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…
Pianist Jason Moran will commemorate the 90th anniversary of Thelonious Monk’s birthday with a series of events during October and November.
On October 27, Moran will debut “In My Mind: Monk at Town Hall, 1959” at Duke University in Durham, N.C., which is nearby Monk’s birthplace of Rocky Mount, N.C. The new piece will incorporate live performance by an eight-piece ensemble, video projections and recorded samples of Monk rehearsing. Moran will also take the project to George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 28, Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco on Nov. 2 and Chicago’s Symphony Center on Nov. 16.
On Monk’s birthday, Oct. 10, Moran will participate in a conversation with critic Gary Giddins and then perform a solo concert at Elebash Recital Hall at City University of New York.
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…
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…
To record Dream Manifest (Dom Recs), Croker convened artists from his current and recent past ensembles, plus special guests.
Jun 10, 2025 4:13 PM
Partway through his early set at Smoke Jazz Club, Theo Croker blinks the room back into focus. He leans over the piano.…
“There’s nothing quite like it,” Springs says of working with an orchestra. “It’s 60 people working in harmony in the moment. Singing with them is kind of empowering but also humbling at the same time.”
Jun 17, 2025 11:12 AM
When it came time to pose for the cover of her new album, Lady In Satin — a tribute to Billie Holiday’s 1958…
James Brandon Lewis earned honors for Artist of the Year and Tenor Saxophonist of the Year. Three of his recordings placed in the Albums of the Year category.
Jul 17, 2025 12:44 PM
You see before you what we believe is the largest and most comprehensive Critics Poll in the history of jazz. DownBeat…
