Rick Estrin and the Nightcats are among the few seated at the head table in the royal court of blues.
Jul 23, 2024 1:26 PM
Rick Estrin & The Nightcats: The Hits Keep Coming (Alligator; 48:53 ★★★★) Rick Estrin and his nattily dressed…
Teiku plays to the spiritual side of Jewish ancestral songs with avant-jazz soundscapes.
Jul 23, 2024 1:21 PM
577 Records has a knack for discovering exceptional emerging artists and bringing them to the forefront of jazz and…
Sonny Rollins’ A Night At The Village Vanguard was the first album documenting the saxophonist as a bandleader in live performance.
Jul 23, 2024 1:09 PM
So much praise has been heaped (deservedly) on tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins’ A Night At The Village Vanguard since…
“I figured you’d get this one,” laughed John Clayton, left, after Rufus Reid guessed Billy Childs. “This one’s a little soft pitch.”
Jul 16, 2024 2:35 PM
When the International Society of Jazz Arrangers and Composers symposium hit Nashville in May, one of the most…
Saxophonist George Coleman, seated left, captivated a sold-out room at Smoke Jazz Club in April.
Jul 16, 2024 2:24 PM
In November 2022, Charles McPherson found himself in a familiar setting. Flanked on either side by his fellow artists,…
Finzer, second from left, with drummer Lewis Nash, left, bassist Rufus Reid, second from right, and pianist Renee Rosnes.
Jul 16, 2024 2:18 PM
J.J. Johnson (1924–2001) earned his rightful place in jazz history. But does he receive enough recognition? Fellow…
From left, BDR’s Cody Davies, Tyreek Jackson and Mike LaBombard. “There’s a long history and precedent for what we do,” says drummer and bandleader Joe Pignato.
Jul 16, 2024 2:08 PM
In a prior lifetime, back in the 1990s, Joe Pignato was a dedicated record company guy, first as the U.S. rep for Kurt…
Charles Lloyd, seen here at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, makes DownBeat Poll history!
Jul 11, 2024 12:23 PM
The incomparable Charles Lloyd swept the 72nd Annual DownBeat Critics Poll, becoming the first artist ever to earn…
“Nicholas Payton is brilliant,” Tim Warfield said during his live Blindfold Test at Temple University. “He’s never ceased to surprise or amaze me. He’s a bad dude.”
Jul 9, 2024 11:36 AM
Saxophonist Tim Warfield doesn’t actually hail from Philadelphia — his roots are a couple of hours west, in York,…
Jim Rotondi was acclaimed for his wide, round trumpet tone, remarkable virtuosity and assured swing.
Jul 9, 2024 11:35 AM
Jim Rotondi, a renowned hard-bop trumpeter, composer and educator, died suddenly on July 7 at a hospital in France. He…
