Dutch-born Han Bennink is arguably one of the most venerated drummers on the European jazz scene. Throughout his half-century career, Bennink has performed with legends such as Sonny Rollins and Dexter Gordon while making a name for himself as an unpredictable free-jazz improviser. His madcap performances go way beyond the…
Given the area’s vibrant Latin vibe, South Florida is an unlikely location to celebrate soul music, but that’s exactly what Vintage Soul will do this Saturday. Coming together to pay homage to James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Aretha Franklin, talented local singers and songwriters will simultaneously look toward…
After stepping out of the limelight for eight years, neo-soul innovator Maxwell finally has a new album out: BLACKSummers Night (Columbia). It’s the first part of a long-awaited trilogy. Though the initial single, “Pretty Wings,” is lackluster in comparison to the other tracks on the disc, BLACK definitely represents a…
“There aren’t a lot of places [in Miami] to play jazz, so when I’m in town, it’s always good to perform local gigs,” says Philadelphia-born Nicole Henry. With frequent appearances at venues around the globe, Henry doesn’t have many chances to showcase her deep, soulful voice to the local faithful,…
Concha Buika, performing this Thursday at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, is not your average flamenco diva. Born in Mallorca to parents who were refugees from Equatorial Guinea, she was originally influenced by R&B and jazz divas such as Whitney Houston, Sarah Vaughan, and Tina Turner; she even…
One of the few survivors of the bebop era — which spawned the likes of Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, and Charlie Parker — Harlem-born saxophone colossus Sonny Rollins is among the most influential jazz performers of his generation. He is also his own worst critic. During two time…
British-born singer-songwriter Seal is on tour to promote Soul, his sixth studio recording, and one that features covers of classics such as Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come,” James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s World,” and Ben E. King’s “Stand by Me.” This Wednesday Seal will take his spot under…
Branford Marsalis, the oldest of the virtuoso Marsalis brothers, just might be one of the hardest-working men in showbiz. The New Orleans-born saxophonist began his career in the ’80s with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, and thanks to his musical eclecticism, he has also performed as a sideman with the likes…
After being pivotal in the recent Fado revival (the blues-like genre native to Lisbon) with her honest and impassioned interpretation, this Mozambique-born songstress dares to take the genre into a new direction by adding different instruments and influences on her new disc, Terra (World Connection). Continuing her love affair with…
On the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s current Southern tour, the 16-piece band is focusing on the 70th anniversary of Blue Note Records. The New York-based label founded in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis became seminal for musicians such as Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, and Herbie Hancock, who…
The local alt-rock trio Corner 3 formed only in 2007, but the band is based on a longtime friendship, begun when the trio’s members were students at Columbus High in the Eighties. Frontman/guitarist/keyboardist John Lopez and bassist/vocalist Rick Sanchez began their music collaboration while still in school, and over the…
For the first time since the 1980 Drama tour, British supergroup Yes is touring without frontman Jon Anderson, who fell ill after an asthma attack a few months back. In fact, because of this incident, the band’s original plans for a 40th anniversary tour with the “classic” formation (Anderson, Chris…
After paying tribute to the work of the legendary Bill Evans on last year’s Something of You, Brazilian-born pianist and singer Eliane Elias returns to her native roots to celebrate Bossa Nova: The First 50 Years, part of the Arsht Center’s Jazz Roots series. Elias will be in great company…
The sky is the limit for this eclectic Dominican-born pianist. A member of his native country’s symphony orchestra while still in his teens, Michel Camilo made the decision to leave that position in 1979, when he went to New York to study at Juilliard. At the same time, he hit…
The prospect of a Kinks reunion seems unlikely, despite persistent rumors in the music press. Still, Ray Davies, the legendary band’s frontman and main songwriter, continues to soldier on, four years after being shot during a mugging in New Orleans’ French Quarter. At age 63, Davies has lost none of…
At age 18, Randy Singer left his native Ohio in search of a full-time career as a performer. The first stop was New York University, where he earned a degree in music. Then came a stint of traveling through various countries, including Brazil and the Czech Republic, in order to…
Few bands have had such an intense rotation of members as the Doobie Brothers. At the group’s inception in 1971, vocalist/guitarist Tom Johnston and drummer John Hartman teamed up with late bassist Dave Shohgren and guitarist Patrick Simmons to begin the journey. It would bring several hits (“Long Train Running,”…
It is no easy task to fill in for a talented musician such as Ramsey Lewis (the pianist announced he will be suspending all performances owing to an undisclosed “medical issue”), but one cannot deny that Dave Brubeck — one of the biggest living legends on the national jazz scene…
At 38 years old, this Mexican-raised (but Puerto Rican-born) singer is a bona fide veteran of the music business, with several platinum albums and Grammy Awards to his credit. Often dubbed “The Latin Sinatra” because of his cool, guarded personality and numerous high-profile love affairs in recent years, Luis Miguel…
If you hear similarities between the Afro-Peruvian music performed by New Jersey resident Eva Ayllon and the rhythms brought from Cuba by the late Celia Cruz and Tito Puente, you are on the right track. Peruvians have borrowed a lot from Africans taken to South America as slaves during the…
The title of Gloria Estefan’s latest album, 90 Millas (90 Miles), alludes to the physical distance between her native Cuba and the United States. It’s no surprise, then, that lyrically she continues her peaceful activism in favor of democracy on the island nation. These include beautiful ballads such as “Cuando…
The good-natured 53-year-old Bruce Hornsby is a musician who wears many hats. Only last year, he teamed up with mandolinist Ricky Scaggs to record what became a much-acclaimed bluegrass disc, Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby. That CD included several traditional tunes, a handful of original compositions, and a surprising cover…
