Twin Cities Spring 2020 Jazz Calendar: May the Music Never End, Even If It’s Virtual!
So who knew this 20th century art form would depend on 21st century technology? Although live music is mostly on hiatus, musicians and venues have been creative in maintaining...
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...
Lynne Arriale Returns to the Dunsmore Room, February 1
© Andrea Canter, Senior Editor Emeritus “The melody is what creates a particular energy and feeling in the listener and it sets the tone… I take an idea, develop...
On Stage at Kingsborough – Billie and Blue Eyes!
On Friday, October 12, 2018, Brooklyn’s Kingsborough Community College presented another stellar event from the On Stage at Kingsborough series. Billie and Blue Eyes! was a tribute to the...
The 2018 JazzFest White Plains
Now that the end of the year is almost here, this is a look back at one of the best up-and-coming jazz festivals in the Northeast. The seventh annual...
The 2018 Charlie Parker Jazz Festival – Great Music and a Fine Tribute
Renowned saxophonist Charles Parker, Jr., aka “Bird” and “Yardbird,” packed a lot of life and music into his 34 years on this earth. He has had a lasting influence...
The 2018 Newport Jazz Festival
Although summer is becoming a memory, some of the best memories of the season came from the 2018 Newport Jazz Festival, Presented by Natixis Investment Managers. Established in 1954...
Montreal Beyond the Festival – Jazz Mass, and the Art of Jazz
Montreal is a city that is full of music all through the year. Especially during the annual event, Le Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, music is everywhere, beyond...
The 2018 Montreal Jazz Festival – A Whole World of Music!
The 2018 Montreal Jazz Festival, officially called Le Festival International de Jazz de Montréal (FIJM), took place from June 28 to July 7. The word “International” in the title...
Siereveld’s ‘Walk the Walk’ on Shifting Paradigm Records
New York based trumpeter Eric Siereveld embraces and embodies the classic B3 organ jazz sound on his 2018 release Walk the Walk (Shifting Paradigm Records). The personnel on the...
Album Review: Fire Bell, INCENDIOS
Sometimes swinging, and sometimes twisting in a multi-meter tangle, Fire Bell’s new album INCENDIOS is all personality.