In a recent post from KNKX’s Abe Beeson, Virginia-based quintet Butcher Brown joined our new ‘Studio X’ for a genre-expanding studio session. Butcher Brown makes music blending jazz, hip-hop, soul, disco, rock and more – a genre of their own with a dedicated and growing fan base! The post Butcher Brown brought their genre-bending grooves to our KNKX studios appeared first on Jazz24 ..read more

Dr. John Paul McGee, Ph.D. (AKA Dr. JP) new album A GospeJazzical Christmas brightens up the holidays with 11 tracks of original and classic Christmas selections with his unique Gospejazzical sound: a pianistic amalgam of gospel, jazz and classical genres. Pianist John Paul McGee New Seasonal Project “A Gospejazzical Christmas”| LISTEN! A follow up to Gospejazzical, Vol.1 (2022), McGee’s magical musical hybrid provides the right mix to spice up the holiday season in solo, duo, trio and quartet configurations. The Caribbean-cadenced “Emmanuel,” the solemn sonorities of “The Manger Medley” and ..read more

Acclaimed pianist and composer Isaiah J. Thompson offers jazz lovers a spirit-lifting gift this holiday season, announcing the release of A Guaraldi Holiday (Outside In Music/Jazz Bird Records) on December 1. A tribute to the eclectic music of Vince Guaraldi – work which served as a both an introduction to jazz, and as a childhood soundtrack for generations of music lovers, Thompson included – the invigorating set was co-produced by Thompson with John Pizzarelli and features 12 fresh tracks, each one an exercise in nostalgic expressionism. Whil ..read more

Scotty Barnhart had a vision of the Basie orchestra swinging behind and with some of the greatest blues artists of the last and current century, so he enlisted a stellar lineup of blues icons and contemporary stars including Buddy Guy, Bobby Rush, Keb’ Mo’, Robert Cray, George Benson, Shemekia Copeland, Ledisi, Mr. Sipp, Lauren Mitchell, Bettye LaVette, and Charlie Musselwhite to help realize it fully. Together, they have created a timeless musical experience that celebrates the essence of the blues in the context of the irresistibly electrifying and enduring swing of Basie. The result is an u ..read more

With a discography that stretches back nearly 60 years, pianist, composer, and arranger, Antonio Adolfo has recorded over 25 albums as a leader. On past albums, Adolfo focused on a particular composer, for example, Jobim Forever (2021) and BruMa: Celebrating Milton Nascimento (2020). It has been 65 years since Bossa Nova was born on the south side of Rio, and on his newest album, Bossa 65: Celebrating Carlos Lyra & Roberto Menescal (June 23rd 2023 on AAM Music), Adolfo turns his attention to two great composers who are on the frontline of the creation of this popular and beloved mus ..read more

Johnathan Blake celebrated the Aug. 11 release of his sophomore Blue Note album Passage, a stirring follow-up to his acclaimed 2021 label debut Homeward Bound for which the drummer and composer reconvened his dynamic band Pentad featuring alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, vibraphonist Joel Ross, pianist David Virelles, and bassist Dezron Douglas. Dedicated to Blake’s father and musical mentor, jazz violinist John Blake, Jr., Passage captures the arc of personal and collective evolution: the passing from one moment to the next, from one phase into another. “Passage picks up where Homeward Boun ..read more

From country music to rhythm and blues, Robin McKelle has made an entire career exploring the rich vastness of American music. Released on June 3rd via Naive Records, with Impressions of Ella, McKelle returns to her traditional jazz roots and finds herself right at home. Introducing Robin McKelle, her eponymous 2006 debut, delve into a dozen timeless standards of the swing era (“Come Rain or Come Shine,” “Night and Day,” “On the Sunny Side of the Street”). For her latest effort, McKelle draws from only one source and perhaps her greatest artistic influence, Ella Fitzgerald. “The concept of th ..read more

GAEA SCHELL, a multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, and vocalist, plays piano and flute on In Your Own Sweet Way, and she also sings on a couple of tunes. The album consists of seven Latin-tinged original compositions, one straight-ahead original, and three fresh takes on songs from the Great American Songbook. In Your Own Sweet Way follows For All We Know (2004) and After the Rain (2011). Schell’s piano playing is subtle and swinging, and her flute playing is influenced by traditional Cuban flutists, while her soft voice has been compared to a Brazilian white- sand beach at sunrise. Ins ..read more

Dr. Greg Satterthwaite is an accomplished jazz pianist and composer. Savannah Blue, is a blend of his Jamaican roots mixed with jazz classics, and original compositions. The title of the album pays homage to Savannah, Georgia. Savannah Blue ensemble members include drummer Quentin Baxter, bassist Delbert Felix, guitarist Rod Harris Jr., and saxophonist Derrick James. The 2023 Winter South Arts Jazz Road artist and jazz professor at the University of Georgia states; “I truly appreciate the opportunity to uplift, share, and build community through such a&n ..read more

When José James released No Beginning No End 2 (2020), a collaborative effort that paired the forward-looking vocalist with a global all-star cast including Ledisi, Aloe Blacc and Laura Mvula, it was apparent that the genre-defying artist was back to stake his claim as the jazz singer for the hip-hop generation. In that light his new project, On & On, finds James throwing down the gauntlet on the past 100 years of jazz singing while charting a path forward for the culture. “It’s simple” James explains. “Jazz singing has always been about interpreting the highest level of standards of your ..read more