There was a palpable curiosity in the audience as to who Julius Rodriguez was before the artist and his band took their places behind the Desk. But the crowd was headbanging as soon as the grooves started. The band’s energy emanated into the crowd, and it was like we were teleported to a house show with old friends. There weren’t many words exchanged throughout this 23-minute set, just hearty laughs and chuckles, juxtaposed by virtuosic playing. “I’m not a big words guy,” Rodriguez said toward the end of his performance, “but I will say that being here is such an honor and a dream come true ..read more

“It’s really about connections,” Oran Etkin says. “The connections with the people that I meet in different places and creating connections between these different places.” As you can see, Etkin is a musician who doesn’t like to create in a vacuum. The multi-reedist travels the globe in order to have one-of-a-kind musical experiences, and whether it’s to West Africa or East Asia, he always finds brilliant musicians to jam with. His curiosity and compassion has resulted in invitations to stay with renowned musical families from around the world. Etkin stays in their home, eats with them and imm ..read more

Just in time for Juneteenth, Jazz at Lincoln Center has released an album called Freedom, Justice and Hope. The album is a collaboration between Bryan Stevenson’s Equal Justice Initiative and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, fronted by Wynton Marsalis. Stevenson provides some introductions and historical context. While the album features music from jazz legends like Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane, as well as arrangements of spirituals, it also offers new compositions by Josh Evans and Endea Owens. Setting music to the story of Elaine, Arkansas Evans, a jazz trumpeter, has written a piece ..read more

Event Details Murmrr x LPR Present: Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra July 26th, 2024 | The Opera House Doors 7PM | Show 8PM Ages 18+ Event Information The Opera House 07:00 PM – 11:59 PM on Fri, 26 Jul 2024 Get Tickets Venue Information The Opera House 288 Berry Street Brooklyn, New York 11249 The post Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra appeared first on Simply Jazz Talk ..read more

Written by: Michael Cates Produced and Mixed by: Jon Gilutin Co-produced and Recorded by: Michael Cates Michael Cates: Saxophone Jon Gilutin: Keyboards Randy Jacobs: Guitar Larry Antonino: Bass Daniel de Los Reyes: Percussion Mastered by: Steve Hall https://ffm.to/newportnights https://michaelcates.com https://facebook.com/michaelcatesmusic/videos/michael-cates-new-lives-/754048419890529 https://www.instagram.com/michaelcatesmusic/reel/C8nY9VoieFL The post Saxophonist Michael Cates new single, Newport Nights will be released July 8th appeared first on Simply Jazz Talk ..read more

Fatherhood often changes a man, but it doesn’t always get you a great co-writer in the studio. Fortunate, then, that Kamasi Washington‘s daughter Asha is good around a keyboard, even as a toddler. Her tinkering led to the melody of a new song on the jazz star’s third studio album, Fearless Movement. Washington calls it a “dance album,” but his meaning extends past the dance floor and into all forms of movement as expression. In this session, Washington talks about the ways in which fatherhood has changed him, the need for connection, and working with André 3000. This episode of World Cafe ..read more

This Black Music Month, Tiny Desk is giving the ladies their flowers. We’re releasing nine Tiny Desk concerts from Black women artists, from veterans who’ve paved the way for what we hear today in Black music, to those who are carving out their own paths. Alto saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin burst into her Tiny Desk Concert like a meteor breaching the atmosphere. Benjamin approaches her music and performances with a take-no-prisoners attitude. After primarily performing as an accompanist, she introduced the world to her own voice. While her first two studio albums leaned into jazz-funk and soul ..read more

Event Details The Princeton Symphonic Brass, under the baton of Lawrence Kursar, will hold its annual Summer Concert on Friday, June 28, 2024, at 7:30 PM at the Community Middle School Auditorium, 95 Grovers Mill Road, Plainsboro, New Jersey. This summer’s Eve concert features Americana, pop, jazz, and light classical in a beautiful, spacious, state-of-the-art performance space with ample parking. Tickets are available online at https://psbrass.square.site (Adults $20/ Seniors $15/ Kids 16 and under $5). For further information about the Princeton Symphonic Brass and its members, visit psbrass ..read more

David Sanborn, whose keening cry on alto saxophone was as bright and steadfast as a lighthouse beacon during a career that spanned nearly 60 years and included collaborations with everyone from David Bowie to Stevie Wonder, died on Sunday in Tarrytown, N.Y. He was 78. According to an official statement, the cause was complications of prostate cancer, which he had been battling since 2018. With a string of crossover hits in the 1970s and ’80s, Sanborn set a sturdy template for the radio format known as smooth jazz, though he himself never warmed to the term. He had more than a dozen albums brea ..read more

Event Details Artistic Director Barry Miles once again brings together musical friends and colleagues of the late jazz pianist George Mesterhazy for this intimate tribute. A Time for Love marks 12 years since George’s passing. This annual remembrance concert celebrates how much George meant to so many through original musical arrangements and meaningful songs. Event Information The Episcopal Church of the Advent Adults $35 Students $15 Adult Members $30 07:00 PM – 09:00 PM on Sun, 2 Jun 2024 Get Tickets Event Supported By Cape May MAC (Museums+Arts+Culture) 609-884-5404 info@capemaymac ..read more