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…
Jane Bunnett (second from left) leads Maqueque through 12 tracks on On Firm Ground/Tierra Firme.
(Photo: Lauren Deutsch)Janne Bunnett and Maqueque are set to follow-up 2016’s Oddara with On Firm Ground/Terra Firme, scheduled for release on Sept. 6 through the Linus imprint.
The Canadian bandleader helms the six-piece troupe on a dozen tracks that incorporate ideas from the jazzworld and the vast well of Cuban music. Vocalist Daymé Arocena returns to fold and offers up “Mysteries Of Jane’s House,” but on Bunnett’s “Monkey See, Monkey Do” another one-time singer with the group, Melvis Santa, takes the mic. The song debuts below.
Come for the group interplay and positive message, but stay for the mesmeric drumming of Yissy García on traps and Mary Paz on percussion.
For additional information about the album, visit the Linus Entertainment homepage. DB
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.”
Mar 30, 2026 10:30 PM
In the relatively small pantheon of certifiable rock stars venturing into the intersection of pop music and jazz, the…
Vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater will be among the headliners at this year’s DC JazzFest.
Mar 2, 2026 9:48 PM
The first wave of artists scheduled to perform at the 2026 DC JazzFest have been announced. This year’s headliners…
“These days, with curated news, where people only get half the story, people can’t even speak to family members anymore,” Schneider laments.
Mar 10, 2026 1:43 PM
Maria Schneider is doing her part to try to fix what ails America. Which got her thinking about crows, specifically,…
Each of the 25 JAMs has delivered a poster featuring a jazz legend that is sent out to schools across the nation. This year’s poster features Tony Bennett.
Mar 30, 2026 10:20 PM
Every April for the past quarter century, something remarkable has happened across the United States and far beyond.…
