Jan 13, 2026 2:09 PM
More Trump-Kennedy Center Cancellations
The fallout from the renaming of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to include President Donald…
ECM continues to issue new albums on vinyl, with the latest batch of LPs released in March.
Pianist Bobo Stenson’s trio with bassist Anders Jormin and percussionist Jon Fält captivates on Sphere, a deep breath of open spontaneity where nuance and understated interplay offer a sophisticated improvisational experience.
Ralph Towner’s At First Light presents the guitarist delivering a stunning solo performance marked by tone, taste and joy. “My solo recordings have always included my own compositions, in which there are trace elements of the many composers and musicians that have attracted me,” Towner writes in the liner notes. Those influences include everyone from George Gershwin and John Coltrane to Bill Evans and Jon Dowland.
Ralph Alessi’s It’s Always Now presents the trumpeter in a new quartet setting. Moving to Switzerland in 2020 gave him an opportunity to play with a new set of musicians, including pianist Florian Weber, drummer Gerry Hemingway and bassist Bänz Lester on this recording. DB
(ecmrecords.com)
Belá Fleck during an interview with Fredrika Whitfield on CNN.
Jan 13, 2026 2:09 PM
The fallout from the renaming of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to include President Donald…
Peplowski first came to prominence in legacy swing bands, including the final iteration of the Benny Goodman Orchestra, before beginning a solo career in the late 1980s.
Feb 3, 2026 12:10 AM
Ken Peplowski, a clarinetist and tenor saxophonist who straddled the worlds of traditional and modern jazz, died Feb. 2…
The success of Oregon’s first album, 1971’s Music Of Another Present Era, allowed Towner to establish a solo career.
Jan 19, 2026 5:02 PM
Ralph Towner, a guitarist and composer who blended multiple genres, including jazz — and throughout them all remained…
Rico’s Anti-Microbial Instrument Swab
Jan 19, 2026 2:48 PM
With this year’s NAMM Show right around the corner, we can look forward to plenty of new and innovative instruments…
Richie Beirach was particularly renowned for his approach to chromatic harmony, which he used to improvise reharmonizations of originals and standards.
Jan 27, 2026 11:19 AM
Richie Beirach, a pianist and composer who channeled a knowledge of modern classical music into his jazz practice,…
