Interviews

Dionne Farris made the decision to be a singer at the young age of 12. The New Jersey native, determined to see her dreams come true, followed the music and left a trail of stellar performances behind her. In high school Farris took the lead role in her school’s production …

Grammy-Award winning pianist, composer and producer Jason Miles has worked over the years with a proverbial who’s who of contemporary music: Miles Davis, Marcus Miller, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Michael Brecker, Freddy Cole, George Benson, Joe Sample, Herb Alpert, Vanessa Williams and Grover Washington Jr., just …

There are singers whose voices are soft, melodic, timeless and original, jazz vocalist Gretchen Parlato is the beholder of such a voice. Everything she creates turns in to a masterpiece. Her 2005 debut album Gretchen Parlato was named “5 Best Progressive Jazz CDs of 2005 by Jazz Nation” – KPR …

There will never be another George Clinton. Don’t take that as the customary regurgitation of hyperbolic praise typically found in a piece like this, because, honestly, I’m not even talking about music right now. We already know his place in history – Funkadelic, Parliament, P-Funk, whatever. We’ve listened to Maggot …

Brazil, the land of beauty, sensuality, romance, freedom of expression and home of pianist, composer and songwriter Eliane Elias (pronounced Eh-lee-AH-neh Eh-LEE-ahs). There is a sound, a rhythm and a spirit of Brazil and its music that moves the listener in a sway and flow that is hypnotic. Elias’ music …

Japanese born pianist and composer Hiromi Uehara, simply known as Hiromi, began playing classical piano at the age of six. For Hiromi, music has always been her first language. She learned to play from her heart when her piano teacher told her to “Play red” if the piece was passionate …

It was clear from the start that The Brand New Heavies were something special. For over 20 years the band has been playing old school funk, soul and jazz on an extraordinary level. Part of the group’s lasting appeal is the fact that they have mastered the sounds of funk …

The league of next generation jazz artists brings with it the conundrum of tradition versus innovation. This new class seems to favor the latter over the former, but there are a quite a few whose loyalties lie with tradition. The classic vocal sound of Cécile McLorin Salvant allows you to …

When one considers great jazz performers and pianists, names such as Duke Ellington, Jelly Roll Morton, and Art Tatum, come to mind, and one day Wynton Marsalis’ young prodigy Aaron Diehl may be named among those greats. Born in Columbus Ohio, Diehl began his musical journey as a student and …

Humanitarian, cultural ambassador as well as an ambassador for Bead for Life, domestic abuse advocate and activist, Grammy-Certificate winner for her collaboration with Stephen Marley on his 2007 “Mind Control”, 40 Under Forty Achievement Award winner, Hearing Our Voices Award winner, and MTV’s Made Coach and the recipient of the …

Soul music was conceived in a one-room tabernacle south of the Mason-Dixon. This moment was overseen by sweat-drenched Pentecostal souls losing themselves in the Holy Spirit. A natural birth, there was no central air in this house of God. It was a literal hell on Earth. Divine irony, I suppose. …

James Louis Johnson once said, “Jazz is restless. It won’t stay put and it never will.” Although jazz originated in the Southern United States, its infectious rhythms and notes have spread throughout the entire world, encapsulating just about every culture it touches. Born and raised in Israel, Uri Gurvich was …