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…
Ahmad Jamal’s Emerald City Nights took top honors in the Historical Album category, as it did in the 2023 Critics Poll, too!
Ahmad Jamal, Emerald City Nights: Live At The Penthouse (JAZZ DETECTIVE) … 2,376
Winner of the DownBeat Critics Poll also gets the nod from the Readers!
Bill Evans, Treasures: Solo, Trio & Orchestra Recordings From Denmark (1965–1969) (ELEMENTAL) … 2,167
A collection of previously unissued performances demonstrate the genius of Bill Evans.
Miles Davis, What Happened 1982–1985: The Bootleg Series Vol. 7 (LEGACY) … 1,738
Unreleased material from Star People, Decoy and You’re Under Arrest.
Keith Jarrett, Bordeaux Concert (ECM) … 1,441
The final Jarrett live performance with elegance, angst, taste and storytelling.
Sonny Rollins, Go West! (CRAFT) … 1,397
Rollins’ classic West Coast adventure.
Oscar Peterson Trio, On A Clear Day: The Oscar Peterson Trio–Live In Zurich, 1971 (TWO LIONS/MACK AVENUE) … 1,232
Captures the stunning musicality of Peterson.
Charles Mingus, Changes: The Complete 1970s Atlantic Recordings (RHINO) … 1,221
Captures Mingus at the end of his musical run between 1973 and his passing in 1979.
Charle Mingus, The Lost Album From Ronnie Scott’s (RESONANCE) … 1,045
Two Mingus historical records in one poll truly divided the votes, but this is a beauty, too. The project was shelved when the label literally dropped its entire jazz roster except for Miles Davis.
Chet Baker, Blue Room, The 1979 Vara Studio Sessions In Holland (JAZZ DETECTIVE/ELEMENTAL) … 968
Beautifully recorded, lovingly packaged, capturing the chill nuance of Baker’s art.
Jimi Hendrix Experience, Los Angeles Forum, April 26, 1969 (SONY LEGACY) … 858
Sony/Legacy has been releasing a host of great, live Jimi Hendrix recordings. 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…
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…
