Pianist, producer, and composer James Francies has released the new single ‘713’, a vivid tribute to his Houston hometown. The track is the first single from his forthcoming album Purest Form, to be released 21 May on Blue Note Records. Stream ‘713’, the new single by James Francies ABOUT JAMES FRANCIES Since his debut album […]
The contribution black artists have made to contemporary music is impossible to quantify. Whether it is the far reaching influence of the African diaspora on local musical practices, or the virtuosic innovations of American jazz artists, black creativity has influenced all people in all places. It has pushed the artform into bold and exciting new […]
“I’m kind of just a chameleon, or an amorphous blob,” Nels Cline once confessed to The Observer. A casual scan of Nels Cline’s dizzying discography echoes this – spanning lead guitar duties in iconic Chicago rock band Wilco, to over 200 recordings across alternative, punk and jazz. While accolades have been plenty (Rolling Stone once […]
Blue Note Re:imagined is an album that brings together a diverse group of London musicians (16 acts in total) united by their love and respect for the heritage of jazz, and a desire to push the envelope. It is a smorgasbord of diverse and innovative sounds from the UK’s new wave of jazz. On Blue […]
Joel Ross plays the vibraphone. But that isn’t the most interesting thing about him. Joel is a 25-year-old musical prodigy. A young man born and raised in Chicago – the son of two police officers – who dares to move Black American Music into uncharted new territory. He does it with the gleeful joy of […]
In founding Edition of Contemporary Music (ECM) in 1969, producer Manfred Eicher sought records with the ambience of ideal concert venues; with crystalline clarity and extraordinarily three‑dimensional spatial sense. His commitment to excellence, idiom-crossing collaborations and artistic freedom swiftly attracted the world’s finest musicians. We asked Manfred Eicher to reflect on the work of another […]
Don Was has spent a lifetime in music. Was’s production and bass-playing can be heard on recordings from artists such as Bonnie Raitt, Ziggy Marley, The Rolling Stones, and his own band Was (Not Was). In his current role as the the President of Blue Note Records, Was is charged with developing current roster of […]
Move over, yoga and mindfulness apps. In Modes of Communication: Letters From The Underworlds, Nduduzo Makhathini takes meditation to a new level with his masterclass on spirituality and modern jazz. Hailed as the “Sonic Shaman”, the prolific pianist and healer creates music imbued with buoyancy and lush storytelling rooted in Zulu rituals and traditions. There […]
Ambrose Akinmusire is ‘one of the most acclaimed jazz artists of his generation’. We discuss his new album ‘on the tender spot of every calloused moment’.
