Legendary jazz vocalist and activist Dwight Trible, known to many as the godfather of the LA jazz scene, has had a fruitful career filled with collaborations with a slew of …
Following the release of his 2015 Blue Note debut, We Are the Drum, drummer Kendrick Scott found himself in a rut. The music he now composed and played just never …
Typical Sisters — the Chicago trio of guitarist Greg Uhlmann, bassist Clark Sommers, and drummer Matt Carroll — exist in a nice groove. They’re doing something mostly simple with an …
Ancestral Recall, trumpeter Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah’s upcoming new album on Ropeadope/Stretch Music drops in a couple weeks and it will definitely bring a spirited sense of chill. Today, Scott …
It’s kind of amazing what Chris Thile has done with his public radio show, Live from Here, creating a new showcase for performers in a way that only public radio …
As if we couldn’t tell you enough, we really do love the new album from Stephan Crump’s Rosetta Trio, Outliers. It’s a new album of the sweetest jams that have …
Solo piano can be a hard sell, but something about seeing the inner workings and hearing all the little steps of Hania Rani working out her prepared piano, evoking a …
Upon the release of saxophonist Brent Birckhead’s debut, self-titled album, he’s releasing a video by Babatunde Salaam depicting the beautiful soul of the streets of Baltimore. It’s an absolutely lovely …
Saxophonist Caroline Davis (whose Heart Tonic definitely wowed us last year) is keeping things moving in fascinating, adventurous directions with her new album,Alula, out May 10th on New Amsterdam Records’. …
It’s always exciting to see what Chris & Adriana Schlarb are coming up with from their Big Ego Studios. Lately, they just announced the releases of some new works, one …
As I have been saying a lot recently, it’s hard not to be charmed by guitarist Julian Lage. He’s hitting the roots of rock on his new album, Love Hurts, …
Despite it releasing last year, I have yet to move past the brilliance of keyboardist Javier Santiago’s album, Phoenix, a release of fusion fantasticness that’s just perfect for this era. …
Fresh off his Grammy nomination for 2017’s The Emancipation Procrastination, the third album of his Centennial Trilogy, trumpeter Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah is gearing up to drop a new album, …
Saxophonist Brent Birckhead is about to release his debut, self-titled album next month on Revive Music. Birckhead has toured with Lauryn Hill and established his place in the New York …
I’ve been having a heck of a week, so it’s rather nice to see that Julian Lage is continually charming us once again with the new release out this February …
Percussionist Amaury Acosta, aka King Klave in his solo work and co-leader of the group (U)nity, recently dropped by the Congahead studios with friends trumpeter Keyon Harrold, keyboardist Javier Santiago, …
Chicago trio Twin Talk are getting ready to release their new album, Weaver, next month, continuing in the same earthy, elemental sound that they inhabit so well. Katie Ernst’s vocals …
One of the delights of last year was Braxton Cook’s latest album, No Doubt, a self-released collection of songs that meld all the best qualities of jazz and R&B into …
Keyboardist Mark de Clive-Lowe is an artist of great multitude. His melding sensibilities of jazz, hip hop, and other assorted musical influences has always been present in his work, yet …
Pianist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Gabriel Zucker is a Yale graduate and Rhodes scholar who is quickly becoming a prominent voice in the New York avant-garde music scene. Zucker has won …
We’re still easing into 2019 and all the music we’re getting and will share with you soon, but in the meantime, saxophonist Ben Wendel is continuing his Standards with Friends …
Drummer Anton Eger is the rambunctiously explosive energy of Phronesis, one of the most brilliant piano-bass-drum trios on Earth period. Though while he may be best known for his work …
The Minneapolis based Atlantis Quartet of tenor saxophonist Brandon Wozniak, guitarist Zacc Harris, bassist Chris Bates, and drummer Pete Hennig have a new album out now on Shifting Paradigm Records …
Working Between New York and Montreal, French-Canadian trumpeter and composer Rachel Therrien released her fourth album, Why Don’t You Try, last year on the Multiple Chord Music label. The album …
Alto saxophonist and composer Greg Ward has a new album in store for us coming January 11th to Greenleaf Music on which he introduces his new band: Rogue Parade. Ward’s …
