2020 Festival International de Jazz de Montréal – Virtual!
A couple of months ago, there was the sad, but expected, news that this year’s Montréal Jazz Festival (officially the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal – FIJM) was...
Streaming Live at the Village Vanguard with the Vijay Iyer Trio
On Saturday, June 20, and Sunday, June 21, 2020, the Village Vanguard presented the Vijay Iyer Trio online. Before the Saturday concert started, Vijay addressed the current state of...
The Adam Linz Interview – Part Two
Adam Linz is a double bassist and an eminent force on Twin Cities jazz and creative music scenes. Linz has been a part of some of the area’s most...
The National Jazz Museum in Harlem – CRIB Collective Virtual Concert
Christian McBride and DJ Logic © Kevin R. Mason On Wednesday, May 20, the National Jazz Museum in Harlem presented an...
The Adam Linz Interview – Part One
Adam Linz is a double bassist and an eminent force on Twin Cities jazz and creative music scenes. Linz has been a part of some of the area’s most...
Celebrating Harlem Stage! – Virtual Gala
It is fortunate that during this time when live concerts and festivals are being cancelled, there are many online events to keep the music going. On Monday, May 18,...
Celebrating Harlem Stage – Harlem Stage’s Virtual Performing Arts Fundraiser – Coming Soon!
Although the pandemic is at full throttle, and most live jazz events have been cancelled, many jazz artists and organizations have taken their events to the Internet. So,...
Tatiana Eva-Marie and the Avalon Jazz Band at On Stage at Kingsborough
Writer’s Note: This was one of the last live events in the New York area before the pandemic became full-blown. I hope you enjoy it as a reminder...
Litchfield Jazz Festival’s 2019 “Jingle & Mingle”
Writer’s Note: Here is another look back at a jazz event, and I hope the article will entertain you, especially if you are sheltering at home, or in...
Twin Cities Summer 2020 Jazz Calendar
Live events are beginning to pop up around the Twin Cities, including the innovative “Lakeside Drive In” and upcoming live music on the patio at Crooners Lounge. Venues are...
The Baylor Project
Writer’s Note: With all that is going on with the growing concerns over the virus pandemic, it is nice to look back at one of the many excellent free...
Will the Arts Face a Corona Virus Challenge?
As the announcement of art events cancellations appear from Europe, the question is how could this event affect the arts. Locally here in San Francisco, there is the question...
The 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition – The SASSY Awards!
On Sunday, November 24, 2019, the 8th annual contest named after the legendary Sarah Vaughan, “The Divine One,” gave five vocalists an opportunity to compete for a $5,000 cash...
David Amram’s 89th Birthday at Jazz Forum
On November 16, 2019, multi-instrumentalist/composer David Amram celebrated his 89th birthday at the beautiful, intimate, art-filled Jazz Forum nightclub in Tarrytown, New York. Since opening in 2017, Jazz Forum...
Jesse Simon: Ambassador of Hard Bop
Good things have a way of sticking around. And few things are better than the music called hard bop which flourished roughly from 1955 to 1965. Luckily for those...
Veronica Swift and The Emmet Cohen Trio – On Stage at Kingsborough
On Friday, October 11, 2019, On Stage at Kingsborough’s “Jazz at the Lighthouse” series presented Veronica Swift & The Emmet Cohen Trio. Jazz at the Lighthouse offers panoramic views,...
Review: JC Sanford Quartet, Keratoconus
Review: JC Sanford Quartet Keratoconus (Shifting Paradigm Records) I had to learn a couple of things about JC Sanford before I could fully appreciate his 2019 release Keratoconus. For...
No Surprise: Luke Peterson Curates “Our Own Festival” at Studio Z, December 26-28
Something about drummer Luke Peterson impressed me long before he completed his degree in math and physics at Northwestern, long before he started graduate studies in Aerospace Engineering at...
RIP Mr. Smooth: Irv Williams, 1919-2019
Either “the coolest old guy or the oldest cool guy…” — Pioneer Press Like a bobo doll, saxophonist Irv Williams seemed as if he would bounce back for an...
Twin Cities Jazz Venues
[Updated November 1, 2019] I hear these questions a lot: Where does one find live jazz in the Twin Cities? And how do you learn about it? Look no...