Equinox and Bassist Steve Davis (108) Standards Rating 7, Difficulty Rating 3 “Equinox” is a brooding minor-blues jazz standard composed by John Coltrane, first recorded in 1960 and released on Coltrane’s Sound in 1964. Built on a slow, hypnotic 12-bar minor blues groove, the piece stands out in Coltrane’s oeuvre for its earthy spiritual depth, reflecting his deep connection to the blues tradition more than virtuosic bebop complexity. Its stark, modal theme unfolds over repeated figures that cre...
Jan 25, 2026•16 min
Will Downing’s career spans more than three decades, a journey built on talent, versatility, and a deep connection to love and relationships. From his Brooklyn roots, he first made waves as a background vocalist, lending his smooth baritone to hits by Mariah Carey, Billy Joel, Jennifer Holliday, and others. In 1988, he went solo, finding early success overseas before establishing himself as a fixture on the U.S. R&B charts. Albums like A Dream Fulfilled , After Tonight , and Classique brough...
Jan 21, 2026•1 hr 1 min
Epistrophy and Kenny Clarke (107) Standards Rating 7, Difficulty 7 “Epistrophy” isn’t just a Monk tune—it’s a historical artifact, a blueprint for modern jazz, and a flex by two geniuses who knew exactly what they were doing. Co-written by Thelonious Monk and Kenny Clarke, the piece feels like organized chaos: jagged melody, looping phrases, and harmonies that never quite settle, which is precisely the point. Monk’s chords grind and shimmer, while the melody keeps circling back on itself like a ...
Jan 18, 2026•21 min
Jordan Williams is a rising American jazz pianist whose playing balances deep tradition with a clear, contemporary voice. Raised in Philadelphia, he began playing piano by ear at a young age, developing strong melodic instincts before entering formal classical and jazz training. By his early teens he was already performing publicly, showing a natural command of swing, harmony, and groove. Williams later studied jazz while remaining active as a performer, earning a reputation for lyrical phrasing...
Jan 14, 2026•39 min
“El Gaucho” and Joe Chambers (106) Standards Rating: 5: Difficulty Rating: 6 “El Gaucho” exemplifies Wayne Shorter’s distinctive compositional voice through its unconventional 18-bar form, Latin-inflected groove, and harmonically ambiguous structure. Rather than relying on standard ii–V progressions, the tune drifts through whole- and half-step root movement, creating a floating tonal center. Shorter heightens expression by sustaining upper extensions—9ths, ♭9ths, and 11ths—over shifting harmoni...
Jan 11, 2026•16 min
“Eighty-One” and Ron Carter (105) Standards Rating 5: Difficulty Rating : 6 “Eighty-One” is a 24-bar tune with a 12-bar A section and a 12-bar bridge, written in F and first recorded on E.S.P. (1965). Though credited in The Real Book to Miles Davis/Ron Carter, the piece is widely regarded as Carter’s, and it reflects his expanding role in the Second Great Quintet. Carter’s concept—shaped by intervallic thinking, pedal points, and harmonic ambiguity—defines the tune’s character. The chart’s instr...
Jan 04, 2026•21 min
Sullivan Fortner’s 2025 stands as a defining chapter in an already remarkable career. The year brought a Grammy nomination for Southern Nights , a live-in-the-moment trio recording born from a spontaneous Village Vanguard engagement, captured in a single four-hour studio session. Alongside it came high-profile collaborations with Theo Croker, Kurt Elling, and Lauren Henderson, each revealing different facets of Fortner’s musical identity—from free-form duo exploration to intimate vocal-piano dia...
Jan 02, 2026•1 hr 2 min
“Ecclusiastics” and Charles Mingus (104) Standards Rating 2, Difficulty Rating 7 “Ecclusiastics” offers a concentrated portrait of Charles Mingus’s artistic personality: volatile, spiritual, blues-soaked, and uncompromising. Drawing its title from the Jewish wisdom text attributed to Ben Sira, the piece reflects Mingus’s lifelong engagement with moral struggle, Black church traditions, and personal prophecy. Marked at an extremely slow ♩ = 52, the tune demands patience and emotional control, qua...
Dec 28, 2025•17 min
“Easy To Love and Gene Ammons” (103) Standards Rating 7, Difficulty Rating 5 “Easy to Love ” is a model of Cole Porter’s understated brilliance: a 32-bar form with a spacious, lyrical melody and harmonies that move fluidly through ii–V progressions and subtle chromatic color. Its clarity and emotional openness have made it a durable jazz standard, adaptable to ballad, swing, or groove-based treatments without losing its essential elegance. On Jug (1961), Gene Ammons reshapes the tune through a r...
Dec 21, 2025•24 min
John Goldsby (b. December 10, 1958) is an American jazz bassist, composer, author, and educator, best known for his long tenure with the Grammy-winning WDR Big Band in Cologne, Germany, which he joined in 1994. Raised in Louisville, Kentucky, the son of a Baptist minister, he played several instruments before committing to the double bass at age 18. Early professional work with visiting jazz greats led him to New York City in 1980, where he spent 14 years performing and recording with artists in...
