Ken Franckling's Jazz Notes

Greg Nielsen and Tom Ellison Multi-instrumentalist Greg Nielsen and saxophonist Tom Ellison dug deeply into the Gerry Mulligan songbook ...

Here’s a preview of some of the more interesting jazz events in the Sarasota to Naples territory from now through March. There are also a...

Whether you like your jazz to be traditional mainstream, big band, edgy, avant garde, Latin- or gospel-tinged, funky or had-bopping, it look...

Harry Allen Drummer Eddie Metz Jr.'s international trio with bassist Nicki Parrott and pianist Rossano Sportiello brought tenor saxo...

The West Coast now has its a jazz edifice of its own with strong roots, International Jazz Day grew in scope during year two, jazz made its...

This week's mail brought a hot-from-the-production-plant copy of The Naples Jazz Orchestra's debut CD, On A Misty Night. It was reco...

Best wishes for a very Merry Christmas from the Jazz Notes staff. This year we have some vintage musical cheer to share from among our...

Toronto-based pianist Jim Clayton considers New Orleans his home away from home. He spends considerable vacation time and got married ther...

Taking a closer look at new CDs by Bob Devos, Jake Hertzog, Frank Macchia, Bill McBirnie and a vintage Miles Davis boxed set…

Eddie Metz Jr. The splendid jazz trio, featuring drummer Eddie Metz Jr., bassist Nicki Parrott and pianist Rossano Sportiello, has bee...

The saxophone ruled on the Sarasota jazz scene on Friday, December 13 with two separate, excellent concerts.

Lew Del Gatto and Judi Glover Tenor saxophonist Lew Del Gatto honored his tenor sax heroes Friday during a South County Jazz Club concer...

The Naples Philharmonic Jazz Orchestra brought Benny Golson to town last night for a concert that gave spirited and loving extended treatmen...

Th is the season for the outpouring of Top 10 lists, and their many variations, for jazz, world events, etc. The jazz lists always have a...

The record collectors among you who can’t resist going out on Black Friday should stop by your local independent record shops. They need the...

The area jazz scene is heating up for its winter-spring season when most of the snowbirds are back in Florida. Here’s a preview of some o...

New York-based Hot House magazine has published my profile of alto saxophonist Dave Glasser in its December issue. The b ebopper who is kee...

Paul Duffy brings new meaning to the category "multi-instrumentalist." For his South County Jazz Club quartet gig today, he played...

Pianist Tommy Goodman shared his insights today on jazz improvisation, or as some musicians quite correctly call it, spontaneous composition...

Jim Roberts Pianist Jim Roberts was based in New York when he first performed for the Charlotte County Jazz Society at the nonprofit...

Taking a closer look at new CDs by Gerry Gibbs, The Miami Saxophone Quartet and Bill O'Connell...

Hot House magazine has published my profile of trumpeter Claudio Roditi in its November issue . Chatting with this multi-faceted musician...

Pianist Kenny Drew Jr.'s trio and saxophonist Tom Ellison's band Hip Pocket opened the Charlotte County Jazz Society's 2013-14 s...

LaRue Nickelson Guitarist LaRue Nickelson's Tampa-based jazz trio opened the Englewood Art Center portion of the South County Jazz ...

Taking a closer look at new CDs by Gary Burton, The Inventions Trio and Redmond-Langosch-Cooley....

Philadelphia has  a wonderful lineage of jazz siblings. Just as the Jones brothers (Hank, Thad and Elvin) burst onto the jazz scene from P...

UPDATE: Three members of the "alternative slate" of new officers for the South County Jazz Club have withdrawn their candidacies....

Look behind the mirror before you vote As a club member for two-thirds of the South County Jazz Club’s existence, I want to make a coup...

The South County Jazz Club's extensive 2013-14 series of afternoon concerts opened today at the Venice Art Center with the Bruce Wallac...

Taking a closer look at new CDs by Kenny Garrett, Jimmy Masters, Frank Potenza and Tierney Sutton...

The snowbirds won’t be back in Florida in full force until January, but the earlybirds have begun trickling in. That’s another way of sayi...

At Monday's workshop on a proposal to limit special events taking place in downtown Naples, the City Council seemed to agree that shelvi...

In just four seasons, Southwest Florida’s Naples Jazz Orchestra has developed into one of the state’s finest big bands. That’s no exaggera...

Taking a closer look at new CDs by Jimmy Amadie, Lili Añel  and Michael Ross...

I love it when I walk into a club just before the magic happens. Such was the case Saturday night at JD’s Bistro & Grille in Port Charl...

You don’t have to go far within the Berkshire hills of western Massachusetts to find jazz these days. That's the case despite the Boston...

The main stage crowd, 2013 Be wary of some of the touted numbers leading up to, during and after next year’s edition of the Newport Jazz...

Today would have been pianist Bill Evans' 84th birthday. He was born August 16, 1929 in Plainfield, New Jersey. Evans preferred to spe...

Esparanza Spalding An array of my images from this year's Newport Jazz Festival have been published by JazzTimes.com here and here ...

John Allmark Bovi'sTavern is Rhode Island's home for big band jazz on Monday nights. Well, on most Monday nights. This past Mond...