Dec 9, 2025 12:28 PM
In Memoriam: Gordon Goodwin, 1954–2025
Gordon Goodwin, an award-winning saxophonist, pianist, bandleader, composer and arranger, died Dec. 8 in Los Angeles.…
Donald Harrison is among the headliners at the Quantum Leap Music Festival, to be held Aug. 14–17 on Long Island.
(Photo: Faena)It’s festival season in the world of jazz, blues and beyond. And as updates come in to DownBeat, we’ll send them out to you. Here’s this week’s batch!
Donald Harrison’s Quantum Leap Music Festival
North Fork, Long Island, New York
Aug. 14–17
The Quantum Leap Music Festival has announced its full lineup with headliners Donald Harrison, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Leo Nocentelli of the Meters, The Preservation Hall Legacy Band, The Headhunters plus Cyril Neville, Zaccai Curtis and more. Go to nola2nofo.com for more info.
Englewood Jazz Festival
Hamilton Park, Chicago
Sept. 18–20
The Englewood Jazz Festival has announced that it will be celebrating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). Festival founder and saxophonist Ernest Dawkins will open the fest with a new work titled Great Black Music–Ancient To The Future. The piece is dedicated to the founders of the AACM. Go to englewoodjazzfestival.org for more info.
44th Annual Savannah Jazz Festival
Savannah, Georgia
Sept. 19–21
The Savannah Jazz Festival offers 15 free events including Spyro Gyra, Kirk Whalum, a celebration of James Moody’s centenniel, Anat Cohen, Jocelyn Gould, Rodney Jordan, Tony Monaco and more. Go to savannahjazz.org for more info.
Monterey Jazz Festival
Monterey, California
Sept. 26–28
In addition to a killer lineup that includes Gregory Porter, Christian McBride & Ursa Major, Marcus Shelby, John & Gerald Clayton, Dianne Reeves, Ledisi, Mr. Sipp, Keyon Harrold, Delfeayo Marsalis, Cory Wong and more, the fest has announced a special collaboration whereby SFJAZZ will sponsor acts in the Pacific Jazz Café. Acts include Benny Green, Sullivan Fortner, New Jazz Underground, Tyreek McDole, Brandon Woody, Caity Gyorgy, Christian Sands, Camille Thurman & Darrell Green and more. Go to montereyjazz.org for more info.
Jazz@ThePoint
Somers Point, New Jersey
Oct. 16–18
Hosted by the South Jersey Jazz Society, Jazz@ThePoint will highlight artists from the Garden State under this year’s banner of “Jersey Fresh.” Performers include John Pizzarelli, Howard Paul, Michael Pedicin, Paul Jost and Matt Cappy. Go to southjerseyjazz.org for more info. DB
Goodwin was one of the most acclaimed, successful and influential jazz musicians of his generation.
Dec 9, 2025 12:28 PM
Gordon Goodwin, an award-winning saxophonist, pianist, bandleader, composer and arranger, died Dec. 8 in Los Angeles.…
Belá Fleck during an interview with Fredrika Whitfield on CNN.
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The fallout from the renaming of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to include President Donald…
The success of Oregon’s first album, 1971’s Music Of Another Present Era, allowed Towner to establish a solo career.
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Ralph Towner, a guitarist and composer who blended multiple genres, including jazz — and throughout them all remained…
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.
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Ken Peplowski, a clarinetist and tenor saxophonist who straddled the worlds of traditional and modern jazz, died Feb. 2…
Rico’s Anti-Microbial Instrument Swab
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With this year’s NAMM Show right around the corner, we can look forward to plenty of new and innovative instruments…
