Reviews

On this breezy fall evening, the crowd sits patiently waiting for her arrival. The wine is being poured as the servers dance effortlessly between the chairs and tables. The new darling of the jazz world, Esperanza Spalding is about to grace the stage with her refreshing and inspirational brand of …

    All I can say is wow, what a night! Three talented artists wowed the crowd as they adorned the stage in Chicago’s United Center. The very first on stage on this rainy night was Melanie Fiona, who came out dressed in an all-black fitted, leather, short set. Creating …

  “I may be little, but I take up a lot of space,” Prince told concert goers at his third and final performance of his “Welcome 2 Chicago” tour at the United Center. After such a long and illustrious career, it was only fitting that Prince would remind his audience …

  As I gazed across the pulsating crowd at the United Center, I began to wonder how many people there were actually old enough to know the vast musical canon of Madonna. It is hard to believe that she has been doing music for over 30 years, with hits that …

  September has been an auspicious month for New York’s Blue Note Jazz Club. It played host to Chick Corea & Gary Burton, Stanley Clarke & Hiromi, The Brecker Brothers and Roy Ayers! This saturation of renowned dates was kicked off by an equally formidable artist. Fatefully, from Sept. 4-6, …

With the passing of Von Freeman, the Chicago jazz scene lost one of its great local stars. His loss has reverberated across the jazz scene, garnering attention from many jazz artists. Wynton Marsalis and his quintet came into Chicago with a heavy heart after learning about Von’s passing. He dedicated …

The Afro-Punk Festival sure has come a long way. What once started in a basement in Lower Manhattan, soon spilled over to the Brooklyn Academy of Music, until even BAM could no longer accommodate its increasing attendees. Now, after eight years, it’s grown into a mammoth celebration of freedom. To …

  Now in its 33rd year, the Detroit Jazz Festival continues to live up to its reputation as North America’s largest free public jazz festival. It occupies a whopping two million square feet of downtown Detroit, culminating into a large soundstage at the beautiful Campus Martius Park near Cadillac Square. …

  Three songs. As I emerged from the A-train and swiftly made my way down 125th Street, the words “three songs” echoed in my mind. As I crossed the stoplight at Frederick Douglas BLVD, the big red neon letters became clearer and clearer with every swift step: A-P-O-L-L-O. I squinted …

  It has been called the next “It” island of intrigue. It is where Jake proposed to Vienna on the 2010 “The Bachelor” finale. It is where George Foreman owns a home and where Oprah Winfrey is a regular visitor who claims this lush Caribbean Island is one of the …

  The mesmerizing and talented singer, Eric Benet, who is on tour with Ledisi, started the show giving us a perfect vibe with perfect weather at the beautiful Country Club Hills–a large outside venue, where some of the fans were on the grass, in bleachers or in chairs. Benet’s presence …

For those fans of ‘70s jazz fusion, and for those who might not have been old enough to remember that period, the legendary pairing of keyboardist George Duke and bassist Stanley Clarke provided a time machine of sorts during their electric performance at the Country Club Hills Theater on Friday, June …