Ken Franckling's Jazz Notes

Much focus will be given this summer to this August’s arrival of the 60th anniversary edition of the Newport Jazz Festival (not the 60th fes...

Kevin Mauldin The Naples Philharmonic Jazz Orchestra  dug deeply into the music of bassist and composer Charles Mingus in a concert Wed...

Taking a closer look at new CDs by Eric Alexander, Lori Carsillo, Mike Longo, and Gene Ludwig and Pat Martino.…

Dean, Bowlby, Evans, Delaney Pianist Joe Delaney's Wednesday night trio gig at Brew Babies in Cape Coral FL had some added firepower...

The Punta Gorda (FL) Chamber of Commerce has announced the dates and the lineup for the10th annual Punta Gorda Wine & Jazz Festival at L...

Jazz fans at JD's Bistro & Grill in Port Charlotte expecting to hear drummer Patricia Dean's fine trio got an added bonus Thursd...

Taking a closer look at new CDs by Alan Broadbent, Lisa Hilton, Pat Metheny and Dick Titterington….

Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, Newport 2013 The Jazz Journalists Association's 18th annual Jazz Awards winners list is headlined ...

Allan Vaché   Clarinetist Allan Vach é's mainstream jazz quintet closed out the Charlotte County Jazz Society's 2013-14 conce...

Giacomo Gates Singer Giacomo Gates' wide-ranging musicality, humor and swing were on full display Saturday night at JD’s Bistro ...

Howard Alden Guitarist Howard Alden and pianist Lenore Raphael blended their considerable talents Friday night in a South County Jazz C...

This vocals edition takes a closer look at new CDs by Barb Jungr, Stacey Kent and Susanna Smith….

Valery Ponomarev Russian-born, New York-based trumpeter Valery Ponomarev and Florida saxophonist Valerie Gillespie teamed their talents ...

Pianist and singer Danny Sinoff is the resident jazz cat in the hat two nights a week at JD's Bistro & Grille in Port Charlotte, b...

Giacomo Gates Here’s a preview of some of the more interesting jazz events in the Sarasota to Naples territory from now through mid-June...

Jim Cullum The Jim Cullum Jazz Band drew nearly a full house at the Glenridge Performing Arts Center in Sarasota on Saturday night at a ...

Morgan, Lamb, Chrupcala The fine art of the jazz trio at its best was on full display this afternoon at the Venice (FL) Art Center. Exce...

  Lisa Kelly and JB Scott  Singer Lisa Kelly and trumpeter JB Scott's first appearance at the Charlotte County Jazz Society'...

George Wein George Wein remembers an evening back in the early 1940s when, as a high school student, he got a chance to hear Duke Elling...

Andre Roy Toronto-based guitarist Andre Roy, who winters in southwest Florida. closed out the Englewood Art Center portion of the South ...

The United Nations is truly putting the stamp on jazz, several dozen of them in fact, when the third annual International Jazz Day rolls a...

Alexis Cole and Eric Alexander New York-based singer Alexis Cole's quintet, featuring tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, performed Fr...

Mark Gould, Bob Switzer Mark Gould's intense tenor sax artistry and Bon Switzer's lyrical trumpet and flugelhorn work blended be...

Buster Williams, Newport 1988 The March issue of Hot House magazine is out. Its features include my profile of bassist Buster Williams,...

The cachet of jazz sometimes is stronger than the music itself. Madison Avenue continues to use bits and pieces for some of its commercial...

Taking a closer look at new CDs by Craig Handy, Herb Silverstein, Dave Stryker, Helen Sung and Volcán...

Klaus Bader The South County Jazz Club's matinee series took on an international flavor at the Venice Art Center in Venice FL with a...

Two very different approaches to small group jazz got strong workouts in Monday night's Charlotte County Jazz Society artist series conc...

Terry Myers Saxophonist Terry Myers was the featured guest soloist at Sunday's Jazz at First Church concert series in downtown Saras...

Kenny Drew Jr. Drummer Tom Carabasi brought his Samba Jazz Quartet to the Englewood (FL) Art Center Friday for a matinee concert sponsor...

Singer Freddy Cole was last night's special guest of the Naples Jazz Orchestra. The Cambier Park outdoor concert in Naples FL also featu...

Taking a closer look at new CDs by Cava Menzies and Nick Phillips, Anton Schwartz, and the Rossano Sportiello-Ed Metz-Nicki Parrott trio.....

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...