By Simon Rentner, WBGO “Pianist, singer, and composer Rachel Eckroth is more than a musical chameleon. Her shapeshifting is so astonishingly dramatic that there is no upper limit to her creative identity.” Listen to the full episode of The Checkout here.
By Sarah Geladi & Simon Rentner, NPR & Jazz Night in America Our greatest ally in life can also be a royal pain in our butt. One moment your partner may be a bundle of joy; the next they are driving you up a wall. This is particularly magnified during a year when there is … Read More
By Simon Rentner, WBGO A saxophonist and bandleader unmistakably on the rise, she admits being hesitant to step outside of her protective bubble. But on Friday morning she’ll lead a group at Roulette in Brooklyn, to kick off Jazzfest Berlin—New York. Read this article here.
By Simone Rentner, WBGO Listen to the full interview here.
By Simon Rentner,WBGO With jazz clubs shuttered, festivals canceled, and new album releases postponed, it’s difficult to get a pulse on today’s music scene. However, one musician-led organization is leading the way in keeping artists busy in a virtual space. Read the full article here.
By Simon Rentner, NPR Vocalist and loop artist Thana Alexa and her husband, multiple Grammy award-winning drummer Antonio Sánchez, are no strangers to performing together around the world. Their original strategy of keeping their work and personal lives separate proved to be futile when she joined his band, Migration, in 2014. They had been forced … Read More
By Simon Rentner, The Checkout Thana Alexa had it all mapped out. Her new album, ONA, was set to launch her solo career to new heights. She was featured — with her husband, drummer Antonio Sánchez — on the cover of DownBeat magazine. Then the coronavirus put her nationwide tour on hold, along with countless other … Read More
By Simon Rentner, WBGO One annual Checkout tradition is to pinpoint innovative takes on the holiday canon This year we welcomed Martina DaSilva and Dan Chmielinski to deliver a lesser-known take of “Greensleeves,” a gorgeous selection from the Brazilian songbook, and a slick arrangement of the blockbuster hit “Last Christmas,” by Wham! All of this … Read More
Simon Rentner, WBGO Today’s show unfolds in two parts. First Joe Lovano shares his appreciation of fellow tenor saxophonist Ben Webster, whom he first learning about his while growing up in Cleveland, OH. (Lovano expressed his appreciation many years later with an original blues, “Big Ben.”) Then we’ll take you to the 2018 Montreal Jazz Festival … Read More