Dec 18, 2025•1 hr 18 min
“Easy Living” & Paul Desmond (102) Standards Rating 7, Difficulty Rating 6 “Easy Living” is a model of songwriting elegance: a 32-bar AABA form whose beauty lies in balance—lyricism paired with subtle harmonic motion. The A sections unfold in F with graceful chromatic touches and flowing ii–V movement, while the bridge’s unexpected shift to Db major adds color without disrupting the tune’s calm, unhurried mood. Its melody favors long, singing lines and spacious phrasing, making it ideal for ...
Dec 14, 2025•22 min
Mauricio Morales & Adam Hersh Between Dreams & Twilight, released November 14, 2025, is a modern-jazz collaboration between bassist-composer Mauricio Morales and pianist-composer Adam Hersh. The album features nine pieces—blending intricate composition with cinematic atmosphere. Their writing moves between dreamy lyricism, modernism, craftsmanship, rhythmic inventiveness and layered textures. The project is supported by a standout ensemble that brings depth and color to every track. Guit...
Dec 10, 2025•1 hr
“Easter Parade”- Roy Eldridge (102) Standards Rating 5 Difficulty Rating 5 Irving Berlin’s “Easter Parade,” first drafted in 1917 and introduced in As Thousands Cheer (1933), remains one of the most graceful standards of the American songbook. Its balanced 32-bar AABA design, gentle chromatic inflections, and elegant melodic lift evoke the optimism of springtime in New York, making it a natural vehicle for improvisers who appreciate Berlin’s clean, song-focused craft. Roy Eldridge’s 1944 Decca r...
Dec 07, 2025•18 min
Alan Broadbent has built a remarkable career as a pianist, composer, arranger, and educator, blending deep jazz tradition with classical sophistication. Now in his late seventies, he continues to perform and compose with undiminished vitality, including appearances at the Deer Head Inn 12/12 alongside longtime collaborators Harvie S. and Billy Mintz. Broadbent’s newest album, Threads of Time (Savant Records), features original compositions spanning five decades, scored for a sextet he had long e...
Dec 03, 2025•1 hr 13 min
“Always” — Irving Berlin (101) Standards Rating 5 Difficulty Rating 4 “Always” stands as Irving Berlin’s most intimate composition, a love song written not for the public but for one woman—his wife, Ellin Mackay. While Berlin built a career on anthems, showstoppers, and holiday standards, this song reveals his quiet emotional core. There is no theatrical flourish here, no novelty or comedy—only devotion stated with rare simplicity. The lyric unfolds like a spoken promise rather than a performanc...
Nov 30, 2025•21 min
Steve Smith Interview (Part 2 ) Steve Smith has long stood as one of the most technically accomplished and musically versatile drummers of his generation. Known globally for his work with Journey, Vital Information, and an array of jazz legends, Smith combines precision, historic knowledge, and a deep respect for the lineage of drumming. His approach marries power with nuance, always serving the music while expanding its rhythmic possibilities. Beyond performance, Smith has become an influential...
Nov 26, 2025•50 min
Steve Smith on Jack DeJ ohnette Steve Smith has long stood as one of the most technically accomplished and musically versatile drummers of his generation. Known globally for his work with Journey, Vital Information, and an array of jazz legends, Smith combines precision, historic knowledge, and a deep respect for the lineage of drumming. His approach marries power with nuance, always serving the music while expanding its rhythmic possibilities. Beyond performance, Smith has become an influential...
Nov 26, 2025•54 min
100- “Dreamsville” and Henry Mancini Standards Rating 6, Difficulty Rating 6 Henry Mancini (1924–1994) was one of America’s most versatile and influential composers, and his lifelong connection to jazz shaped his signature sound. After early musical studies and service in the Army Air Corps, he worked with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, grounding his writing in big-band swing. Moving to Hollywood in 1952, Mancini contributed to more than a hundred films, but his breakthrough came with the 1958 tele...
Nov 23, 2025•19 min
Anthony Stanco is a jazz trumpet virtuoso and composer from Southeast Michigan, deeply rooted in the Detroit tradition, having studied under luminaries like Marcus Belgrave and Rodney Whitaker. He is recognized for his technique and love for hard bop, also serving as an educator and cultural ambassador through the US State Department's "American Music Abroad" program.His latest album is In the Groove: Live at The Alluvion, released on October 17, 2025, on OA2 Records. This project is a continuat...
Nov 19, 2025•43 min
99- “Dream a Little Dream of Me” and Diana Krall Standards Rating 9, Difficulty Rating 5 “Dream a Little Dream of Me” remains one of the most enduring standards because of its gentle melody, romantic lyric, and the effortless way it creates a feeling of warmth and nostalgia. The tune has a natural, lullaby-like flow, moving gracefully between its dreamy A section and the more open, hopeful lift of the bridge. Its charm lies in its simplicity — nothing feels forced or overly ornate, yet every phr...
