Interview
From emerging talents to today's brightest stars, we interview musicians from around the globe.
Dida Pelled: Sultry Swing, Blissful Blues
by R.J. DeLuke
Jazz and blues have different feels and styles. There's plenty of room for an artist to explore possibilities therein, bringing along influences and preferences, creating a distinctive strain that leaves a delectable impression. An artist with her own compelling style exists in Brooklyn in the person of Dida Pelled, a guitarist, songwriter, and educator whose breezy but sophisticated playing and singing began enrapturing fans in the Big Apple and continues to capture devotees all over the world.
Continue ReadingTigran Hamasyan’s Manifeste Destiny
by John Chacona
Tigran Hamasyan does not shy away from the big gesture. His fearsome keyboard technique, compositional ambition and impsorisational daring have defined his international career, which ignited at age 18 with the release of his first album, World Passion (Plus Loin Music, 2006). Two decades later, these qualities have been refined and expanded with the results on display on his 2026 Naive Records release Manifeste. Yet in conversation, Hamasyan was thoughtful, reserved, and deeply in touch with the culture ...
Continue ReadingAuthor George Cole On Miles Davis' Final Decade
by Jack Kenny
All About Jazz interviews George Cole author of The Last Miles, which concentrates on the final period of Miles Davis' life. Cole also maintains a website with additional interviews and research about Davis' life between 1980 and 1991. In these pages John Kelman wrote about The Last Miles: The Music of Miles Davis, 1980-1991, “There simply hasn't been another book published on Miles Davis, in any period that has managed to obtain the wealth of interview material and cover ...
Continue ReadingDavidsson: 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 ...
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