The 2020 62nd Grammy Nominations have been announced Wednesday, November 20th. Including nominations in the Jazz Categories. A wide-ranging array of jazz music was nominated in categories for improvised jazz solo, jazz vocals, jazz instrumentals, jazz large ensemble, and Latin Jazz. Nominations are reflective of recordings released between Oct. 1, 2018, and Aug. 31, 2019. […]
In the past decade, we have seen jazz guitarists shift their gaze to the music of the heartland. Long dominant as an east coast bebop jazz sound or a cool jazz west coast sound, prominent jazz guitarists are incorporating the sounds of the Midwest into their music. The likes of Bill Frisell, John Scofield, and […]
Blue Note Records, in perhaps its most significant signing in a few years, will introduce South African jazz pianist extraordinaire, Nduduzo Makhathini, to the global jazz community. The visionary South African pianist and composer is set to release his Blue Note Records debut Modes of Communication: Letters from the Underworlds in the spring of 2020. By way […]
Jane Bunnett’s enduring Maqueque project has been bringing a fresh new sound to jazz and Latin Jazz alike. Garnering award-winning recognition along the way. The ensemble released their third album this past September with new original songs and the introduction of new members of Maqueque. What is evident is that their sound continues to evolve. […]
Elio Villafranca, the Cuban-born jazz pianist, composer, and arranger continues to make reverberating waves in the jazz universe. Cinque, the sweeping themed album has put Villafranca in the unique category of composers who carry on the Ellingtonesque style of epic music movements. The album received a Grammy nomination in 2018. Since the nomination, Villafranca has […]
This past spring, Roberta Gambarini embarked on a tour throughout Japan. A country that has fallen in love with the jazz vocalist from Turin, Italy. The tour was dedicated to Michiko Hirayama, Gambarini’s vocal teacher for 20 years. Hirayama was a legendary soprano in the world of classical music and beyond. Before leaving for Japan, […]
On August 23rd of this year, Monty Alexander will release a major new project and album dedicated to the music of Thelonious Monk. Entitled “WAREIKA HILL – RASTAMONK VIBRATIONS”, the project represents a lifetime of inspiration and appreciation for the music of Thelonious Monk on the part of Monty Alexander. The album, several years in […]
Jazz vocalist Veronica Swift, recently named Rising Star by Downbeat Magazine 67th Annual Critic’s Poll, is set to release a new album. The album will feature The Benny Green Trio and The Emmet Cohen Trio. Distributed by Mack Avenue Records, the collection of oft-overlooked songs will be available on August 30th, 2019. At just 25 […]
The year 1959 began with news that shook the world. On January 2, 1959, the Soviet Union rocketed the Lunik 1 space capsule into the sky. Awakening a new conscious in the world that included dual aspects of the promise of space travel and an increase threat from the Cold War. The year 1959 also […]
The year 2018 unfolded with a multitude of recordings well-deserving of acclaim. From the release of lost tracks from John Coltrane to continued excellence by many jazz artists. In this article, we take a favorite point of view as opposed to a “best of” critic point of view. There a few favorites, however, that did […]
