Feb 25, 2025 11:20 AM
Sullivan Fortner’s Path to Artistry
Every week at the Village Vanguard fosters its own sound. No one really knows how the music might evolve by Sunday, but…
“You’ve got to trust that inner child, keep exploring, even though people think it’s wrong,” says Fortner.
Feb 25, 2025 11:20 AM
Every week at the Village Vanguard fosters its own sound. No one really knows how the music might evolve by Sunday, but…
“Our planet is crying, and we have to wake up, and we have to do more,” says T.K. Blue.
Feb 25, 2025 11:01 AM
On pianist Abdullah Ibrahim’s landmark 1977 album The Journey (Chiaroscuro), a then-unknown alto saxophonist and…
Larry Appelbaum with Wayne Shorter in 2012.
Feb 25, 2025 10:49 AM
Larry Appelbaum, a distinguished audio engineer, jazz journalist, historian and broadcaster, died Feb. 21, 2025, in…
Defiance aptly described the shared stance of Amirtha Kidambi (left) and Maria Grand.
Feb 25, 2025 10:31 AM
In Brooklyn’s tight-knit community of socially committed musical improvisers, Amirtha Kidambi is a particularly…
“I love the touch, the sound, the harmonic progressions, the groove from beginning to end,” Alfredo Rodríguez said of Hank Jones.
Feb 18, 2025 1:56 PM
“I’ve looked to be global for a long time,” Alfredo Rodríguez told DownBeat in 2020. “I like to explore music…
The fellowship will support 50 jazz artists age 62 and older.
Feb 18, 2025 1:47 PM
The Mellon Foundation has started a multifaceted $35 million initiative aimed at supporting the cultural preservation…
Ivan Lins (left) performs with Jane Monheit and the Pacific Jazz Orchestra on Jan. 17.
Feb 18, 2025 1:13 PM
In 2023, bandleader, composer and arranger Chris Walden brought to fruition — and to the stage — an ambitious idea…
Alcorn took the pedal steel guitar far beyond its traditional role in country music.
Feb 18, 2025 12:50 PM
Pedal steel guitarist and composer Susan Alcorn died Jan. 31 in Baltimore, Maryland, due to natural causes.
One of…
“With Roy, everything was like full throttle,” drummer Willie Jones III says of Hargrove (1969–2018). “Every time we hit the bandstand, it was almost like it was the last time you were going to play a set.”
Feb 11, 2025 12:07 PM
Willie Jones III remembers playing with Roy Hargrove for the first time in spring of 1997 at the old Catalina Bar and…
Out of/Into: Matt Brewer (left), Immanuel Wilkins, Joel Ross, Kendrick Scott and Gerald Clayton.
Feb 11, 2025 11:58 AM
EastWest Studios, a state-of-the-art, multi-roomed recording facility on Sunset Boulevard in the heart of Hollywood,…
