Interviews

Dee Dee Bridgewater has been captivating audiences with her dynamic vocal skills and her brilliant stage presence since her debut in the early 70s, making her name one that rings synonymous with jazz. Bridgewater’s stellar theatrical performances have earned her numerous awards including the coveted Tony, and made her a …

Every once in a while, an artist comes along who is so phenomenally talented that it almost seems unfair to every other artist.  For me, one such person is Bobby McFerrin.  I remember listening to “Peace,” sung by McFerrin and written by the incomparable Horace Silver, and being moved beyond …

Trumpeter Rick Braun is as smooth as they come. Best known for his passionate style of play and amazing song writing skills, the Pennsylvania native started his career at a young age and has gone on to create one of the most recognizable and admired sounds in contemporary jazz today. …

The excitement around Lil’ John Roberts’ debut album The Heartbeat is felt through a cross-section of music lovers. Those diverse ears and hearts have recognized the contributions Roberts has made over the course of his two decades in the music business and were undoubtedly satisfied upon first listening of his …

Very rarely does a musician get to play on a legendary recording such as Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew so early in their career, but drummer Lenny White is no ordinary musician.  Taking a cue from his drumming hero Tony Williams, White thrust himself completely into the burgeoning fusion scene of …

While Jonathan Butler was growing up as a youngster in Cape Town, South Africa living under the racist Apartheid system, dreams had to be very important.  What’s more important to Butler is the ability to live those dreams.  Butler became the first black South African artist to be played on …

  I often wonder if, as a young boy growing up on E. 85th and Quincy in Cleveland, Ohio, sneaking licks on his father’s precious guitar, Bobby Womack even imagined the impact he would have on the music industry. Womack or “Mr. Womagic” as the old heads still call him, …

  With 30 years in the music business under his belt and 17 original solo albums, Richard Elliot has earned all of the acclaim and accolades thrown his way.  But resting on his laurels and allowing others to define him is not how he has stayed relevant for so long.  …

We love legends, don’t we? Not only do they use their talents to break barriers and achieve levels of greatness that few have seen, but they also use those very talents to lead a new generation to that same level of excellence and beyond. Master bassist, composer, leader, doctor and …

Originally, the term “stretch music” was used to describe the powerful way in which trumpeter Christian Scott elongated the boundaries of music by fusing elements of jazz with various other musical genres.  Today, the term has been stretched far beyond the musical stylings of the critically acclaimed Berklee grad, to …

Some people have argued that we now live in a society where everyone wants to be a star. 15 minutes of fame is all that is needed so that, if only for a moment, the world will know their names. For these people, making headlines is more important than making …

To say that John “Lil John” Roberts is a hot commodity in the R&B and jazz drumming world, is like saying that water is wet.  Roberts has backed up an eclectic range of artists, but now, it’s his turn to shine, with his new release, The Heartbeat.  Roberts has the …