The 54th annual Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, hosted by the University of Idaho’s eponymous school of music, will be delivered virtually this year, but organizers are still finding a way to showcase young talent. Included with a slate of professional performers for this year’s fest is a student ensemble assembled from universities across the country [...]
Welcome back to The Ear, Spectator’s podcast dedicated to documenting, excavating, and investigating Columbia’s past and present. In this week’s episode, reporters Noah Sheidlower and Sam Hyman capture the voices and issues surrounding jazz at Columbia. How has the community’s perception and involvement in jazz progressed over the years? What are the concerns about the [...]
This post was contributed by a community member. Join us for a one-of-a-kind virtual music marathon that celebrates Detroit's landmark jazz legacy hosted by Mark Stryker, award-winning arts reporter and author of Jazz from Detroit. This five-hour online festival experience will feature performances by and interviews with star-studded lineup including Charles McPherson (alto saxophone) with [...]
Detroit musician Jake Bass has produced music for Eminem, and worked with talent like Ludacris and LL Cool J. Now he’s got his own new album out called The Jakey B. LP, which he showed off on Music Monday. Bass said that this record was a passion project for him, and that he worked on [...]
Earlier this year, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra Septet released “The Democracy! Suite” album, which reflects on some of the many challenges the United States has faced over the past year including the raging pandemic, a tumultuous presidential election and a raised awareness of incidents of systemic racism. Artists of all types have channeled [...]
Eunice Waymon, known to most as Nina Simone, was an exceptional singer, songwriter, composer, and all-around musician. Her first foray into the world of music began at the ripe age of three, when she took up classical piano lessons with the intent of becoming the first Black, female classical pianist in America. Though never appointed [...]
An email last week from the University of Missouri School of Music had me at the mere mention of an upcoming event centered on Mary Lou Williams, the late, iconic jazz pianist. To say Williams is a seminal figure in modern jazz is, well, beyond an understatement. She’s that important and remains that influential. At 4 p.m. [...]
Story and photos by Glenn Nelson If drummer D’Vonne Lewis isn’t the hardest working musician on the Seattle jazz scene, he is, by all accounts, in the top 1%. Typically, he played two to three gigs per day, every day of the week. Lewis was so busy he even stopped practicing because, spending all his [...]
Offers Up His Own Life as Testament to How Much African Americans Have Achieved Multitalented radio personality and voiceover artist Cayman Kelly has already achieved a series of important milestones in his life and career as an African American artist. As a role model, Cayman has the distinction of being the first Black voiceover artist to serve [...]
I want to thank all of those along my journey who have helped keep the music fires burning bright. It is my hope that those who have an inkling to play, write, perform or otherwise, do so. If not for yourself then for the rest of us. It's not only that the world needs more [...]