Fifteen years after the release of his Arif and Joe Mardin-produced Manhattan Records debut, State…
Tag: Raul Midon
Looking for some Monday motivation? We’ve got you covered. From a jubilant tribute to old…
Raul Midón, the endlessly talented vocalist, guitarist and songwriter, walks us through his new album, The Mirror, track by track.
(PUBLISHER’s NOTE: We’ve recently been alerted that Winter 2020 JAZZIZ CDs were erroneously inserted into…
The Week in Jazz is your roundup of new and noteworthy stories from the jazz…
Summer is upon us, and with it comes the 40th edition of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal presented by TD Bank Group in collaboration with Rio Tinto. The fest is all set to take place June 26 through July 6 in downtown Montreal, with several hundred thousand people descending upon the Canadian city to experience the biggest jazz celebration in the world.
The Week in Jazz is your roundup of new and noteworthy stories from the jazz…
Vibraphonist Joe Locke is coming off a banner year. In January, he was inducted into…
Looking for some Monday motivation? We’ve got you covered. From groovy and mellow, to moody…
Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Raul Midón released his tenth album, If You Really Want, on…
Looking for some Monday motivation? We’ve got you covered. From music about the power of…
The GRAMMY Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album was first presented in 1977. Until 2001…
THE BAYLOR PROJECT - The Journey [Be a Light]
Married musicians, vocalist Jean Baylor and drummer Marcus Baylor, released their captivating album, The Journey, on their self-owned label, Be a Light. It is an intersection of gospel, blues, soul, and jazz, featuring a mixture of original compositions, newly arranged standards, and reimagined hymns. Tracks include "Summertime," "Great Is Thy Faithfulness," and "Our Love Is Here to Stay." For more information, go to 
JAZZMEIA HORN - A Social Call [Concord Music]
The debut album of Jazzmeia Horn, winner of the 2015 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition. Performed with an all-star acoustic jazz line-up - and inspired by Betty Carter's 1955 Social Call, which featured a big band arranged by Gigi Gryce - it combines the jazz of the classic, small-group variety with more modern flavors of gospel and neo-soul. Some songs are woven into medleys with Horn sermonizing on issues of common concern; this gives A Social Call the feel of an intimate, live performance. For more information, go to 
RAUL MIDÓN - Bad Ass and Blind [Mack Avenue Records]
Vocalist, guitarist, bassist, and composer Raul Midón taps into the linear modal harmonies explored by such jazz composers as Miles Davis and Wayne Shorter. The New York Times once called Midón "a one-man band who turns a guitar into an orchestra and his voice into a chorus." Bad Ass and Blind showcases the spirit of such experimentation, and also features such musical guests as bassists Richard Hammond and Joe Sanders, and drummers Gregory Hutchinson and Lionel Cordew. For more information, go to 
CÉCILE MCLORIN SALVANT - Dreams and Daggers [Mack Avenue Records]
Bandleader Wynton Marsalis once called Cécile McLorin Salvant the type of singer you only get "once in a generation or two." Having won the GRAMMY for Best Jazz Vocal Album in 2016 for her second album, For One to Love, she is up for another one at the upcoming GRAMMYS for her double-live album, Dreams and Daggers. Here, McLorin Salvant plays a combination of fresh takes on tried and tested standards with new original songs, alongside an acoustic band. For more information, go to 
THE RANDY PORTER TRIO WITH NANCY KING - Porter Plays Porter [Heavywood Music]
Pianist Randy Porter teamed up with bassist John Wiitala, drummer Rodd Strait and, on six of the nine selections on Porter Plays Porter, vocalist Nancy King, for a tribute to Cole Porter. The set features ten songs penned by the great composer plus the pianist's own ballad, "Inside Your Mind." King brings her own warmth and individual phrasing to such well-known standards as "I Concentrate On You," "Just One of Those Things," and "All Of You," while "I Love You," "Why Can't You Behave," and "Get Out of Town" are instrumentals. For more information, go to