ARTIST PROFILES

I've always said I'm a frustrated drummer and admit the drums are one of my favorite instruments. It's why jazz drummer Jens Düppe's new album is all about the drums. and caught my attention right away. Jens who is from Schwäbisch Gmuend in Germany started taking drum lessons at age 10. He then went on to study at the University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar. He completed his studies and got his degree at the Conservatorium Voor Muziek in Amsterdam. He was able to receive resid

Puerto Rican jazz band, No Base Trio is a welcomed surprise with its great jazz music. The trio consists of Jonathan Suazo on alto saxophone, Gabriel Vicéns on electric guitar, and Leonardo Ozuna on drums. The band came together over 10 years ago and was playing straight-ahead jazz but time has matured their sound. Their music is a mix of ambient music with some rock elements and lots of improvisation. The trio is constantly experimenting with sound and progression. They don'

Happy New Year to all, we start the new year featuring Indie jazz pianist extraordinaire, Dave Meder who has been called one of the most prominent artists of his generation. If you have listened to his compositions you would say that's true. He is classically trained and has been teaching music since middle school when he started giving private lessons. This Floridian studied the works of Thelonius Monk and Bill Evans as well as classical modernist, Phillip Glass. After high

Every once in awhile an artist comes along that peaks your curiosity and Fini Bearman is that artist. Her voice is enchanting and she is not only a singer-songwriter but a composer and multi-instrumentalist. She is based in London, England and has released four albums. Her music is a mix of both Jazz, Folk and Contemporary music. She first discovered Jazz as a teenager when she started playing tenor saxophone and was listening to Charles Mingus cd's. She later went on to stud

Many Jazz purists don't like their Jazz mixed with any other music genre. But nowadays Jazz is gaining new audiences and fans because of many Jazz artists who are mixing Jazz with Soul, Latin Fusion, and even Rock. The Bad Plus is such a band mixing Jazz with Avant-Garde with influences of Rock and Pop. The band hails from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and have been playing for years to large audiences around the world. They refuse to conform to convention and their democratic way

Many artists have recorded remakes of famous songs. Robert Glasper did it with his jazzy interpretation of Nirvana's, Smells Like Teen Spirit and there have been countless others. JS Williams, a native New Yorker whose music blends funk and soul with Jazz.....has also recorded his own jazzy interpretation of Nirvana's, Heart-Shaped Box. He began honing his skills at the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School for Music, Art and Performing Arts and since then has performed with suc

Babatunde Lea, aka Michael Lea from Danville, Virginia grew up in Englewood, New Jersey. He took his name from Nigerian drummer, Babatunde Olatunji. He began drumming at age 11 and without any drumming experience helped a drumline get their rhythm right. Talk about natural talent! Babtunde Lea has played with such Jazz greats as Stan Getz, McCoy Tyner, Joe Henderson and more. Check out this amazing Afro-Cuban Jazz and Worldbeat drummer. Support Indie music Worldwide! Happy

Jazz is a music genre that is loved all around the world. It comes in many forms with artists mixing other music genres with Jazz to create some awesome sounds. Ramiro Gonzalez Trio is no exception, originating from Xalapa, Mexico, he incorporates traditional Mexican music with Jazz. A multi-instrumentalist who is most comfortable playing the flute and saxophone. Check out this amazing Mexican Jazz trio and support independent artists Worldwide! Happy listening. Ausencia Yo

Aki Rissanen is an accomplished pianist from Kuopio, Finland who is classically trained but decided to go in a different direction with Jazz. He's been influenced by Modern Electronica and loves improvisation. The melding of these two distinct music sounds has created some Jazz Chill/Grooves with Electronica mixed in. Aki Rissanen has won the prestigious Montreaux Jazz solo piano competition and is reknowned throughout Europe. Check out his latest album, "Art In Motion, suppo

