by Ben Richmond, AfroPop Worldwide “For the last seven years, Somi has been grappling with the legacy of Miriam Makeba. The South African singer/songwriter and anti-apartheid activist is an icon and legend across Africa and elsewhere. But despite spending time in America, being right in the center of the mid-20th century New York jazz and … Read More
Jazz singer and TikTok sensation Samara Joy stops by the TODAY plaza and performs “Stardust” off her self-titled album, accompanied by Pasquale Grasso on guitar. See the full performance here.
by Matt Micucci, Jazziz “Vocalist Somi will release her full-length personal tribute to the legendary Miriam Makeba on March 4. Pre-order Zenzile: The Reimagination of Miriam Makeba here. The new single from the album is a sultry minimalist take on “Love Tastes Like Strawberries.” Somi performs the song with Gregory Porter as a duet, in … Read More
by Nate Chinen, WBGO “What does devotion sound like? One vivid answer to that question can be found in a forthcoming album by singer-songwriter and playwright SOMI, titled Zenzile: The Reimagination of Miriam Makeba.” Read the Valentine’s Day-themed Take Five here.
by Greg Bryant, Nate Chinen, WBGO “Cecil Taylor’s intensity at the piano conjured a musical sorcery stretching far beyond himself or his collaborators. In a 1975 interview with Boston Public Television, he said: ‘The purpose of the music is to achieve a levitation or a trance which is the existence beyond the normal existence.’” Listen to … Read More
by Suraya Mohamed, NPR “Look around the GB’s Juke Joint studio in Long Island City, N.Y. and you will see adornments from jazz singer Catherine Russell’s home: a vintage Royal typewriter, a black dial phone, a red tiny desk and a striking Malian Bògòlanfini cloth that drapes the piano. Black and white photos of Billie … Read More
interview by Toya Haynes, PhillyCAM Voices Reporter Toya Haynes talks to Philadelphia area based jazz duo, The Baylor Project, about how an off the cuff cautionary tale they jokingly made during quarantine garnered them their third Grammy nomination. Watch the full interview here as well as on PhillyCAM for a live-stream every Monday of February … Read More
by Morgan Enos, Grammy.com “Among those paying homage are pianist Deanna Witkowski, who released tributes to Williams in two mediums in 2021. Those were Force of Nature — an album composed mostly of Williams compositions like “Aries,” “What’s Your Story, Morning Glory?” and “Ghost of Love” — and Mary Lou Williams: Music for the Soul; a digestible biography … Read More
by Matt Micucci, Jazziz “A long-thought lost recording of master improviser Cecil Taylor, documenting his epic 1973 return to live performance in full, including an 88-minute “Autumn/Parade” and more. The concert featured the pianist alongside Cecil Taylor Unit members Jimmy Lyons and Andrew Cyrille, plus Sirone on bass. This digital-only release is accompanied by a … Read More
By JazzTimes For the 2021 JazzTimes Expanded Critics’ Poll, an annual companion to last issue’s Year in Review section (which featured our choices for top 40 new releases and top 10 historical releases of 2021), our regular contributors participated in a survey based on our yearly Readers’ Poll. Winners are bolded; runners-up are listed below … Read More
