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Antonia Bennett: We're poised to make a real difference in the lives of young musicians - Photos : Antonia Bennett, the acclaimed jazz singer and daughter of legendary jazz icon Tony Bennett, is partnering with Jazz Angels for “One Night Only,” a concert to help raise funds and awareness on behalf of Jazz Angels non-profit youth organization. This exclusive event will take place on Saturday, May 25, at the Salvation Army Red Shield […]

Review: Yusef Lateef - Atlantis Lullaby - The Concert From Avignon : Yusef Lateef’s performance in Atlantis Lullaby is a masterclass in communication and demonstration of synergy. In this previously unreleased performance recorded in Avignon, France in 1972, Lateef, on soprano sax, tenor sax and flute, is accompanied by Kenny Barron on piano, Bob Cunningham on bass and Albert Tootie Heath on drums. This two-CD package is […]

An interview with Mick Pini: Blues is about shared feelings, something that doesn't figure much - Photos : If you’re lucky enough to catch veteran British bluesman Mick Pini live you are guaranteed the real deal; no pedals, no effects, just a (rare) 54 Strat (stroked) played by a bluesmeister. Oh – and how he makes it plead, bleed, sing, scream, cry – and smoke! With a life time in music you’ll hear […]

New England Conservatory Jazz Orchestra presents 'High Life: The Music of Wayne Shorter' - Photos : Legendary jazz composer and saxophonist Wayne Shorter, who passed away on March 2, 2023, left a monumental artistic legacy. The NEC Jazz Orchestra pays tribute to Shorter with High Life: The Music of Wayne Shorter, the orchestra’s final concert of the season, at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 18 in NEC’s Jordan Hall, 290 Huntington […]

An interview with Merle Perkins: To play a good groove and have the right feeling of the music : As a teenager Merle played in the Spirit of St. Louis Drum & Bugle Corp. “There is where it all started for me with the drums. If it was not for drum corp., I would not be a drummer today. I owe it all to drum corp.”  Merle moved to Chicago from St. Louis, MO. In […]

Bessie Jones and John Davis were very aware of their mission to help people understand this music,- says Peter Siegel, who recorded the original concert - Photos : A live recording of a concert can preserve one powerful moment indelibly in time. Coming June 14, 2024, Smithsonian Folkways will release The Complete Friends of Old-Time Music Concert by Bessie Jones, John Davis & The Georgia Sea Island Singers with Mississippi Fred McDowell and Ed Young, presenting a riveting, historic look at the intersection […]

Karrin Allyson writes the long-awaited next chapter in her series of love letters to Brazil : Vocalist, pianist, and composer Karrin Allyson writes the long-awaited next chapter in her series of love letters to Brazil on the aptly titled A Kiss for Brazil, to be released May 17 by Origin Records. The sequel to 1999’s From Paris to Rio and 2008’s Imagina: Songs of Brasil adds a bold spice to the […]

Guitar Masters Festival is proud to present many of the world’s most acclaimed jazz guitarists ... : The 2024 Guitar Masters Festival is proud to present many of the world’s most acclaimed jazz guitarists during a series of must-see performances from April 26-29, 2024. The guitar lineups at these shows represent a who’s who of jazz’s most innovative and influential six-string masters. The festivities kick off on Friday, April 26th at the […]

An interview with Charles Lloyd: There are a lot of folks in the world who have much more sensitivity than they’re given credit for ... - Photos : Charles Lloyd is on a mission. Never mind he celebrated his 85th birthday last year, he remains at the peak of his powers – and what’s more, he is constantly striving to improve. “I want to make a contribution,” he says. “If I want to do that, I have got to dig deeper and try […]

Album Review: Samara Joy - A Joyful Holiday - Video : Surely one of the most gifted – and, as time may yet reveal – important jazz vocalists of our century, 24-year-old Samara Joy is adept at channelling the greats, most notably Ella. On this six-track mini-album, she follows her illustrious forbear by releasing a Christmas album. Xmas platters are often cheap cash-ins or malodorous cheese-fests, […]

