Jun 3, 2025 11:25 AM
In Memoriam: Al Foster, 1943–2025
Al Foster, a drummer regarded for his fluency across the bebop, post-bop and funk/fusion lineages of jazz, died May 28…
Last night’s 50th annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles established a retrospective tone while honoring current visionaries. Herbie Hancock took home top honors with Album Of The Year for River: The Joni Letters (Verve).
The win marked the first time in 43 years that a jazz album has been selected as album of the year. The last album was the Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto collaboration Getz/Gilberto in 1964. Hancock’s tribute to Joni Mitchell, which features Norah Jones and Corinne Bailey Rae, also won for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. Prior to Sunday, Hancock had won 10 Grammy awards.
Other winners included Patti Austin’s Avant Gershwin(Rendezvous) for Best Jazz Vocal Album.
The late Michael Brecker was chosen for two awards, Best Jazz Instrumental Solo and Best Jazz Instrumental Album, for “Anagram” and Pilgrimage (Heads Up) respectively.
Best Latin Jazz Album went to Paquito D’Rivera Quintet’s Funk Tango (Paquito).
Maria Schneider’s “Cerulean Skies” off of Sky Blue (ArtistShare) was awarded Best Instrumental Composition.
John Clayton was selected for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist for his work on Queen Latifah’s “I’m Gonna Live Till I Die” from her Trav’lin’ Light (Verve) album.
The Best Traditional Blues Album was awarded to Henry James Townsend, Joe Willie “Pinetop” Perkins, Robert Lockwood, Jr. and David “Honeyboy” Edwards Last Of The Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen: Live In Dallas (The Blue Shoe Project).
More info: grammy.com
Foster was truly a drummer to the stars, including Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson.
Jun 3, 2025 11:25 AM
Al Foster, a drummer regarded for his fluency across the bebop, post-bop and funk/fusion lineages of jazz, died May 28…
“Branford’s playing has steadily improved,” says younger brother Wynton Marsalis. “He’s just gotten more and more serious.”
May 20, 2025 11:58 AM
Branford Marsalis was on the road again. Coffee cup in hand, the saxophonist — sporting a gray hoodie and a look of…
“What did I want more of when I was this age?” Sasha Berliner asks when she’s in her teaching mode.
May 13, 2025 12:39 PM
Part of the jazz vibraphone conversation since her late teens, Sasha Berliner has long come across as a fully formed…
Roscoe Mitchell will receive a Lifetime Achievement award at this year’s Vision Festival.
May 27, 2025 6:21 PM
Arts for Art has announced the full lineup for the 2025 Vision Festival, which will run June 2–7 at Roulette…
Benny Benack III and his quartet took the Midwest Jazz Collective’s route for a test run this spring.
Jun 3, 2025 10:31 AM
The time and labor required to tour is, for many musicians, daunting at best and prohibitive at worst. It’s hardly…
