Apr 16, 2025 11:01 PM
Northampton Jazz Festival: Small Town, Big Jazz Heart
Mention the word “festival” to jazz fans and chances are they’ll first think of legendary annual events at…
Ruth Griggs, president of the Northampton Jazz Festival, emphasizes “creating and growing partnerships and building a positive reputation for jazz and the festival in the community.”
Apr 16, 2025 11:01 PM
Mention the word “festival” to jazz fans and chances are they’ll first think of legendary annual events at…
Ryan Middagh, at piano, leads class at Vanderbilt.
Sep 5, 2024 2:28 PM
High school seniors interested in studying jazz at the collegiate level have undoubtedly begun investigating a variety…
Symphonic Swing, one of the groups at the Charleston Jazz Academy, performs.
Feb 8, 2024 1:30 PM
New Orleans is often called the “birthplace of jazz,” and it certainly has an incredibly rich musical heritage that…
Jazz Girls Day, a program spearheaded by Colleen Clark, assistant professor of jazz studies at the University of South Carolina (far right), has held five events over the past two years and is expanding the program to several other states.
Feb 8, 2024 1:28 PM
When Bert Ligon retired as director of jazz studies at the University of South Carolina in Columbia after 30 years,…
“I think most jazz musicians exist in a space where the unknown is actually pretty thrilling,” said Sara Gazarek about putting together the new jazz vocal program at Eastman School of Music.
Feb 8, 2024 1:27 PM
Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester, founded in 1921, celebrated its centennial a year late because…
“He knew how to administer to the needs of a beginner, and had the skill set and patience to teach somebody young,” says saxophonist Greg Osby of his first music teacher, Fred Irby III.
Jan 9, 2024 12:50 PM
The 2023–’24 academic year marks the 50th year that Fred Irby III taught in Howard University’s Department of…
Multimedia Arts Technology students at Western Michigan University work sound for a live concert.
Sep 28, 2023 12:38 PM
DownBeat’s annual Where to Study Jazz Guide lists more than 180 four-year jazz studies programs across the United…
Marcus McLaurtine, right, works with a combo during the workshop.
Mar 2, 2023 10:28 AM
William Paterson University’s annual Summer Jazz Workshop celebrates its 30th anniversary this July. Over the last…
“There’s a lot of creative space between Sinatra and a singer like Kurt Elling, who’s found his own approach,” Marinaro says. “And I believe that’s where I fit in.”
Feb 28, 2023 1:29 PM
Every jazz musician faces challenges in gaining exposure for their music — especially without the support of a major…
The inaugural class of the Next Jazz Legacy, from left: Kalia Vandever, Anastassiya Petrova, Ivanna Cuesta Gonzalez, Keyanna Hutchinson, Loke Risberg, Alexis Lombre and Lexi Hamner.
Feb 16, 2023 9:42 AM
As the Next Jazz Legacy — an initiative created to provide a wide-ranging year-long apprenticeship program to support…
The inaugural class of the Next Jazz Legacy, from left: Kalia Vandever, Anastassiya Petrova, Ivanna Cuesta Gonzalez, Keyanna Hutchinson, Loke Risberg, Alexis Lombre and Lexi Hamner.
Jan 31, 2023 12:29 PM
As the Next Jazz Legacy — an initiative created to provide a wide-ranging year-long apprenticeship program to support…
Miles Osland
Jan 3, 2023 1:22 PM
Miles Osland, DownBeat’s 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award for Jazz Education honoree at the collegiate level, had a…
Ollie Liddell
Jan 3, 2023 1:21 PM
Given his family background, it might have seemed predictable that Dr. Ollie Liddell, director of bands at Memphis…
Stephanie Austin Letson, left, leads Contra Costa College’s JAZZ-ology vocal group during a performance in Grenoble, France.
Sep 29, 2022 1:39 PM
All the steps in the progressive ladder of music education are vitally important, but community and junior college jazz…
Keyboardist/composer Marc Cary pays tribute to those he learned from.
Nov 30, 2021 12:53 PM
In the liner notes to Life Lessons, Marc Cary’s recently released trio recording with bassist Dan Chmielinski and…
University of Kentucky’s Miles Osland rehearses his band in accordance with COVID protocols.
Sep 21, 2021 12:52 PM
Since mid-March 2020, the COVID pandemic has altered the landscape of jazz education at universities and colleges…
Black Artists’ Group members Charles “Bobo” Shaw (left), Joseph Bowie, Floyd LeFlore, Baikida Carroll and Oliver Lake
Dec 9, 2020 10:50 AM
Bryan Dematteis’ new documentary, The Black Artists’ Group of St. Louis: Creation Equals Movement, debuted in…
Pianist Jason Yeager’s latest album reflects his strong interest in Latin American composers.
Mar 3, 2020 10:00 PM
Pianist Jason Yeager has a penchant for combining his artistry with an interest in cultural and societal issues. That…
Drummer Antonio Sánchez speaks to participants at a KoSA Music workshop.
Feb 7, 2020 9:31 AM
KoSA Music had a relatively humble origin, but today it is an international force in the world of music education.…
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah is among the dozens of jazz stars who have performed as part of the “We Always Swing” jazz series in Columbia, Missouri.
Sep 17, 2019 11:07 AM
The non-profit “We Always Swing” Jazz Series will kick off its 25th season this fall in Columbia, Missouri, with…
For Move On: A Sondheim Adventure, vocalist Cyrille Aimée selected a bevy of Stephen Sondheim compositions she felt resonated with her own experiences.
May 1, 2019 9:27 AM
As she sat in a rocking chair sipping tea on the front porch of her New Orleans apartment on a recent rainy morning,…
Hamiet Bluiett (1940-2018) performs at the Moers Festival in Moers, Germany, on May 26, 1996.
Oct 8, 2018 11:41 AM
Baritone saxophonist Hamiet Bluiett, a founding member of the World Saxophone Quartet, as well as the Black Artists…
Guitarist Camila Meza (left), bassist Matt Clohesy, trombonist Ryan Keberle, drummer Eric Doob and saxophonist John Ellis perform at The Dark Room in St. Louis on Jan. 28.
Jan 30, 2018 5:27 PM
When trombonist Ryan Keberle formed Catharsis, the piano-less group he’s recorded and toured with since 2012, he…
Luis Perdomo (left), Miguel Zenón, Hans Glawischnig and Henry Cole perform at Bogui Jazz in Madrid on July 2.
Jul 6, 2017 7:48 PM
When alto saxophone player Miguel Zenón and his quartet took the stage at Bogui Jazz in Madrid for the group’s…
Charles “Bobo” Shaw (bottom right), on the cover of his 1973 album Junk Trap with the Human Arts Ensemble. The drummer died Jan. 16 at 69.
Jan 17, 2017 3:58 PM
Charles “Bobo” Shaw, drummer and one of the founding members of the St. Louis-based Black Artists Group (BAG), died…
Members of the Mutual Musicians Foundation attend the dedication of the Musicians Association Building in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1930.
Jul 12, 2016 5:01 PM
On March 2, 2017, the Mutual Musicians Foundation International (MMFI) will celebrate the centennial of Kansas City’s…
Cyrille Aimée
Jul 11, 2016 1:09 PM
Vocalist Cyrille Aimée has made a strong impression on the international jazz scene over the past year and a half. The…
