The Robert Glasper Experiment – “Find You” (Stream)
The Robert Glasper Experiment is back at it with the announcement of their newest LP ArtScience set to drop September 16th on Blue Note. But where do you go following …
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Norah Jones – “Carry On” (Video)
Norah Jones has just dropped the first single off her upcoming sixth solo album, Day Breaks coming to Blue Note Records October 7th. Parallels are quickly being drawn between Day …
(U)nity – “Can I Get A Dolla” (Audio)
It’s been three whole years since New York City music collective (U)nity released their debut album Peace.Love & Music. However, there is now solid evidence that the dormant volcano that …
Hekselman / Klampanis / Ravitz – “Across the Universe”
Jazz artists covering Beatles tunes – not a new idea, but the trio of Gilad Hekselman on guitar, Petros Klampanis on bass, and Ziv Ravitz on drums has pulled together …
Butcher Brown – ‘Virginia Noir’
It’s no secret that Butcher Brown gets love around here. The relative quiet around the release of their new album Virginia Noir needs to be remedied, since this might well …
Festival International de Jazz de Montreal 2016: The Ever Beautiful Aaron Parks Trio
Aaron Parks is an altogether beautiful person, as if his aura just colors whatever he touches, particularly pianos. Billy Hart is a legend and a giant and gets to do …
Festival International de Jazz de Montreal 2016: Erik Truffaz is Kind of a Big Deal
Erik Truffaz is 56 years old. He plays the trumpet. He’s on Blue Note… France. He’s not hyped in the United States much. I only knew of him from copping …
Festival International de Jazz de Montreal 2016: Nir Felder Has Some New Stuff
I learned long ago from my mother that if you can help it, don’t work on your birthday. There are some who don’t exactly hold that sentiment. Bassist Orlando le …
Festival International de Jazz de Montreal 2016: Bilal, the Sexy Survey Course
Bilal brings it, but he always had. His Wednesday, July 6th set at Club Soda as part of the Montreal International Jazz Festival didn’t have the Patti Labelle-esque rolling on …
Gregoire Maret – ‘Wanted’
Taking the lead on harmonica is tricky. The instrument is prone to a chirpiness that doesn’t typically sustain for a whole album. However in the right hands (and with the …
Jaimeo Brown Transcendence – ‘Work Songs’
Most modern producers/songwriters seek to highlight the triumphs of American culture; Jaimeo Brown Transcendence’s Work Songs invokes the way music was influenced under the most dire of circumstances. The follow …
Warren Wolf – ‘Convergence’
For years, I have known a certain truth– don’t sleep on Warren Wolf. the master vibraphonist has snuck up on me one too many times on releases of his own. …
Psychic Temple ‘Plays Music for Airports’
Brian Eno’s 1978 album Ambient 1: Music for Airports is Capital “I” Important. It’s a landmark album for what was at the time a fledgling genre, ambient. It’s an album …
Bobby Avey – ‘Inhuman Wilderness’
Okay, let’s just be real. I have to ask. Is Bobby Avey tone-deaf? Is the young pianist, praised in certain jazz circles as an innovator and a sharp voice, just …
Psychic Temple – ‘III’
I was worried a couple years ago when Chris Schlarb, the band/cult-leader of the Psychic Temple, told me he was going in a more folk/pop direction in the next album. …
Joe Tatton Trio – ‘Bang Bang Boogaloo’
In 2016, finding music on bandcamp is the new digging in the crates. All the more appropriate, then, to come across Joe Tatton’s new two-track single (available as a 45rpm …
Esperanza Spalding – ‘Emily’s D+Evolution’ (Album Review)
On Emily’s D+Evolution (pronounced “D-plus-evolution”), Esperanza Spalding is a badass black punk rock frontwoman making her jazz musicianship work for her in a way that it didn’t on her last …
Julian Lage Trio – ‘Arclight’
In a conversation between Dave Douglas and Marc Ribot on the “A Noise From the Deep” podcast, Ribot explained the difference between jazz and rock artists: jazz artists always give …
