Sep 3, 2026 10:44 AM
In Memoriam: Cassandra Wilson, 1955–2026
Cassandra Wilson, a singer, songwriter and producer who was one of the most acclaimed and successful jazz vocalists of…
Rahsaan Roland Kirk (1935–1977) was a multi-instrumentalist who blended political activism with jazz.
(Photo: Courtesy of Monoduo Films)Rahsaan Roland Kirk, a groundbreaking reedist and social justice activist who built a reputation on his ability to play multiple horns at once, will be the subject of a new documentary due out on May 31.
Featuring archival footage of Kirk, as well as intimate interviews and animated sequences, Adam Kahan’s The Case of the Three Sided Dream, will present a look at a musician who persevered through partial paralysis to pursue his passion for jazz.
The Case of the Three Sided Dream premiered at the 2014 South by Southwest film festival, and was later screened at Full Frame, the Blue Note Jazz Festival, the IFC Center, IDFA, Sound Unseen, Big Sky, Noise Pop, PAFF LA, Atlanta, MIFF, Raindance and many other festivals over the past year.
The film was awarded Best Documentary at the 2015 Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles, as well as Best Documentary at the 2015 Soundtrack Cologne festival in Cologne, Germany. It was also named one of the Top 10 music documentaries of 2014 byNonfics.com.
The film will be released worldwide and will be a joint release by Monoduo Films, Vimeo on Demand, Syndicado and Arthaus. It was made available to stream and download on Vimeo On Demand on May 1, and will be available on iTunes May 31. A DVD release is scheduled for the fall. Further screenings are also planned for later this year in New York, L.A., Toronto and Europe.
Kahan, a filmmaker living in Brooklyn, has made several short documentaries on contemporary artists, including the photographer Andres Serrano, the painter Fred Tomaselli and the sculptor Urs Fischer. The Case of the Three Sided Dream is his first feature.
Kirk, who died in 1977 at the age of 42, was a frequent name in the DownBeat International Critics Poll, placing highly in the Saxophone, Flute and Miscellaneous Instrument categories throughout the ’70s.
Wilson’s ability to connect to audiences helped her to win two Grammy awards and multiple other accolades. She was named an NEA Jazz Master in 2022.
Sep 3, 2026 10:44 AM
Cassandra Wilson, a singer, songwriter and producer who was one of the most acclaimed and successful jazz vocalists of…
“The love from the jazz and music community restored my faith in humanity,” Walia wrote in an online post upon his release from detention at an ICE facility.
Aug 18, 2026 2:15 PM
Indian jazz guitarist and composer Pritesh Walia has been released after being unexpectedly detained by ICE and taken…
Percussionist Poncho Sanchez was among the artists scheduled to perform at the now-canceled inaugural LA Jazz Festival.
Aug 11, 2026 12:53 PM
The inaugural LA Jazz Festival, originally scheduled to run Aug. 7–23 with dozens of events across Los Angeles’…
Bertoncini was a specialist and advocate for the nylon-string acoustic guitar, turning down high-profile opportunities that were unsuited to the sound and techniques that he used with that instrument.
Sep 1, 2026 11:06 AM
Gene Bertoncini, an esteemed jazz guitarist, composer, arranger and educator, died Aug. 29 at the Lillian Booth Actors…
Jessica Molaskey and John Pizzarelli with Tony Bennett at their wedding reception in 1998.
Aug 4, 2026 12:32 PM
Well, what can be said about Tony Bennett that you don’t already know? As I type this, I’m listening to Tony…
