Amikaeyla Cultivates Community with Music
Amikaeyla With a Native American name that means “one who fights for love”, jazz artist Amikaeyla seeks to use her vocal powerhouse for good as she seeks to return to the basics of feel-good music. “I want to revisit a place in music where people can drink a glass of …
Nicki Richards….The Soulful Vibe of a Musical Diva
If you have ever listened to an R&B, Rock, or Pop song that has landed in the Top 10 on the Billboard Charts within the past twenty years, you have heard the incredible vocals of Nicki Richards. Her voice is resonates on the background vocals for artists that include Mariah …
ABIAH’s “Vocal Distinction”
The music industry attributes the decline of music sales to the Internet. With the click of a button, any web surfer can access millions of songs of any genre. However, are music labels and moguls taking into consideration the listening audience is not overjoyed with what they are hearing …
Robert Glasper Scats to the Beat of His Own Tune
Jazz pianist and producer Robert Glasper is at the head of the class when it comes to breaking rules in his genre. Known for thinking outside of the musical box, he fuses Hip Hop, Soul and Jazz to create his own element and niche in one of the oldest …
Marquis Hill and the Sounds of the City
Marquis Hill released his second CD Sounds of the City on Aug. 23. An accomplished musician, composer, arranger, and music educator at age 24, he mastered how to temper his emotional center while playing. He exhibits a more complex thinking and reasoning when he plays the trumpet or flügelhorn. It …
Chrisette Michele’s Reflections on Life and Love
The path to self-discovery can last a lifetime, and Chrisette Michele trots that road through her career as she travels to worlds unknown in song and in self-expression. Since her major debut in 2007, the R&B and soul singer says she’s learned to find her voice in the industry and …
Karriem Riggins Alone Together: The Gift of Solitude
“Without great solitude no serious work is possible” – Pablo Picasso Some of the world’s greatest minds from Mozart to Einstein have extolled the virtues of solitude as necessary catalyst to spark genius. As creativity often flourishes when one is alone, the ability to focus deeply and hear one’s own …
The Universal Insights of Tom Harrell
[/caption] “Jazz music is so universal that you can draw upon it; you can bring other cultural influences to jazz and it still remains jazz music.” – Tom Harrell Renowned composer, arranger and trumpeter Tom Harrell has sustained an impressive career that has spanned well over 40 years. He …
And the Afrobeat Goes On for Sandra Izsadore
As she reflects on how she fought for social injustice, human rights activist and music composer Sandra Izsadore continues to promote the fight for change in domestic communities and for societies abroad. Recognized historically as the ‘mother of Afrobeat’, Sandra infamously established the genre with the historical, Nigerian music …
Toeing the Second Line with Delfeayo Marsalis
“Trombones generally sit in the middle of the Jazz band. They keep the trumpets and saxes away from each other. There’s always that love and hate relationship between them.” – Delfeayo Marsalis The name “Marsalis” is synonymous with Jazz, like the name “Kennedy” is to American politics. No other …
Stefon Harris: How Everything But Jazz Made Him So Great At Jazz
What makes the 21st century Jazz musician so appealing and innovative is his or her open-mindedness when it comes to inspiration. Vibraphonist Stefon Harris is one of many great artists to flourish in this generation of Jazz chameleons. With every new project comes a new challenge and a new sound; …
Lonnie Liston Smith Shares His Knowledge and Legacy of Timeless Music
What started out as attempts to make hits spawned into ageless classics for old-school lovers of Jazz and a backdrop for artists of other genres to pair with their sounds. Sampled by Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Young Jeezy, Ne-Yo and others, Lonnie Liston’s Smith’s “A Garden of Peace” was …