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…
New Orleans’ most celebrated jazz family led by the patriarch, Ellis Marsalis recently concluded their first-ever tour in support of the album and PBS special, The Marsalis Family: A Jazz Celebration. The April 15 DVD release furthers the celebration and features all of the music-making Marsalises—father Ellis on piano and sons Branford (tenor and soprano saxophones), Delfeayo (trombone) Jason (drums), and Wynton (trumpet)—along with bassist Roland Guerin and a special guest appearance by
Harry Connick Jr.
Ellis, Branford, Delfeayo and Jason will make a special Father’s Day performance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on NBC, Monday, June 9. On June 5, “Jazz Set,” hosted by Dee Dee Bridgewater, will feature selections from the live recording of the sold-out March 2 concert held at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia.
Marsalis Music’s premier DVD release showcases two generations of jazz and captures the essence of the family’s historic August 4, 2001, New Orleans concert, with bonus performance and exclusive interview footage added (including “Caravan,” “Limehouse Blues” and “The Party’s Over,” only on DVD). The entire DVD also features Dolby 5.1 Video/Audio surround sound. Harry Connick, Jr, perhaps Ellis’ most prominent former student, stated that. “I’ve played for presidents and queens and every other thing—nothing made me feel better than seeing my name up there with the Marsalis.”
Delfeayo added that the concert “Was an accurate representation of our family collectively and individually—who we are as people and where we are as musicians.”
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…
“Cerebral and academic thought is a different way to approach music,” Flea says of his continuing dive into jazz. “I’ve always relied on emotion and intuition and physicality.”
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In the relatively small pantheon of certifiable rock stars venturing into the intersection of pop music and jazz, the…
Lettuce, from left: Eric Coomes, Adam Deitch, Ryan Zoidis, Eric Bloom, Adam Smirnoff and Nigel Hall
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They were Berklee misfits. Neither jazzy enough for the straightahead crowd at Boston’s highly prestigious College of…
New Orleans Trad Jazz Camp
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Jazz camps have exploded around the globe as a summertime tradition for working on your chops and making new friends.…
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…
