Jun 9, 2026 10:54 AM
In Memoriam: James Blood Ulmer, 1940–2026
With deep sorrow and profound love, we announce the passing of James Blood Ulmer, a boldly innovative guitarist,…
Skonberg has new music she’ll be bringing to the Midwest Jazz Collective tour from two albums scheduled for release in 2026.
(Photo: Shervin Lainez)Midwest Jazz Collective, a consortium of more than a dozen clubs and presenters dedicated to jazz across Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan, has announced its first collaboratively routed tour of 2026 featuring vocalist and trumpeter Bria Skonberg. The tour, which began March 5 and continues through March 27, includes 16 concert engagements and several educational workshops at regional universities.
Skonberg’s band will include pianist Jon Thomas (March 5–15), pianist Luther Allison (March 16–27), bassist Mark Lewandowski (March 5–8), bassist Liany Mateo (March 11–27) and drummer Zach Adleman (March 5–27). Her MJC collaborators will include clarinetist Victor Goines, saxophonist Brent Gallaher, saxophonist Hayden Huffman and cellist Ashley Sidon, among others.
The Canadian-born, New York-based Skonberg is a JUNO award-winning artist, 10-time DownBeat Rising Star, Jazz at Lincoln Center Swing! awardee and the 2022 recipient of the Legend Award from the Society for the Preservation of the Great American Songbook. She has been featured at hundreds of festivals and stages the world over, including New Orleans, Monterey, Newport and Montreal jazz festivals. Skonberg has sung alongside Michelle Williams, played with U2, sat in with the Dave Matthews Band, was a featured guest with Jon Batiste, performed as part of The Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour and sang the National Anthem at Madison Square Garden for a New York Rangers hockey game.
Skonberg’s debut LP on Sony Masterworks made the Top 5 on Billboard’s jazz charts. Her seventh studio album, What It Means, was recorded in New Orleans and released in July 2024. She tours constantly, bringing her own signature sounds of fiery trumpet playing, smoky vocals and storytelling together with adventurous concoctions of classics and new material. She has new music she’ll be bringing to the Midwest Jazz Collective tour from two albums scheduled for release in 2026: one trumpet-focused and one vocal-forward. The tour was made possible in part through an educational grant from Bach Trumpets.
Skonberg’s remaining MJC tour dates include:
• March 11–15 at Jazz St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
• March 17 at Caffè Vivace, Cincinnati, OH
• March 18 at Ginger Rabbit Jazz Lounge, Columbus, OH
• March 19 at BLU Jazz+, Akron, OH
• March 24 at Jazz Coterie, Stevens Point, WI
• March 25 at Jazz Coterie, Oshkosh, WI
• March 26 at The Dakota, Minneapolis, MN
• March 27 at Civic Music Association, Des Moines, IA
For a complete list of Midwest Jazz Collective clubs and presenters, CLICK HERE. DB
To the world, James Blood Ulmer was a legend, a visionary and a musical force whose sound was distinctive and unique. To his family, he was their teacher, their storyteller and a source of strength.
Jun 9, 2026 10:54 AM
With deep sorrow and profound love, we announce the passing of James Blood Ulmer, a boldly innovative guitarist,…
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