Album Review: Various Artists – Blind Raccoon and Nola Blue Collection Vol. 6 - 2024 : One of the busiest and most successful partnerships in blues in recent years, Betsie Brown’s Blind Raccoon marketing organization and Sallie Bengston’s Blue Heart label have consistently filled the charts with stellar releases with a roster that includes veterans, rising stars and regional acts, too. And this 15-track compilation of recent efforts is a must-listen […]

George Colligan Quartet - one of the best kept secrets in jazz at Chris Jazz Cafe : Pianist and multi-instrumentalist George Colligan is “one of the best kept secrets in jazz.” It’s not clear why he is such a secret, since. as saxophonist Don Braden once said, “As a creative artist, he’s really up there… In terms of technique, knowledge of music and improvisational creativity, there aren’t a whole lot of cats […]

An interview with Cassie Kinoshi: ... it's still floating around as an idea that could happen - Photos : Cassie Kinoshi, the acclaimed British composer and alto saxophonist, made her name as a founder member of the Afrobeat-inspired band Kokoroko and with her own ten-piece Seed Ensemble. Her work pushes social change, interrogating inequality and injustice, mainly through instrumental music, occasionally with lyrics, and always with invention and singularity. Seed’s sophomore album, gratitude (International […]

CD review: Ken Peplowski - Unheard Bird - 2024: Video, CD cover : https://jazzbluesnews.com

An interview with John McEuen: The Newsman answers the question asked in the song “Will The Circle Be Unbroken?” And the answer is a resounding yes : “What I like is change,” says banjo picker John McEuen whose biggest claim to success is the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, a group that’s been playing the same fundamental bluegrass sound for more than six decades, an aggregation based on music founded by Bill Monroe almost 80 years ago. The Newsman, John McEuen’s new album due out on […]

Sullivan Fortner & Ambrose Akinmusire at Rackham Auditorium March - 2024: Photos : When it comes to its annual concert series, Ann Arbor’s University Musical Society utilizes Hill Auditorium and the Michigan Theater as the venues for the majority of its performances. When this rare appearance of pianist Sullivan Fortner and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire was set to take place at another performance space on the campus of the […]

Joshua Redman Group at Gates Concert Hall: Photos : “I think there’s a certain ambiguity in the title because the title should be a question, but I intentionally left the question mark off,” noted Redman in our pre-show interview. “There is an ambiguity in the entire concept of the album. It’s an album of songs about places in the United States, which is not […]

 

Billie Holiday Day!!! She is considered by many to be the greatest of all jazz singers - Photos : Billie Holiday (“Lady Day”) is considered by many to be the greatest of all jazz singers. In a tragically abbreviated singing career that lasted less than three decades, her evocative phrasing and poignant delivery profoundly influenced vocalists who followed her. Although her warm, feathery voice inhabited a limited range, she used it like an accomplished […]

Freddie Hubbard day!!! Hubbard's jazz career began in earnest after moving to New York City in 1958 - Photos : Frederick Dewayne Hubbard (born April 7, 1938 in Indianapolis, Indiana) is an American jazz trumpeter. In his youth, Hubbard associated with various musicians in Indianapolis, including Wes Montgomery and Montgomery’s brothers. Chet Baker was an early influence, although Hubbard soon aligned himself with the approach of Clifford Brown (and his forebears: Fats Navarro and Dizzy […]

Ravi Shankar day!!! Always ahead of his time, he has written two concertos for sitar and orchestra ... Photos : Ravi Shankar, the legendary sitarist and composer is India’s most esteemed musical Ambassador and a singular phenomenon in the classical music worlds of East and West. As a performer, composer, teacher and writer, he has done more for Indian music than any other musician. He is well known for his pioneering work in bringing Indian […]