Interviews

“One of the first records my dad gave me was “Kind of Blue.”  With that kind of introduction, it’s no wonder than Ingrid Jensen turned out to become a trumpet player.  One might not expect North Vancouver to be a prime locale for recruiting hot jazz musicians.  However, it is, …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

  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 …

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 …

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 …

When music scholars and recording artists think about the harmonica, two names come to mind: Toots Thielemans and Stevie Wonder. Gregoire Maret certainly feels that way, and ever since he arrived in America from Switzerland; he’s been doing his damndest to make sure he’s the third name. He shares his …

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 …

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 …