Logan Richardson – ‘Shift’
It would be reductionist to call Shift a Pat Metheny album. Yes, his signaturely chameleonic guitar is one of the most pronounced sounds all throughout saxophonist Logan Richardson’s latest album, …
Smells Like Teen Spirit: A Critical Analysis of Covers
Bringing outside influences into jazz and bringing jazz to other genres has been going on probably since there was a concept of jazz as a genre. Witness hip-hop and electronic …
Dan Tepfer – ‘Acoustic Informatics’
Pianist Dan Tepfer seems to be about bridging gaps – see his mind-blowing improvisations based on Bach’s Goldberg Variations that bridge the gap between the jazz and classical worlds. His …
Ben Monder – ‘Amorphae’
Ben Monder’s Amorphae is an ECM release. It’s contemplative, expansive, tumultuously beautiful and beautifully tumultuous. It sounds positively gorgeous. It’s sparse in ways that never leave the listener wanting more …
Spocket – ‘Spocket’
Spocket’s self-titled and first release represents the best in funk rock coming from the younger side of the Chicago jazz scene. It manages to be clean and slick without being …
David Bowie – ‘Blackstar’ (Album Review)
David Bowie gave us one last masterpiece: ★ (pronounced “Blackstar”). And true to form, it leaves us with more questions than answers. I began writing this review before Davie Bowie …
BADBADNOTGOOD – “Skating” (Video)
BADBADNOTGOOD recently appeared on CBC’s Strombo Show and played their holiday appropriate take on Vince Guaraldi’s “Skating”. Leland Whitty continues to add more texture to this band with great results. …
Nextbop’s Favorite Jazz Albums of 2015
I’m not quite sure what more I could say here about jazz in 2015. There may not have been some overarching narrative that guided how art was made and released. …
Nextbop’s Favorite Non-Jazz Albums of 2015
I like that we make this list every year. No, it’s not as well read as our other posts. It doesn’t exactly fit what we do. But I like the …
Jesse Fischer – “Refuge” feat. Sarah Elizabeth Charles (Video)
Pianist/keyboardist Jesse Fischer’s latest album, Day Dreamer, is his finest yet and he’s continuing to find new places to go as an artist as he works through this material. His …
Claffy – “Chapter 1: Blossoms As They Wilt Away” (Stream)
Bassist Alexander Claffy is set to release his debut, self-titled album on Ropeadope Records this coming February. The young musician has been gigging frequently throughout New York for the last …
H. Jon Benjamin Made A Very Quick Joke, and Middling Satire
Comedian H. Jon Benjamin is releasing a jazz album this week on Sub Pop Records. The album features Scott Kreitzer on saxophone, David Finck on bass, Jonathan Peretz on drums, …
Appropriate Nerdery: BADBADNOTGOOD at Fun Fun Fun Fest X
Their day began at 3am. The day before, BADBADNOTGOOD, the quartet of keyboardist Matty Tavares, bassist Chester Hansen, drummer Alex Sowinski, and tenor saxophonist Leland Whitty, had been rehearsing in …
Threadgill, Iyer, and Prieto Conjure Up a Storm at The Jazz Gallery
The most powerful storm I’ve ever seen was at the Big Bend National Park in the isolated elbow of Texas. A tremendous set of clouds marched toward our site in …
Meditations on Nextbop in New York
Stories and observations around four days in October spent in New York City covering two nights of Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah’s sets at Harlem Stage ContentsPreludeCold, Wet, and ExpensiveThe Quest …
Kneebody & Daedelus – “Drum Battle” (Stream)
Ben Wendel and the rest of the guys from Kneebody have known Alfred “Daedelus” Darlington for a good long while. The dandy producer and the throttle-down jazz innovators have had …
Aron Ottignon – “Waterfalls” (Live at The Funkhaus Berlin) (Video)
We’re always fans of pianist Aron Ottignon. Also, “Waterfalls” is a dope song. It’s a tune that reared its head earlier this year on his Starfish EP and it’s stayed …
