Derrick Hodge

The 38th annual Atlanta Jazz Festival (AJF) kicked off on a beautiful Memorial Day weekend in Piedmont Park. If I could name one constant that people have come to expect from the AJF, it would have to be the eclectic sounds that fuse jazz elements with every genre known to …

Drummer Otis Brown III – an invaluable sideman with the likes of Esperanza Spalding, Joe Lovano, Terence Blanchard, Oliver Lake, Somi, and others – has announced the release of his debut album The Thought of You, which will arrive September 23 via Revive/Blue Note, a new partnership between Revive Music and Blue Note Records. Pre-order …

Breakthrough success can often be a tough act to follow. But with a little help from some notable friends, Robert Glasper Experiment is set to up the ante with the follow-up to his successful GRAMMY-winning album Black Radio. Flaunting a diverse array of featured guests including Common,Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy, Brandy, Jill Scott, Dwele, Marsha Ambrosius, Anthony Hamilton,Faith …

Casey Benjamin is a Grammy Award winning multi-instrumentalist. He is prolific as both a sideman and bandleader. In addition, he has recently worked with artists such as Kris Bowers, Robert Glasper, Derrick Hodge, Lupe Fiasco, Mark Adams, Melvin Gibbs, and Stefon Harris.

Casey Benjamin is a Grammy Award winning multi-instrumentalist. He is prolific as both a sideman and bandleader. In addition, he has recently worked with artists such as Kris Bowers, Robert Glasper, Derrick Hodge, Lupe Fiasco, Mark Adams, Melvin Gibbs, and Stefon Harris. Benjamin recently spoke with an iRock Jazz interviewer …

You’ll love Blue Note Records. I don’t need for you to believe me, because I already know that it’s true. Now, you’re probably asking yourself, “Who is this guy? He doesn’t know me.” And to that, I would have to agree. I don’t know you, personally. But, I do know …

What separates artists like Herman Melville or Vincent Van Gogh from other artists of their time? Moby Dick, one of the most cherished works of American literature, was a piece of art that practically ruined Melville’s reputation during his lifetime. One of the most celebrated post-impressionist in history, Van Gogh, …

Jason Moran is a Houston, Texas-born pianist and composer. His eclectic styling has led to a successful run of over fifteen years, as both sideman and band leader. In this time, Moran has received considerable praise for his fluid play, which encompasses various styles, blending them into one definably distinctive …

In a music industry often rife with shameless self promotion and ambitious arrogance, humility is a characteristic that is found in minimal proportions. Contrary to popular thought, humility is not the meek position some may think. It is the quiet strength of the humble that does not step on others …

  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, …