Jazz Master

On Friday, April 27, The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, led by trumpeter Wynton Marsalis performed at Chicago Symphony Center, as part of the Symphony Center Presents Jazz series with a special tribute to bandleader Wynton Marsalis in honor of his 50th birthday—a yearlong celebration. The evening celebrated Marsalis’ compositions, …

Two Lady of Soul Awards, five Grammy Nominations and four Top 10 R&B albums are just a few career highlights of musical talent, soul singer and prolific songwriter Angie Stone. With hits ranging from “No More Rain In This Cloud” to “Brotha” and “Wish I Didn’t Miss You”, fans are …

  Carpe diem! Rejoice while you are alive; enjoy the day; live life to the fullest; make the most of what you have. It is later than you think.-Horace Seventeen years ago, Grammy Nominated Vocalist and Superwoman singer Karyn White, at the pinnacle of her career, decided to leave the music …

When examining the arc of one’s artistry, what must be considered above that individual’s personal aptitude of his respective skill is the fact that you are a product of your environment. Terence Blanchard is an arc type for this principle, extracting the rich spirit of his New Orleans upbringing from …

Denise White wasn’t thinking of the words strength, light, and bright, when she decided to adopt the name Avery Sunshine. According to Sunshine, she now personifies all of those qualities. When she looks at her life, she wonders how she does it all. “I’ve reached that Avery Sunshine part of …

I feel confident in saying that one of the greatest jazz guitar albums ever is, Smokin’ at the Half Note by Wes Montgomery in 1965. Aside from a spectacular band—the spontaneity, active listening employed by the comping instruments, and the selection of tunes make this album a classic. The Cyrus …

Grammy Nominee Gregory Porter wooed fans during a recent performance at Mayne Stage in Chicago. An amazing musical treat especially during Jazz Appreciation Month, Porter performed several selections from both his Water and Be Good albums including favorites like “Illusion,” “1960 What?,” “Lonely One,” “On My Way To Harlem,” “Be …

Growing up in the musically rich soil of Detroit, JD Allen uprooted and migrated to the concrete pastures of New York City, where his music has grown and flourished for more than a decade.  Called a “tenor titan” by Jazz Times boasting “an enigmatic, elegant and hard driving style” as mentioned by The New York Times and …

Jesse Campbell, a man who exudes humbleness, has been catapulted to fame since his audition on NBC’s “The Voice.” When he opened his mouth, all of the famous musical coaches (Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green, and Blake Shelton) turned around within seconds in astonishment that he had “the …

When Joshua Redman heard Brad Mehldau play piano in the 1990’s, he hired him practically on the spot. Since then, the two have made names for themselves as fixtures on the jazz scene, and have once again come together for a tour. Mehldau is not as much of a straight-ahead …