The year’s best Marsalis record wasn’t from Wynton, Leno’s then-sidekick or Pops. Instead, it was pianist Ellis’ fourth son Delfeayo Marsalis.

photographer – Clay Patrick McBride by PicoIt’s not a recording that’s a decade in the making, but it’s been fermenting for that long. Saxophonist David Rogers has immersed himself in the music and culture of far-flung parts of the world where he’s lived, like Southeast Asia and West Africa, andRead More

Oscar Peterson, one of jazz music’s most recognizable modern-day pianists, was felled on Sunday not from the lingering effects of a 1993 stroke — he kept playing after that — but from kidney failure. He passed, aged 82, in his native Canada outside Toronto. Peterson’s stroke compromised his left handRead More

In looking back on 2007, it’s time to assess the releases over the last 12 months and pick out the more outstanding ones.

There’s been a plethora (love that word) of releases on the rock side of the genre ledger that has demanded by attention. You see, the rocksters listed here were all riding high back in the seventies, so naturally, I was curious to see if they still got “it.” In eachRead More

Joe Pass’ ‘Six String Santa’ is delightful, whether you’re paying close attention or only looking for background music to induce a swinging yuletide mood.

by s. Victor Aaron A few months ago, we bemoaned the loss of a quality modern jazz composer in Paul Nash and noted how it seems we are well past the heyday of melodists of large-form jazz. Oh my, how did I ever forget about the still-thriving Carla Bley? CarlaRead More

by S. Victor Aaron At the base level, music’s purpose is to entertain. Some musicians go beyond mere entertainment and use their music to promote a point of view, provoke thought and kindle certain kinds of emotions. Hand in hand with those higher goals are the use of music asRead More

by Pico David Stryker, like my main man John Scofield, is the kind of jazz guitarist who never seems satisfied with sticking in one style of music for too long. Earlier this week we presented a pretty damned impressive fusion side of his with 1998’s Shades Of Miles. Last year,Read More

by S. Victor Aaron The French drummer Manu Katché has carved out a real nice career touring and recording behind names like Peter Gabriel, Sting, Joni Mitchell, Dire Straits, Michael McDonald and Joan Armatrading. So what kind of record would you expect from an A-list pop percussionist? If you saidRead More