Nov 16, 2025•16 min
French-born tenor saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh has long been a fixture on the New York jazz scene, known for his warm tone, lyrical phrasing, and commitment to musical honesty. A Paris native who moved to the U.S. in the mid-1990s to study at the Berklee College of Music, Sabbagh then moved to New York and quickly immersed himself in the city’s vibrant improvisational community, collaborating with artists like the late Paul Motian. His latest release, Stand Up! (Analog Tone Factory, 2025), featuri...
Nov 13, 2025•1 hr 15 min
(98) “Donna Lee” an Claude Thornhill Standards Ratings 7 Difficulty Rating 8 “Donna Lee” is a cornerstone of the bebop repertoire, composed by Miles Davis (though often attributed to Charlie Parker) and first recorded in 1947 by the Charlie Parker Quintet featuring Parker on alto sax and Davis on trumpet. The tune is a whirlwind of rapid-fire eighth notes, angular leaps, and constant harmonic motion over the chord changes of “(Back Home Again in) Indiana.” Its technical demands and unpredictable...
Nov 09, 2025•21 min
Cuban-American saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer Paquito D’Rivera — a towering figure whose joyful spirit matches his musical brilliance — will be honored as the newest recipient of the Giants of Jazz Award on November 29, 2025 at the South Orange Performing Arts Center. The event will feature an all-star lineup including Eric Alexander, Don Braden, Roberta Gambarini, Jeb Patton, Rufus Reid, Steve Davis, Freddie Hendrix, and Yotam Silberstein. At 77, D’Rivera remains a symbol of artistic ex...
Nov 04, 2025•29 min
Nat King Cole’s interpretation of “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” marries the song’s refined Ellington roots with Cole’s signature warmth and polish. The tune, originally an instrumental titled “Never No Lament” before lyrics were added, is built on a classic 32-bar AABA structure that balances elegant chromatic motion with a memorable melodic hook. Cole keeps the melody’s graceful contour intact while subtly shaping phrases to enhance the lyric’s quiet humor and bittersweet nostalgia—avoiding e...
Nov 02, 2025•22 min
Wolfgang Muthspiel Interview Austrian guitarist and composer Wolfgang Muthspiel’s new album Tokyo , released on ECM Records in September 2025, captures the refined interplay of his long-standing trio with bassist Scott Colley and drummer Brian Blade. Recorded in Tokyo in October 2024 and produced by ECM founder Manfred Eicher, the record highlights Muthspiel’s composition skills and prowess as a guitarist. His music is a true balance of lyricism and expressionism. Each track demonstrates the tri...
Oct 28, 2025•56 min
(96) Don’t Blame Me and Ethel Waters “Don’t Blame Me,” written by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields in 1932, became a popular standard known for its lyrical melody and elegant harmonic motion. Ethel Waters’ 1933 recording, arranged by Victor Young, remains one of the definitive interpretations. Her expressive phrasing, subtle rhythmic control, and spoken introduction elevate the song from a simple love ballad to a deeply personal statement. The arrangement’s double-time instrumental section and Wa...
Oct 26, 2025•16 min
(95) “Domino Biscuit” and Hotel Hello Steve Swallow’s “Domino Biscuit,” from Hotel Hello (ECM, 1975), is a concise yet characterful duet that epitomizes the minimalist charm of the album. Built on a simple 10-bar form in D♭, the piece unfolds with a brief two-bar introduction and a recurring rhythmic motif of dotted quarter, eighth, and quarter notes. Written in traditional piano score, the melody sits in the bass clef, suggesting Swallow’s intent for pianistic phrasing despite its bass-driven o...
Oct 19, 2025•11 min
The 2026 Gilmore Bell Young Artist Award, accompanied by a $25,000 grant, recognizes two rising stars in jazz piano — Tyler Bullock II and Esteban Castro — both representing the vibrant next generation of the art form. Based in New York City and trained at the Juilliard School, Bullock and Castro share a commitment to honoring jazz’s deep traditions while advancing its creative boundaries. Bullock, a dynamic performer and collaborator with artists like Samara Joy and Dee Dee Bridgewater, channel...
Oct 14, 2025•41 min
(94) Dolphin Dance and George Coleman “Dolphin Dance,” f rom Herbie Hancock’s 1965 album Maiden Voyage (Blue Note Records), is a luminous example of modern jazz composition. Built on a 38-bar form, the tune flows with modal harmonies, shifting tonal centers, and a lyrical melody unified by rhythmic motifs. Hancock’s use of parallel motion, pedal tones, and deceptive resolutions creates a sound both serene and exploratory—perfectly evoking the imagery of dolphins gliding through water. The piece ...
Oct 12, 2025•24 min
Marc Johnson, a distinguished American jazz bassist, rose to prominence in the late 1970s as a member of Bill Evans’ final trio. Renowned for his warm tone, lyrical phrasing, and rhythmic sensitivity, he has led groups such as Bass Desires and collaborated with Eliane Elias, Joe Lovano, and Pat Metheny. His 2025 ECM release Tramonto , recorded live in 2002 with pianist John Taylor and drummer Joey Baron, captures the trio’s elegant interplay and Johnson’s expressive solo work. The album, issued ...
Oct 08, 2025•1 hr 8 min
