THE hip-hop culture calls it ‘Collabo’ – what jazz history has always referred to as ‘Jam Session’. As the two nomenclatures clearly indicate, they perform distinctly different roles: Hip hop stars come together to boost one another’s...

RENOWNED for her abundant rhythms and the legion of percussion instruments, the continent of Africa was responsible for introducing these musical elements to America as vehicles for the expression of jazz in the 40s, through West African...

CRITICS of trumpeter Miles Davis often refer to the evolutionary exploits, which found him integrating electric instruments and elements of popular songs into his music – from 1968. As a matter of fact, this experimental intervention also...

SINCE the demise of trumpeter Lester Bowie, not only has The Art Ensemble of Chicago not been the same, the furtherance of jazz as great black music has also diminished. In the last 20 years, Bowie was the pivot and inspirer of the new black...

BUT for the current exploits of Kurt Elling and in particular, David Mahogany who continues to dazzle audiences at jazz festivals on account of his intimate link with the past, male jazz singing would have been forgotten by now. But despite the...

THE pervasiveness of Miles Davis’ influence and the profound impact his trumpet made on the modern jazz scene, have prevented many – over the years – from looking beyond his artistic landscape. In consequence, not many are aware of the...

COURTESY of Hennessy, a brand with a growing reputation for promoting elevated music, New York – based African singing sensation, Somi, treated an exclusive audience to what she calls New African Jazz — two weeks ago. Described by the...

UPON listening to Round About Midnight and Straight No Chaser, two of Thelonious Monk’s master pieces recently, the realization became crystal clear that there is now a growing polarity between the quality of today’s jazz and that of...

EVERY jazz instrument has its acclaimed virtuoso who is looked up to by the jazz world as the reference point and dominant influence.

The piano reached a creatively pianistic level with the likes of Oscar person who was greatly influenced by...