Mar 30, 2026 10:30 PM
Flea Finds His Jazz Thing
In the relatively small pantheon of certifiable rock stars venturing into the intersection of pop music and jazz, the…
The hot new video game right now is Grand Theft Auto IV. It has sold more than 6 million copies and made $500 million in sales in its first week.
Perhaps jazz was part of the reason behind the success of the game? The new game has a special feature to enhance play: 16 in-game radio stations featuring a wide variety of musical choices—rock, electronic and classic jazz. And who better to talk up these classic tunes by the likes of John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Charlie Parker—than the living link between all of the greats—83-year-old jazz legend Roy Haynes?
Haynes makes a guest appearance on Grand Theft Auto IV as the DJ of JNR 108.5 - “Jazz Nation Radio,” a station that plays classic jazz ‘sides’ such as Chet Baker’s “Let’s Get Lost” and Haynes’ own “Snap Crackle.”
“I travel all over the world performing this music, connecting with the audiences,” Haynes said. “But this is an opportunity to connect with a different audience, in a different way.
“Jazz has always been about personal expression, but it’s also about communication. This is an excellent opportunity to communicate this music to millions of young people, so I have been really excited about it!”
“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…
“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.…
Cécile McLorin Salvant busts out Jelly Roll Morton’s “The Murder Ballad” at Big Ears, here with pianist Sullivan Fortner.
Apr 7, 2026 1:21 PM
There’s pluralism, then there’s PLURALISM! — and then there’s Big Ears. Thurston Moore, who participated in…
“We thought it’s important that Ronin has a new statement,” said Nik Bärtsch of his band’s latest album, Spin. “The sound is differently produced, so it reflects more of who we are.”
Apr 21, 2026 10:00 AM
Nik Bärtsch cuts an imposing figure on stage. He’s unmistakable with his soul patch, shaven head and black attire.…
