Jul 16, 2018 12:39 PM
Ben Williams Blindfold Test, Live at DC JazzFest
A native of Washington, D.C., bassist Ben Williams took his first DownBeat Blindfold Test in front of an audience in…
Bassist Ben Williams (left) sits for a DownBeat Blindfold Test, conducted by Willard Jenkins, at the DC JazzFest in Washington, D.C., on June 27.
Jul 16, 2018 12:39 PM
A native of Washington, D.C., bassist Ben Williams took his first DownBeat Blindfold Test in front of an audience in…
Thundercat performs at the 39th Montreal International Jazz Festival.
Jul 16, 2018 9:00 AM
Last year, Montreal native Leonard Cohen was immortalized in a 20-story mural in the city’s downtown. Cohen’s image…
Jul 13, 2018 9:00 AM
Whether playing in all-star student bands, attending the Manhattan School of Music or leading the Le Boeuf Brothers…
Selim Selçuk performs on the second night of the Vitrin Contemporary Turkish Music Showcase at the Zorlu Center in Istanbul, Turkey.
Jul 11, 2018 9:00 AM
Vitrin is Turkish for “display window,” like those of the dense storefronts lining even Istanbul’s quietest…
Common performs at the 39th annual Tri-C JazzFest in Cleveland, Ohio.
Jul 9, 2018 9:14 AM
Autobiography was a key motif of Cleveland’s 39th Tri-C JazzFest, which ran June 28-30 at Playhouse Square. Bracketed…
Marc Ribot performs at the Montreal International Jazz Festival.
Jul 6, 2018 9:00 AM
Jazz historically has aimed for deep cultural relevance and a commitment to social justice, as vintage work by Charles…
Jul 2, 2018 9:00 AM
What makes the lawns of Saratoga Springs so green and lush, its sturdy trees so tall? That would be rain. What has made…
Artifacts—a trio comprising cellist Tomeka Reid, flutist Nicole Mitchell and percussionist Mike Reed—recently performed at the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina.
Jun 14, 2018 11:29 AM
The trio Artifacts would have seemed a worthy one-off a few years ago. Organized in 2015 by cellist Tomeka Reid to play…
Jimmy Johnson (left) and Dave Spector perform at the 2018 Chicago Blues Festival.
Jun 13, 2018 9:44 AM
Jimmy Johnson doesn’t reveal his age, as he made abundantly clear June 8 during his afternoon duo set at the 35th…
Daymé Arocena performs June 9 during the Playboy Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
Jun 12, 2018 4:40 PM
For the first time in its 40-year history, the Playboy Jazz Festival returned to the Hollywood Bowl without its…
