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…
On May 7, Rounder Records will releaseCorey Harris’ fourth studio album, Downhome Sophisticate. Recorded in Charlottesville, Va., and co-produced by Harris and frequent collaborator Jamal Millner, Downhome Sophisticate marks the blues-influenced singer/songwriter’s Rounder Records debut and first studio recording since 2000’s collaboration with pianist Henry Butler, Vü-Dü Menz.
Drawing on a diverse range of traditional music—from African guitar styles, sounds of the Caribbean, and country blues of the American South—Downhome Sophisticate explores a unique and refreshingly modern approach to roots-based music. Backing Harris on the album is his longtime band - The 5x5 (Vic Brown - bass, Johnny Gilmore - drums, Jamal Millner - vocals, guitar, mandolin).
Harris will also be featured in Martin Scorsese’s upcoming six-part PBS mini series, “The Blues.” Set to air in the winter of 2003, each episode of “The Blues” will be directed by acclaimed filmmakers such as Charles Burnett, Marc Levin, and Wim Wenders (Scorsese himself directs Corey’s episode; the first installment of the series).
For more information, go to www.coreyharrismusic.com.
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…
