Béla Fleck’s Live Heart: My Bluegrass Heart at the Ryman is out now — a 20‑track live recording of his Grammy‑winning My Bluegrass Heart performed January 8, 2022, at Nashville’s legendary Ryman Auditorium
Monthly Archives: October 2026
NPR writer Michel Martin recently spoke with Meshell Ndegeocello about her new album, Synonym, which pays tribute to classic musical duets. The album features Ndegeocello performing with well-known artists such as Cynthia Erivo, Chaka Khan, Brandi Carlile, and ANOHNI. Martin discussed how Ndegeocello chose songs that were meaningful to her and gave them a new sound instead of simply copying the original versions. Ndegeocello explained that she sees each song as a blank canvas that she can reinvent in her own way. Through Synonym, she hopes listeners will appreciate these classic songs while also being open to hearing them in a new way.
Charles Lloyd delivered a truly historic performance at the 69th Monterey Jazz Festival, marking 60 years since his legendary “Forest Flower” recording at the festival. At 88, Lloyd revisited all five tracks from the landmark album with a superb quartet featuring Brian Blade, Gerald Clayton and Larry Grenadier.
According to Jim Harrington’s review in The Mercury News, Lloyd’s performance showed that the music from “Forest Flower” still feels remarkably fresh and powerful decades later. Rather than simply recreating the past, Lloyd and his quartet brought new energy and depth to the material, with the musicians listening closely and responding to one another throughout the set. Lloyd’s expressive saxophone playing remained at the center, creating a performance that connected the history of the Monterey Jazz Festival with the vitality of jazz in the present day. It was a fitting celebration of both Lloyd’s remarkable career and the enduring legacy of “Forest Flower.”