinking about crows, specifically,…
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.
Mar 30, 2026 10:20 PM
Every April for the past quarter century, something remarkable has happened across the United States and far beyond.…
