Mar 18, 2025 3:00 PM
A Love Supreme at 60: Thoughts on Coltrane’s Masterwork
In his original liner notes to A Love Supreme, John Coltrane wrote: “Yes, it is true — ‘seek and ye shall…
The diverse lineup of artists who accepted Herbie Hancock’s invitation to create and record music with him for his forthcoming duets album, Possibilities, is a testament to the breadth and magnitude of his impact. Hancock had a vision of collaborating in studio to create music with some of the artists he most admires. The final list of collaborators is a diverse group of world renowned musicians who represent genres of music well beyond the world of jazz, including: John Mayer, Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan, Sting, Annie Lennox, Joss Stone and Johnny Lang, Paul Simon, Carlos Santana and Angelique Kidjo, Christina Aguilera and Trey Anastasio. Possibilities will be released simultaneously at Starbucks Company-operated locations and traditional retail stores by Hancock Music, Vector Recordings and Starbucks Hear Music beginning Aug. 30.
Hancock describes Possibilities this way: “This is real collaboration that we’re doing here. It’s all been decided at the session,” and calls the album, “a record without borders, woven like a tapestry with many colors.” John Mayer came to his session with a simple guitar phrase from which he and Hancock created a fully arranged song, replete with lyrics and a rhythm section of drums, bass and keyboards. Sting and Hancock freshly reinterpret Sting’s song “Sister Moon,” from the album Nothing Like the Sun.
As with Ray Charles’ multiplatinum, Grammy-winningGenius Loves Company, Starbucks will participate in all facets of the project’s lifecycle—from facilitating production to distribution and marketing of the album, which will be sold in traditional retail outlets as well as at Starbucks locations.
“We have always admired the enormous talents of Herbie Hancock,” said Vector principal Ken Levitan. “When Jack Rovner and I first learned that we might be able to work with Herbie, we immediately jumped at the opportunity. And for the relationship to begin with a project as exciting as Possibilities is more than we could have hoped for. There are very few artists whose contribution to music has been as substantial and original as Herbie Hancock’s. It is a great privilege to be undertaking this project with him.”
“This is one of the great gifts that Coltrane gave us — he gave us a key to the cosmos in this recording,” says John McLaughlin.
Mar 18, 2025 3:00 PM
In his original liner notes to A Love Supreme, John Coltrane wrote: “Yes, it is true — ‘seek and ye shall…
The Blue Note Jazz Festival New York kicks off May 27 with a James Moody 100th Birthday Celebration at Sony Hall.
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“I’m certainly influenced by Geri Allen,” said Iverson, during a live Blindfold Test at the 31st Umbria Jazz Winter festival.
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Between last Christmas and New Year’s Eve, Ethan Iverson performed as part of the 31st Umbria Jazz Winter festival in…
“At the end of the day, once you’ve run out of differences, we’re left with similarities,” Collier says. “Cultural differences are mitigated through 12 notes.”
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DownBeat has a long association with the Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference, the premiere…
“It kind of slows down, but it’s still kind of productive in a way, because you have something that you can be inspired by,” Andy Bey said on a 2019 episode of NPR Jazz Night in America, when he was 80. “The music is always inspiring.”
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Singer Andy Bey, who illuminated the jazz scene for five decades with a four-octave range that encompassed a bellowing…
