May 26, 2026 11:08 AM
Sonny Rollins Passes Away at 95
Sonny Rollins, the iconic saxophonist, composer and improviser whose career stretched from the origins of bebop to 21st…
The Immanuel Wilkins Quartet: bassist Daryl Johns (left), drummer Kweku Sumbry, Wilkins on saxophone and pianist Micah Thomas
(Photo: Rog Walter)This week’s streaming highlights include the 2021 Virtual Blues Music Awards with Shemekia Copeland leading the charge with four nominations. Or, head over to Europe for the Helsinki International Big Band Composing Contest. For another large ensemble experience, check out Orbert Davis’ Jazz Philharmonic from Chicago. And for something completely different, head on up to Vermont to hear saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins and his quartet. A fee is associated with some of the material listed, and some items have been sourced from WBGO, WDCB and WWOZ. Please support jazz radio. DB
June 2: Adam Kolker’s Expanded Trio at Bar Bayeux (Brooklyn)
June 2: Simone Baron & Friends, An Die Musik (Baltimore)
June 3: Zawadi Noël, Joe’s Pub Uncharted Concert Series (New York)
June 3: Brad Linde Solo Saxophone, An Die Musik (Baltimore)
June 3: Artifacts at Constellation (Chicago)
June 4: Helsinki International Big Band Composing Contest (Finland)
June 4: Hatcher/Maunu/Roebke/Kirshner at Constellation (Chicago)
June 4: Arturo O’Farill’s Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra with Guests, Shapeshifter Labs (Brooklyn)
June 5: Bill Heid Trio, An Die Musik (Baltimore)
June 5: Benito Gonzalez Trio, An Die Musik (Baltimore)
June 5: Immanuel Wilkins Quartet, Vermont Jazz Center
June 5: Irreversible Entanglements at Constellation (Chicago)
June 5–July 3: Orbert Davis’ Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, Messages of Hope (Chicago)
June 6: 2021 Virtual Blues Music Awards
June 6: Quintet Attacca at Constellation (Chicago)
Onstage, Rollins would move about restlessly, thrusting his tenor sax in the air as he blew.
May 26, 2026 11:08 AM
Sonny Rollins, the iconic saxophonist, composer and improviser whose career stretched from the origins of bebop to 21st…
To the world, James Blood Ulmer was a legend, a visionary and a musical force whose sound was distinctive and unique. To his family, he was their teacher, their storyteller and a source of strength.
Jun 9, 2026 10:54 AM
With deep sorrow and profound love, we announce the passing of James Blood Ulmer, a boldly innovative guitarist,…
How best to mark Miles Davis’ centennial? By allowing the stories to flow, and cross-discussions to happen.
May 26, 2026 10:40 AM
Editor’s Note: The iconic trumpeter, composer and bandleader Miles Davis would have turned 100 today (May 26, 2026).…
Ibrahim was an early jazz acolyte, studying the music via 78s he would buy from soldiers stationed in South Africa — who also gave him the nickname “Dollar.”
Jun 30, 2026 3:19 PM
Pianist Abdullah Ibrahim, the NEA Jazz Master from South Africa who helped fuse the folk music of his home country with…
“There was something about her tone and sound and phrasing — an intimacy, a vulnerability, an honesty,” says Joshua Redman, who produced Cavassa’s record after she toured with his band.
Jun 16, 2026 1:27 AM
Gabrielle Cavassa is an avowed perfectionist. So when she failed to place despite becoming a finalist in the 2018 Sarah…
