Jul 7, 2026 12:35 PM
Louis Armstrong House Gala Celebrates Pops’ Legacy
On June 18, exactly 100 years after Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five accompanied Butterbeans and Susie in a Chicago studio…
“The greatest honor for me as a trumpet player is to have learned enough to know how great Louis Armstrong actually was,” said foundation president Wynton Marsalis, who spoke and performed at the gala.
Jul 7, 2026 12:35 PM
On June 18, exactly 100 years after Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five accompanied Butterbeans and Susie in a Chicago studio…
“The first time I was with him, I felt, ‘You must be on the right track to have people like this endorse you,’” Bobby Broom said of his mentor, the late Sonny Rollins.
Jul 7, 2026 12:14 PM
As guitarist Bobby Broom spoke from his Chicago home office in April, promoting jazz’s legacy was on his mind for two…
“I really wanted to make a record that’s something you can, like, put in your car and drive and have a story,” says Dida Pelled.
Jul 7, 2026 11:54 AM
It is not always definitive or eliminating to judge an artist by their discography. In the case of the multidirectional…
Everything about pianist Ben Markley’s new large ensemble project feels classic.
Jul 7, 2026 11:29 AM
A recent caller to my radio show expressed surprise that big band was music still being made in 2026. Not only is it…
DownBeat once described Vancouver’s Tony Wilson as “a talismanic West Coast figure.”
Jul 7, 2026 11:25 AM
Vancouver, B.C.-based creative jazz guitarist Tony Wilson passed away in his sleep on June 6. He was 66. A gifted…
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…
“I’ll always keep the jazz harmonic side in my music because I could never go all the way and be a straight smooth-jazz guy,” says Warren Wolf of his groove-oriented music.
Jun 30, 2026 3:10 PM
March 2020: Less than 24 hours before Baltimore residents begin sheltering in place, Warren Wolf is preparing for his…
Michel Petrucciani breathes fire on 1987’s Kuumbwa.
Jun 30, 2026 2:51 PM
On this short list of new/old releases, the item of greatest historical importance is undoubtedly the revelatory…
Ryan Porter
Jun 30, 2026 2:50 PM
Trombonist and educator Ryan Porter, a prominent figure on the Los Angeles jazz scene, died May 16 from injuries…
“I feel a little lost in our pop music world today where the art of melody has been lost,” says Steve Wilson. “Hopefully we can get that back.”
Jun 23, 2026 1:44 PM
The primary exploration in saxophonist/flutist Steve Wilson’s creative evolution amounts to what he calls, “Melody…
