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…
Artistic co-director Herbie Hancock speaks during the 2018 International Jazz Day in St. Petersburg, Russia.
(Photo: Courtesy International Jazz Day)For two days in Melbourne, Australia, during April, International Jazz Day will celebrate the genre’s worldwide influence and ability to transcend borders.
The annual event, now in its seventh year, counts pianist Herbie Hancock and trumpeter James Morrison as artistic co-directors of the All-Star Global Concert planned for April 30 at Arts Centre Melbourne. The musical director is pianist John Beasley.
Performers in Melbourne are set to include:
During the week leading up to the All-Star Global Concert, educational programs are slated for students who are part of the indigenous Yarrabah community, as well as for public school students in the New South Wales district. Additional outreach programs are planned in Adelaide, Perth and other cities.
Festivities wrap up during the first weekend of May with the “Generations in Jazz” youth festival in Mount Gambier, South Australia, a program helmed by Morrison and vocalist Kurt Elling. According to a press release, organizers plan for the event to become the largest youth jazz festival in the world, featuring more than 6,000 young participants.
For more information about the celebration, as well as Jazz Day events taking place in other countries, visit the International Jazz Day homepage. DB
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…
