I love any modern jazz project that has the potential to reach new audiences. Cover Art, the new recording from the NEXT Collective has interpretations of songs by Drake, Bon Iver, Dido, Pearl Jam, Kanye West and more. The collective Features rising jazz stars: saxophonists Logan Richardson and Walter Smith III, guitarist Matthew Stevens, keyboardists [...]

Sample the new compilation, Ultimate Nu Jazz Sounds (35 Essentials for Nu Jazz, Lounge, Chillout and Smooth Jazz Lovers), below. iPad and iPhone users can sample it at iTunes. What do you think? Amazon.com Widgets

In an interview in Chicago Now, Liquid Soul founder Mars Williams talks about the band’s 20th anniversary and what might be in store for fans in 2013. “A new record is definitely in the near future… [original DJ] Jesse [De La Pena] and I just talked about releasing a remix version of the first Liquid [...]

Dave Weckl is making a new recording that will come out this spring. You can learn more and pre-order it by pledging through Pledge Music. Not only can you get the music the second it releases but you can also get, depending on your pledge level, an autographed CD, a playalong bundle, a lesson with [...]

In 1986, two contemporary jazz legends united on one of the genre’s best collaborative recordings. Bob James and David Sanborn set the bar high with Double Vision and I will guess that each artist has been asked many times when they would get together again. I asked Bob James that question after a Fourplay concert [...]

Billboard reported these as the Top Contemporary Jazz Albums of 1997: The Moment – Kenny G Sweet Thing – Boney James Dream Walk – Keiko Matsui Que Pasa – Gato Barbieri A Twist of Jobim – Various Artists Soulful Strut – Grover Washington, Jr. Breathless – Kenny G Caravan of Dreams – Peter White Beneath [...]

In the earlier days of this site, I ran a top ten list of the most popular contemporary jazz at the time. This chart was based on sales and radio play. Here were the top 10 from December 5, 1997! Jonathan Butler, Do You Love Me?, N2K Encoded Music Bob James, Playin’ Hooky, Warner Bros. Boney James, Sweet [...]

From 2003 to 2010, I maintained an internet radio station on Live365. I did it for one reason: passion. I love the music I listen to and always want to share. Sometime in the middle of that period, organizations with big money started to see internet radio as a threat. Royalty rates were hiked beyond [...]

Happy Anniversary to the label that introduced me to so many great artists. It was On the Cutting Edge GRP Sampler way back in 1989 or so that helped get me hooked on contemporary jazz. Nice to see Verve recognize the greatest contemporary jazz label ever with a new compilation. <A HREF=”http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?rt=tf_w_mpw&ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fsantasoundsco-20%2F8014%2F41585a45-c1a8-40ef-8599-24cb3b515c20&Operation=NoScript”>Amazon.com Widgets</A>

George Benson is one of the 70 top-notch guitarists interviewed for My First Guitar, a new book by Julia Crowe. The musicians share memories of the first time they picked up the instrument, including the challenges and successes. I can just image the smiles on some of those guys faces when they were reminiscing.