iRock Jazz LIVE! with Panist John Beasley

Grammy-nominated recording artist John Beasley’s music career spans three decades.  LA Times jazz critic Bill Kohlhaasee describes Beasley’s music and playing as “a variety of generational influences, incorporating the emphatic chordal clusters of Herbie Hancock, the rhythmic quirkiness of Monk and the lush intelligence of Art Tatum into a highly refined personal …

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iRock Jazz LIVE! with Pianist John Beasley

Grammy-nominated recording artist John Beasley’s music career spans three decades.  LA Times jazz critic Bill Kohlhaasee describes Beasley’s music and playing as “a variety of generational influences, incorporating the emphatic chordal clusters of Herbie Hancock, the rhythmic quirkiness of Monk and the lush intelligence of Art Tatum into a highly refined personal …

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iRock Jazz LIVE! with Drummer Poogie Bell

Poogie Bell is an American jazz drummer, composer, band leader and producer. Bell is best known as a drummer, working extensively with bassists Marcus Miller and as a sideman for other artists such as Erykah Badu, Victor Bailey, David Bowie, Stanley Clarke, Randy Crawford, Roberta Flack, Al Jarreau, Chaka Khan, …

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iRock Jazz LIVE! with Bassist Jimmy Haslip

Born in The Bronx to Puerto Rican immigrants, Spanish was Haslip’s first language and learned to speak English in kindergarten. His father, Jaime Haslip served in the United States Customs Service, beginning as a Merchant Marine until moving to patrolman and eventually deputy commissioner. Haslip moved to Huntington, New York …

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Christian McBride: Music for the People

Christian McBride is a trailblazer. Having been in the music game for over 20 years he has played alongside legendary greats such as Freddie Hubbard, Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Sting and has arranged for Chaka Khan, Lalah Hathaway, Natalie Cole and a host of other artists and musicians. …

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Chaka Khan: Achieving Musical Immortality

In a career that includes ten Grammy-Awards, multiple platinum albums, and an influence immeasurable in scope, all I can think about is “Be Bop Medley.” It seems strange, I know. Here we are celebrating four decades of Chaka Khan and for whatever reason my mind is fixated on this solitary …

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Quincy Jones: The Clairvoyant

Ray Charles. Miles Davis. Duke Ellington. Donna Summer. Michael Jackson. George Benson. Chaka Khan. Frank Sinatra. Lena Horne. These are some of the greatest, most famous recording artists of the 20th century, all of them linked by a common component: Quincy Delight Jones, Jr. The legendary impresario (calling him a …

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