Released a decade ago this month, ‘Road Shows Vol. 1’ reframed Sonny Rollins as jazz’s most important living saxophonist.

When I heard that Jim Hall had died I thought, “Shoot, I was hoping he was gonna live till the ripe old age of…” Of course, I then realized that he had lived that long. You May Also Like: Daniel Carter, William Parker, Matthew Shipp – Seraphic Light, Live atRead More

New York City circa 1958, for the jazz aficionado, was the place to be. Possibly no other artifact can confirm this statement with more clarity than photographer Art Kane’s landmark portrait A Great Day in Harlem. You May Also Like: Esquire featuring Nikki Squire, “Ministry of Life” (2016): One TrackRead More

by Mark Saleski You’ve gotta love what Branford Marsalis is all about. In today’s music industry, where creativity is mostly overlooked in favor of bottom-line issues, Branford made a break in advance of this album from his long-time record label You May Also Like: Branford Marsalis, Lucas Lee, Tim MorseRead More

An underappreciated Dizzy Gillespie record on Verve, includes some s-s-smokin’ thoughts of “Con Alma” — two, in fact. You May Also Like: Dizzy Gillespie and Friends – Concert of the Century: A Tribute to Charlie Parker (2016) ‘Hot House: The Complete Jazz at Massey Hall Recordings’ (2023) Wes Montgomery withRead More

by Mark Saleski Ever have a dream where the impossible has suddenly come true? No, I don’t mean something like you’ve won the lottery, or you finally hooked up with that special someone. No, I’m talking about the impossible. In my case, it was my guitar playing ability. For aRead More

by Nick DeRiso “Like Sonny,” reportedly based on an element of a Sonny Rollins solo — perhaps during “My Old Flame,” from Kenny Dorham’s 1957 Jazz Contrasts record? — illustrates the remarkable attention to detail that still makes John Coltrane’s music not just interesting but important. He wasn’t a stylist,Read More

by Pico We’ve been long overdue for another “Quickies,” as there’s been way more new releases to talk abput than there’s time to talk (as usual). Nonetheless, the show must go on and the word has to get out. This variation has a certain theme. Well, sort of. We startRead More