Oct 28, 2025 10:47 AM
In Memoriam: Jack DeJohnette, 1942–2025
Jack DeJohnette, a bold and resourceful drummer and NEA Jazz Master who forged a unique vocabulary on the kit over his…
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on April 22.
(Photo: Adam McCullough)Traditionally taking place over two weekends in late April and early May, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is an occasion for music lovers from around the world to gather in the birthplace of jazz and celebrate the art form’s rich past and promising future.
During the first weekend of this year’s edition, the festival lineup featured an exceptionally broad range of artists and groups. Zydeco artists and brass bands shared the stage with blues guitarists and Latin ensembles, and jazz fixtures like Brian Blade, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter rubbed shoulders with pop acts like The Red Hot Chili Peppers, J. Cole and Nick Jonas.
In the slideshow below, DownBeat presents a selection of photos from the festival’s rousing first half, captured in striking detail by photographer Adam McCullough. We’ll have even more photos and a critical recap later this week.
—Brian Zimmerman
Jack DeJohnette boasted a musical resume that was as long as it was fearsome.
Oct 28, 2025 10:47 AM
Jack DeJohnette, a bold and resourceful drummer and NEA Jazz Master who forged a unique vocabulary on the kit over his…
D’Angelo achieved commercial and critical success experimenting with a fusion of jazz, funk, soul, R&B and hip-hop.
Oct 14, 2025 1:47 PM
D’Angelo, a Grammy-winning R&B and neo-soul singer, guitarist and pianist who exerted a profound influence on 21st…
Kandace Springs channeled Shirley Horn’s deliberate phrasing and sublime self-accompaniment during her set at this year’s Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival.
Sep 30, 2025 12:28 PM
Janis Burley, the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival’s founder and artistic director, did not, as might be…
Jim McNeely’s singular body of work had a profound and lasting influence on many of today’s top jazz composers in the U.S. and in Europe.
Oct 7, 2025 3:40 PM
Pianist Jim McNeely, one of the most distinguished large ensemble jazz composers of his generation, died Sept. 26 at…
Drummond was cherished by generations of mainstream jazz listeners and bandleaders for his authoritative tonal presence, a defining quality of his style most apparent when he played his instrument unamplified.
Nov 4, 2025 11:39 AM
Ray Drummond, a first-call bassist who appeared on hundreds of albums as a sideman for some of the top names in jazz…
