Interview
From emerging talents to today's brightest stars, we interview musicians from around the globe.
Davidsson: A Lifeline from the Land of Fire and Ice
by Dean Nardi
Icelandic artist Thorleifur Gaukur Davidsson grew up on a volcanic island called Heimaey, four miles off the coast of Iceland. He records by his Swedish patronymic surname, meaning “son of David." His debut album Lifelines (OPIA, 2024) is filled with memories and emotions culled from family and the natural beauty of his home island. Davidsson took up guitar and harmonica at age 15, playing blues and folk music then adding pedal steel to his tools. He joined the Icelandic blues ...
Continue ReadingRoswell Rudd: Where Improvisation Lives
by AAJ Staff
This article was originally published on All About Jazz in August 2002.All About Jazz met with trombonist and arranger Roswell Rudd in Manhattan to discuss his recent activities and his forthcoming weeklong residency with Steve Lacy at Iridium. Rudd also spoke of his affiliations with Albert Ayler and the still very much alive bassist Lewis Worrell, as well as some of his future projects, including sessions done with Mali musicians and sideman work with Glen Hall and Bobby ...
Continue ReadingMelissa Errico: A Voice Reimagined
by Sherry Rubel
Melissa Errico is much more than a Broadway star with a great voice. She is an artist who really digs into the “why" behind the music. Her mentor, Stephen Sondheim, once told her to “sing the silence"--to make the quiet moments in a song just as powerful as the big notes. That advice didn't just change her singing; it changed how she tells stories and how she understands the things so many women often leave unsaid. In this interview, Melissa ...
Continue ReadingRebekka Salomea: German's Jazz Award's 2026 Artist of the Year
by Ieva Pakalniškytė
Held annually on April in Bremen, Germany, jazzahead! marked its 20th edition this year and remains one of the most important gatherings in the global jazz industry--a trade fair, conference, and festival that brings together musicians, promoters, labels, journalists, and cultural professionals from around the world. It serves as a key platform for networking, showcasing new projects, and reflecting on current developments in jazz. One of the highlights of jazzahead! is the German Jazz Award Ceremony, where the prestigious German ...
Continue ReadingRaphaël Pannier & Khadim Niang: Sabar Jazz, An Historic Summit
by Ian Patterson
"Once you have made a decision," wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson, “the universe conspires to make it happen." French drummer Raphaël Pannier may concur, though as a footnote he might also stress the amount of sweat sometimes required to realize one's biggest dreams. Live In Saint Louis, Senegal, a collaboration between Raphaël Pannier Quartet and Khadim Niang & Sabar Group--not only ranks as one of the best jazz albums of 2025, but it also stands out as a groundbreaking ...
Continue ReadingCharlie Ballantine Establishes Himself on the East Coast
by Robert Middleton
Jazz guitarist Charlie Ballantine has been on the move for the past decade. In that time, he's released ten albums, with his first official live recording set to arrive later this month--and another new studio album already finished and waiting in the wings. Originally based in jny: Indianapolis, Ballantine moved to jny: Baltimore in 2022 to reestablish himself on the East Coast. His aim was simple: get out there, meet musicians, play more, and build something real. By ...
Continue ReadingFred Hersch: The Touch of Genius
by Ken Dryden
The sound of Fred Hersch at the piano is so distinctive, a couple of bars is usually enough to identify him. The mainly self-taught jny: Cincinnati native excelled early, playing jazz in his home town before leaving to study with pianist Jaki Byard at the New England Conservatory of Music. From there, Fred moved to jny: New York City, immersing himself by attending live performances and getting invitations to play with still living greats who were willing to give the ...
Continue ReadingVance Thompson's Reinvention
by Todd Steed
Vance Thompson wears a lot of impressive hats: composer, arranger, professor at the University of Tennessee, and founder of the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra. His main instrument was trumpet until a medical setback forced him to reinvent himself as a vibraphonist. This transformation is documented on his new album, “Lost and Found," featuring a high caliber quintet that can do just about anything it wants, from cooking on Thompson's original compositions to brilliant takes on music from Chick Corea ...
Continue ReadingJo-Yu Chen: For Taiwanese Pianist Classical Jazz is a Gas
by Dean Nardi
It would be a mistake to say that a classical/jazz hybrid was devoid of interest with its reliance on centuries-old scores. Au contraire. Promise rewards outside of the normal range of expectations. On Rendezvous -Jazz Meets Beethoven, Tchaikovsky & More (Sony, 2025), Taiwanese pianist Jo-Yu Chen begins with a mash-up of two Beethoven classics: “Symphony No. 5" and the “Moonlight Sonata." Together they meet on a grand, increasingly intense scale. “Beethoven was a rock star in his era, with his powerful ...
Continue ReadingThe Soul Inhabitant: A Conversation with Thomas Dolby
by Kurt Ellenberger
In my recent article “He Blinded Me With Jazz: The Surprising Jazz DNA in the Music of Thomas Dolby," I explored the sophisticated harmonic language and modal ingenuity that have always set Thomas Dolby's synth-pop classics apart from so many of his fellow '80s hitmakers. After the piece was published, Dolby graciously agreed to sit down for this conversation. What follows is an open, wide-ranging discussion in which the artist himself reflects on his intuitive approach to harmony, the evolution ...
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