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…
The Gil Evans Project pays tribute to Sketches Of Spain in a recent video.
(Photo: GoFundMe)Ryan Truesdell, the director and founder of the Gil Evans Project, is aiming to keep the members of his ensemble afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.
Like so many other troupes and performers looking to make it through, that’s meant shifting things online. And recently, the Gil Evans Project streamed a remote performance titled Concierto De Aranjuez, named for the opening cut off the Evans-Miles Davis collaboration, Sketches Of Spain. The 16-minute video takes into consideration not just the cool tone of Davis’ rendition, but also the perspective of the song’s composer, Joaquín Rodrigo.
“I know these are financially difficult times for many of us, but any amount you can spare would go a long way to ease the financial burden this pandemic has (and will continue to) place on the musicians you see in this video,” Truesdell wrote on his GoFundMe page. “No donation is too small ... or too big! 
And if you can’t give financially, that’s OK! If you enjoy the band’s performance, please consider helping by sharing the video and this fundraiser with your friends and on social media, so we can reach an even broader audience.”
To donate to the ensemble, visit its GoFundMe page. 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…
“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,…
Each of the 25 JAMs has delivered a poster featuring a jazz legend that is sent out to schools across the nation. This year’s poster features Tony Bennett.
Mar 30, 2026 10:20 PM
Every April for the past quarter century, something remarkable has happened across the United States and far beyond.…