Butcher Brown – “Bailar” (Stream)
Butcher Brown made a beat tape. Their new album, Grown Folk is twenty short, tight songs, most of them between a minute and two in length, that has that fuzy, …
Christian Scott Live from Berklee on The Checkout Live
Seb and I were in New York City last weekend to catch Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah’s Harlem Stage shows in support of his new album on Ropeadope, Stretch Music, among …
Michael Janisch – “Movement I – The Dance Party” (Stream)
Bassist Michael Janisch’s new live double album, Paradigm Shift, is a groove-centric ride in a souped-up engine. Its moving parts are clearly in all working order, shifting and flowing like …
Sidewalk Chalk – “Alright” (Kendrick Lamar Cover) (Video)
A hip-hop group that sounds better live, retains their voice when playing a cover, and still bumps without a bassist or drummer is a rare find. Having known most of …
Mary Halvorson – ‘Meltframe’
“Glitchy” is probably the best word for the latest release from Mary Halvorson, a solo guitar album she titled Meltframe. This is not to say there’s something wrong with the …
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah – ‘Stretch Music (Introducing Elena Pinderhughes)’
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah plays three different horns on his new album, Stretch Music (Introducing Elena Pinderhughes)— the siren, the sirenette, and the reverse flugelhorn. They’re horns by his own …
Quantic presents The Western Transient – ‘A New Constellation’
One can never tell what Will Holland will do next. The producer for the last fifteen years has never ceased to amaze with the music he has made that seems …
Chad Lefkowitz-Brown – “Just Friends” (Video)
Tenor saxophonist Chad Lefkowitz-Brown is one of those musicians one should generally try to keep tabs on. He just recently released a rather inspired take on “Just Friends” with a …
ARK – ‘s/t’
It’s pretty amazing how such an unassuming piano trio album works so well. In their self-titled album from earlier this year, the trio known as ARK of pianist Carlos Homs, …
Mark Guiliana & Jonathan Maron on Reverb’s Mystery Box Challenge (Video)
🍞 Home / Jazz Music Artists / Jazz Drummers / Mark Guiliana / Mark Guiliana & Jonathan Maron on Reverb’s Mystery Box Challenge (Video) What happens when you give Mark …
Makaya McCraven – “This Place, That Place” Live at Constellation (Video)
We at Nextbop have made our love of drummer Makaya McCraven known quite frequently. His brilliance is as equally high as a performer as it is as a composer. This …
Jesse Fischer feat. Leon “Foster” Thomas – Nomads (Video)
Keyboardist Jesse Fischer is set to release his next album, Day Dreamer, on September 25 on Ropeadope Records. It’s an album that sits back a bit elementally, Fischer as more …
Future Prospect – ‘s/t EP’
There exists a certain pocket of jazz — somewhere in that R&B, funky ether, if you hit smooth jazz, you’ve gone too far — where great things can happen. In …
Sky Window – “Complicity” (Video)
Those dudes from Denton, Sky Window, are back at it again with a new video that continues with their melding of trippy projections with their spacey music. Watch the group …
Nick Finzer – ‘The Chase’
Trombonist Nick Finzer’s second album as a leader is a straight-ahead jazz album with some punch to it. It’s a pleasure to hear these original compositions exhibit the traits of …
Savoy In Color – ‘Hear Today Then: Live at Zeb’s’
The big band format can be a hard sell. It’s a large machine and the moving parts frequently don’t have a lot of room. Very often, as a reviewer, I …
HIGH RISK – “Tied Together” (Video)
HIGH RISK, the self-titled album for the group trumpeter Dave Douglas put together featuring bassist Jonathan Maron, drummer Mark Guiliana, and electronic musician Shigeto has been an impressive direction for …
Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle – “The LBC” (Video)