NORI, the quintet out of Austin that has a charming take on the contemporary, are releasing their next album this Friday, Bruise Blood (and performing in San Antonio at FL!GHT …
One of the highlight albums of 2018 is most certainly saxophonist Ben Wendel’s The Seasons, a quintet filling out compositions originally for duets released as a YouTube series in 2015, …
Cordoba is a group out of Chicago with an aim to inspire through charm. Their jazz and R&B inflected music, particularly on their latest EP, Break the Locks Off Everything, …
Pianist Bryn Roberts just released a new album alongside guitarist Lage Lund called Hide the Moon and Stars. Their lead single and video recorded from the studio, “Amaryllis”, is a …
It’s the collaboration one had to expect would happen eventually. As part of the BRAINFEEDER 10th anniversary collection, BRAINFEEDER X, celebrating a decade of releasing their particular brand of melding …
Saxophonist Marcus Strickland and his group Twi-Life are getting ready to release a new album, People of the Sun, on November 9th. The group’s latest iteration features Mitch Henry on …
GADADU, the group whose 2015 debut, And I See Night, seemed to have haunted us back then are making their return with their sophomore album, Outer Song, on October 26th. …
Run Logan Run is a unique experimental jazz duo hailing from Bristol and featuring Andrew Neil Hayes on saxophones and FX, and Dan Johnson on drums and percussion. Hard to …
Pianist Dave Meder is the youngest piano faculty member ever to be hired at the University of North Texas’ prestigious jazz program (he’ll be there teaching alongside new faculty members …
KADAWA — the trio of bassist Almog Sharvit, guitarist Tal Yahalom, and drummer Ben Silashi – blew us away last year with their self-titled release. Well, they’re still plugging at …
With the fall season’s upcoming releases looking quite promising, saxophonist Ben Wendel’s new album, The Seasons, is definitely one of the albums we are most highly anticipating around here. Based …
Early this morning, the guys of Butcher Brown just dropped a video of their take on OutKast’s “Prototype” to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the legendary double album, Speakerboxxx/The Love …
Trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire has always pushed the envelope, bringing about unabashed avant-gardism and exultant individualism to the music he so lovingly creates. His latest project is no different. Stemming from …
One of the beauties of modern jazz is that it freely draws inspiration from an amalgam of other genres. Popular these days are neo soul, indie rock or hip hop, …
Every single song on Now Vs Now’s upcoming new album, The Buffering Cocoon, is brilliant, and you’ll find that out soon enough when it drops September 14th on Jazzland Recordings …
Houston-born, New York City-based pianist, keyboardist, and composer James Francies is the newest signee to the prestigious Blue Note Records label, a feat he’s remarkably accomplishing at the tender age …
Fabled is a UK band spearheaded by saxophonist and clarinetist Sam Rapley and rounded out by Alex Munk on guitar, Matt Robinson on piano, Conor Chaplin on double bass and …
This year is sure full of surprises for the jazz community! After John Coltrane’s posthumous album, Both Directions at Once, recently released on the Impulse label, a new previously unheard …
Saxophonist Johnny Butler has never been one bereft of creative ideas. That’s certainly apparent through his album HyperViolet which released last year. To keep the momentum going (and to call …
The Los Angeles jazz scene has been truly effervescent as of late with more and more extremely talented musicians deciding to call the West Coast home. Among them is Israeli …
I have extremely glowing praise for keyboardist Javier Santiago’s album, Phoenix (which I’m feeling confident that it’s one of my favorite albums of the year). So it brings me joy …
Vocalist José James is back with a new album on September 28th entitled Lean On Me, a heartfelt and honest twelve song tribute to the legendary Bill Withers in honor …
Phronesis — the trio of bassist Jasper Høiby, pianist Ivo Neame, and drummer Anton Eger — are about to drop their new album, We Are All, September 14th on Edition …
Saxophonist Miguel Zenón is one of the most prolific musicians of his generation having received such accolades as multiple Grammy nominations and both the Guggenheim and the MacArthur fellowships, in …
Pianist Art Hirahara discovered jazz while studying Electronic and Computer Music at the Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio. During his junior year there, he began taking lessons from Cleveland jazz giant …
