irockjazzlive

Drummer/percussionist Francisco Mora Catlett made some serious noise in New York jazz circles with the release of his ground-breaking Afro-Horn MX, a wildly eclectic mix of Afro-Cuban ritual, avant-garde jazz, and Latin American surrealism. Fans and critics alike were enthralled with the thematic direction of the music, which was inspired …

Singer Alicia Olatuja’s mix of jazz, classical, gospel and pop brought national recognition for her performance at the Presidential Inauguration ceremony. It’s the “breath taking” voice of a classically trained, mezzo-soprano who has drawn the most critically acclaim notice since the inauguration. Originally from St. Louis Missouri, Olatuja is a …

Talk to any Atlantan of a certain age and they inevitably wax nostalgic about the mid-to-late 1990s – with good reason.  The city was simmering with soulful possibilities, creative verve overflowed and iconoclasts seemed to dwell on every block.   Jason Orr tapped into this energy and created the preeminent showcase …

In the beginning there was jazz. A deviation from the conservative pathway of European musical tropes, jazz was America’s original counterculture. Largely defined by the ingenuity of its artist, it found structure in a lack thereof, improvisation its blueprint. With such an inherent flexibility, jazz engaged many a strange bedfellow, …

Joe Locke is an award-winning vibraphone player who has played with a Who’s Who of jazz legends both past and contemporary, including Dizzy Gillespie, Pepper Adams, Mongo Santamaria, Grover Washington Jr., Dianne Reeves, Ron Carter, Randy Brecker, and many more. His varied tastes have also led him to sessions or …

Omari Hardwick has made a name for himself in the entertainment industry with his passion, dedication, and undeniable, natural talent.  Hardwick’s film credits include Lionsgate’s KICK-ASS alongside Nicolas Cage, Chloe Grace Moretz, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Buena Vista Pictures’ THE GUARDIAN opposite Kevin Kostner and Ashton Kutcher, MGM’s BEAUTY SHOP alongside Queen Latifah, and Sony Pictures Entertainment’s GRIDIRON GANG opposite Dwayne …

Authors Gerald McCauley and Benjamin Bove to talk about their new book and accompanying Blu-ray documentary Down the Rhodes: The Fender Rhodes Story is the first and only book documenting how the Rhodes changed the sound of music and was part of the greatest hits and most influential music ever recorded. …

Ellene Masri, songwriter and performer, has just release her debut self-produced album, “MUSIC”, a mixture of various cultural influences inspired by her mixed roots, her travels around the world and her many musical encounters under her own label “Music talk”, November 1st. She has already been previewed in the UK …

Jaleel Shaw, alto saxophonist grew up in Philadelphia, PA, where he studied with saxophone instructors Rayburn Wright and Robert Landham. He also studied with jazz instructor Lovette Hines, whose students have included Bassist Christian McBride, Organist Joey Defrancesco, Drummers Johnathan Blake & Ari Hoenig, Vocalist Bilal, Trumpeter Daud El-Bakara, and …

Lee England, Jr. never imagined an introduction to string instruments as a child would foreshadow his future as a nationally-recognized instrumentalist. At six years old, he was immediately drawn to the violin and rushed home to tell his parents he wanted one. Although it gained his interest, the classically trained violinist …

It’s easy to take Alice Russell for granted. I realized that about halfway through her recent set at Yoshi’s in San Francisco, California. It was around this time that while fully engaged, I was growing comfortable within this auditory space. I was enjoying myself, of course, but my mind was …

Wallace Roney is a Philadelphia born trumpeter who is an in demand player who has had lots of ups and downs in his career. Although showing promise early on, his professional career didn’t really take off until he was almost 30-years old. Miles Davis has always been Wallace Roney’s most …