Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
In Memoriam: John Hammond Jr., 1942–2026
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
On Monday, Feb. 11, Cuban pianist Chucho Valdes will make a guest appearance with the Village Vanguard Orchestra in celebration of the Village Vanguard’s 67th anniversary. This has the makings of a special event, as Valdes loves playing the venerable New York club, demonstrated on his Grammy winning Blue Note album Live At The Village Vanguard.
The Village Vanguard Orchestra started on Feb. 7, 1966, then known as the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. It has grown to be one of the most acclaimed and innovative big bands in jazz history. Throughout the last 36 years the orchestra has toured extensively throughout the world and its offspring, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, performs every Monday night at the club.
The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra will also be honored at the New York Brass Conference, April 12-13, in New York City. Also scheduled for this year, the club and the orchestra are partnering to bring the “Live at the Village Vanguard World Tour 2002” featuring the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and special guest artists.
Hammond came to the blues through the folk boom of the late 1950s and early 1960s, which he experienced firsthand in New York’s Greenwich Village.
Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
“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…
Vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater will be among the headliners at this year’s DC JazzFest.
Mar 2, 2026 9:48 PM
The first wave of artists scheduled to perform at the 2026 DC JazzFest have been announced. This year’s headliners…
Blindfold Test proctor Ted Panken, left, with the Grammy-winning Nicole Zuraitis.
Feb 24, 2026 12:00 PM
After earning the 2024 Best Jazz Vocal Album Grammy for her seventh album, How Love Begins (La Reserve), comprising 12…
“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,…