We’ve always been huge fans of REVIVE Music, the ever-evolving multi-faceted operation spearheaded by fellow jazz fanatic and founder Meghan Stabile. We greatly admire their entrepreneurial spirit and their passion …
Identical twins Jonathan and Jared Mattson have been playing expressive, stripped down jazz for a little while now, gaining plaudits and attention from unconventional corners (their last album was alongside …
Two and a half years ago, David Bowie released Blackstar days before his death. The album, Bowie’s final masterpiece, put front and center a jazz band, namely saxophonist Donny McCaslin’ …
Guitarist Rotem Sivan is preparing to release a new album, My Favorite Monster, on August 31st. He’s going harder on this one, finding a more rock-tinged edge of his usual …
Montreal, aside from hosting the world’s largest jazz festival, also harbors, like many other cities, a small yet resilient community of local musicians whose passion for jazz keeps the music …
You’ve all heard “Bodak Yellow” by now, the 2017 hip-hop anthem that propelled rapper Cardi B to superstardom. With its dark and hypnotic vamp and its aggressive and provocative lyrics, …
Anyone who has followed Nextbop for a while may possibly know our strong feelings about Phronesis– one of our favorite piano/bass/drums trio on the planet. We mean it. Jasper Høiby, …
Keyboardist/vocalist Brandon Coleman is an LA-based musician who is in cahoots with a bunch of the all stars of that scene– Kamasi Washington, Flying Lotus, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, (Ciara, Babyface, others …
Pianist Eric Hirsh has been a North Carolina staple for a while now, backing assorted groups (most notably hip-hop collective The Beast alongside Pierce Freelon) and providing a sensible, expressive …
Guitarist Gilad Hekselman has been keeping busy, but very soon, there’s about to be a new album to show for it. Out this September on Motéma Records, Hekselman is dropping …
Herbie Hancock’s iconic album Speak Like a Child was released fifty years ago in 1968 and the anniversary hasn’t gone unnoticed by rising Star NYC trombonist Nick Finzer. In order …
Keyboardist/producer Jesse Fischer is ramping up the intrigue around his upcoming Flipped II album, release date to be determined. Perhaps the mystery behind an album of remixes and covers of …
Kneebody is continuing their cover series with a new song this week– their take on Beck’s “Dear Life” off his latest album, Colors. Comparing the two songs, Kneebody is definitely …
Israeli bassist and composer Adi Meyerson left her home five years ago, like so many others before her, to see if she could make a name for herself on the …
You should be a fan of trumpeter Adam O’Farrill. He’s an impressive young talent and a proven bandleader. Oh, sure, he’s good, particularly good for 23 years old, at that. …
The Dafnis Prieto Big Band’s new album, Back to the Sunset, is quite the grand accomplishment. Prieto’s largest ensemble yet is filled with movement after movement of his signature rhythms …
“Resting Warrior”, the new single from the supergroup R+R=NOW, has that certain Glasperian, balanced sense of sprawl where everyone gets a solo and plays that solo at the top of …
Guitarist Gilad Hekselman has a trio with pianist (or really keyboardist) Aaron Parks and drummer Kendrick Scott called ZuperOctave. They’re playful. With Parks on keyboards, there’s a different vibe to …
This one almost got away from us, but over this past Mother’s Day, Andre 3000 (y’know, of OutKast) dropped a two song EP dedicated to his late parents. Yet the …
I wasn’t really asking for this, but I also make it a habit to sleep on Rihanna (hell, I still like Sia’s earlier work), but “Work” is a catchy song …
Drummer, composer, and 2011 MacArthur “Genius” Fellow Dafnis Prieto recently released what may just be his most ambitious project to date, Back to the Sunset, the debut album of the …
Drummer Jonathan Barber is quickly making a name for himself. Voted this year’s best “Up & Coming” drummer in the Modern Drummer Readers Poll, the young Barber is setting the …
Rising saxophonist Mike Casey is all about his online presence. His press releases are chalked up with social media metrics. “West End”, the first single off his upcoming album Stay …
Saxophonist Johnny Butler has always had a diversity of influences in his music. It’s worth noting, though, that one of those influences is the drummer/rapper/producer Kassa Overall. They all come …
Venezuelan pianist and Guggenheim Fellow Edward Simon is just about as well respected as anyone in the realm of jazz piano. His accolades include stints with Greg Osby and Terence …
Portico Quartet’s latest album, Untitled (AITAOA #2), the companion album to last year’s Art in the Age of Automation, just dropped last week and it’s spacey, trippy, dopeness that I …