Keyboardist Eddie Moore and his band, The Outer Circle, are soon to release a new album to follow up 2013’s The Freedom of Expression. Yet on the path to this …
Taubenhouse Trio – “Migrations” & “With You” (Videos)
Israeli pianist and New School alumni Yaniv Taubenhouse is set to release his second album following last year’s Fresh Sound New Talent debut Here from There. Moments in Trio Vol. …
Drum Tricks with Mark Guiliana: Making Acoustic Drums Sound Electronic (Video)
🍞 Home / Jazz Music Artists / Jazz Drummers / Mark Guiliana / Drum Tricks with Mark Guiliana: Making Acoustic Drums Sound Electronic (Video) Here’s one for all the drumheads …
Erykah Badu Drops ‘FEEL BETTER, WORLD! LOVE, MS.BADU’ Mixtape (Stream)
Let’s face it, life isn’t always easy. Many of us struggle to make a decent living and have to deal with the daily hardships dealt to us. On top of …
Tigran Hamasyan – “Lament” (Video)
Pianist Tigran Hamasyan is a private figure who doesn’t overly expose himself on social media hence why we haven’t heard much from him since the release of his Nonesuch debut …
Painting – “You Were Right All Along” (Video)
Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal‘s Speakeasy premiered the new video from pianist Emanuel Ruffler and drummer Kassa Overall, a.k.a. Painting, for the song “You Were Right All Along” off their …
Benjamin Clementine – ‘At Least For Now’
It seems everyone wants to tell and talk about Benjamin Clementine‘s life story. However, no one does so better than Clementine himself on At Least For Now; so, let’s leave …
BADBADNOTGOOD Boiler Room Brownswood Basement Live Show (Full Concert Video)
Just unearthed this little gem from 2014. BADBADNOTGOOD hits Boiler Room for a short interview with Gilles Peterson and a live set from the Brownswood Basement for an hour of …
Brandee Younger’s “Dorothy Jeanne” and Marcus Strickland & Christie Dashiell’s “Let’s Wait Awhile” (Janet Jackson Cover) Off ‘REVIVE Music Presents: Supreme Sonacy (Vol. 1)’ (Audio)
Wow that was a long title… just bear with me for a sec. You’ve already got the bird’s-eye view of REVIVE Music and Blue Note Records’ Supreme Sonacy Vol. 1 …
Keith Askey Trio – ‘Too Much Guitar’
Everything is constantly moving at Jellowstone Studios. The Richmond, VA, magic factory that Devonne Harris calls home (and happy birthday to him once again, his birthday was yesterday) is a …
GADADU – ‘And I See Night’
Frailty can be deceptive. Something’s perceived weakness could in fact wield some hidden strength, forged from withstanding the elements. Like an insect’s exoskeleton, eggshells, or a Brooklyn-based jazz quintet, sometimes …
Shaun Martin – “The Yellow Jacket” (Video Premiere)
Grammy-winning pianist/keyboardist Shaun Martin (Snarky Puppy, Erykah Badu, Chaka Khan) has just released his first album as a leader, 7 Summers, on Ropeadope records. On “The Yellow Jacket”, Martin and …
Johnny Butler Live at Piano’s (Download)
Last month, saxophonist Johnny Butler played a set at NYC‘s Piano’s alongside trombonist Ryan Snow, bassist Aidan Carroll, and drummer Jason Nazary. They recorded a good ten minutes of their …
Ron Carter Quartet at the Montreal International Jazz Festival
The Ron Carter Quartet took the stage on Saturday, July 4 (the penultimate night of the 2015 Montreal International Jazz Festival) at the historic Monument-National, Quebec’s oldest operating theater. Carter …
Marc Cary on the Fender Rhodes, Influence, and Individualism
The Marc Cary Trio hit le club l’Astral at 9 p.m. on Friday, July 3 as part of the 36th edition of the Montreal International Jazz Festival. The band drove …
Uri Caine at the Montreal Jazz Festival
Solo concerts are some of the most difficult and revealing situations for musicians, but they can also be the most rewarding and profound for both the performer and the audience. …
Eliane Elias at the Montreal Jazz Festival
Eliane Elias enjoys a reputation as a musician who can swing as convincingly as she can samba, and she did not disappoint the crowd who filled the Monument National at …
