Jun 10, 2025 4:13 PM
Theo Croker’s Dream … Manifested!
Partway through his early set at Smoke Jazz Club, Theo Croker blinks the room back into focus. He leans over the piano.…
In Blue, Karrin Allyson’s follow up to her double Grammy-nominated Ballads—Remembering John Coltrane, debuted at No. 2 a week ago on the Billboard Traditional Jazz Charts, and has maintained that position for a second straight week. In Blue was released on August 13.
Known for her unparalleled ability to connect with her material and communicate that intimacy to her listeners, Allyson’s talent for capturing the emotional essence of whatever style of music she performs has earned her a place alongside the most notable female vocalists in jazz or any other genre. In Blue, her eighth release with Concord Records, is Allyson’s first album that focuses exclusively on the diverse sentiments that make up the blues and includes such tracks as “Moanin’,” “The Meaning Of The Blues,” “How Long Has This Been Going On?,” “Angel Eyes,” “Blue Motel Room” and “West Coast Blues.”
“When I first thought about doing a ‘blues album’ it was hard to describe to people,” recalls Allyson. “In specific musical terms, the blues have a ‘form’-whether it be the typical 12-bar blues, minor blues, blues with a bridge, etc. This album is not a ‘traditional blues album’ but rather, it’s a collection of tunes I love, that have to do with having the blues-no matter what the form.
“The Blues are…universal, it’s hard not to respond to them,” Allyson continues. “Some of these tunes allow me to express personal feelings not just about love or heartbreak, but also about social issues too. I also love humor, irony and the more than occasional ‘sassiness’ in music. The blues are a perfect vehicle for all these things.”
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…
Galper was often regarded as an underrated master of his craft.
Jul 22, 2025 10:58 AM
Hal Galper, a pianist, composer and arranger who enjoyed a substantial performing career but made perhaps a deeper…
Chuck Mangione on the cover of the May 8, 1975, edition of DownBeat.
Jul 29, 2025 1:00 PM
Chuck Mangione, one of the most popular trumpeters in jazz history, passed away on July 24 at home in Rochester, New…
