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…
Craig Taborn joins recent jazz-musician MacArthur Fellows Tomeka Reid (2022), Cécile McLorin Salvant (2020), Mary Halvorson (2019) and Tyshawn Sorey (2017).
(Photo: Courtesy John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation)Pianist, keyboardist and composer Craig Taborn has received many accolades over his 30-plus-year career, but none quite so lucrative as his latest. Taborn, 55, is one of the names on the list of 2025 MacArthur Fellows.
Often called a “genius grant,” the fellowship is a prestigious award of $800,000 given annually by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to scientists, artists and others as an investment in their potential. In the foundation’s words, the cash award goes to “extraordinarily talented and creative individuals.”
“In performances and recordings as a soloist, bandleader and sideman, Taborn brings a fearless and sophisticated approach to music making,” the foundation said in a statement announcing his fellowship. “He draws from musical traditions as varied as traditional and contemporary jazz, contemporary classical, experimental, electronic, rock, metal and hip-hop. His constant exploration of genre and style informs his own distinct musical intelligence and voice.”
Taborn is one of 22 new fellows announced for 2025 and the only musician in the new class. He joins such recent jazz-musician fellows as Tomeka Reid (2022), Cécile McLorin Salvant (2020), Mary Halvorson (2019) and Tyshawn Sorey (2017).
He is currently preparing for a European tour in November. Taborn is also a member (with guitarist Nels Cline and drummer Marcus Gilmore) of Trio of Bloom, whose self-titled album was released on Sept. 26 by Pyroclastic Records. Trio of Bloom is featured in the November issue of DownBeat. DB
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.
Jun 9, 2026 10:54 AM
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.
May 26, 2026 10:40 AM
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.
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…
