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…
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.
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…
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…
To record Dream Manifest (Dom Recs), Croker convened artists from his current and recent past ensembles, plus special guests.
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Partway through his early set at Smoke Jazz Club, Theo Croker blinks the room back into focus. He leans over the piano.…
“There’s nothing quite like it,” Springs says of working with an orchestra. “It’s 60 people working in harmony in the moment. Singing with them is kind of empowering but also humbling at the same time.”
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When it came time to pose for the cover of her new album, Lady In Satin — a tribute to Billie Holiday’s 1958…
James Brandon Lewis earned honors for Artist of the Year and Tenor Saxophonist of the Year. Three of his recordings placed in the Albums of the Year category.
Jul 17, 2025 12:44 PM
You see before you what we believe is the largest and most comprehensive Critics Poll in the history of jazz. DownBeat…
