Jul 22, 2026 12:37 PM
In Memoriam: Rodney Holmes, 1966–2026
Drummer Rodney Holmes, a powerful presence behind the kit who emerged as an in-demand player on the New York scene…
A drummer’s drummer, Rodney Holmes gigged with everyone from Joe Zawinul and Carlos Santana to Steve Kimock and the Brecker Brothers.
Jul 22, 2026 12:37 PM
Drummer Rodney Holmes, a powerful presence behind the kit who emerged as an in-demand player on the New York scene…
Clockwise from top left, Mary Halvorson, Patricia Brennan, Adam O’Farrill, Keith Jarrett’s At the Deer Head Inn: The Complete Recordings, Sheila Jordan and Jaki Byard.
Jul 16, 2026 1:34 PM
The DownBeat Critics Poll never ceases to amaze! And the 74th Edition offered plenty of accolades for poll veterans and…
The band from Patricia Brennan’s Album of the Year: from left, John Hollenbeck, Michael Nicolas, Modney, Pala Garcia, Kyle Armbrust, Brennan, Miles Okazaki, Sylvie Courvoisier, Kim Cass and Eli Greenhoe. Not pictured is Arktureye.
Jul 16, 2026 1:21 PM
When last we left Patricia Brennan — just a tad over a year ago, actually — she wasn’t only thinking about the…
Sheila Jordan was one of the first vocalists to fully internalize the language of bebop and transform Charlie Parker’s pioneering musical ideas into a vocal art form all her own.
Jul 16, 2026 1:13 PM
As a singer, Sheila Jordan stood at the vanguard of jazz revolution: She was one of the first to fully internalize the…
Jaki Byard teaching at the Mark Levine Workshop in 1991. “He could crack jokes, but when he sat down, it was serious fun,” says pianist Fred Hersch, a former student.
Jul 16, 2026 12:58 PM
When Jaki Byard played the piano he commanded its entire history through his fingertips. He may not have been not the…
The critics choice for Historical Album of the Year is At The Deer Head Inn: The Complete Recordings.
Jul 16, 2026 12:54 PM
The first half of the last decade of the last century could be considered “peak Jarrett” to those who became…
“I feel like most of my music is more classical music than jazz,” Adam O’Farrill says. It’s both and more.
Jul 16, 2026 12:51 PM
Adam O’Farrill carries the weight of expectations lightly. The 31-year-old trumpeter, composer and bandleader pays…
Jul 16, 2026 12:27 PM
The DownBeat Critics Poll provides a wonderful snapshot of the jazz scene today, with much to explore and many great…
Viola artist Mat Manieri says DoYeon Kim’s approach to music is “at once delicate, and then punk rock — no fear.”
Jul 14, 2026 11:41 AM
Every country has its own musical culture, and every musical culture has a different approach to the question of…
“The first time I was with him, I felt, ‘You must be on the right track to have people like this endorse you,’” Bobby Broom said of his mentor, the late Sonny Rollins.
Jul 7, 2026 12:14 PM
As guitarist Bobby Broom spoke from his Chicago home office in April, promoting jazz’s legacy was on his mind for two…
