Michael Jackson‘s “Human Nature” stands as a unique gem within his monumental Thriller album. Its introspective mood and smooth R&B shimmer offered a moment of quiet reflection amid the disco-infused …
Jazz standards hold a unique place in musical history. Their melodies, harmonies, and overall structures serve as springboards for countless reinterpretations. Two compositions that exemplify this transformative power are Bud …
Read our critical analysis of jazz covers of Ornette Coleman’s “Lonely Woman” composition, including notable versions by Branford Marsalis, Brad Mehldau, Charlie Haden, and more!
Few jazz compositions can claim the adaptability and staying power of Wayne Shorter‘s “ESP.” This enigmatic piece, originally featured on Miles Davis‘ 1965 album of the same name, has become …
I met Tigran Hamasyan at a Montreal Starbucks hours before his solo piano show at L’Astral on February 11th. He exuded a quiet composure, his thoughtful answers offering a counterpoint …
Read our critical analysis of jazz covers of Herbie Hancock’s “Butterfly” composition, including notable versions Robert Glasper, Norman Connors, Gretchen Parlato and more!
Read our critical analysis of jazz covers of Thelonious Monk’s “Crepuscule with Nellie” composition, including notable versions by Jason Moran, Greg Lewis and more!
Read our critical analysis of jazz covers of Dizzy Gillespie’s “Con Alma” composition, including notable versions by by Stan Getz, Gerald Clayton, Aaron Parks, Ben Wendel, and more!
Stream the 10 best Roy Ayers’ Everybody Loves the Sunshine covers by Robert Glasper, D’Angelo, Kiefer, Jamie Cullum and Seu Jorge and more!
Read our critical analysis of jazz covers of John Coltrane’s “Syeeda’s Song Flute” composition, including notable versions by Tommy Flanagan, James Carter, Medeski Martin & Wood, Matt Wilson and more!
Read our critical analysis of jazz covers of Miles Davis’ “Nardis” composition, including notable versions by Bill Evans, Cannonball Adderley, Charlie Haden, Joe Henderson and more!
Read our critical analysis of jazz covers of Joe Henderson’s “Black Narcissus” composition, including notable versions by Stanley Clarke, Renee Rosnes, Dayna Stephens, Helen Sung, Kevin Hays and more!
Read our critical analysis of jazz covers of Wayne Shorter’s “Fall” composition, including notable versions by Miles Davis, Gilad Hekselman and Jesse Fischer!
Stream five versions of Freddie Hubbard’s “Red Clay” including jazz covers by Jose James, The V.S.O.P. Quintet, and Soil & Pimp Sessions!
Some time ago, never mind when, I spent my usual time making my travels across the internet, hitting up my normal gamut of websites. As link leads on to link …
Stream Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely” plus four other notable jazz covers of the song by Sonny Rollins, Arturo Sandoval, Aaron Golberg and Jacky Terrasson!
Buy: To Pimp A Butterfly Vinyl LP In an era where music releases are meticulously planned, Kendrick Lamar‘s To Pimp A Butterfly emerged almost as if by serendipity, mirroring the …
Coachella 2012 witnessed a mesmerizing collaboration that left attendees and music enthusiasts worldwide spellbound. The opening day of the festival saw Frank Ocean, an artist known for his soulful melodies …
On Wednesday, June 24th, 2015, we spoke with Maria Schneider at length about her new album The Thompson Fields, her musical upbringing, the future of big bands, the ArtistShare platform, …
Read our 2012 interview with jazz pianist Robert Glasper discussing his then-upcoming album Black Radio, his musical influences, and the future of jazz music.
Read Ben Gray’s critical analysis of jazz covers of Stanley Cowell’s “Equipoise” composition, including notable versions by Willie Jones III, Max Roach, Jack DeJohnette and more!
Download Aaron Parks’ ‘Invisible Cinema’ sheet music free of charge in PDF format courtesy of Aaron Parks himself.
