Demetrius Nabors: Evolution (DKN)
Pianist and composer Demetrius Nabors is one of the go-to musicians on the Detroit jazz scene and has performed with a plethora of national artists … Read More “Demetrius Nabors: Evolution (DKN)”
Veronica Johnson
Veronica Johnson is a freelance music writer from Detroit. She has written for Detroit-based publications Metro Times, Real Detroit Weekly, Model D, and The Michigan Historical Review, as well as the national jazz site The Jazz Line. Her work on Detroit hip-hop was published in the 2014 book A Detroit Anthology. She is also a board member of the Detroit Sound Conservancy, a grassroots Detroit music preservation organization.
Veronica Johnson on social media
Samara Joy: Linger Awhile (Verve)
Every so often a new vocalist blows everyone on the jazz scene away with their distinctive style, charm, and dexterity. Samara Joy is that new … Read More “Samara Joy: Linger Awhile (Verve)”
Julian Lage: View with a Room (Blue Note)
There is a certain elusiveness and beauty in guitarist Julian Lage’s playing that’s reminiscent of his influences Charlie Christian and Jimmy Bryant. As he describes … Read More “Julian Lage: View with a Room (Blue Note)”
Marcus Elliot Keeps the Detroit Jazz Tradition Alive
“The Detroit Way,” according to author Bill Harris, who’s written extensively about jazz, is a tradition of schooling rising Detroit jazz musicians on the rudiments … Read More “Marcus Elliot Keeps the Detroit Jazz Tradition Alive”
Naima Shamborguer: Naima (Shambones)
Vocalist Naima Shamborguer has been an illuminating presence on Detroit’s jazz scene for decades, elevating standards with her richly textured voice and classically trained ear. … Read More “Naima Shamborguer: Naima (Shambones)”
Somi: Zenzile: The Reimagination of Miriam Makeba (Salon Africana)
Singer, songwriter, and actor Somi Kakoma was originally set to debut her self-composed musical about Miriam Makeba in the spring of 2020. The pandemic postponed … Read More “Somi: Zenzile: The Reimagination of Miriam Makeba (Salon Africana)”
Bill O’Connell: A Change Is Gonna Come (Savant)
The title of pianist Bill O’Connell’s latest release suggests that it was created as a direct response to the political, racial, and pandemic-related upheaval that … Read More “Bill O’Connell: A Change Is Gonna Come (Savant)”
Alicia Olatuja Breaks Through as New Kind of Vocal Coach
When the world shut down last year, so did Alicia Olatuja. The St. Louis, Missouri-bred vocalist sat in her New Jersey apartment one day watching … Read More “Alicia Olatuja Breaks Through as New Kind of Vocal Coach”
Ember With Orrin Evans: No One Is Any One (Sunnyside)
Many jazz bands come together because of a common stylistic approach to music. That holds true for the Brooklyn-based Ember. Bassist Noah Garabedian, drummer Vinnie … Read More “Ember With Orrin Evans: No One Is Any One (Sunnyside)”
Ledisi: Ledisi Sings Nina (Listen Back)
Capturing the true spirit of singer, pianist, and activist Nina Simone is no easy feat, given that she was known for constantly moving boundaries both … Read More “Ledisi: Ledisi Sings Nina (Listen Back)”
Reggie Quinerly: New York Nowhere (Redefinition)
Countless pieces of music use New York City as their inspirational backdrop; Billy Strayhorn’s “Take the A Train,” John Coltrane’s “Central Park West,” and Ahmad … Read More “Reggie Quinerly: New York Nowhere (Redefinition)”
Emmet Cohen: Future Stride (Mack Avenue)
Close your eyes while listening to “Symphonic Raps,” the first song on Future Stride, and you may find yourself transported back to swinging 1920s Harlem … Read More “Emmet Cohen: Future Stride (Mack Avenue)”
Wendell Harrison Tribe: Get Up Off Your Knees (Tribe)
Saxophonist Wendell Harrison has lived by a standard philosophy for his 50-plus-year career: One must have complete self-autonomy. Both his music and business dealings reflect … Read More “Wendell Harrison Tribe: Get Up Off Your Knees (Tribe)”
Gayelynn McKinney: Zoot Suit Funk (Beatstix)
With an album title like Zoot Suit Funk, Gayelynn McKinney makes her aim clear. There’s hardly a tune here that doesn’t give you the urge … Read More “Gayelynn McKinney: Zoot Suit Funk (Beatstix)”
Alexander Zonjic: Playing It Forward (Hi-Falutin’)
There may just be one bright side to the COVID-19 pandemic: It’s given many musicians time to complete projects that were on hold due to … Read More “Alexander Zonjic: Playing It Forward (Hi-Falutin’)”
Diana Krall: This Dream of You (Verve)
Recording sessions by Diana Krall from 2016 and 2017 found her crooning tender classics with a misty vocal quality that’s become her signature. Those sessions … Read More “Diana Krall: This Dream of You (Verve)”
Riza Printup/Marcus Printup: Gentle Rain (SteepleChase)
Marcus Printup is known to many as the fiery trumpeter adjacent to Wynton Marsalis in his Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. A longtime fixture in … Read More “Riza Printup/Marcus Printup: Gentle Rain (SteepleChase)”
Valery Ponomarev Big Band Live: Our Father Who Art Blakey: The Centennial (Summit)
The title of trumpeter Valery Ponomarev’s tribute to the late drummer/bandleader is perfect. Blakey was indeed a father of sorts to nearly all who joined … Read More “Valery Ponomarev Big Band Live: Our Father Who Art Blakey: The Centennial (Summit)”
Lisa Hilton: Chalkboard Destiny (Ruby Slippers)
With a career that has spanned over two decades and 20-plus records, pianist/composer Lisa Hilton has earned the right to forge her own creative future. … Read More “Lisa Hilton: Chalkboard Destiny (Ruby Slippers)”
Maria Mendes: Close to Me (Justin Time)
Fado is not a genre that’s well-known to the average listener, but after hearing vocalist Maria Mendes’ jazzy version of that melancholy Portuguese music style, … Read More “Maria Mendes: Close to Me (Justin Time)”