Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
In Memoriam: John Hammond Jr., 1942–2026
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
NBA’s All-Star game and festivities centered in New Orleans this year. The weekend activities took advantage of the wealth of musical talent in the Big Easy.
Harry Connick Jr. joined saxophonist Branford Marsalis to headline the bevy of New Orleans-themed musical performances featuring Jonathan Batiste, Marc Broussard and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Davell Crawford, Jonathan Dubose, Dr. John, Stephanie Jordan, Ellis Marsalis, Art Neville, Ivan Neville, Rebirth Brass Band, Kermit Ruffins, Amanda Shaw, Trombone Shorty and Allen Toussaint at NBA All-Star 2008 in New Orleans.
On Feb. 17, Connick and Marsalis hit the court at the New Orleans Arena. The Louisiana-born musicians collaborated on the evening’s performance lineup creating a musical set that gave a sampling of New Orleans jazz, funk and blues, but also celebrated the rebirth of the city in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Connick served as musical director for the halftime show featuring four original compositions.
Marsalis served as musical director for the player introductions featuring a set of high energy big band melodies composed by Marsalis and performed by the Rebirth Brass Band.
Hammond came to the blues through the folk boom of the late 1950s and early 1960s, which he experienced firsthand in New York’s Greenwich Village.
Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
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In the relatively small pantheon of certifiable rock stars venturing into the intersection of pop music and jazz, the…
Vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater will be among the headliners at this year’s DC JazzFest.
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The first wave of artists scheduled to perform at the 2026 DC JazzFest have been announced. This year’s headliners…
Blindfold Test proctor Ted Panken, left, with the Grammy-winning Nicole Zuraitis.
Feb 24, 2026 12:00 PM
After earning the 2024 Best Jazz Vocal Album Grammy for her seventh album, How Love Begins (La Reserve), comprising 12…
“These days, with curated news, where people only get half the story, people can’t even speak to family members anymore,” Schneider laments.
Mar 10, 2026 1:43 PM
Maria Schneider is doing her part to try to fix what ails America. Which got her thinking about crows, specifically,…