Pianist Ivo Neame, one-third of the powerhouse trio Phronesis, is bringing to life a new project in collaboration with vibraphonist and drummer Jim Hart. Multiverse, slated for a February 21st …
Legendary NOLA brass band The Souls Rebels just dropped a sick lyric video for their single “Greatness”, featuring Dee 1, Alfred Banks and Sean Carey, off last October’s Poetry in …
Also check out our complete list of Best “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” Covers Formed in 1992 by four Berklee alumni, powerhouse genre-bending collective Lettuce recently released a seriously …
Scientists estimate that the earth vibrates at varying frequencies between 7.83 and 33.8 Hz. Of course, music also consists of rhythmic waves, though they are limited to our unaided hearing …
There is no denying that jazz music is going through a form of globalization, branching out into other musical realms, drawing inspiration from other established genres. The musicians on the …
In his early writings, philosopher Søren Kierkegaard utilized various pseudonyms to present distinctive viewpoints and to interact with each other in complex dialogues. Throughout its history, jazz musicians have also …
Enduring dreary winter weather in New England demands looking forward to the longer days and warmer months of summer. The new single by the ever soulful and stylistic vocalist José …
Drummer and producer Makaya McCraven has a new and very special project on the horizon. We’re New Again sees the Chicago native reimagining hometown hero Gil Scott-Heron’s final album I’m …
The human brain is incredibly powerful. It controls every function of our bodies, allows us to reason, and permits us to both create and appreciate art. To do so, it …
Logan Richardson has been tearing it up for years now, more recently as an integral member of Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah’s inner circle. We hear rumors of two new albums …
It was an amazing year for jazz music. The genre is constantly evolving and pushing the limits of creativity. Jazz musicians have a real talent for drawing inspiration from other …
Dylan Maida has been in my periphery since before I ever got into music journalism. He followed my last.fm account over a dozen years ago. I had gotten onto the …
Gracie Terzian is blessed with an angelic voice and fittingly so accompanies her singing with the plucking of a harp, more specifically, a harp ukulele (say what?). Her latest project, …
Trumpeter and producer Antoine Berjeaut hails from the Paris Superior Conservatory of Jazz Music. He leads the group Wasteland featuring Mike Ladd, and is an active member of the Surnatural …
Lauren Lee’s new album, Windowsill, emerged from a six-week residency in the Swiss Alps, where the young jazz pianist and vocalist wrote new music inspired by the peaceful scenery. The …
Since we shared the first single off multi-talented drummer, producer and rapper Kassa Overall’s new album I THINK I’M GOOD a few weeks ago, the young phenom has been added …
As Nextbop prides itself on presenting jazz of the present moment and the future, at first glance it may appear unusual for the site to review music recorded over sixty …
ChimyTina, the duo of vocalist Martina DaSilva, leader of the jazz vocal harmony group The Ladybugs, and bassist Dan “Chimy” Chmielinski (Wynton Marsalis, Marc Cary, Brad Mehldau, and Joey Alexander) …
Bassist Harish Raghavan has had a prolific career playing sideman to some of the biggest names in modern jazz music. Yet it took him over ten years since establishing himself …
Drummer and percussionist Dan Weiss released Utica Box last month on Sunnyside Records (read our review here) featuring Jacob Sacks on piano, and Thomas Morgan and Eivind Opsvik on bass. …
On February 1, 1968, a malfunctioning garbage truck fatally crushed two black Memphis sanitation workers – Echol Cole and Robert Walker. Their passing was in many ways directly the fault …
Last month, French-born New York-based pianist Romain Collin released a new single which went relatively unnoticed. “Gold Coast” features Collin’s trio from this Summer’s Tiny Lights… album, namely Matthew Stevens …
Demi Grace, née Grace Abidemi Ayorinde to Nigerian parents, is a singer, model, and music producer with grand aspirations. From her humble beginnings in her father’s church choir and her …
Early last month, the incomparable musician, rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor Terrace Martin dropped a music video, co-directed by himself and Avo John Kambourian, for his latest single …
Offering an atypical approach to the melding of hip hop and jazz, Kassa Overall sets up his own little arts and crafts table in the larger existing field of mostly …
Quick post. Earlier this month, the unparalleled drummer Mark Guiliana dropped a remix of “BUD”, one of the singles from his latest album BEAT MUSIC! BEAT MUSIC! BEAT MUSIC!, produced …
