Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
In Memoriam: John Hammond Jr., 1942–2026
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
Béla Fleck and the Flecktones have announced dates for their Jingle All the Way tour.
(Photo: Shauna Presto)Looking for something cool to check out in the heat of a sweltering summer? Here are five upcoming tours and musical events guaranteed to bring a relaxing, restorative vibe to your vacation travels and stay-cation chill-outs. Keep hydrated, wear plenty of sunscreen and enjoy some of the following opportunities to bask in the glory of live music.
Litchfield Jazz Fest Starts Friday
Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the Litchfield Jazz Fest opens Friday, July 25, with pianist/composer Emmet Cohen. The sounds continue Saturday with Anat Cohen’s Quartetinho, Frank Vignola and Pasquale Grasso, and things finish up with a Sunday brunch featuring the Champian Fulton Trio. For ticket information, CLICK HERE.
Christmas in July?
Tickets are on sale now for Béla Fleck and the Flecktones’ 2025 Jingle All The Way tour featuring special guests Jeff Coffin and Alash. For ticket info and info on the Fleck’s full gig schedule, CLICK HERE.
Portugal Bound!
Need a little European vacation? Jazz em Agosto in Lisbon, Portugal, Aug. 1–10, might be the ticket. The fest features an adventurous lineup including The Heart Trio with William Parker, Cooper-Moore and Hamid Drake; the Kris Davis Trio with Robert Hurst and Johnathan Blake; the Darius Jones Trio with Chris Lightcap and Gerald Clever; the Patricia Brennan Septet; and the Luís Vicente Trio with Gonçalo Almeida and Pedro Melo Alves. For ticket information, CLICK HERE.
Bonamassa Tix Going on Sale
Fans of blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa will want to be by their phones Friday, July 25, when tickets go on sale for his 2026 Spring Tour Dates. Here’s the LINK.
Harrison Hits New York
Saxophonist Donald Harrison leads off a stellar lineup at his own Quantum Leap Music Festival, bringing a little NOLA love to Borghese Vineyard in Cutchogue, Long Island, New York. He’ll be bringing along friends like The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, The Headhunters, The Preservation Hall Legacy Band, Zaccai Curtis, the New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars, CJ Chenier & The Red Hot Louisiana Band and others. CLICK HERE for more info. DB
Hammond came to the blues through the folk boom of the late 1950s and early 1960s, which he experienced firsthand in New York’s Greenwich Village.
Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
“Cerebral and academic thought is a different way to approach music,” Flea says of his continuing dive into jazz. “I’ve always relied on emotion and intuition and physicality.”
Mar 30, 2026 10:30 PM
In the relatively small pantheon of certifiable rock stars venturing into the intersection of pop music and jazz, the…
Vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater will be among the headliners at this year’s DC JazzFest.
Mar 2, 2026 9:48 PM
The first wave of artists scheduled to perform at the 2026 DC JazzFest have been announced. This year’s headliners…
Blindfold Test proctor Ted Panken, left, with the Grammy-winning Nicole Zuraitis.
Feb 24, 2026 12:00 PM
After earning the 2024 Best Jazz Vocal Album Grammy for her seventh album, How Love Begins (La Reserve), comprising 12…
“These days, with curated news, where people only get half the story, people can’t even speak to family members anymore,” Schneider laments.
Mar 10, 2026 1:43 PM
Maria Schneider is doing her part to try to fix what ails America. Which got her thinking about crows, specifically,…