Jun 9, 2026 10:54 AM
In Memoriam: James Blood Ulmer, 1940–2026
With deep sorrow and profound love, we announce the passing of James Blood Ulmer, a boldly innovative guitarist,…
Jacksonville, Fla. has announced the lineup for the 2008 Jacksonville Jazz Festival to be held April 11–13.
“The Jacksonville Jazz Festival is one of the city’s signature events,” said Mayor John Peyton. “It gives us a chance to listen to great music and show off our city to attendees who travel here from throughout the country.”
Artists scheduled to perform include Benny Golson, Rufus Reid, Terence Blanchard, Poncho Sanchez, Dave Koz and Norman Brown.
Metropolitan Park will be the site of Art At The Met, an art show and sale featuring artists and craftspeople and 38° Latitude: A Wine Tasting Experience.
Also on April 11, the Jacksonville Jazz Piano competition will continue. Five finalists, chosen by a selection committee through blind judging, will compete for this award. The first-place winner will receive a prize of $3,500 and will perform at the 2008 Jacksonville Jazz Festival the following day at Metropolitan Park. A rhythm section will accompany the five finalists during the piano competition with Danny Gottlieb on drums.
The ‘Round Midnight Jazz Jam at the Jacksonville Marriott on April 12 is free to the public. Jazz fans are encouraged to bring their instruments and jam with festival performers.
More info: jaxjazzfest.com
To the world, James Blood Ulmer was a legend, a visionary and a musical force whose sound was distinctive and unique. To his family, he was their teacher, their storyteller and a source of strength.
Jun 9, 2026 10:54 AM
With deep sorrow and profound love, we announce the passing of James Blood Ulmer, a boldly innovative guitarist,…
Clockwise from top left, Mary Halvorson, Patricia Brennan, Adam O’Farrill, Keith Jarrett’s At the Deer Head Inn: The Complete Recordings, Sheila Jordan and Jaki Byard.
Jul 16, 2026 1:34 PM
The DownBeat Critics Poll never ceases to amaze! And the 74th Edition offered plenty of accolades for poll veterans and…
Ibrahim was an early jazz acolyte, studying the music via 78s he would buy from soldiers stationed in South Africa — who also gave him the nickname “Dollar.”
Jun 30, 2026 3:19 PM
Pianist Abdullah Ibrahim, the NEA Jazz Master from South Africa who helped fuse the folk music of his home country with…
A drummer’s drummer, Rodney Holmes gigged with everyone from Joe Zawinul and Carlos Santana to Steve Kimock and the Brecker Brothers.
Jul 22, 2026 12:37 PM
Drummer Rodney Holmes, a powerful presence behind the kit who emerged as an in-demand player on the New York scene…
“There was something about her tone and sound and phrasing — an intimacy, a vulnerability, an honesty,” says Joshua Redman, who produced Cavassa’s record after she toured with his band.
Jun 16, 2026 1:27 AM
Gabrielle Cavassa is an avowed perfectionist. So when she failed to place despite becoming a finalist in the 2018 Sarah…