When one thinks of jazz trios, the combination found on 7 Poets Trio is probably not what comes to mind. Then again, when looking at the members of this trio, …
A single fully-improvised piece of over an hour in length, percussionist Tyshawn Sorey and pianist Marilyn Crispell’s The Adornment of Time is a challenging work. It is not simple, danceable, …
Not one to shy from politics, Dave Douglas’ Engage tackles a variety of hot button topics ranging from gun control to immigration. To address these issues, the bandleader assembled a …
Utica Box unfolds. It requires patience. There’s a mood to build to and reward that building of tension. Dan Weiss is shooting for a lot of this with his latest …
At the very end of August, Grammy award-winning trumpeter Brian Lynch announced the impromptu release of his latest creation, The Omni-American Book Club, a big band album inspired by over …
Mostly recorded in 1985, at the height of Miles Davis’ most critically maligned era, Rubberband is unlikely to be appreciated by one who generally disfavors the artist’s 1980s oeuvre. However, …
I was introduced to Aaron Goldberg through his Worlds album; I heard him play at the Newport Jazz Festival in 2008 and got really hung up on his version of …
Saxophonist turned vocalist Braxton Cook is heavily invested in developing his own unique sound as of late. The former King Adjuah pupil has been slowly stepping away from the jazz …
It cannot be said that Javier Santiago plays the keys without a sense of lyricism and tension. It cannot be said that Santiago doesn’t compose songs with powerful arcs that …
Saxophonist, flutist and composer Hailey Niswanger undoubtedly vibrates at a higher frequency. Inspired in part by the teachings of Zen Master Thích Nhât Hanh, she began the next step in …
Fellow Canadian Bria Skonberg has been on a tear as of late. In the last year alone, she paid tribute to Aretha Franklin alongside Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child, played …
Chris Combs (most notably of Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey) is branching a bit of a ways out with his solo project, Combsy. This is most notably with his take of …
Kassa Overall is dope as fuck. There’s just no two ways about it. I mean, name one other musician who’s sat in with everyone from Vijay Iyer to Kool A.D. …
The mind of an artist can be at times difficult to comprehend. Artists often view the world around them with different lenses than most and are unafraid to attempt new …
It’s no secret to those that follow jazz that London is one of the places to be right now. The English capital has an exciting young scene. Bahraini-British trumpeter Yazz …
Saxophonist and composer Remy Le Boeuf has a new album slated for November 1st on SoundSpore Records. Assembly Of Shadows marks his debut helming a 20-piece orchestra drawing inspiration from …
Bassist Junius Paul has been a secret weapon for a while now. Folks who know the Chicago-based musician — your Makaya McCravens, your Corey Wilkes, your Greg Speros, your Art …
After the last couple years of albums from London’s Portico Quartet — 2017’s Art in the Age of Automation and 2018’s companion piece, Untitled (AITAOA #2) — it’s hard to …
Kneebody, the innovative jazz group made up of trumpeter Shane Endsley, saxophonist Ben Wendel, keyboardist Adam Benjamin and the extraordinary Nate Wood taking the simultaneous roles of drummer and bassist, …
Enlightened trumpeter and winner of the 2014 Monk Competition (or rather the newly-minted Hancock Competition) Marquis Hill is returning October 11th with a new album entitled Love Tape via the …
Vocalist Lizzi Trumbore started performing on the San Diego jazz scene at an early age. She made the move to Texas five years ago to attend the University of North …
Russian saxophonist Makar Kashitsyn left Moscow in 2017 to enroll at the Manhattan School of Music following the advice of jazz veteran Vincent Herring with whom the youngster was taking …
Pyramids, Russell Gunn’s newest album with The Royal Krunk Jazz Orkestra, came out last month on the Ropeadope label. We caught up with the trumpeter, composer, and bandleader to discuss …
Pianist and vocalist Lauren Lee has a new album coming out on October 18th via ears&eyes records. Windowsill, inspired in part by an Artist-in-Residence opportunity Lee obtained in a small …
It’s really easy to be surprised by Tomeka Reid, despite how one should always see her brilliance coming. As a player, she’s always that extra flavor that pushes quality over …
On November 1st, German drummer Mareike Wiening, who earned her masters from New York University under the tutelage of veteran drummer Tony Moreno and vibraphonist Stefon Harris in addition to …
