Terence Blanchard is a proud voice of the African diaspora
He may be one of the proudest sons of New Orleans. Proud of his Crescent City heritage, his love permeates everything he...
The Music Never Stops features Betty Carter at her stylistic peak
After singing with Lionel Hampton in the late 1940s, vocalist Betty Carter had her first hit with Hampton’s Red Top in 1952. Teamed with...
In the days of U.S. segregation, Louis Armstrong broke through
The Artistry of… Louis Armstrong He was a singular foundation influence on the uniqueness of jazz, America’s art music. He affected its...
Jazzmeia Horn is an ambassador for the riches of African-American artistry
The Artistry of… Jazzmeia Horn African-American is a unique culture, heritage, richness and essence. Jazzmeia Horn is a spirited artist-ambassador of the...
Roxy Coss is empowering women with her potently political jazz
Jazz and politics go way back. One can argue that Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings in the 1920s were...
With a mosaic of influences, Allison Au is quintessentially Canadian
The Artistry of… Allison Au “Canada has found a new jazz ambassador,” says Lance Liddle of Bebop Spoken Here. Allison is as...
Melody Gardot’s boldest stand? Shying from perfection
The Artistry of… series is sponsored by the Alzheimer Society Music Project. The Artistry of… Melody Gardot Melody Gardot shies from perfection. That...
Here’s why Portugal is such a hot travel destination now
After stepping out of the taxi cab and thanking the driver in horribly mangled Portuguese, I walked along the beautiful tiling of...
For Jeremy Pelt, the trumpet acts like a voice
The Artistry of… series is sponsored by the Alzheimer Society Music Project. The Artistry of… Jeremy Pelt His horn sounds like a...
Kamasi Washington brings together sounds and audiences of all kinds
The Artistry of… Kamasi Washington His artistry is all about the bridging. The word should only really be used for categorization, because...
How Miles Davis and Gerry Mulligan birthed what would become West Coast jazz
In late 1949 and 1950, the Miles Davis nonet recorded 12 songs in New York arranged by Gil Evans (two songs), John...
John Beasley’s music reflects generosity of heart and soul
The Artistry of… series is sponsored by the Alzheimer Society Music Project. The Artistry of… John Beasley “Beasley, the one-time keyboardist for...
Remembering Ira Gitler, a scholar of post-war jazz
Ira Gitler, a jazz author, critic and producer who was an intimate eyewitness to post-war jazz and whose prolific liner notes starting...
The beautiful heartache in Billie Holiday’s singing is what captivated us all
The Artistry of… series is sponsored by the Alzheimer Society Music Project. The Artistry of… Billie Holiday Eleanora Fagan – What’s in...
The best jazz soundtracks from Oscar-nominated films
For some people, Academy Awards season means it’s time to get caught up on the previous year’s most acclaimed films to see...
The Artistry of… Carmen McRae
The Artistry of… series is sponsored by the Alzheimer Society Music Project. The influence was all about Billie Holiday. Early contact with...
The Artistry of… Lizz Wright
The Artistry of… series is sponsored by the Alzheimer Society Music Project. Everything about the way her foundation was laid out for...
John Daversa uses the political power of jazz with his Grammy-winning American Dreamers
Welcome to Earfood, a column from arts writer Ashante Infantry that aims to nourish, and satisfy, your sonic curiosity. Earfood explores the ingredients of jazz’s...
The Artistry of… David Braid
The Artistry of… series is sponsored by the Alzheimer Society Music Project. He is a powerhouse composer and a sophisticated creative musical...
African-American Women of Jazz and Blues in North America: The Vocalists
jazz.fm91 is proud to present African-American Women of Jazz and Blues in North America: The Vocalists in celebration of Black History Month....
Perfect Album: Band in Boston
In the late 1950s, New England’s answer to Maynard Ferguson was trumpeter Herb Pomeroy. Pomeroy not only was a high-energy jazz player,...