May 26, 2026 11:08 AM
Sonny Rollins Dies at 95
Sonny Rollins, the iconic saxophonist, composer and improviser whose career stretched from the origins of bebop to 21st…
New album releases from Lee Konitz (left), Eddie Palmieri and Thundercat will enliven the season’s jazz offerings.
(Photo: Courtesy of the artists)Several new releases by artists young and old will help lift the winter blues. Album announcements from alto saxophone master Lee Konitz, piano trailblazer Eddie Palmieri and bass wizard Thundercat signal a spring awakening in the jazz world.
Konitz, a 2015 DownBeat Hall of Fame inductee, gets the ball rolling early with the Feb. 10 release of Frescalalto, his first-ever release on Impulse! Records. The album features the sax legend alongside pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington, a quartet with whom he shares an intersecting history: Forty years ago, Kenny Washington made his recording debut playing with Konitz on his 1977 LP, Lee Konitz Nonet. The two performed together again on 1992’s Jazz Nocturne, which also featured Barron.
Thundercat, the bassist and producer also known as Stephen Bruner, will release his third full-length studio album, Drunk, on Feb. 24 via Brainfeeder. The album is a 23-track excursion through the creative process of the Grammy-winning artist, and features a host of chart-topping jazz, hip-hop and r&b artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell, Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Wiz Khalifa, Kamasi Washington and Brainfeeder label head founder Flying Lotus.
Thundercat is also set to tour internationally in support of the album, including a return performance at Coachella Music & Arts Festival, which runs April 14–23 in Indio, California.
Palmieri, who turned 80 years old on Dec. 15, has chosen to celebrate the milestone with the gift of new music. Sabiduria, his first project since his back-to-back Grammy wins in 2005 and 2006, will be released by Ropeadope Records on April 21. Characteristics of the pianist’s eclectic background are woven tightly throughout Sabiduria, with funk, soul, jazz and pop all sharing space in the stylistic mix. He has recruited a diverse ensemble to join him in this effort, including Donald Harrison Jr., Marcus Miller, Alfredo de la Fe, Joe Locke, Johnny Rivero, Ronnie Cuber and David Spinnoza. DB
Onstage, Rollins would move about restlessly, thrusting his tenor sax in the air as he blew.
May 26, 2026 11:08 AM
Sonny Rollins, the iconic saxophonist, composer and improviser whose career stretched from the origins of bebop to 21st…
Cécile McLorin Salvant busts out Jelly Roll Morton’s “The Murder Ballad” at Big Ears, here with pianist Sullivan Fortner.
Apr 7, 2026 1:21 PM
There’s pluralism, then there’s PLURALISM! — and then there’s Big Ears. Thurston Moore, who participated in…
“We thought it’s important that Ronin has a new statement,” said Nik Bärtsch of his band’s latest album, Spin. “The sound is differently produced, so it reflects more of who we are.”
Apr 21, 2026 10:00 AM
Nik Bärtsch cuts an imposing figure on stage. He’s unmistakable with his soul patch, shaven head and black attire.…
Dave King (left) and Reid Anderson offer insights into why The Bad Plus’ chemistry was cool, the accomplishments many and its longevity so fruitful.
May 12, 2026 11:42 AM
The scene still sticks with me. I had heard the oddball name of this new group being dropped around town, and…
Ava Preston, a 12-time DownBeat Student Music Award winner, is currently pursuing her master’s degree in jazz voice at Juilliard.
May 12, 2026 10:00 AM
Ava Preston, from Cleveland, Ohio, was named the winner of the ninth annual Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Vocal Competition on…
