As he nears 70, pianist Fred Hersch looks back on a fearless life in jazz, sharing personal favorites, stories behind bold collaborations and music from his new album.
1960s pop star Connie Francis has died. The first female singer to chart a number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100, she sold over 40 million records before the age of 25.
The second album from Argentina-born, New York-based vocalist Anita Donndorff owes its identity to both of her homes. With studio sessions taking place in Buenos Aires and the East Village in Manhattan , and some Argentinians and two...
The Circling Sun plays spiritual jazz with reverence and a sense of reverie. Formed in Tāmaki Makaurau (the Māori name for Auckland, New Zealand), the seven- member ensemble crafts rich tapestries that stretch to the stars with feet...
Listening to any Pink Floyd these days, now over fifty years since the release of Dark Side of the Moon (Capitol, 1972) compels all manner of 'What if?...' hypotheses. And hearing At Pompeii MCMLXII, work preserved for posterity during...
It's a slow week on the Billboard charts, but a few albums and singles are still having a huge impact, including Drake 's new single, "What Did I Miss?," and the soundtrack to the Netflix original movie KPop Demon Hunters.
This week Ana and I share some of our long time favorites. While Ana leans into music discovery, I tend to bring more of the classics. In fact, I build playlists on a streaming service to mix music much like I did back in the era of the...
This week Ana and I share some of our long time favorites. While Ana leans into music discovery, I tend to bring more of the classics. In fact, I build playlists on a streaming service to mix music much like I did back in the era of the...
Once upon a time, members of the Code Switch team were just kids, learning about race and identity for the first time. So on this episode, we're sharing some of the books, movies and music that deeply influenced each of us at an early...
Wisdom is in part gathered by the realization that one can only be honest with oneself. There are no lies, only distractions and suppositions that put vision and truth at bay. The wisdom and truth that produces great music is not only...
Rising is the debut recording from Romanian-born guitarist Daniel Garbin who shows his versatility on the album's opening track (and title song) by performing it on his second instrument, the Indian sitar. Although that is not merely a...
For an EP that clocks in at a mere 25 or so minutes, there is a lot to enjoy on After Hours, vocalist Germana Stella La Sorsa 's duo album with guitarist Tom Ollendorff ... [ read more ]
With the release of Merge, Karla Harris ' fifth album, the vocalist refines her sophisticated blend of traditional and contemporary jazz. She follows the time-honored jazz tradition of reimagining familiar standards, complemented by...
Pianist Billy Lester 's album High Standards, recorded 2017, in Italy, encompasses Lester's singular versions of eight memorable standards from the Great American Songbook. Although Lester plays sublimely, and his Italian rhythm section...
"Si erano vestiti dalla festa"--They had dressed up for the party. In August 1922, citizens of Parma barricaded the city against a planned assault by Mussolini's blackshirts. They resisted valiantly and repelled the fascists. No fascist...
For his debut as leader, Irish saxophonist Tom Caraher has roped in some of the country's finest jazz musicians to bring his music to life. The album clocks in around the length of an old vinyl, which, for some tastes is ideal in terms...
Standards III, the ninth album by New York-based pianist Noah Haidu, is essentially a trio date with a guest appearance on one number ("Slipstream") by alto saxophonist Steve Wilson . As was true on Standards (Sunnyside, 2021) and...
What prompted pianist and composer Antonio Adolfo to record, in 2025, an album of songs from the 'golden age' of Brazilian carnaval music, circa 1920-1950? He has known and loved this music since he was a child, growing up in Rio de...
Someone once said that writing about music was as illogical as singing about economics. Writers about music inevitably bristle at the suggestion but it might have merit when it comes to improvised music. How do you write about something...
Chance encounters can be fortuitous and fruitful. Trumpeter Chad McCullough, on a visit to Macedonia to convene with family, found his way into a small cafe in Skopje, the capital of Independent North Macedonia, where he encountered a...
Trombonist and composer John Yao presents a heartfelt and personal retrospective with Points In Time. This ambitious album delves deeply into the emotional and professional journey he has undertaken over the past twenty years in New York...