May 21, 2024 1:46 PM
Lizz Wright: The Artist as Gardener
Twenty years ago, Lizz Wright emerged as an astounding new voice in music with her superb 2003 debut, Salt, spiced with…
On Shadow, Wright has taken the words of vocalist Nina Simone to heart — that an artist must reflect her times.
May 21, 2024 1:46 PM
Twenty years ago, Lizz Wright emerged as an astounding new voice in music with her superb 2003 debut, Salt, spiced with…
“I do march to the beat of my own drum,” says Ross Pederson, and that drum has led him to release Identity on his own label.
Mar 5, 2024 11:57 AM
With a propensity for chasing a rainbow of stylistic colors, Ross Pederson has embarked on a quest to speak as many…
“They were so in tune with each other, every note just works,” O’Connell said of Bill Evans and Jim Hall’s duo take on “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You.”
Dec 27, 2023 1:46 PM
In his first Blindfold Test, pianist and composer Bill O’Connell worried a bit about guessing artists correctly but…
“The idea of joy was really important,” says Souza in the wake of the pandemic and the toppling of Brazil’s authoritarian regime.
Nov 14, 2023 12:08 PM
Just when it feels like the darkened clouds are bearing down with ominous portends, when it feels that the music has…
The blues compilation Tell Everybody! (21st Century Juke Joint Blues) was produced by Dan Auerbach, guitarist for The Black Keys.
Sep 12, 2023 2:13 PM
The viable flow of the blues continues to cultivate. Elemental and rooted, it has percolated through the American…
Claes Brondal (left) with Joe Lovano at the Hamptons Jazz Fest.
Aug 1, 2023 1:40 PM
Eighty miles east of the world’s jazz capital, the tony South Fork Long Island enclave of the Hamptons has long been…
“It’s fun to put different people together to play my music,” Halvorson says. “They all take it seriously.”
Jul 27, 2023 2:33 PM
In 2017, Mary Halvorson unpredictably garnered the top guitarist award in DownBeat’s Critics Poll, outpacing…
“When things go right, it’s like dipping your hands into a nice sink of water,” Towner says of “Empty Stage,” from his new album, At First Light.
Jun 20, 2023 2:49 PM
After more than 30 years of living as an expatriate in Italy, the amiable Ralph Towner is sitting comfortably at his…
“I wanted Kurt [Rosenwinkel] to kill it and he did,” saxophonist Jim Snidero says of the title track from Far Far Away.
May 9, 2023 12:40 PM
Alto saxophonist Jim Snidero’s latest date, Far Far Away, stands as a career milestone. He’s reached the plateau of…
“Many artists have taken a shot at bossa nova, but Quietude is different. It is authentic,” Elias said of her new album.
Mar 8, 2023 11:20 AM
Eliane Elias scored a rarity in 2022. The renowned singer and remarkable pianist won two Grammys in the same year for…
Gifts is Acuña’s latest album — and his first in 17 years as a leader.
Dec 27, 2022 11:53 AM
When Alex Acuña bought his home 37 years ago in the Lake Balboa neighborhood of Los Angeles County, the Peruvian-born…
An all-star jam during the Blue Note at Sea Cruise.
Aug 16, 2022 2:26 PM
The pandemic not only shut down clubs, concert halls and festivals, but tours ground to a halt and the urge to travel…
“This is right up my alley,” Marc Johnson said of a Gary Peacock cut.
Aug 9, 2022 2:49 PM
Bassist Marc Johnson says, “Rhythmically, a bassist has to perform very secure and confident phrases to really…
Benevento calls the outcome of his deep walk through polyrhythmic grooves, electrifying self-jams, West Africa-derived dance music, songs based on poetry and short lyrical ditties his “small batch psychedelia.”
Jun 29, 2022 10:36 AM
During his long break from the road due to the pandemic, Marco Benevento didn’t just sit at home and twiddle his…
Dee Dee Bridgewater (right) with the five finalists for the American Pianists Association’s next Cole Porter Fellowship.
Jun 15, 2022 2:41 PM
Every four years, the American Pianists Association recognizes five aspiring American pianists as finalists to compete…
“Don Cherry had his own original thing going on ... and you can’t duplicate it,” Randy Brecker says.
May 24, 2022 12:15 PM
Randy Brecker has done four Blindfold Tests, according to DownBeat archives. This one was his first in a long time,…
“Where else could this happen than New York?” Joe Farnsworth says about his favorite city.
Feb 23, 2022 1:03 PM
Drummer Joe Farnsworth, like countless other New York musicians, was largely out of work for more than a…
“It’s all about community,” Todd Stoll says of J@LC’s jazz outreach.
Jan 25, 2022 12:23 PM
Having joined the Jazz at Lincoln Center education program 10 years ago, Todd Stoll has overseen the organization’s…
In Harmony is culled from live 2016 and 2017 duo performances by modern-day legends Roy Hargrove and Mulgrew Miller.
Jul 20, 2021 5:03 PM
The history of jazz is fraught with artists who’ve died too young. But what lives on is their music — the legacy of…
James Francies is among the 25 artists DownBeat thinks will help shape jazz in the decades to come.