Dave Douglas’ High Risk at the Montreal International Jazz Festival
Prolific trumpeter and composer Dave Douglas was the proud father introducing his brand new baby to Montreal jazz festival fans at le club l’Astral Tuesday, June 30. His new venture, …
Leaving Room for Magic: Ben Williams on Inspiration, Balance and the Synergy Behind ‘Coming of Age’
Black rimmed Ray Bans and a 10pm hit set the atmosphere as Ben Williams steps onto the bandstand. He picks up his bass and pauses. After a moment of silent …
Snarky Puppy at the Montreal Jazz Festival
It’s hard to believe June 30th, 2015 was Snarky Puppy’s first time performing at the Montreal Jazz Festival; they filled the 2300-capacity Métropolis Theatre like a veteran act. That’s not …
Guitar Night at the Montreal International Jazz Festival
On Monday, June 29, 2015 at the 36th edition of the Montreal International Jazz Festival, I went to hear two quartets led by two of the most influential guitarists of …
‘The Bad Plus Joshua Redman’ + Kneebody at the Montreal International Jazz Festival
The collaboration between Joshua Redman (sax), Reid Anderson (bass), Ethan Iverson (piano), and David King (drums) is one of the most musically successful enterprises in recent memory. The band has …
Montreal Jazz Festival: Christian Scott at Upstairs
The crowd was already riled up by the time Christian Scott and his sextet stepped onto the stage of a packed Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill on June 28th for …
Henry Threadgill – ‘In for a Penny, In for a Pound’
On Henry Threadgill’s latest record In For A Penny, In For A Pound, the saxophonist/flautist/composer and his longstanding band, Zooid, merge the ethos and improvisation of jazz with the compositional …
Thundercat – ‘The Beyond – Where the Giants Roam’ EP
It’s becoming more and more apparent that the world has gotten hip to Thundercat. Bassist Stephen Bruner has been racking up praise and press over the last few years, most …
Benjamin Clementine Set to Release ‘At Least For Now’ (Videos)
Described by Rolling Stone as “Nina Simone’s brother steps into an elegant French café, sits down at the piano and tears open a vein” when named one of their “New …
Zhenya Strigalev’s Smiling Organizm – Live at Small’s (June 11, 2015)
Zhenya Strivalev’s recent Robin Goodie album is a great recent release featuring a hard-grooving band (pick it up here). Zhenya brought a band to Small’s Jazz Club a couple of …
REVIVE Presents ‘Supreme Sonacy Vol. 1’ in Collaboration with Blue Note (Teaser)
I have to admit when I first found out about REVIVE, I felt somewhat dejected. An organization backed by Questlove’s Okayplayer was running a jazz website out of NYC and …
Robert Glasper Covers Musiq Soulchild’s “So Beautiful” (Video)
Robert Glasper finally released his new trio album earlier this week on Blue Note Records. Read Other Articles in Our ‘Best Song Covers’ Series! We’ve been spinning our press copy on …
Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet – “One Month” (Video)
🍞 Home / Jazz Music Artists / Jazz Drummers / Mark Guiliana / Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet – “One Month” (Video) Drummer Mark Guiliana debuted his jazz quartet last month …
Becca Stevens Band – “Imperfect Animals” (Official Video Clip)
Fresh out the oven, here is the official video clip for Becca Stevens’ “Imperfect Animals”, the third single off her new album Perfect Animal released last April. The clip, directed …
Kenneth Whalum III – “Away” feat. Big K.R.I.T. (Video)
It’s amazing how high Kenneth Whalum III can rise. He’s a saxophonist constantly in demand, touring constantly. His latest gig is backing D’Angelo on his latest tour (hopefully, he’s playing …
Chris Dingman – ‘The Subliminal and the Sublime’
“The Subliminal and the Sublime is based on the concept that, under the surface of our apparent reality, there are subliminal layers of patterns, detail and depth. When we look …
