In Detroit, a city long renowned for its musical innovations as much as its automotive creations, jazz trumpeter James O’Donnell has spent more than five
Anne Linders won’t take credit for revitalizing the traditional jazz scenes in the two towns she has called home this past decade. Was it just
Emmet Cohen is a multi-talented and innovative musician/pianist who captivates his audiences with style, panache and good humor. He began studying the piano at the
Hal Smith: Ryan, you can be contacted for original artwork, graphic design, swing dance instruction, to lead a band and to perform as a sideman.
Klas Lindquist, a Swedish saxophonist, composer, and bandleader, has spent decades carving his niche in the jazz world. Drawing inspiration from legends like Johnny Hodges,
What’s in a name? A quintet by any other name would sound as sweet! At least, that’s what went through my mind when my good
The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to any number of creative improvisations, each manifesting from the necessity of having to “quarantine in place.” Tenor saxophonist
There are so many reasons to visit New York City. Musically, you can find almost anything you want there. For example, if you are looking
This profile of the late Dr. Eli Newberger was published in the September 2015 issue (and again in the October 2015 issue) of The American
Busking in NYC The “Good Old New York” that Jelly Roll Morton wrote about has served as an evident launch-pad of hot jazz and its
Yes, that’s what I once whisper-yelled to my siblings during a concert, as recorded in my vignette. Too many thrills were happening for the first
In just a little over a dozen years, 17-year-old Nathan Tokunaga has had opportunities and experiences that many adult musicians don’t have in a lifetime.
The traditional jazz world pays homage to the blues, but often in a narrow way. There are glimpses of famous streets in fabled cities, tin
Arthur Vint has capitalized on a series of life experiences that has enabled him to make a major contribution in the creation of a highly-successful
Judged by looks alone, Joe Temperley did not live up to any cliché of a jazz musician. Rather, he looked like a successful businessman, always
New Orleans jazz and brass band music in the ’70s Ellis Marsalis once stated that “In other places, culture comes down from on high. In
For many musicians, the jazz life is a constant struggle for survival. The pandemic has only made things more difficult, with venues going bust or
Like her music, Nicki Parrott has traveled far from her birthplace in Newcastle, Australia, and established an international reputation as both a renowned bassist and
Chapter 1: In Which Paris Comes to New York In 2019, I was lucky enough to be invited to attend Tatiana Eva Marie’s birthday party,
An article in the February 2021 issue of DOWNBEAT Magazine had this to say about the individual who will be the recipient of the 2024
Fifty years after The Sting, it takes a special kind of musician to breathe new life into “The Entertainer” or “Solace”—those Scott Joplin masterpieces that
Very, very occasionally I receive fan mail from a reader who has enjoyed one of my articles. Often it’s about one of my “forgotten ladies”
Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside. I grew up in a quiet coastal town, where the shore and adjacent pine forests were
Women are relatively rare in the jazz world. They still constitute only a small minority of performers, compared with men, particularly if you exclude singers:
