Ken Franckling's Jazz Notes

The 2013 edition of the Newport Jazz Festival dilemma is fast approaching. The weekend of August 2, 3 and 4 offers more than 30 bands to che...

Lew Gluckin and Len Murphy Robbie Rose (piano), Dominic Mancini (bass) Tonight's edition of the South County Jazz Club's weekly...

Taking a closer look at new CDs from Cécile McLorin Salvant, Giacomo Gates,   Wayne Shorter and Steve Slagle …

The 34 th  annual Montreal International Jazz Festival is fast approaching. The dizzying event – which often seems like two festivals in ...

Bit Risner Barring a reunion concert a few years down the road, Sarasota-area jazz fans likely have seen the last of the fine teenage ba...

The South County Jazz Club 's weekly jam session  has settled in nicely at its new home at the Ramada Inn in Venice FL. There's some...

Gerald Albright The main acts are nailed down for the ninth annual Punta Gorda Wine & Jazz Festival , which is scheduled February 20...

Taking a closer look at new CDs from Lisa Hilton, Anthony Branker and George Shearing…  

The results are in – or at least those pertaining to musicianship. The Jazz Journalists Association today announced the winners in the 28 ...

The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota FL is an outstanding home to wide-ranging plant life, and is renowned for its collections of b...

I had an extended conversation a couple of weeks ago with pianist Monty Alexander when preparing a profile for the May issue of Hot House ...

Sonny Rollins There’s an interesting reflection by jazz tenor saxophone titan Sonny Rollins in today’s Wall Street Journal that focus...

Sunday mornings, with few exceptions, are the time I dig out a George Mesterhazy CD and relish the depth and breadth of his talent as I savo...

Pianist Lenny Wilson's quintet went far beyond mining the usual jazz repertoire Friday when it concluded the South County Jazz Club...

After baking in the sun and wandering between the three scattered stages at the Newport Jazz Festival for seven or eight hours, nearly all...

"Sir John" Jeffrey Monday night was Naples Night at the Charlotte Cultural Center as the Charlotte County Jazz Society wound d...

Marlene VerPlanck Singer Marlene VerPlanck closed out the Glenridge Performing Arts Center portion of the South County Jazz Club's r...

Yes, this is Jazz Appreciation Month. It is also the month in which UNESCO's 2nd annual International Jazz Day takes place. Some might...

Andr é Roy Jam sessions are great for a lot of things. One of my favorite values: the opportunity to hear musicians from near or far w...

Bud Leeds Clarinetist Bud Leeds peppered Friday's Venice Art Center concert for the South County Jazz Club with tunes that became br...

 Byron Stripling and Doc Severinsen Thousands jammed into Cambier Park in downtown Naples FL last night for what was the clear highligh...

Taking a closer look at new CDs from Patricia Barber, the Ian Carey Quintet +1, the Clayton Brothers and Scott Hamilton ….

Bob Leary and Davy Jones Bob Leary's sextet, also known as The Moral Imbeciles (so he said), had toes a-tappin' Monday night...

Johnny Varro Pianist Johnny Varro's Swing 7 concert at the Glenridge Performing Arts Center in Sarasota FL last night had a bit of h...

The Tierney Sutton Band The Tierney Sutton Band opened a two-week mini-tour last night at Daniels Pavilion in Naples Fl. The show unders...

Giacomo Gates Connecticut-based bop/vocalese singer Giacomo Gates took the 33rd annual Sarasota Jazz Festival by storm last night, shari...

Valerie Gillespie The South County Jazz Club wound up the first season of its Englewood Art Center concert series with Friday afternoon...

Mac Chrupcala and Mike Renzi have been crossing paths longer than each cares to count. Mike Renzi They began working jazz clubs in the...

Singer Whitney James came south from the St. Petersburg area Saturday for the South County Jazz Club's first concert at Lemon Bay Playho...

One of the cool things about a jam session is that you never know who may show up and enhance the proceedings - above and beyond the regula...

Bob Stone and Mark Pettey Drummer Bob Stone brought The Naples Jazz Orchestra to Port Charlotte last night for the Charlotte County Jazz...

Hot music overcomes chilly weather  Sergio Mendes This year's Punta Gorda Wine & Jazz Festival was noteworthy for its musical...

Scott Hamilton (Blue Duchess photo) Scott Hamilton, now a renowned jazz tenor saxophonist, was 15, playing harmonica and leading a blues...

Taking a closer look at new CDs from three contemporary jazz bands: Myriad3, Marbin and the Hristo Vitchev Quartet.

Nate Najar Guitarist Nate Najar performed today at the South County Jazz Club's Englewood Arts Center series to the biggest crowd th...

Hot House has published my profile of pianist Benny Green in its February issue in conjunction with his Jazz Standard performance in Manha...

Reynolds, Lamb, Switzer, Hixon When drummer Al Hixon gets a call to put together a concert band, he settles for nothing less than all...

Amanda Carr and Arnie Krakowsky Massachusetts-based singer Amanda Carr and tenor saxophonist Arnie Krakowsky generally don't perform...

C ynthia Sayer's Hot Jazz Trio Banjo ace Cynthia Sayer performed to a sellout crowd Saturday at the Glenridge Performing Arts Center...

Sportiello, Parrott, Metz "Don't be fooled by the name of the band," drummer Eddie Metz Jr. said. "We're really j...