Ken Franckling's Jazz Notes

Dave Brubeck has given us a present for his 90th birthday on December 6. The pianist and prolific composer has released a two-disc compilati...

Jazz has been considered “the devil’s music” at times. More in distant decades and in some places more than others, and even among random pe...

It’s amazing that the Cape May Jazz Festival has now completed 17 full seasons of its semi-annual jazz weekends. That’s 34 festivals drawing...

I interviewed singer-guitarist John Pizzarelli for a profile that will be in the December issue of Hot House in conjunction with a mid-mont...

Arriving home from work tonight, I was saddened to learn that saxophonist James Moody - one of the few remaining survivors of the Golden Ag...

Lew Soloff, Steve Richman, Sketches of Spain (Sheffield Lab) Sketches of Spain has always been my favorite among the dozens and dozens of...

After all these years, is there anything more senseless than the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba? I think not, but some are bound to disagre...

Luciano Troja, At Home With Zindars (self-produced) This labor of love spotlights the composer, good friend and perhaps musical twin of Bi...

In less than a week, we saw significant attention spotlighting two jazz artists. There’s one to watch for on the vocal scene. The other we s...

Amina Figarova, Sketches (BMCD / Munich Records) Netherlands-based, Azerbaijan -born pianist and composer Amina Figerova had the early crow...

The Chinese Lunar Calendar considers 2010 as the Year of the Tiger, but in the jazz c alendar this is the Year of the Colossus. Why? All of...

Bands led by trumpeters are in the spotlight… Miles Davis, Bitches Brew: 40th Anniversary Collector’s Edition (Columbia/Legacy) Two weeks a...

When you've made an indelible imprint on an art form - people take notice. Particularly when that effort has helped fuel their own succe...

JazzTimes.com today posted my review and imagery from last weekend's Tanglewood Jazz Festival in the Berkshire Hills of western Massach...

Tamir Hendelman , Destinations (Resonance) If you love jazz piano trios, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a be tter example of their results...

Every summer during my festival wanderings, I get one or more similar pitches. “You really need to go to X.” or “You need to come here… It’s...

Dave Bass Quartet, Gone (Dave Bass Music) One listen to this dynamic disc and you’ll be asking yo urself: “Where has Dave Bass been all the...

In addition to my Newport Jazz Festival review and 21 companion images published Monday on JazzTimes.com... here are a few more of my favori...

I'm just back from this year's CareFusion Newport Jazz Festi val and have put together an overview for JazzTimes.com , along with im...

This week, singers are in the spotlight... Fay Claassen, Sing! (Challenge) This is a gem, pairing Dutch jazz singer Fay Claassen’s fine voc...

What an amazing ride for Carol Stone and her husband, Wood y Woodland, who founded the Cape May Jazz Festival 17 years ago to bring jazz fan...

Christine Jensen, Treelines (Justin Time) Canadian saxophonist and composer Christine Jensen has added ano ther strong branch to the musica...