Of all the rich and varied projects guitarist Nels Cline has pursued since his emergence as a leader in the late 1980s, his two-guitar duo with Julian Lage, documented on the 2014 Mack Avenue album Room, ranks among the most special. “When Julian and I started playing together it…
From his expansive work composing the scores for Spike Lee films ranging from the documentary 4 Little Girls to the epic Malcolm X, as well as his own discography of recordings such as A Tale of God’s Will (A Requiem for Katrina), 2018 USA Fellow and five-time Grammy-winning trumpeter/composer…
‘Bout Soul does not mean the same thing as soul-jazz, as the opening track “Soul” makes abundantly clear. Written by Grachan Moncur III and poet Barbara Simmons, “Soul” is a tonally free tone-poem that features Simmons’ spoken recital. It’s about what the concept of soul is, not what soul…
The material that comprises It Just Got to Be was recorded during the same sessions as Here We Come, and like that album, this record has its share of romantic standards, including “Stella By Starlight” and “The Nearness of You.” It Just Got to Be also captures the Three Sounds in the mood to stretch out…
In 2018, the esteemed pianist, composer, bandleader and educator Kenny Barron celebrates his 75th birthday and marks the 50th year of a remarkable recording career that shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, the year is punctuated with yet another milestone: the release of his Blue Note debut Concentric Circles, a…
Dave McMurray’s Blue Note Records debut, Music Is Life is a reunion of sorts, given the long history the saxophonist shares with the label’s president, and fellow Detroit native, Don Was. McMurray was a member of Was’ genre-defying unit Was (Not Was), first working together on the band’s self-titled…
When Lucinda Williams joined Charles Lloyd & The Marvels at UCLA’s Royce Hall in April 2017, the musicians beamed with unbridled joy. Same for the fans fortunate to witness, to share the depths of the artistry and exploration happening on stage. There were tears, too, as Williams reached…
3-time GRAMMY-winner Robert Glasper joins forces with the innovative Montreal-based producer KAYTRANADA on Robert Glasper x KAYTRANADA: The ArtScience Remixes, an 8-track EP that reimagines the songs on Robert Glasper Experiment’s acclaimed 2016 album ArtScience, which The FADER called “a freewheeling, genre-agnostic collection of feel-good songs.” The set features…
Bass great Marcus Miller brings the influence of modern urban music to his trademark sound on his genre-defying album Laid Black on Blue Note Records. It’s been three years since Miller’s last album, Afrodeezia, which The New York Times called “vibrant and expressive… music that frames his playing beautifully.” Miller…
