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…
Dennis Lichtman is an advocate for early styles of jazz.
(Photo: Aidan Grant)A decade before he became one of the instigators of New York’s traditional jazz revival, Dennis Lichtman was studying music business and clarinet at the Hartt School at the University of Hartford.
“They didn’t teach me to go play at a little dive bar on the Lower East Side that isn’t really a music venue, and to make no money for the first couple of years, and to just have fun, and maybe a scene will coalesce around it that you’ll become known for 10 years later,” he said recently. “But that’s what happened.”
That little dive bar is Mona’s, where, since 2007, Lichtman has been packing them in, leading Mona’s Hot 4 every Tuesday. The hot jazz scene at Mona’s attracts many of the city’s top musicians, who often drop by after their regular gigs. In recent months, guest collaborators have included keyboardist Jon Batiste, singer Cécile McLorin Salvant, clarinetist Anat Cohen and mandolinist/vocalist Chris Thile.
Additionally, Lichtman is a longtime member (on clarinet) of Brian Carpenter’s 11-piece Ghost Train Orchestra, which plays 1930s chamber jazz with crisp, period arrangements spiced by forward-looking soloists. “I’ve been playing with Dennis for 10 years,” Carpenter said. “He has one of the most stunningly beautiful clarinet sounds in jazz. And then you find out how old he is and how many other instruments he plays—it’s unbelievable.”
Lichtman’s new Just Cross The River pays tribute to the “unglamorous” borough of Queens, which, because of its affordability and location near Manhattan, was home to Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Fats Waller and Billie Holiday.
Unlike jazz musicians who strive to sound as contemporary as possible, Lichtman remains an articulate advocate for earlier styles. Asked why he plays this music, his response is immediate: “I love it. That’s the short answer. The longer answer is that there’s something communal about music from the earlier era of jazz. … For me, it’s the jazz version of three chords and the truth … the perfect combination of broad appeal and deep sophistication. You can get as nerdy and intricate as you want. But if the rhythm section is thumping, any schmo can walk in off the street and be moved by it.” 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).…
“I wanted to get into the real feeling,” Melissa Aldana says of studying the work of singers from Cuba’s filin tradition in preparation for her collaboration with pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba.
May 19, 2026 11:46 AM
Melissa Aldana is an investigator. She’s not comfortable resting on what she knows, instead seeking to learn more 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…
