The artistry of Jackie Richardson is warm, welcoming and comforting
In mere moments in the presence of Jackie Richardson, you both will walk away as friends. You will gain the friendship of...
Oscar Peterson made perfection look effortless
I think he was the brilliant artist that he was because there was not a single element of skill foundation out of...
João Gilberto’s music was part of the definition of a culture
In the New York Times article written at the time of his death, João Gilberto is called an architect of bossa nova....
Betty Carter improvised freely and fearlessly
There is magic when one artist speaks fondly of another. The vocalist Carmen McCrae said these words once upon a time: “There’s...
Mike Stern speaks the language of the heart
His playing bridges generations in scope, sound, attitude and spirit. His artistry speaks of respect for the foundations and the explorations of...
For Emmet Cohen, the piano is the soulful machinery of creativity
Jazz is in a mode of advancement with the artistry of Emmet Cohen. His musicality was expressed at a very early age,...
Gretchen Parlato sings with wit, irony and adventure
She is a Los Angeleno by birth, with a richness of diversity in her earliest music and art experiences. Her father was...
The fun and playful ways of Tuck & Patti
They play like they are playing: chasing, laughing, enjoying, nurturing, sharing, and blending. Their music beckons the listener, inviting them onto the...
The music of Ron Carter excites all of the senses
These are Ron Carter’s words: “My responsibility as a bassist and bandleader is using every opportunity to create spectacular music.” I think...
Even to the side of the limelight, Kenny Dorham was essential to jazz
His was a short life that had in it a crucial and significant creativity and activity that could have filled so very...
Peter Appleyard was jazz in every sense of the word
Piano, drums, vibes, keys… the beat, the swing and, well, the vibes kind of say it all. There was a distinct charm...
Challenge was part of the Billy Eckstine way
If silk sounded like music, it would sound like Billy Eckstine — as smooth as his distinctive voice and look. The singing...
For Brandee Younger, the harp sings with the soul of jazz
The harp… There is something brash and defiant even just about the way it looks. It belies its amazing range of musical...
Lionel Loueke speaks the languages of music and soul
He speaks with his guitar. His is a dual language: the language of music and the language of the soul. They are...
George Benson plays like his soul depends on it
George Benson plays like his soul depends on it. It’s like his very being craves it and needs it to breathe and...
The music of Lizz Wright is imbued with respect for the natural world
She’s a Southerner and there is a sensibility. A signature of grace under — and as a means of getting over and...
An original gentleman of jazz, Joe Williams was elegantly playful
The singer’s way carries you on a joyride through every turn and straightaway of a song’s story. He injected wit and flair,...
The music of Tomasz Stańko was defiantly free
The Polish-born trumpeter lived in the shadow of the spectre of the Soviet Union. His music confronted the domineering culture, confronted its presence,...
Jamie Cullum has a zest for the music
It’s like that line in the film When Harry Met Sally: the famous, titillating scene in the deli where the woman sitting nearby...
Rich Brown pays respect to the mysteries of sound
His name, like his music, is brazen texture. The music, the art, and the moods he creates all seem to come from...
Larry Goldings uses the many layers of musical storytelling
There is a lot of the phrase “can be heard on” in any profile of Larry Goldings, and that brilliantly speaks volumes...
With her guitar, Mimi Fox makes notes take flight
It’s as if her guitar strings are wings, wings that can carry you up so high that you are where the currents...
The artistry of Alison Young is in always demanding more
There may be and may have been boys in the band, but they’ve never sounded such a beautiful kind of better than...