Jazz Master

  And now I think the scene is as good as it has ever been. As far as musicians, we have a lot of great musicians; musicians have come here from other places. I am very proud of the musicians here in this city. – Willie Pickens [The following is …

For those fans of ‘70s jazz fusion, and for those who might not have been old enough to remember that period, the legendary pairing of keyboardist George Duke and bassist Stanley Clarke provided a time machine of sorts during their electric performance at the Country Club Hills Theater on Friday, June …

Because it’s not about anything but individual choices and individual feelings of being together and experiencing something together and sharing love, which is incredible. – Anat Cohen [The following is an edited version of a longer conversation] With a refreshing effervescence, Anat Cohen continues to explore the boundaries of her …

Steve Cole, the jazz artist, returns to his roots as a classically trained musician on his latest release Moonlight. “I started off as a classical musician. I love the sound of the orchestra, and some of the great relationships between arrangers and artists,” said Cole. Moonlight is a seamless combination …

It can be quite risky admitting to a well-known musician that you’ve never heard of them. One, that revelation could be result in a tongue lashing by the artist. Two, the interview could come to an abrupt end, and three, my music journalistic credentials could be damaged all in the …

It’s easy to believe that the advancement of social media is a key factor in Brian McKnight current predicament. Some may even think that it’s his naïve attitude toward the internet that contributed to the outrage of the “If You’re Ready to Learn” video. McKnight perhaps did underestimate the rapid …

One of the worst kept secrets in history is that music has a way of affecting how we feel about people. Music also makes us feel a certain way about the artists that create the music. Whatever emotions the message and the melody conjure up for us, we subconsciously associate …

  At the 11 PM set on a Wednesday night in New York, concertgoers got a lot more than they bargained for. Joey DeFrancesco’s trio consisted of Peter Bernstein on guitar, George Coleman Jr. on drums, and his father George Coleman Sr. on tenor. The tunes that the band played …

Laid back, easygoing, and simply honest, yet deeply intense…that is Najee the smooth side of jazz. This musical icon has stories to tell through his music that begins deep within. He is able to take music that other artist send him and determine if he can work with it to …