Jul 22, 2026 12:37 PM
In Memoriam: Rodney Holmes, 1966–2026
Drummer Rodney Holmes, a powerful presence behind the kit who emerged as an in-demand player on the New York scene…
Thieves And Poets, the orchestral studio project by guitarist John McLaughlin, has been released on Verve Records.
For more than 10 years, McLaughlin has been toying with the title track, a 26-minute suite for orchestra and guitar inspired by his tour with The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie.
Ballets de Monte Carlo choreographer Jean-Chrisophe Maillot persuaded McLaughlin to finish the piece. For assistance, McLaughlin turned to former student and arranger Yan Maresz to help him convert the ideas into instrumentation. The final piece was recorded with the I Pommeriggi Musicali di Milano conducted by Renato Rivolta.
Chamber tributes to jazz legends make up the remaining four songs on Thieves And Poets. “My Foolish Heart” for Chick Corea, “The Dolphin” for Gonzalo Rubalcaba, “Stella By Starlight” for Herbie Hancock and “My Romance” for Bill Evans were recorded with acoustic bass guitarist Helmut Schartlmueller and The Aighetta Quartet—guitarists Olivier Fautrat, Francois Szony, Alexandre Del Fa and Philippe Loli.
Why so many strings?
“I’m a guitar player,” said McLaughlin. “So what’s more beautiful than the sound of a guitar? Two? Three is better. Let’s have six. I can eat that sound.”
The title of the album comes, once again, from McLaughlin’s love of Indian culture—Indian deity Ganesh is the god of thieves and poets. “The thing is, basically we are all thieves,” said McLaughlin. “It’s a universal process, this kind of assimilation of influences. Not just music either. We adopt things from people we admire.”
For more information, visit www.ververecords.com
A drummer’s drummer, Rodney Holmes gigged with everyone from Joe Zawinul and Carlos Santana to Steve Kimock and the Brecker Brothers.
Jul 22, 2026 12:37 PM
Drummer Rodney Holmes, a powerful presence behind the kit who emerged as an in-demand player on the New York scene…
Clockwise from top left, Mary Halvorson, Patricia Brennan, Adam O’Farrill, Keith Jarrett’s At the Deer Head Inn: The Complete Recordings, Sheila Jordan and Jaki Byard.
Jul 16, 2026 1:34 PM
The DownBeat Critics Poll never ceases to amaze! And the 74th Edition offered plenty of accolades for poll veterans and…
Ibrahim was an early jazz acolyte, studying the music via 78s he would buy from soldiers stationed in South Africa — who also gave him the nickname “Dollar.”
Jun 30, 2026 3:19 PM
Pianist Abdullah Ibrahim, the NEA Jazz Master from South Africa who helped fuse the folk music of his home country with…
“The love from the jazz and music community restored my faith in humanity,” Walia wrote in an online post upon his release from detention at an ICE facility.
Aug 18, 2026 2:15 PM
Indian jazz guitarist and composer Pritesh Walia has been released after being unexpectedly detained by ICE and taken…
Percussionist Poncho Sanchez was among the artists scheduled to perform at the now-canceled inaugural LA Jazz Festival.
Aug 11, 2026 12:53 PM
The inaugural LA Jazz Festival, originally scheduled to run Aug. 7–23 with dozens of events across Los Angeles’…
