Jun 9, 2026 10:54 AM
In Memoriam: James Blood Ulmer, 1940–2026
With deep sorrow and profound love, we announce the passing of James Blood Ulmer, a boldly innovative guitarist,…
In 1973, the Charles Mingus Quintet had a week-long engagement at the Strata Concert Gallery in Detroit. Tapes from the performances recently were discovered, and now will be released through the BBE imprint.
(Photo: Hans Kumpf)Set for release Friday is the BBE imprint’s Jazz in Detroit/Strata Concert Gallery/46 Selden, five CDs or 10 LPs worth of the Charles Mingus Quintet holding forth in Detroit.
Originally broadcast on WDET-FM, a Detroit public radio station, during the troupe’s week-long residency at the Strata Concert Gallery in 1973, the set features extended renditions of “Pithecanthropus Erectus” and “C Jam Blues,” as well as tunes like “Orange Was The Color Of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk” and a bit of radio chatter by DJ Bud Spangler. Mingus here is accompanied by drummer Roy Brooks, pianist Don Pullen, trumpeter Joe Gardner and tenor saxophonist John Stubblefield.
The Mingus Big Band’s upcoming Monday night gig at New York’s Jazz Standard is set to mark the release. Two sets are scheduled: 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.
For more information about the release, visit the BBE homepage. DB
To the world, James Blood Ulmer was a legend, a visionary and a musical force whose sound was distinctive and unique. To his family, he was their teacher, their storyteller and a source of strength.
Jun 9, 2026 10:54 AM
With deep sorrow and profound love, we announce the passing of James Blood Ulmer, a boldly innovative guitarist,…
Clockwise from top left, Mary Halvorson, Patricia Brennan, Adam O’Farrill, Keith Jarrett’s At the Deer Head Inn: The Complete Recordings, Sheila Jordan and Jaki Byard.
Jul 16, 2026 1:34 PM
The DownBeat Critics Poll never ceases to amaze! And the 74th Edition offered plenty of accolades for poll veterans and…
A drummer’s drummer, Rodney Holmes gigged with everyone from Joe Zawinul and Carlos Santana to Steve Kimock and the Brecker Brothers.
Jul 22, 2026 12:37 PM
Drummer Rodney Holmes, a powerful presence behind the kit who emerged as an in-demand player on the New York scene…
Ibrahim was an early jazz acolyte, studying the music via 78s he would buy from soldiers stationed in South Africa — who also gave him the nickname “Dollar.”
Jun 30, 2026 3:19 PM
Pianist Abdullah Ibrahim, the NEA Jazz Master from South Africa who helped fuse the folk music of his home country with…
Joe Lovano’s Paramount Quartet will record live at New York’s Village Vanguard for ECM records on Aug. 26–27.
Jul 22, 2026 12:46 PM
One of Joe Lovano’s buzz terms is “the moment of now” and with seemingly infinite patience — despite a schedule…