Matthew Stevens – “Ashes” (Video)
Another video by Matthew Stevens, Ben Williams and Eric Doob has surfaced in a series christened “Live Off the Floor”. The video, filmed at the Victory Social Club in Toronto, …
Jon Batiste to Be Stephen Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ Bandleader
Pianist and overwhelmingly charming guy Jon Batiste will move you. His live performances are practical calls to action. He connects to folks and works outside whatever musical box one could …
Jamison Ross Set to Release Debut ‘Jamison’ (Teaser + Single)
Drummer Jamison Ross won the 2012 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, edging out Justin Brown and Colin Stranahan, which earned him a recording contract with the Concord Music Group. His …
Gideon van Gelder – “Victory Joy Dance” (Stream)
“Victory Joy Dance” is the first track of Lighthouse, the second album by Amsterdam-based pianist Gideon van Gelder. As the title of the song suggests, the playful interaction between the …
Juan Dhas – ‘Embracing Clarity’
On his debut solo album Embracing Clarity, 21-year-old Dubai-born guitarist Juan Dhas displays a musical sensibility well beyond his years. The album consists of seven original compositions that flow, flutter, …
Chance the Rapper, Donnie Trumpet & the Social Experiment Release New Album ‘Surf’ (Video + Download)
Fans have been eagerly awaiting a follow-up to Chance the Rapper’s 2013 mixtape Acid Rap since it more or less broke the Internet, and on Friday they got the next …
Jazz at Lincoln Center Changes Hiring Policy
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra is one of the world’s leading big bands, and the only full-time jazz big band in the United States that offers pensions and salaried …
Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet – “One Month” (Stream)
🍞 Home / Jazz Music Artists / Jazz Drummers / Mark Guiliana / Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet – “One Month” (Stream) Family First, the new album from drummer Mark Guiliana, …
‘The Bad Plus Joshua Redman’ Equals Awesome
I was a bit skeptical upon first hearing of The Bad Plus Joshua Redman (Nonesuch). BP members Reid Anderson (bass), Ethan Iverson (piano), and Dave King (drums) have asserted in …
Ethan Iverson & Ron Carter Return to NYC’s Mezzrow
It was no surprise that Ethan Iverson and Ron Carter’s performance last Thursday was sold out: a partnership between one of the most innovative and contemporary pianists in jazz and …
Robert Glasper Covers Jhene Aiko’s “The Worst” (Video)
The second single from Robert Glasper’s much anticipated June 16th Blue Note Records trio album is upon us. We pretty much said all we could about Covered when we posted …
Christian Scott Octet 4/30/15 (Audio)
Trumpeter Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah brought his octet to New Orleans at the end of this past April. The concert was recorded and recently made available to stream online. Check …
The Bridge Trio at 92Y Tribeca (Full Concert Video)
The Bridge Trio is a young ensemble hailing out of New Orleans comprised of Conun Pappas on keys, Max Moran on bass and Joe Dyson on drums. The three protégés …
Mehliana – “Centinela” (Video)
🍞 Home / Jazz Music Artists / Jazz Drummers / Mark Guiliana / Mehliana – “Centinela” (Video) Hopefully, you remember pianist Brad Mehldau and drummer Mark Guiliana‘s amazing Nonesuch album …
Steve Coleman and the Council of Balance – ‘Synovial Joints’
Steve Coleman has always been a musician who could find the rhythm in anything. His compositions would seem to indicate his soul is a metronome. Steve Coleman’s work has always …
Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet Presents ‘Familly First’ (EPK)
🍞 Home / Jazz Music Artists / Jazz Drummers / Mark Guiliana / Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet Presents ‘Familly First’ (EPK) I already lauded the greatness of drummer Mark Guiliana …