Sep 2, 2020 8:56 AM
Boogie, Skating & Benson
By 1976, the initial incarnation of Stax Records was gone from the musical landscape, but the dreams of superstardom it…
In 1982, Mark Anthony Lee (center) recorded “I’m Just A Boogie Roller.”
Sep 2, 2020 8:56 AM
By 1976, the initial incarnation of Stax Records was gone from the musical landscape, but the dreams of superstardom it…
Kahil El’Zabar (left) enlisted David Murray for his latest leader date.
Sep 1, 2020 8:45 AM
Kahil El’Zabar and David Murray have been exchanging spiritual energy for more than 40 years. When they met in 1975…
On his new album, Ambrose Akinmusire includes original compositions that pay tribute to Roscoe Mitchell and Roy Hargrove.
Aug 26, 2020 9:00 AM
Hearing Ambrose Akinmusire perform brings to mind Louis Armstrong’s description of first hearing cornetist Bix…
Kirk Whalum’s most recent leader date is Humanité (Artistry/Mack Avenue).
Aug 21, 2020 8:52 AM
During his four-decade career, Grammy-winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum has played numerous genres of music, infusing it…
Raw Poetic (left), Archie Shepp and Damu The Fudgemunk collaborated on the album Ocean Bridges.
Aug 18, 2020 8:57 AM
Even when family members share a musical calling, it might take decades for them to collaborate. That was the case for…
Jimmy Heath, who was a 2003 NEA Jazz Masters fellowship recipient, is now a member of the DownBeat Hall of Fame.
Aug 12, 2020 8:55 AM
Jimmy Heath outlived most of his towering contemporaries during a career that saw the spirited saxophonist serve as a…
DownBeat Archives/Bruno of Hollywood
Aug 11, 2020 9:00 AM
Pianist Teddy Wilson, whose partnership with Billie Holiday in the 1930s bequeathed us one of the great collective…
William Paterson University students who study with Mike LeDonne created a YouTube clip with each musician’s part recorded separately. Pictured are Spencer Zweifel, organ; Ryan Hernandez, guitar; Joe McCaffrey, drums; Jonny Gittings, trumpet; and William McKee, alto saxophone.
Jul 30, 2020 8:54 AM
If you’re looking for an American bellwether of the coronavirus pandemic, look no further than the country’s jazz…
Walter Smith III
Jul 24, 2020 9:00 AM
After almost a full year as chair of Berklee College of Music’s Woodwind Department, 39-year-old tenor saxophonist…
The title of Christian Sands’ album Be Water nods to a quote by martial arts star Bruce Lee.
Jul 23, 2020 8:57 AM
When Christian Sands turned 30 in May 2019, he felt an urge to take stock of his life. For some millennials, that…
