LATEST JAZZ ALBUM

The Week in Jazz is your roundup of new and noteworthy stories from the jazz world. It’s a one-stop destination for the music news you need to know. Let’s take it from the top. Jazz School: Education News Victor Wooten Kicks Off U.S. Tour Celebrating 20th Anniversary of the Center ... read more

Jazz may not have an official yearbook, but it does have a vast and well-documented discography. ‘Year by Year’ is our attempt to bring you the most noteworthy albums of each year, complete with audio samples and fascinating backstories. We hope you join us as we travel through the music’s ... read more

Esperanza Spalding is among the most groundbreaking of today’s jazz artists, a bassist and vocalist with virtuosic technique whose recordings and live performances demonstrate an unflinching commitment to defying convention. Born in Oregon, Spalding came of age in the Portland jazz scene, where she was hailed as a child prodigy. ... read more

On this day (April 18) in 1957, saxophonist John Coltrane and pianist Tommy Flanagan set out to record an album with trumpeter Idrees Sulieman, guitarist Kenny Burrell, bassist Doug Watkins and drummer Louis Hayes at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio in Hackensack, New Jersey. Somewhat of a novelty agglomeration, this ensemble ... read more

Oudist and vocalist Dhafer Youssef will appear as a headliner at the 2019 Healdsburg Jazz Festival, set to take place May 31-June 9 in Healdsburg, California. (Photo: Courtesy the artist) A true gem of the West Coast music scene, the Healdsburg Jazz Festival is a place to experience a boutique ... read more

Herbie Hancock (left), Buster Williams and Billy Hart during a recording session for the Mwandishi Sextet Bassist Buster Williams was born on this day (April 17) in Camden, New Jersey, in 1942. He turns 77 today. One of the most prolific bassists in jazz, Williams was a seminal figure in ... read more

Welcome to the home of How to Listen, our new home for all things audio: high-end equipment, state-of-the-art recording technologies, high-fidelity headphones, audiophile-grade speakers, home-audio systems, vinyl and more. There’s a lot to look forward to here. After all, with How to Listen, we’re not just bringing you reviews. We’re ... read more

Genre-defying harpist Brandee Younger’s fourth album, Soul Awakening, is a collection of eight unearthed gems surfacing years after they were originally recorded, that blend freewheeling improvisation and spiritual jazz with classical and experimental music. Produced by acclaimed bassist Dezron Douglas and featuring such first-rate musicians as saxophonists Ravi Coltrane and ... read more

If there was one constant in the career of Miles Davis, it was change. The trumpeter was a relentless innovator, refusing to tread the same path twice in his search for new musical ideas. And while he was certainly in the vanguard of movements like bebop, modal jazz, hard-bop, and ... read more

On this day (April 16) in 1963, trumpeter Miles Davis entered Columbia Studios in Los Angeles to begin the recording session for his iconic album Seven Steps To Heaven. The album represented a period of transition for Davis, who at this juncture had dismantled his First Great Quintet and was ... read more

Pianist Emmet Cohen was awarded the 2019 Cole Porter Fellowship from the American Pianists Association, earning $50,000 in winnings and a recording contract with Mack Avenue Records. On April 6 in Indianapolis, the American Pianists Association awarded Emmet Cohen its 2019 Cole Porter Fellowship, culminating a 13-month competition that embodies ... read more

Australia-born singer Sarah McKenzie is an emerging star with a timeless voice and a spellbinding way with original lyrics, two skills that helped her secure a coveted finalist spot in the 2014 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. Since then, the Berklee-educated singer has gone on to have a fruitful ... read more

Looking for some Monday motivation? We’ve got you covered. From a unique reimagining of a Frank Sinatra classic to a thrilling expressionist depiction of today’s world, here are five songs that you can listen to right now to start your week the right way. The Mark Dresser Seven, “Ain’t Nothing ... read more

Kendrick Scott’s new album A Wall Becomes a Bridge with his band Oracle is among our 10 Albums You Need To Know for April 2019. Join JAZZIZ editors Brian Zimmerman and Matt Micucci as they discuss the 10 Albums You Need To Know for April 2019, with new releases by Norah ... read more

Today (April 12) is the birthday of keyboardist Herbie Hancock, one of the most iconic figures in jazz. “Watermelon Man,” today’s Song of the Day, comes from Hancock’s 1962 album Takin’ Off, recorded when he was just 22 years old. Released on Blue Note Records, it showcased his precocious skills ... read more