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…
Saxophonist Caroline Davis continues teaching throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
(Photo: Jacob Hand)
Trumpeter Ralph Alessi is among high-profile bandleaders who have turned to teaching online during the COVID-19 pandemic.
(Photo: John Rogers/ECM)While jazz education has long served as a way to hand down tradition while instilling superlative musicianship, it has become a bulwark against lost gigs for performers during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
It’s likely that a number of the musicians listed below previously offered private lessons—either online or in-person—and will continue to do so after we return to normalcy. So, if you’re looking for opportunities to sharpen your instrumental skills from the safety of your own home, take a look at our growing list of player-educators who are just a Zoom conference away.
That said, do some research and see who might be a good fit. We haven’t vetted the folks below, but are working to provide a resource to both educators and students in a truly unique situation.
Some of the information below was pulled from a round-up of experimental performers posted here, gleaned from PR folks and collected from responses on social media. DB
Ralph Alessi (trumpet)
Mike Allemana (guitar)
Fabian Almazan (piano)
A Step Ahead Summer Jazz Online with Alexa Tarantino & Steven Feifke (various)
Mike Casey (saxophone)
Leo Castro (piano)
Gabriel Chakarji (keys)
Patrick Cornelius (saxophone)
John Colpitts (drums)
Chris Corsano (drums)
Natalie Cressman (trombone)
Stephan Crump (bass)
Jeremy Cunningham (drums)
Caroline Davis (saxophone)
Rhodri Davies (drums)
John Edwards (bass)
ELEW (piano)
John Ellis (saxophone)
Michael Feinberg (bass)
Ben Flocks (saxophone)
Alex Goodman (guitar)
Sinne Eeg (vocals)
Orrin Evans (piano)
Kathleen Grace (vocals)
Larry Grenadier (bass)
Ricardo Grilli (guitar)
Sameer Gupta (table/drumset)
Mike Henry (drums)
Brian Krock (reeds)
Brian Landrus (woodwinds)
Adam Larson (saxophone)
Remy Le Boeuf (saxophone)
Jeff Lederer (saxophone)
Orlando le Fleming (bass)
James Brandon Lewis (saxophone)
Dave Liebman (reeds)
Brandon Loos (trumpet)
Alex LoRe (saxophone)
Dmitri Matheny (trumpet)
Linda May Han Oh (bass)
Brian McCarthy (saxophone)
Jonathan Michel (bass)
Stanton Moore (drums)
New York Jazz Workshop (various)
Hadar Noiberg (flute)
Open Studio (various)
Christian Pabst (piano)
Raymond Parker (bass)
Bruno Pelletier-Bacquaert (guitar)
Jeremy Pelt (trumpet)
Kerry Politzer (piano)
Noah Preminger (saxophone)
Bobby Previte (drums)
Dafnis Prieto (percussion)
REVA Inc. Online Learning (various)
Juan Jose Saenz (electric bass)
Christian Sands (piano)
Jonathan Saraga (trumpet)
Brian Scanlon (reeds)
Peter Slavov (bass)
Flavio Silva (guitar)
David Stern (guitar)
Colin Stranahan (drums)
Brenda Earle Stokes (piano/vocals)
Ray Suhy (guitar)
Akira Tana (drums)
Dan Tepfer (piano)
Ben Tyree (guitar)
Dave Weckl (drums)
Brandee Younger (harp)
Updated June 19
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…
“Branford’s playing has steadily improved,” says younger brother Wynton Marsalis. “He’s just gotten more and more serious.”
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Benny Benack III and his quartet took the Midwest Jazz Collective’s route for a test run this spring.
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The time and labor required to tour is, for many musicians, daunting at best and prohibitive at worst. It’s hardly…
