According to pianist Jason Moran, jazz legend Fats Waller “was a party animal.” Waller, who wrote classics like “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and “Honeysuckle Rose,” died young, but he left behind a piano style and a catalog of music that has...
This month marks the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. A decade later, New Orleans has regained its footing and found within its citizens a resilience that has defined a generation. For singer Dee Dee Bridgewater, this anniversary offers an...
It seems that every story about singer/songwriter Aloe Blacc begins with “you may not know his name, but….” The best follow-up to that is “but you should.” Last year he released the album Lift Your Spirit. He also appeared...
Grammy Award-winning trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard once said, “If you are hung up on maintaining the tradition, you’re never going to be yourself. This is music about breaking the tradition.” In two very different concerts (one this week...
Composer Igor Stravinsky’s landmark work The Rite of Spring, though commonly performed in concert halls, was written as a ballet. Last year this composition, considered one of the most groundbreaking works of the 20th century, celebrated its hundredth anniversary....