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Bassist extraodinaire, composer, arranger, educator, curator and administrator, Christian McBride, has been one of the most important and most omnipresent figures in the jazz world for 20 years. Sometimes hard to believe considering this man is not yet 40. Beginning in 1989, this Philadelphia-born bassist moved to New York City …

Women love Will Downing. And men love the women who love Will Downing. In his two decade recording career, the Brooklyn native has carved for himself a solid career as one of the leading purveyors of unapologetic, unabashed romantic music. And while this has not translated to crossover success – …

Dianne Reeves is a four-time Grammy Award-winning jazz singer whose critically acclaimed body of work has spanned across three decades. To date, Reeves has delivered nineteen albums, including the soon-to-be released, Beautiful Life. Beyond her solo endeavors, she has lent her talents to myriad projects, ranging from George Duke’s From …

Joey DeFrancesco comes from a musical family. His Grandfather Joseph DeFrancesco (his name sake) was a reed man. And of course his father, “Papa” John DeFrancesco, is a fine jazz organist in his own right. At the age of 4, Joey began taking a strong interest in the organ. By …

Jazz guitarist, Jeff Golub has been on over 30 million recordings with the likes of Gerald Albright, Henry Butler, Richard Elliot, Robben Ford, Sonny Landreth, Jeff Lorber, Kirk Whalum and Peter White. In 2011, he lost his sight abruptly due to a collapsed optic nerve. Instead of slowing down, however, …

Brenda Russell has a timeless style that has kept her in demand for nearly thirty-five years. This singer is also a prolific songwriter and her lyrics have transcended several genres of music. Her songs have been recorded by nearly fifty artists. She has also collaborated with countless individuals in the …

One of the preeminent female jazz vocalists in the world, Dianne Reeves, is set to release her Concord Records debut, Beautiful Life, on February 11, 2014. The album showcases Reeves’ sublime gifts by melding elements of R&B, Latin and pop within the framework of 21st Century jazz. “At its essence,” …

Found deep in the DNA of Cava Menzies is a long line of musical talents. Her grandmother was a dancer at the legendary Cotton Club, and her father, Eddie Henderson, was a jazz trumpeter and member of the Herbie Hancock sextet. Also, her mother was a classically trained flutist. Menzies, …

Calming, gentle, tranquil, and relaxing, are a few words that describe the sound of the soon to be released album titled “Moment to Moment” by Nick Phillips and Cava Menzies. The musical creativity that resonates the collaborative union between these two artists can be heard with the ears, and also …

“Snarky Puppy” is a pretty hard name to forget. But it was not too long ago that the mysterious title of the Brooklyn-based band was only being thrown around amongst its fervent cult following. That all changed in December when the collective was nominated for a Grammy Award in the …

Unless you were living under a rock this past November, surely you heard the buzz surrounding the “Blue Eyed Soul” segment of the Soul Train Awards Show that featured legends such as Bobby Caldwell, Vanilla Ice, Dave Koz and Jon B.  The segment couldn’t have been timed more appropriately with …

Bay area native Cava Menzies hails from a long line of musical talents; her grandmother, a pioneer in the New York Jazz scene as a dancer at the Cotton Club, her father, Eddie Henderson, an accomplished jazz trumpeter and early member of the Herbie Hancock sextet, and her mother a …