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…
“His music will live on forever,” the Onaje Allan Gumbs & Sandra Gumbs Community JazzArts Foundation said in a statement.
(Photo: Courtesy of the Onaje Allan Gumbs & Sandra Gumbs Community JazzArts Foundation)On July 5, a street sign co-named Onaje Allan Gumbs Way was erected at the intersection of De Kruif Place and Dreiser Loop in the Bronx, New York, where Gumbs lived. A pianist, keyboardist, composer, arranger and educator who performed in jazz, R&B, pop and others genres for nearly five decades, Gumbs worked with a wide range of musicians — from Norman Connors and Phyliss Hyman to Kenny Burrell and Kurtis Blow. He died in June 2021.
New York City Councilman Kevin C. Riley, along with the staff of the Onaje Allan Gumbs & Sandra Gumbs Community JazzArts Foundation, officiated the ceremony. Many guest speakers and notable musicians were also in attendance.
“The foundation is happy to announce the street co-naming of Onaje Allan Gumbs,” it said in a statement. “We are all the better for Onaje’s contribution to music. His music will live on forever.” 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…
