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…
Drummer Matt Wilson tops two categories in the 2018 Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Awards.
(Photo: John Abbott)Matt Wilson, Jazzmeia Horn and DownBeat are among the winners of the 22nd annual Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Awards.
The announcement was made in an email on Monday.
Wilson was tapped as musician of the year, in addition to being awarded Record of the Year honors for Honey and Salt: Music Inspired by the Poetry of Carl Sandburg (Palmetto). Horn won the Up and Coming Musician of the Year category.
On June 12, an awards party at the Theresa Lang Center in New York is set to be held and will include an awards presentation, as well as performances by singer Polly Gibbons and others.
Michael Jackson, a longtime DownBeat contributor, won the Lona Foote-Bob Parent Award for Career Excellence in Photography.
For a complete list of winners, visit the JJA website. DB
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…