Nov 7, 2024 2:01 PM
Kurt Elling — Male Vocalist of the Year
This year’s Male Vocalist of the Year, Kurt Elling also scored the top spot in the Critics Poll back in August. He…
“There’s something to learn from every musician you play with,” says Kurt Elling.
Nov 7, 2024 2:01 PM
This year’s Male Vocalist of the Year, Kurt Elling also scored the top spot in the Critics Poll back in August. He…
Joy says she has been “listening to melodies that would challenge me to sing in a different way than I would on a standard.”
Nov 7, 2024 1:55 PM
It’s exciting to watch a megawatt talent unfold in real time. When Samara Joy won the Sarah Vaughan Vocal Competition…
Nov 7, 2024 1:50 PM
For complete results of DownBeat’s 89th Annual Readers Poll, click HERE!
“Mike’s an amazing talent on trombone, never mind on tenor and baritone sax,” trombonist Steve Davis says of Dease.
Nov 5, 2024 12:47 AM
To say that Michael Dease is not resting on his laurels would be an understatement. Long considered one of the jazz…
“She knows so many films and the lyrics to all the songs, so it was her idea to select these tunes,” Javon Jackson said of his muse, poet Nikki Giovanni.
Nov 5, 2024 12:40 AM
An unlikely partnership was struck on 2022’s The Gospel According To Nikki Giovanni between tenor…
“They are a huge part of our label’s recent success with streaming,” Kevin Sun said of partnering with La Reserve for Endectomorph’s digital efforts.
Nov 5, 2024 12:33 AM
Kevin Sun’s Quartets is the 32-year-old tenor saxophonist’s third leader album in a year on Endectomorph, the…
“I really want to provide a positive example for other women coming up in music,” says saxophonist Nubya Garcia.
Oct 29, 2024 12:35 PM
Nubya Garcia is feeling more free than ever before. Spending much of 2023 and 2024 taking a break from her previous…
A classic shot of Bob Karcy, left, with veteran saxophonist Benny Golson.
Oct 29, 2024 12:28 PM
In the often-fragile domain of record labels, technologies and means of production perpetually change — and sometimes…
“I truly do love learning the history and what came before, and that’s what I practice,” says Meg Okura, pictured here with Kevin Hays. “But that’s not necessarily what I do as a composer.”
Oct 29, 2024 12:01 PM
Japanese native Meg Okura is a New York City-based Jewish-American composer and violinist. A graduate of Juilliard with…
“Being a musician, you’ve got to wear a whole bunch of different hats,” says indie artist Curtis Taylor. “You’re doing advertising, and you’re doing flyers for your own shows.”
Oct 29, 2024 11:54 AM
Being an independent musician in 2024 frequently requires adopting a DIY approach. For trumpeter Curtis Taylor’s…