Oct 9, 2020 12:40 PM
With Flight, his spirited debut album released by Blue Note in 2018, pianist James Francies avoided musical…
Jimmy Heath, who was a 2003 NEA Jazz Masters fellowship recipient, is now a member of the DownBeat Hall of Fame.
Aug 18, 2020 8:57 AM
Jimmy Heath outlived most of his towering contemporaries during a career that saw the spirited saxophonist serve as a…
The Vagabond merges Aaron Diehl’s jazz background with his increasing interest in the classical world, in part stemming from his work with composer Philip Glass.
May 4, 2020 8:46 AM
In late January, Aaron Diehl elegantly delivered an intimate solo-piano show in front of a packed house at Mezzrow in…
Saxophonists Angela Morris (left) and Anna Webber engage “a form that comes with a lot of baggage” in the Webber/Morris Big Band.
Mar 30, 2020 10:40 AM
Canadian tenor saxophonists Anna Webber and Angela Morris push open the modern notion of large-ensemble music on the…
Saxophonist Eric Alexander regards his playing as “well-spoken, with melody at the center.”
Feb 28, 2020 8:09 AM
Eric Alexander doesn’t understand how people can get bored. “There are so many things to do, and there’s so…
Nick Grondin’s new album is titled A View Of Earth.
Jan 21, 2020 4:11 PM
At last year’s Umbria Jazz Festival, Nick Grondin made his mark without even lifting his guitar. He served as the…
John Scofield performs during a Beatles tribute at Umbria Jazz Winter in Italy.
Jan 21, 2020 4:12 PM
In contrast to the summer edition of the Umbria Jazz Festival, Umbria Jazz Winter in Orvieto, Italy, usually drives…
Co-artistic Director Derrick Hodge performed multiple sets with various ensembles during the 62nd Monterey Jazz Festival, which ran Sept. 27-29 in Monterey, California.
Oct 8, 2019 10:17 AM
On the Jimmy Lyons Stage at the Monterey Jazz Festival, which ran Sept. 27-29 in Monterey, California,…
Miles Davis in 1986, around the time he recorded the album Rubberband
Sep 24, 2019 11:23 AM
The phenomenon of “lost” jazz recordings finally emerging has caused waves throughout the jazz world. In addition…
Pianist Abdullah Ibrahim is making plans for the future and looks forward to recording with a pair of orchestras.
Sep 9, 2019 8:17 AM
At this year’s INNtöne Jazz Festival in Austria, Abdullah Ibrahim vividly demonstrated the intimacy and cosmic…
Norah Jones is among the artists who pay tribute to Joni Mitchell on a new album and DVD.
Aug 15, 2019 10:15 AM
The two sold-out concerts staged in November at Los Angeles’ Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, both in honor of…
Reed player Shabaka Hutchings performs with Sons of Kemet.
Jul 31, 2019 9:27 AM
When Sons of Kemet formed in 2011—a product of the burgeoning London jazz renaissance—the vibrant quartet drew…
Terence Blanchard performs with his E-Collective ensemble during the Umbria Jazz Festival, which ran July 11–21 in Perugia, Italy.
Aug 9, 2019 5:55 PM
During the 43rd Umbria Jazz Festival, which ran July 11–21 in Perugia, Italy, crowds gathered in the streets for free…
Stephanie Chou performs March 29 at Joe’s Pub in New York.
Jul 1, 2019 9:20 AM
Even though she excelled as a math major at Columbia University, Stephanie Chou had already looked ahead to a saxophone…
Vocalist Anna-Maria Hefele of Supersonus performs at the 25th edition of the INNtöne Jazz Festival in Austria.
Jun 12, 2019 9:43 AM
As many of its longtime attendees say, the INNtöne Jazz Festival, now in its 25th year, takes place in the middle of…
Ravi Coltrane (left), Drew Gress, Ralph Alessi and Mark Ferber perform Jan. 11 at Le Poisson Rouge in New York.
Apr 29, 2019 5:51 PM
Trumpeter Ralph Alessi’s third album for ECM, the post-bop, neoclassical, subtly disjunctive Imaginary Friends,…
Among his numerous projects, Noah Preminger has written and recorded music based on the films of a distant relative, director Otto Preminger.
Apr 1, 2019 9:29 AM
Concept albums help an artist establish an identity. They’re more than a mere exercise in composing songs as vehicles…
Gary Burton says his artistic pursuits were based on intuition.
Jan 31, 2019 10:57 AM
Gary Burton’s new release encapsulates a remarkable, unprecedented career. In his first interview in about two years,…
Pianist Ethan Iverson collaborates with saxophonist Mark Turner on Temporary Kings.
Oct 5, 2018 10:04 AM
Midway into his career, pianist Ethan Iverson has experienced a universe of multifaceted artistry and in many collegial…
Richmond, Virginia’s No BS! Brass Band performs at the Monterey Jazz Festival.
Oct 2, 2018 9:57 AM
Last year marked the 60th anniversary of the Monterey Jazz Festival, the longest continually running jazz festival in…
The first recording of Brian Krock’s Big Heart Machine includes performances by an 18-piece band, as well as contributions by producer Darcy James Argue and conductor Miho Hazama.
