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…
Ron Carter will perform at the Jamaica Center on Oct. 2.
(Photo: Jamaica Center)
Artist Danny Simmons will serve an eight-month residency to celebrate the 50th anniversary of JCAL.
(Photo: Jamaica Center)Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning will commemorate its 50th anniversary season with a residency by acclaimed painter, author and poet Danny Simmons. Entitled “Homecoming” and presented in association with KMW Studio, Simmons’ residency will span eight months and include a jazz and spoken-word performance with bassist Ron Carter, a major retrospective of Simmons’ work, artist talks and more. In spring 2022, Simmons’ residency will culminate in a reunion performance of the original cast of HBO’s Def Poetry Jam and a 50th Anniversary Gala for JCAL with Simmons as the artist honoree.
“Homecoming” will officially kick off JCAL’s 50th anniversary year with a performance at 8 p.m. on Oct. 2 at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center (153-10 Jamaica Avenue) pairing Simmons with Carter, who has appeared on more than 2,000 recording sessions. Also joining Simmons and Carter will be host and guest performer Lezlie Harrison, Ron Carter’s Golden Striker Trio and spoken-word artists Ursula Rucker, Derick Cross and Bonafide Rojas. For tickets, contact the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning. DB
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…
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…
A solo concert by saxophonist Joshua Redman will close the first night of the Hyde Park Jazz Festival on Sept. 26.
Sep 22, 2026 12:26 PM
The Hyde Park Jazz Festival will take place for the 20th time on the final weekend of September 2026. Beginning half…
“It was just that suddenly … I could hear it,” Ravi Coltrane said of an epiphany he experienced during his late teens regarding his father’s music. “And it was almost like a calling, like something saying, ‘Hey, man, come on. It’s time to get serious.’ And the first time you really tune in and dial in and focus like that, it can be very life-changing.”
Sep 22, 2026 1:39 PM
Editor’s Note: Tomorrow, Sept. 23, is the 100th anniversary of John Coltrane’s birth. In honor of the tenor and…
Camille Thurman took to the stage alongside bassist Kenny Davis and drummer Tommy Campbell for a rendition of Johnny Mercer’s “I’m An Old Cowhand” that recalled Rollins’ epochal 1957 trio outing Way Out West.
Oct 6, 2026 1:33 PM
As emcee Mark Ruffin noted at the commencement of an epic tribute to saxophonist Sonny Rollins at the Cathedral of…