South African group MABUTA, led by bassist Shane Cooper, have been steadily representing for a little while now. Their sound has always implicitly felt the rhythms of the region while …
Born in Scotland, saxophonist Ben Bryden made his transatlantic crossing in 2009 to attend the Manhattan School of Music, opting to remain in New York following his studies to further …
53-year-old Jacky Terrasson is returning to Blue Note Records this month with the release of his new album, 53, out September 27th. There’s so much I can say about these …
It’s always a delight to say Portico is back. After their recent returns to form with their last two Art in the Age of Automation albums, they’re keeping things rolling …
The Bad Plus, helming the power jazz revolution of the early 2000s, were one of the main inspirations behind the creation of this website. We have always admired their blend …
Debut records can make or break an artist, but it seems that drummer Andrew Munsey already has it figured out. Munsey has worked in the past as a sideman and …
Vocalist Emma Frank has made the move to Montreal-based label Justin Time with her fourth album, Come Back, scheduled for a September 6th release. The record sees Frank deepening her …
Following last year’s surprise, Both Directions At Once: The Lost Album, Impulse! has unearthed some more previously unreleased John Coltrane material, which they’ll be dropping September 27th as a new …
Trumpeter Russell Gunn is back with a new opus from his Royal Krunk Jazz Orkestra entitled Pyramids, released today via Ropeadope Records, which he describes as the second in a …
There’s a funny thing about round numbers and commemorations. People add extra value to big signpost years in the narrative of things, to make them somehow make more sense in …
Although Soul Awakening officially carries a 2019 release date, it was finished much earlier. Having been recorded in 2012 and completed in 2013, Harpist Brandee Younger’s fourth album as a …
Drummer Terri Lyne Carrington is always ahead of the curve. She’s endlessly innovative and makes music that often seems to have deeper meaning at its core. On her upcoming new …
Saxophonist Donny McCaslin just released two new singles building on the momentum of his newest album Blow., released last October via Motéma Music. The first single, entitled “Head of Mine”, …
Brothers Zaccai and Luques Curtis are back with a new album commissioned by Chamber Music America’s New Jazz Works. Algorithm, coming August 23rd to the brothers’ own Truth Revolution Records, …
If you’re a regular of these pages, you’ve probably noticed the Qwest.tv banners headlining our content for a little over a month now. Maybe you’ve already clicked on one out …
Alto saxophonist Alex LoRe is preparing to release a new album next month with his group Weirdear of pianist Glenn Zaleski, bassist Desmond White, and drummer Allan Mednard. Karol is …
On June 7th, Grammy-nominated drummer and composer Gerry Gibbs released his staggering 12th album as a leader via Whaling City Sound, a unique project entitled Our People. The album features …
Violinist Zach Brock, bassist Matt Ulery, and drummer Jon Deitemyer first started playing together in 2005 in Chicago. It was a musical companionship that made sense and held to various …
Israeli born, NYC-based pianist and composer Daniel Meron, a Berklee College of Music graduate who studied under the tutelage of Danilo Perez, Hal Crook, and Joe Lovano, is set to …
Legendary rapper Nas just dropped a series of outtakes from his four latest albums, 2006’s Hip-Hop Is Dead, 2008’s untitled record, 2012’s Life Is Good, and 2018’s NASIR, under the …
I have always been surprised by trumpeter Erik Truffaz. For years, the Franco-Swiss trumpeter has sounded like some specific pocket of the future, continually dazzling listeners around the world, never …
July 2nd was a busy albeit fulfilling evening at the 2019 Montreal International Jazz Festival, beginning with a BIGYUKI and Nate Smith + KINFOLK double-bill at the Monument National and …
Aaron Whitby has been a session player for years, backing folks like Randy Brecker, Natalie Cole, George Clinton, and his wife Martha Redbone. In this time, his own voice as …
It’s nice whenever we hear anything from Taylor McFerrin. Understandably, it’s what he does. It took him a while before he put out his debut album, Early Riser, back in …
We’ve been following Brooklyn-based keyboardist and producer Jesse Fischer’s career for quite some time now. His last recording, 2018’s Flipped II, was even dubbed “easily one of the best albums …
The New Orleans group The Session was started in 2011 as a weekly get-together by four friends with the simple objective to get better at making music. Bassist Jasen Weaver, …
Drummer Makaya McCraven is the only musician to receive Nextbop’s Album of the Year on two separate occasions, first in 2015 for his sophomore effort In the Moment then again …