Historian Ricky Riccardi goes behind the scenes of Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues
If you like music documentaries, here’s one for you. Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues offers an intimate and revealing look at the world-changing...
How Liona Boyd broke down gender barriers to become ‘the First Lady of the Guitar’
Liona Boyd is known as “the First Lady of the Guitar.” The five-time Juno Award winner has enthralled millions with her romantic...
How Lauren Falls got ‘a little bit bolder’ on second album A Little Louder Now
Originally from British Columbia, bassist and composer Lauren Falls has spent time in New York studying at the Manhattan School of Music...
Soul singer Lee Fields had ‘free rein to be myself’ on new album Sentimental Fool
Lee Fields is arguably the greatest pure soul singer alive today. In an age when the shelf life of an artist largely...
How vocalist Caity Gyorgy made her ‘dream project’
It wasn’t that long ago that jazz.fm91 put together a list of eight Canadian women in jazz you need to know. One...
Antonio Sánchez talks new album SHIFT and constantly expanding musicality
Antonio Sánchez is best known as a jazz drummer, but his latest work finds him playing a wide variety of instruments and tapping...
For Michael Kaeshammer, the thrill of live performance makes it all worthwhile
As we head back into the clubs, the theatres and the concert halls, it’s really easy to see what we’ve missed. This...
How Jazzmeia Horn took control of her career with Dear Love
She’s a three-time Grammy nominee, an NAACP Image Award winner, a Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Competition winner, a DownBeat Critics Poll...
Cedric Burnside is taking old-school blues into the future
Cedric Burnside was born into the blues. As the grandson of the Mississippi legend R.L. Burnside, he was raised by the music...
Hilario Durán and David Virelles pair up for ‘virtuosic’ Front Street Duets
Hilario Durán is considered one of the greatest jazz pianists in the world. The internationally acclaimed Cuban musician’s latest album is a...
Michelle Willis talks new album Just One Voice: ‘It was years of just being alive’
Singer-songwriter and keyboardist Michelle Willis released her debut album See Us Through in 2016 to much acclaim. Since then, she has toured and recorded...
For Ron Carter, the work never stops: ‘I’m still trying to be a complete, better player’
Bassist, composer and bandleader Ron Carter has been at the forefront of jazz for decades. Carter is an NEA Jazz Master and...
Sara Gazarek challenges her own narrative with new Vanity EP
If the best artists are those who are persistent in their desire to develop themselves, their approach and their work, then jazz...
How Ernesto Cervini turned Louise Penny’s mystery novels into music on his ambitious album Joy
Ernesto Cervini is one of the busiest artists in jazz. The Juno-winning drummer, composer and bandleader is an influential presence on Canada’s...
Shane Theriot on the making of Dr. John’s final album
Grammy-winning guitarist and composer Shane Theriot hails from the New Orleans area and has been playing guitar since the age of 11....
The Manhattan Transfer celebrate 50 years together
Back in 1969 when Tim Hauser first had the idea for a vocal group that could perform jazz, blues, swing, a cappella,...
Vocalist Melissa Stylianou is living in the moment on new album Dream Dancing
Several years ago, I met a young vocalist from Toronto who was pursuing a concentration in vocal jazz. From the moment I...
Kurt Elling on SuperBlue, his favourite moments and more
Renowned for his singular combination of robust swing and poetic insight, two-time Grammy winner Kurt Elling has secured his place among the...
Micah Barnes on signing with Alma Records, working in TV and more
Micah Barnes has been entertaining us for decades. He began in the cabarets and jazz clubs of Toronto before he joined the...
Kahil El’Zabar on his love of John Coltrane
Multi-percussionist Kahil El’Zabar has been at the forefront of the spiritual, avant-garde jazz scene since the 1970s. Throughout his career, he’s performed...
Joy Lapps and Larnell Lewis on the nature of rhythm
For Joy Lapps and Larnell Lewis, rhythm is a way of life. Lapps is a steelpannist, composer and educator who recently released...
Latin jazz star Dafnis Prieto on his creative process and new album Cantar
For nearly 30 years, Dafnis Prieto’s revolutionary drumming techniques and compositions have been making a powerful impact on jazz and Latin music...
Bobby Rush looks back on 50 years of Chicken Heads
Bobby Rush has been making records for nearly 70 years and has more than 400 recordings, 75 career releases, and now 27...