“We played the Royal Albert Hall in 1964,” says Charles Lloyd, recollecting his first ever UK performance. “Packed it to the rafters.” He was 26, playing tenor saxophone in Cannonball Adderley’s majestic band and getting his first taste of a…
Soul-jazz groove-machine Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio—or as it is sometimes referred to, DLO3—never would have happened without years and years of crummy gigs, and Delvon’s staunchly supportive wife, Amy Novo. The story goes that Hammond b3 organist Delvon would regularly lug…
Jazz pianist Bill Charlap opens his trio’s latest album with four bars of shifting quarter-note chords, the reliable pulse a compelling contrast to the unpredictable colors he creates. The final tune settles into a slow, stalking rhythm, and after a…
Last year, in the thick of pandemic lockdown, an exalted jazz vocalist and an eminent groove guitarist forged a partnership from a distance. Kurt Elling, the singer, had been seeking fresh connection at a time of disorienting distance from the bandstand.…
Jazz singer and composer Cécile McLorin Salvant, who won the MacArthur “genius” grant in 2020, has announced her new album Ghost Song. It’s her label debut for Nonesuch and it arrives March 4. Today, she’s shared the album’s title track with a new video. Watch it…
Pokey Lafarge’s new album, In The Blossom of Their Shade, was named a notable release for NPR’s New Music Friday. Additionally, the single “Rotterdam” was added to their playlist. Unlike its melancholy predecessor, In the Blossom of Their Shade showcases…
We are thrilled to announce that American Patchwork Quartet are among the 52 awardees to receive the South Arts Creative Residency Grant! This 40k award will allow the band to spend 10 days in Asheville, NC. There, next May, they…
Touched by cultural and musical legends who came before him, Nigel Hall wields limitless talents with seemingly effortless panache. He’s a soulful force of nature with an unrepentant approach, a captivating performer who simply demands our attention. Keyboardist/vocalist for veteran future-funk outfit Lettuce,…
Béla Fleck, the banjo visionary in groups like New Grass Revival and his own Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, will release his first bluegrass album in more than two decades. My Bluegrass Heart finds Fleck collaborating with a host of fellow pickers,…
From Brooklyn Vegan: Pokey LaFarge will be back with In The Blossom of Their Shade on September 10 via New West Records. The album was produced and arranged by Pokey and Chris Seefried, and recorded in Chicago and Los Angeles. We’ve got the…