José James is a voice of everyday blues, soul and groove
The Artistry of… José James Blue Note describes the vocalist as a jazz singer for the hip-hop generation. A solid foundation of...
Jay Douglas is filled with life, love and soul
The Artistry of… Jay Douglas Soul is life, and like life, it comes in many ways, shapes, expressions and colours. It speaks...
Jocelyn Gould’s guitar resonates with the waves of the soul
The Artistry of… Jocelyn Gould With the depth of their very soul, the guitarist speaks and sings like no other with their...
Renée Yoxon exemplifies the inclusivity of jazz
The Artistry of… Renée Yoxon They’re one of a song’s best friends. In Renée Yoxon’s voice, there is an adventure of the...
Joe Sample played with a hip, hypnotic groove
The Artistry of… Joe Sample The sound was what came out of a foray into a kind of jazz that hit a...
Carol Welsman’s voice is the sound of friendship
The Artistry of… Carol Welsman She sounds like friendliness — in song. She is the song’s best friend. If you have a...
Cyrille Aimée is an adventurer’s muse
The Artistry of… Cyrille Aimée Stephen Holden of The New York Times has described the vocalist Cyrille Aimée as having “one foot...
Melissa Aldana’s artistry intersects colour and sound
The Artistry of… Melissa Aldana I like it when you simply cannot separate the elements of one arts discipline from another in...
Bobo Stenson’s artistry is in the subtlety of expression
The Artistry of… Bobo Stenson There is a nuanced subtlety to the artistry of Swedish piano player Bobo Stenson — almost an...
Duke Ellington was jazz royalty
The Artistry of… Duke Ellington In a word, gold. An original jazz royal. The music driven by, and driving, a wave of...
The artistry of Barbra Lica is a balance of playfulness and sophistication
The Artistry of… Barbra Lica Imagine the bravest and most daring one on the playground: the one going the highest on the...
The playing of Benny Green is a journey of melody
The Artistry of… Benny Green If I were a piano, I would want to be as ready as I could imagine being...
The music of Norah Jones is like the feeling of holding hands
If holding hands could have a sound, Norah Jones would be that sound. Her voice is tenderness and reassurance; it’s a steadying...
Grace Kelly plays with her soul out loud
Soul out loud. That is how she sounds. Oh, for the love of soul, and for that same love of the play...
The best of Charles Mingus: Five essential tracks that are as vital as ever
Charles Mingus's deep knowledge, powerful playing, pursuit of justice and love of jazz shine through in every track he recorded. A hundred years after his birth, these recordings easily stand the test of time....
On the vibraphone, Warren Wolf stands out
A jazz vibraphone player stands out. The instrument is not easy to put in the back. The sound demands attention and the...
With the violin, we hear every piece of Regina Carter’s soul
The energy behind the artistry is fuelled by an intentional blurring of genre boundaries, telling stories through the unique range and soundscape...
For Norma Winstone, the voice is an instrument
A critic once wrote that Norma Winstone “sets herself impossibly high standards, and then surpasses them.” She’s a writer of lyrics, some...
Art Pepper’s sound was inspired by raw life
The artistry and career of Art Pepper was rough-edged and addled — narcotics-affected and shadowed by a lifestyle that sometimes adventured in...
Etienne Charles embodies the Caribbean Creole spirit
Caribbean Creole is in the soul, the sounds, the spirit, the flavours of the food, the movements in the dance, and the...
The music of Jesse Ryan sounds like the flavours of his homeland
The artistic energy of Trinidad and Tobago is a delicious blend of an enviable collective of rich cultures. The music has elements...
Like a relay runner, Roy Hargrove proudly held the jazz baton
One of my favourite track and field events is the 4×100 relay. From the original concept originating in ancient Greece, it evolved...
With the help of FACTOR, these 10 Canadian artists are looking to take their music to the next level
For many musicians in Canada, FACTOR is one of the major ways of securing the funding they need to bring their projects to life...