May 26, 2026 11:08 AM
Sonny Rollins Passes Away at 95
Sonny Rollins, the iconic saxophonist, composer and improviser whose career stretched from the origins of bebop to 21st…
Bandleader Brandi Disterheft is set to release her fifth album, Surfboard, on Oct. 30.
(Photo: Joanne K)Bassist-vocalist Brandi Disterheft, a frequent rhythm partner of drummer Joe Farnsworth, drifts through originals and standards on her latest full-length, Surfboard. On the album, she proves to be equally engaging behind the microphone as when her ensemble nails instrumentals like the Jobim-penned title track.
For the bassist’s own “Coup De Foudre,” she propels the band through a descending melody while breathlessly relating a timeless love song. Saxophonist George Coleman narrates the whirlwind encounter in a track that premieres below.
“Between the samba dancers improvising to a waltz and George Coleman’s prowess, I’m very pleased to share this video,” Disterheft wrote in an email to DownBeat. “I’ve always enjoyed George’s prolific ability to trail-blaze intense emotion while sounding relaxed. Inspired by a F. Scott Fitzgerald quote translating to bolts of lightening or love at first sight, the story takes an unexpected turn.”
Surfboard, Disterheft’s fifth leader date, is due out Oct. 30 on Justin Time. 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…
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How best to mark Miles Davis’ centennial? By allowing the stories to flow, and cross-discussions to happen.
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Ava Preston, a 12-time DownBeat Student Music Award winner, is currently pursuing her master’s degree in jazz voice at Juilliard.
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Ava Preston, from Cleveland, Ohio, was named the winner of the ninth annual Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Vocal Competition on…