French pianist Gauthier Toux has been racking up awards on the European circuit with his progressive blend of jazz music. His newest album, The Colours You See, is set to …
I wish I could talk about Mndsgn more often (bear with me, here, I’ll get to the feature). His last two albums have been staples in my library and floated …
Bassist and composer Martin Nevin has shared the stage with the likes of Albert “Tootie” Heath, Greg Osby, Ethan Iverson, and Ambrose Akinmusire, but Tenderness is Silent, to be released …
Tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson would have turned 81 today. Everybody’s got their favorites and Henderson is pianist/producer Jesse Fischer’s. So in tribute of the legend, Fischer just dropped the first …
Bassist/composer Petros Klampanis is a superbly talented musician with quite the mind for arrangement. His last album, Chroma, certainly is proof of that. Yet little else really displays arranging prowess …
I’ve learned a few things over the years covering the players of the modern jazz scene. Amongst those characters I’ve encountered and heard play their craft, I knew long ago …
Saxophonist Kamasi Washington has received, over the past three years, more praise and adoration than any other in the realm of jazz and of its orbiting offsprings. The mainstream media …
The multi-talented Kassa Overall keeps busy and keeps finding ways to meld all those various talents in his works. His latest effort, the four-song EP Drake It Till You Make …
Saxophonist Joe Lovano is a musician whose career I have been following for quite some time. His sound is timeless and exciting gaining momentum and grace as the years elapse. …
Keyboardist and producer Javier Santiago has been flying under the radar ever since the release of his 2015 debut EP The Year of the Horse, much to our chagrin we …
If we’re talking a lot about guitarist Rafiq Bhatia‘s upcoming new album, Breaking English, a whole lot, it’s largely because we’re really excited about it. Besides, the album drops tomorrow …
Terence Blanchard and his band the E-Collective are back with a new album entitled Live, set to drop April 20th on Blue Note Records. Following their politically-charged 2015 release Breathless, …
Trumpeter Jaimie Branch, who wowed the masses with last year’s Fly or Die, is a frequent collaborator with drummer Jason Nazary (of Bear in Heaven, Little Women, Helado Negro). Together, …
Guitarist Nels Cline has a new group alongside fellow guitarist Julian Lage, bassist Scott Colley, and drummer Tom Rainey, and they’re set to release their new album, Currents, Constellations, April …
Guitarist Rafiq Bhatia is steadily introducing us to his new album, Breaking English, out April 6 on Anti-. Much like the first single, “Hoods Up”, the title track with touches …
JUNO-nominated (that’s a Canadian GRAMMY for those who don’t know, comes with maple syrup and a beaver fur hat) jazz quartet Peripheral Vision is embarking on a tour of Western …
Shots fired in Paris. ONEFOOT, the trio comprised of keyboardist Yessaï Karapetian, bassist Marc Karapetian and drummer Matthieu Font, is rapidly making a name for itself in the Old Continent …
Guitarist Rafiq Bhatia is super dope. He does super dope work with Son Lux (new album Brighter Wounds is out now. He does super dope work with Vijay Iyer (take …
NYC jazz and hip-hop collective QNA are set to drop their sophomore effort, XII, this month. The band, comprised of MC Supe, vocalist Marina Espinet, saxophonist Benjamin Chin, guitarist TJ …
Vocalist Emma Frank brings genuine peacefulness and transparent honesty to everything she touches including her newest opus, Ocean Av, slated for a February 16th release on Brooklyn-based Susan Records. Joining …
There’s something about the latest single from Kneebody that seems familiar. It floats through the air easily and Inara George‘s vocals float along with it. It’s difficult to put a …
This song is important. It’s one of those Gospel songs that still works as a secular tune. Sounds of Blackness, the choir that put this song out in the 1990s, …
AJ Ghent [J-ent] hails out of Fort Pierce, Florida, where he grew up surrounded by music. His great uncle Willie Eason was the creator of the “Sacred Steel Tradition,” while …
Fiddle master Martin Hayes, guitarist Dennis Cahill, sean-nós singer Iarla Ó Lionáird, hardanger innovator Caoimhin Ó Raghallaigh and New York pianist Thomas Bartlett (aka Doveman) joined forces in 2011 to …
For the past two years, German musician and composer Nils Frahm has been building a brand new studio in Berlin to record his 7th album, All Melody, released just last …