As I blogged about last month, my favorite channel, XM Satellite Radio channel 72 Beyond Jazz, is ending. It’s off the air on November 14. Program director Russ Davis wants you to know that he and Jammin’ Jazz host Michelle Sammartino aren’t through with the music, though. Russ is launching MOJARadio (MoJa is short for [...]

Kenny Garrett – Sketches of MD: Live At The Iridium. “I wanted to document the band I took on the road for Beyond the Wall while we were working with Pharoah and also write some new songs,” says Kenny of this new recording which features Pharoah Sanders. “The idea of doing the Miles-related songs just [...]

Thunder. Rhythmic, melodic, rock you out, funk you up. Thunder! Back in the spring when I interviewed Marcus Miller, I asked him what was in the pipeline. He mentioned that there was a bass trio recording that he Stanley and Victor were working on – and oh what a recording it’s turned out to be. [...]

Victor Wooten is a musician with a penchant for creativity and this is clearly heard on his latest release, Palmystery. The disc captures this versatile artist in his element as he succinctly takes listeners on a genre-bending tale during which themes of mysticism and spirituality are explored. This premise is shared in Wooten’s concurrently released [...]

John Luciano, top-notch ContemporaryJazz.com reviewer, has launched his own blog. iJazz Therefore I Am covers music John loves including 70s and 80s jazz fusion. Among the acts he’s posted about already include Jeff Lorber Fusion, Spyro Gyra, and Tom Browne. A fellow 37-year-old spinning nu jazz music? Sounds like my kind of guy! The surprising [...]

The next time someone asks me to define contemporary jazz, I have the answer: Transit from MSM Schmidt. The project is an ideal fusion of jazz and rock. It has excellent compositions that allow its stellar cast of musicians to let loose and improvise. It’s a plugged-in, fired-up affair that will reinvigorate a sagging spirit. [...]

John Vidor recently caught one of the few Chick Corea Elektric Band Reunion concerts at The Blue Note in NYC on October 26. John has been kind enough to write this report and supply the pictures below. Thanks, John! “Having lived in the New York City area for over 15 years until 1985, and now [...]

Looked outside the window lately? The forecast for Weather Report fans has been sunny this month. On October 1, the two-CD set Live and Unreleased hit stores. Performances from 1975 to 1983 are captured in the collection and you’ll find all of the group’s signature songs. The release was produced with the full cooperation of [...]