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…
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.
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,…
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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…
