In celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month, WJCT Public Media and the Jacksonville Music Experience will debut Jazz Beyond Tradition, a six-episode limited series that explores jazz voices from the past, present and future, beginning Sunday, April 21 on both WJCT News 89.9 and the Independent 89.9 HD4. Hosted by Jacksonville-bred, Grammy-Award-winning musician and educator Ulysses Owens Jr. and award-winning radio …
Jazz Harpist Brandee Younger on ‘Brand New Life’ and Paying Homage to Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane
Brandee Younger is a trailblazer. Over the course of the last 15 years, the New York-bred musician, composer and educator has contributed to works by a range of contemporary artists, from Common and Lauryn Hill to John Legend and Moses Sumney, placing her among a peer group of classically trained musicians strengthening the connective tissue between jazz and hip-hop, R&B, …
Does André 3000’s ‘New Blue Sun’ Signal a New Dawn for Musical Expression?
Fans of both Outkast and André 3000 have been begging for new music from the duo’s idiosyncratic cofounder. And in late November with New Blue Sun – his first album of new music in 17 years – André 3000 delivered. Sort of. Though it’s probably not exactly what we’d all been pining for, André 3000’s flute-forward, ambient, instrumental album is …
On ‘Still Listening,’ Pianist and Herbie-Hancock-Jazz-Competition Winner Jahari Stampley Puts His Stamp on Modern Jazz
In 2023 one of the quickest ways for an emerging musician to gain recognition – regardless of field or genre – is to participate in competitions, and after three decades, the Herbie Hancock Jazz Competition (formally, the Thelonious Monk Competition) continues to launch the careers of jazz musicians. Participants apply via demo recordings of pre-selected songs. The demo is then …
With ‘Journey In Black’ Emerging Jazz Vocalist Christie Dashiell Brings the World to Her Doorstep
Journey In Black, the long-awaited sophomore album from jazz vocalist Christie Dashiell features seven original compositions and two arrangements that explore themes of freedom, legacy, grief and joy. Funded in part by Chamber Music America’s Performance Plus Grant, the collection fuses the sounds of improvised music and various styles of Black American Music. Titled Journey in Black, the album boasts …
Best Concerts in Jacksonville | Jul. 24-30
John Fogerty, Goo Goo Dolls, Ulysses Owens Jr.'s Jazz Jam and more
Our weekly Go concert recommendations are updated every Monday morning and are always available on jaxmusic.org. For the comprehensive list of this week’s concerts, go to our live music calendar page. Metal/Parody Steel Panther – Wednesday, July 26 Underbelly | Downtown Jacksonville Comedic glam band Steel Panther brings its hair-metal schtick to Underbelly on Wednesday. More Pop/Rock Goo Goo Dolls & O.A.R. – Thursday, …
On ‘Brand New Life,’ Jazz Harpist Brandee Younger Traces the Dorothy Ashby’s Influence and Charts Her Own Path
Within the jazz idiom, there are only a few harpists that have caught my attention — two of them are incredible Black women. Alice Coltrane, the wife to the iconic John Coltrane, is probably the instrument’s best known acolyte. Detroit born harpist Dorothy Ashby is the another. Ashby, a playwright and public-school educator, was a pioneering harpist, and wrote many …
JME Staff Picks | 2023 Jacksonville Jazz Festival
The Jacksonville Jazz Festival will return to the city’s Downtown on Memorial Day weekend, kicking off with the storied Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition at the Florida Theatre on Thursday, May 25 and continuing with three days and nights of performances on two stages in the heart of the Urban Core. The buzz on this year’s fest is that it might …
Ulysses Owens Jr. On Who to See & Hear at the 2023 Jacksonville Jazz Fest
Jazz Fest with U
As a supporter of the Jacksonville Jazz Fest since I was about 16 years old, I look forward to the lineup announcement annually. And what excites me about this 2023 lineup is that is includes some of the most dynamic jazz musicians relevant today and still playing at a high level. This year’s fest also includes a vast array of …
Wynton Marsalis, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Samara Joy, Ulysses Owens Jr. and More to Play 2023 Jacksonville Jazz Festival
For more than 40 years, the Jacksonville Jazz Festival has brought international jazz legends and emerging artists, as well as offering local musicians the chance to be seen and heard. Held every Memorial Day Weekend, the festival attracts jazz fans from around the globe to soak up some (hopefully) warmer weather and cool sounds on different stages. This year is …
It Could Happen To You | Playing One Tune with Jazz Great Bunky Green
As I have traveled the world as a jazz musician from Jacksonville, I’ve found that there are only a few jazz musicians from Northeast Florida that everyone recognizes. Globally, saxophonist Bunky Green is at the top of that list. In 2015 I was on tour with Christian McBride Trio when we played a concert at Wigmore Hall. I remember running …
Jacksonville Jazz Artist Ulysses Owens Jr. Takes Home Third Grammy Win with the Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra
There’s an often-quoted joke amongst musicians : “How do you make a million dollars playing jazz? Start with two million dollars.” While jazz is routinely considered to be a true American art form, from jazz artists’ current fame to total albums sold, its recognition by the overall larger audience can still seem shortsighted. Thankfully, this is not the case for …