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…
Still from the Jazz Institute of Chicago video about its Straight Ahead Jazz Camp, to be held July 17–21
(Photo: Jazz Institute of Chicago)Enrollment is now open for the Jazz Institute of Chicago’s Straight Ahead Jazz Camp, to take place July 17–21 at Columbia College Chicago. This year’s guest artists include composer, educator and bassist Rufus Reid; pianist, professor and author of David Baker: A Legacy in the Music Monika Herzig; pianist, composer and teacher Barry Harris; composer, educator and tenor saxophonist Ari Brown; and trumpeter, composer, educator and entrepreneur Dave Douglas.
Chicago clinicians at the camp include Greg Ward, Jarrard Harris, Pharez Whitted, Geof Bradfield, Victor Garcia, Willie Pickens, Bobbi Wilsyn, Reginald Robinson, Donovan Mixon and Roxanne Stevenson.
Straight Ahead Jazz Camp brings together educators, musicians and music lovers 18 and up for a fascinating week-long exploration of the inner workings of jazz. Held at Columbia College Chicago, each day of the camp features a special guest artist along with hands-on workshops, clinics, lectures and jam sessions by noted musicians and experts.
This year Rufus Reid is slated to teach on July 17, and the special guests on subsequent days are Monika Herzig (July 18), Barry Harris (July 19), Ari Brown (July 20) and Dave Douglas (July 21).
The institute describes the camp as “five days of innovative, hands-on sessions for adults led by professional jazz musicians and clinicians who educate, challenge and inspire you. Straight Ahead Jazz Camp: for educators, musicians and adult jazz enthusiasts of all levels.”
More information, including a video preview, is posted at the Jazz Institute of Chicago website. 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…