Aug 30, 2018 1:21 PM
When asked about the primary influencers of his big band project Big Heart Machine, multi-reed composer and leader…
Bongwool Lee grew up playing classical music before switching to jazz.
Aug 24, 2018 9:13 AM
Call it a revelatory jazz moment. As a classical music prodigy in Seoul, South Korea, pianist Bongwool Lee was…
Singer Kurt Elling, seen here performing at the 2018 North Sea Jazz Festival, also participated in a DownBeat Blindfold Test during the fest.
Jun 15, 2020 11:30 AM
Kurt Elling’s new album, The Questions (OKeh), is more evidence of his stature as one of the top vocalists in jazz.…
Vijay Iyer (left) discusses a track with journalist Dan Ouellette during a DownBeat Blindfold Test at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Jun 15, 2020 11:31 AM
A MacArthur Fellow, Harvard University faculty member and winner of the Jazz Artist category in the 2018 DownBeat…
Jazzmeia Horn (left) discusses a track with journalist Dan Ouellette during a DownBeat Blindfold Test at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Jun 15, 2020 11:31 AM
In her first Blindfold Test, Jazzmeia Horn—who topped the category Rising Star–Female Vocalist in the 2018…
Erroll Garner performs with his trio in Amsterdam in 1964.
Jul 4, 2018 9:53 AM
The career of pianist Christian Sands, 29, has shifted into high gear since the release of his Mack Avenue Records…
Each of Shabaka Hutchings’ ensembles showcases a different musical sensibility of the bandleader.
Jul 3, 2018 9:30 AM
As the buzz around him continues to build, more and more fans in the United States are learning the name Shabaka…
Donny McCaslin’s second album for Motéma will be released later this year.
Jun 8, 2018 8:13 AM
High hopes always accompany the launch of a record label. But many labels falter due to the challenges of today’s…
Dave Douglas in the studio with members of The Westerlies.
Aug 2, 2018 3:38 PM
The indefatigable Dave Douglas is sitting in his composition room surrounded by comfortable couches, a piano, a wall of…
José Antonio Diaz (left) leads a workshop at the Diaz Music Institute in Houston, Texas.
Sep 8, 2017 12:39 PM
Judging from the flood-related atrocities in New Orleans (Hurricane Katrina in 2005) and Baton Rouge, Louisiana (an…
John Abercrombie (1944–2017)
Sep 10, 2018 10:17 AM
As a tribute to guitarist John Abercrombie, who died Aug. 22, DownBeat has posted the following feature, “The Moment…
Pedrito Martinez (left) and Angélique Kidjo perform during the Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia, Italy, on July 12.
Jan 10, 2019 12:17 PM
This year’s Umbria Jazz festival in Perugia, Italy, once again featured an ambitious multifaceted program that ranged…
John Beasley (center) is the leader of MONK’estra. The group performed at the North Sea Jazz Festival on July 7.
Jul 25, 2017 10:45 AM
From the Afro-Cuban re-imagining of “Epistrophy” to a lively rap version of “Brake’s Sake,” Thelonious…
Mary Halvorson will make her leader debut at the Village Vanguard in New York City July 18–23.
May 16, 2017 9:58 PM
Playing at the Village Vanguard in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village—the downstairs club that has been the home of 132…
Tigran Hamasyan performed at SubCultre in NYC on March 10. At points throughout his show, the pianist layered wordless vocals that sounded other-worldly in pitch.
Apr 22, 2017 9:12 AM
On the end of his five-city U.S. tour, pianist Tigran Hamasyan returned to New York (where he had lived briefly years…
Chick Corea, seen here performing at the Blue Note in New York on Oct. 27 as part of his 75th birthday residency.
Nov 17, 2016 3:44 PM
On Nov. 10, Chick Corea continued his 75th birthday celebration at the Blue Note in New York with what is expected to…
Arturo O’Farrill performs at the North Sea Jazz Festival.
Aug 25, 2016 2:53 PM
It was a long time coming. Prior to this year, pianist/bandleader Arturo O’Farrill’s last appearance at the North…
Ondrej Pivec (left) and Grégoire Maret perform at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, on July 10.
Aug 12, 2016 1:26 PM
Even though he’s still riding the crest of his latest recording, Wanted (Sunnyside), harmonica virtuoso Grégoire…
At 25 years old, bassist Esperanza Spalding wasn’t overly concerned with marketability.
Nov 9, 2021 3:03 PM
Esperanza Spalding buoys with moxie-plus, high-octane ebullience, spirited determination and respectful humility in the…
John Abercrombie (1944–2017)
Sep 5, 2017 10:49 AM
There were no straight lines, no sudden leaps, no predictable trajectory in John Abercrombie’s coming of age as a…
Bobby Hutcherson (1941–2016) performs at Jazz at Lincoln Center in 2008.
Apr 6, 2021 1:55 PM
The picturesque stretch of Highway 1 along the Pacific Ocean coastline between San Francisco and Santa Cruz may not be…
