Black History Month Encore: Molly Johnson is brazenly genuine
I do not think that I know or have heard anyone more brazenly genuine as an artist and person than Molly. She...
Swing Set honours the Black Innovators of Swing
This Black History Month, I’ve had the privilege of profiling four amazing innovators, Danny Baker, Jelly Roll Morton, Lil Hardin Armstrong and...
Black History Month Encore: Dinah Washington made jazz sound regal
She is jazz’s swinging auntie. Cool beyond the word. She can tease, soothe, grace, and settle. The song in her voice is...
Black History Month Encore: Oscar Peterson is jazz royalty
Jazz Royalty. The legacy defies a single word description or definition. Great. Leader, ambassador, legend, inspiration, powerhouse, soul affector. He spoke of...
James Carter’s music takes you on a tender journey
He is primarily a sax player but in his music-making universe includes a variety of woodwind instruments: flutes, and clarinets. These are...
Black Canadians Who Shaped the World of Jazz
There’s no doubt about jazz’s impact on the world as a genre that speaks to the heart and soul of a people....
Don Byron’s artistry is a soundscape embrace
The clarinet in jazz very often conjures up imagery of New Orleans band jazz or Dixieland music. It is a deep resonating...
Mark Murphy’s voice holds the hallmark of sensitivity
Sensitivity is a hallmark for the vocalist. Concentrated, focused attentiveness to a genre, style, or even an intimate message. Mark Murphy was...
The Best of Sam Moore: 10 Essential Recordings from the Soul Man Himself
Sam Moore, the blistering tenor of soul duo Sam & Dave, passed away on Friday, January 10 at the age of 89...
Andrew Marzotto’s artistry is limitless
Andrew’s artistry is limitless and plays a sweet game of defiance with genre boundaries. There is a gentle rebellion. He is a...
Jeri Brown’s voice is dynamically adventurous
The African American storyteller is intimately, at the deepest plumbed depth of the soul, a griot. The storytelling is a gift. It...
Steve Cardenas’ guitar brings voice and colour to emotions
To be of the New York jazz scene is a badge of significant honor. To have been so for a period of...
Patrice Rushen cements her place as one of the best in the universe
The music industry takes no prisoners. Its demands are high and its expectations easily scale that height. Simply put you’d better be...
Ron Carter colours the world with his voice
Ron Carter says what he says and how he says it with one beautiful voice. That voice is his whether coming from...
Shirley Scott’s jazz organ makes voices her own
The sound of the swinging, groovy, jazz organ is like no other. It is an unique set of voices in the world...
Jeff Coffin finds a voice for his soul
Coffin’s artistry lies in the way he finds a voice for his soul across the palette of a variety of instruments. He...
Helen Merrill had that cool jazz
I think it is a simple equation: If it ain’t cool, leave the jazz alone. Helen Merrill had the cool. Her presence...
Laura Anglade’s artistry is the storyteller
Laura’s way is the storyteller’s. As the storyteller, she engages and guides and gently dramatizes. The listener is at once in the...
Roseanna Vitro tells the truth through song
Musical influence can be like a recipe. A beautiful mix of ingredients each rich with deep flavors, character, and a spirit. Good...
Marie Goudy’s Paloma Sky lifts music beyond the page
Marie Goudy’s band Paloma Sky is a collective of independent, creative sensitive artists who in the collective sensibility of the band come...
Nate Smith defies the rules of senses
NOTE (October 11, 2024 5:08PM EST): Soundcloud is currently experiencing an outage affecting ‘missing tracks from playlists’, ‘uploaded tracks’, and ‘RSS-feed content’....
Dione Taylor sings every note with honesty
There isn’t a single dishonest note when Dione sings. Her inspiration surrounds her, it’s familial, natural, divine, spiritual and complete. There is...
Dave Young is in the treasure chest of Canada’s best
In the great Canadian treasure chest of the country’s best there is a brilliantly shining jewel, a bass-playing gentleman. A true statesman...