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…
Reed player Shabaka Hutchings performs with Sons of Kemet.
(Photo: Michael Jackson)Cross is also a Critics Poll winner this year, having topped the category Rising Star– Miscellaneous Instrument for his brilliant work on tuba. In a phone conversation, Cross—whose leader debut, Fyah (Gearbox), was released in February—said he feels like the anchor in the band.
“It’s great working with Shabaka because people love to dance, so I play rhythmically, and we can all feed each other in that way,” he said. “It can be beautiful with the rhythms and horns and not playing for harmony. If I play dissonantly, Shabaka can go with or against it. I can play bass or the high register or just tonguing. I also tune in with the drummers at certain times, giving them phrases to play off. They take up so much of the sound.”
It was Hutchings’ idea to double up the drums to “not play rhythmically but have a conversation.”
Eddie Hick serves as the newest Kemet drummer. In an email exchange, he said there is a “matrix of conversations happening between all of us.” When it comes to conversing with fellow drummer Tom Skinner, he said, “We can vary our register and timbres to create space for each other or sometimes double on low or high sounds for a different feeling. Everyone is carrying the beat, so there’s a lot of freedom. Each of us has our own ways to break out. We can react and change gear in real time.”
In an email, Skinner wrote that this type of interplay creates a “more personal and spiritual level of conversation in the music.” He added, “We try to tune into the different frequencies and personality traits that have been passed onto us individually through the generations. Through doing this we can access a more intuitive way of communicating with each other collectively.”
While a Shabaka and The Ancestors album will be Hutchings’ next release, he already has begun work on the next Kemet album.
“There’s more composition this time to add orchestration into,” he said. “It will be completely different. A lot of it has to do with these deep-breathing exercises we’ve been doing before shows. We have more oxygen in our blood, so we’ve been more focused on the macro instead of the micro. It’s been a game changer.” 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…
“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.
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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…
