Horace Silver’s lasting impact on jazz is affirming, challenging, and staggering
What if some of the foundation for the way some jazz sounds was because of the way you played and explored, and...
Pride playlist: Eight LGBTQ composers who helped define the Great American Songbook
June is Pride Month in Toronto, as well as in cities and towns around the world. It’s a time to celebrate and...
Joe Bowden plays from his roots
Joe “Jojo” Bowden plays from his roots. His roots are his soul, and his soul is steeped in his roots. The roots...
Cedar Walton was funky, groovy and graceful
These words are from the article written by William Yardley in The New York Times that spoke to Cedar Walton’s passing in...
Lou Pomanti is the consummate accompanist
When I was younger, I felt my mother was made of music. She also taught kindergarten, special education classes, taught teachers, led...
Abbey Lincoln sang the hard, beautiful truth
In every fight that is right, there is its own kind of beauty. Found, you know it instantly. A truth in the...
With the steelpan, Joy Lapps is an inviting communicator
Like the instrument she plays, Joy Lapps is a communicator. Her connection to music as an art — to the listener, audience...
Charnett Moffett’s playing united those around him
This quote about the late bass player Charnett Moffett comes from a piece written by Martin Johnson for NPR Music: “Big, elastic...
Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen commanded the bass
I have often heard non-bass-playing players talk about the bass, saying things like, You have to be able to handle the instrument,...
The music of Harry Connick Jr. is like an outstretched hand
The Great American Songbook and the music of America has a special place with Harry Connick Jr. He gives it a place...
Jane Ira Bloom has a poetic and cosmic artistry
Poetry set to music is a most natural thing. Read aloud, its rhythms and meter make it a very close relation. For...
Art Farmer played with both power and warmth
When an artist speaks of another with admiration and respect, it is without match. These words are from Geoffrey Keezer: “One night...
Lou Donaldson honed a bluesy, soulful signature sound
The trajectory of a career says a lot about the spirit of the artist and the doorways of opportunity that were open...
For Lorraine Desmarais, sound is a painter’s palette
The keyboard before Lorraine Desmarais is like the canvas for the visual artist. Her music making is an experience of colors and...
New York’s famous Hotel Pennsylvania, immortalized by Glenn Miller Orchestra, to be torn down
They’re knocking down New York’s famous Hotel Pennsylvania. For more than 100 years, it was situated just across Seventh Ave. from the...
The soul of Freddie Hubbard never strayed
Influence and experiences are like a stamp leaving an indelible impression. An impression that can be sourced from later in life or...
With Nat King Cole, it’s like seeing for the first time
A piano teacher used to speak often about articulation when talking about how to successfully meet the keys with the fingers. I...
When Denzal Sinclaire sings, he owns time
Once, backstage, I saw him — serene, focused, gathered, and collected. He was not tuned out; he was very tuned in. It...
Record Store Day 2023: Jazz rarities and reissues to add to your vinyl collection
The 16th edition of Record Store Day will take place April 22, 2023, featuring more than 300 special releases. Taking place annually...
Dinah Washington sang directly to the heart
When I hear a Dinah Washington track, I hear my aunties. Many are no longer here with us, but I can plainly...
Simply and purely, Leslie Odom Jr. loves to sing a song
You know why I think he sounds so good? It’s because he loves to sing a song for you. But it’s not...
The musical flavours of Dee Daniels are varied and rich
The musical flavours of Dee Daniels are varied and rich, and they’re as inspiring as her influences. Music is not a just...
In music, Bernie Senensky is the whole package
Imagine a package inside of which you find drive, determination, passion, and keen respect. Every time you open that package, the same...