Sep 3, 2026 10:44 AM
In Memoriam: Cassandra Wilson, 1955–2026
Cassandra Wilson, a singer, songwriter and producer who was one of the most acclaimed and successful jazz vocalists of…
Herbie Hancock will spend the spring and summer receiving honorary degrees, performing with pianist Lang Lang, and appearing as a guest with the American Ballet Theater.
On May 9, the pianist will receive a doctor of music from Loyola University in New Orleans, and on May 16 Hancock will deliver the commencement address to the Bentley University/McCallum Graduate School of Business in Waltham, Mass., and be awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters.
Prior to the Bentley address, Hancock will perform with Lang Lang on May 14 at the Classical Brit Awards at Royal Albert Hall in London. Other U.S. shows in the Hancock-Lang Lang Dueling Pianos Tour (which will go to European festivals in July) include:
July 28: Ravinia Festival, Highland Park, Ill., with Chicago Symphony
July 30: Mann Center, Philadelphia, with Philadelphia Orchestra
Aug. 1: NJPAC, Newark, N.J., with New Jersey Symphony
Aug. 7-8: Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, with LA Philharmonic
On May 18, Hancock will be the guest artist performing at American Ballet Theatre’s 2009 Spring Gala at the Metropolitan Opera House.
Wilson’s ability to connect to audiences helped her to win two Grammy awards and multiple other accolades. She was named an NEA Jazz Master in 2022.
Sep 3, 2026 10:44 AM
Cassandra Wilson, a singer, songwriter and producer who was one of the most acclaimed and successful jazz vocalists of…
Bertoncini was a specialist and advocate for the nylon-string acoustic guitar, turning down high-profile opportunities that were unsuited to the sound and techniques that he used with that instrument.
Sep 1, 2026 11:06 AM
Gene Bertoncini, an esteemed jazz guitarist, composer, arranger and educator, died Aug. 29 at the Lillian Booth Actors…
A solo concert by saxophonist Joshua Redman will close the first night of the Hyde Park Jazz Festival on Sept. 26.
Sep 22, 2026 12:26 PM
The Hyde Park Jazz Festival will take place for the 20th time on the final weekend of September 2026. Beginning half…
“It was just that suddenly … I could hear it,” Ravi Coltrane said of an epiphany he experienced during his late teens regarding his father’s music. “And it was almost like a calling, like something saying, ‘Hey, man, come on. It’s time to get serious.’ And the first time you really tune in and dial in and focus like that, it can be very life-changing.”
Sep 22, 2026 1:39 PM
Editor’s Note: Tomorrow, Sept. 23, is the 100th anniversary of John Coltrane’s birth. In honor of the tenor and…
Camille Thurman took to the stage alongside bassist Kenny Davis and drummer Tommy Campbell for a rendition of Johnny Mercer’s “I’m An Old Cowhand” that recalled Rollins’ epochal 1957 trio outing Way Out West.
Oct 6, 2026 1:33 PM
As emcee Mark Ruffin noted at the commencement of an epic tribute to saxophonist Sonny Rollins at the Cathedral of…
