Jan 19, 2021 8:43 AM
Gary Smulyan Conquers Contrafacts
“It’s a very interesting rabbit hole to dive down into, this world of contrafacts,” said baritone saxophonist…
Gary Smulyan credits much of his interest in contrafacts to pianist Reese Markewich, who has written two books on the topic.
Jan 19, 2021 8:43 AM
“It’s a very interesting rabbit hole to dive down into, this world of contrafacts,” said baritone saxophonist…
John Coltrane’s Blue World takes its name from a contrafact of Harold Arlen’s “Out Of This World.”
Jan 15, 2021 9:00 AM
In late June of 1964, in between Impulse Records studio dates for Crescent and A Love Supreme, saxophonist John…
Saxophonist Teodross Avery leads two different quartets on Harlem Stories: The Music Of Thelonious Monk.
Jan 14, 2021 9:00 AM
Saxophonist Teodross Avery’s latest disc, Harlem Stories: The Music Of Thelonious Monk (WJ3), is both a homecoming…
Pianist Emmet Cohen’s new album, Future Stride, includes five of his compositions.
Jan 13, 2021 8:51 AM
In the summer of 2020, pianist Emmet Cohen asked himself a key question: “What would Louis or Dizzy do in this…
Trombonist Mariel Bildsten aims to replicate epic big-band moments in her small ensemble arrangements.
Jan 12, 2021 8:39 AM
Trombonist Mariel Bildsten began developing ideas for her debut album in 2019, aiming to reflect different dimensions…
Pianist Art Hirahara (left) and producer Marc Free work in the Acoustic Recording studio in Brooklyn in 2018. In the background are bassist Joe Martin and saxophonist Melissa Aldana.
Jan 7, 2021 8:44 AM
All musicians have seen their activities dramatically reduced during the coronavirus pandemic, but a core group of…
Karrin Allyson’s most recent album is Shoulder To Shoulder: Centennial Tribute To Women’s Suffrage.
Jan 6, 2021 9:00 AM
When DownBeat caught up with Karrin Allyson, the five-time Grammy-nominated singer and pianist was weeks away from a…
Bob Mintzer (left), Dane Alderson, Russell Ferrante and Will Kennedy collaborate with the WDR Big Band on Jackets XL.
Jan 5, 2021 7:56 AM
For the beloved quartet’s 25th album, Yellowjackets decided to go big—as in, really big. The vibrant, robust …
Han Bennink (left), Sonny Rollins and Ruud Jacobs in concert at the Academie voor Beeldende Kunst in Arnhem, The Netherlands, the evening of May 3, 1967
Dec 25, 2020 9:00 AM
Sonny Rollins lives firmly in the present. The esteemed tenor saxophonist—whose voice as a cutting-edge jazz artist…
Jazz educators John Stafford II (left), Jim Mair and Justin Binek of Kansas City Kansas Community College
Dec 24, 2020 8:38 AM
Being a music educator during the pandemic requires a deep commitment to public health. Teachers who conduct in-person…
