Can both transcendental and earthly jazz coexist on the same record? With ‘In the Key of the Universe,’ Joey DeFrancesco answers with an emphatic ‘yes.’

We saw our share of standout instrumentalists, from Julian Lage to Rudresh Mahanthappa to Pat Martino. But, as this lists attests, 2011 might rightly be called the Year of the Big Band. You May Also Like: Julian Lage – ‘Squint’ (2021)

Rock fans know him for his work with David Bowie and the Average White Band, jazz fans from moments alongside Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins (they’re on tour now), soul and pop fans from turns with Chaka Khan and Mariah Carey. You May Also Like: ‘All That’s Jazz,’ by SammyRead More

Improperly named, the Average White Band was anything but. First off, one of the rhythm guys, at least by this point, wasn’t white. Second, and this is far more important, they funked it up with a vigor and style that would never be confused with average. You May Also Like:Read More

by S. Victor Aaron Like many of the greatest American musicians, Miles Davis has had a comeback—he’s had four or five of them, actually—but only one where he came back from not playing at all. It was also his least successful one in the short run. The 1975-1981 retirement wasRead More