Aly Keita is well known for playing the balafon, a mirimba-like instrument that is native to West Africa. The sound is somewhat to the xylophone but much richer and louder and made completely out of wood. Aly Keita made his name by bringing this instrument into modern music. His mix of African rhythms along with Jazz make a beautiful marriage of native African sounds with Jazz rhythms. Check out this amazing artist and his music. Support Independent artists Worldwide! Noussan

London is not the only place where jazz is having a renaissance. Cape Town, South Africa is home to a thriving community of musicians whose output shakes the foundations of the genre. Shane Cooper is a fixture of the scene, from his work as a composer (scoring for both film and theatrical productions), dance and electronica projects under the moniker Card On Spokes, and as an award-winning jazz bassist. Formed in 2017, Cooper gathered Sisonke Xonti (tenor saxophone), Robin

Josef Koumbas was born in London to a Greek Cypriot father and Irish mother. He caught the music bug early, forming his first group at age 12, a skiffle outfit. He worked his way through the rock catalog as well. As an adult, he traveled extensively, spending three years in Australia to study the musical traditions of the indigenous Aborigines. He eventually made it to Cuba where he performed at the International Jazz Festival. There he met Cuban legends Chucho Valdes and Bob

British singer and songwriter Ego Ella May creates music infused with contemporary jazz and classic soul. She cites Stevie Wonder and Nina Simone as her greatest inspirations, and those influences come into play on her debut album So Far. May began singing at age 17 and soon after began learning to play guitar and writing her own compositions. Up until now, she has been known for singles like “Table for One” and “Legend,” featuring her simmering, soulful vocals. So Far is bot

Malaysian-born Linda May Han Oh emigrated with her parents to Australia at the age of three. Her mother was instrumental in her musical education, arranging classical piano lessons when Oh was still quite young. Oh later moved to the bassoon and clarinet, playing in the school band, until she finally settled on the bass at age 15. Like many teenagers, she was keen to play alternative, rock and metal, Eventually she found her true calling, studying at the Western Australian A

When musicians are members of a rich community of artists, the potential for collaboration is tremendous. Fruitful alliances are currently the norm in London, where the jazz scene continues to redefine the genre. One such example is the experimental group Cykada. Founded by Tomorrow’s Warriors alum and bassist Jamie Benzies with drummer Tim Doyle (the driving force behind last week’s Jazz Cafe feature, Maisha), the group explores both traditional and digital sounds which exp

Ezra Collective’s pianist Joe Armon-Jones takes off a solo adventure with Starting Today. A member of Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings circle of up and coming artists jazz artists, Jones gathers notables like Nubya Garcia, Oscar Jerome and Moses Boyd as well as Afrikan Revolution’s Asheber and Ezra bandmates Dylan Jones and James Mollison into his orbit to assert his own identity. After two recordings with Ezra Collective, Jones shines on his solo debut, with Pitchfork

Scotland’s Colin Steele has had a difficult journey. In the early years, he played with the likes of Scottish pop duo Hue and Cry and released four studio albums under his own name and with his folk jazz outfit Stramash. At one point, he sought to develop a new approach that would alleviate some physical issues he had experienced while playing and to broaden his range. His first attempt nearly destroyed him, altering his technique to such an extent, he developed muscle spasm

Busy bandleader Shabaka Hutchings has had an interesting journey. Born in London, raised in Bardados, he returned to the UK and has become one of the pillars of a rejuvenated jazz scene there. As a member of of Sons of Kemet, The Comet is coming and the leader of his own group, Shabaka and the Ancestors, he is an active part of the Brownswood label’s pantheon of artists. His mission in moving back to London involved studying the clarinet, building on the instrument he bega

Richmond, VA is home to Butcher Brown, a group that describes its music as garage punk jazz funk. Harkening back to the late 60s and early 70s, when jazz when undergoing yet another transformation that mirrored cultural and musical revolutions, Butcher Brown welds a jazz feel to funk, or maybe it’s the other way around. Who says a jazz band band can’t play funk? They would have felt right at home back in those heady days of experimentation. Butcher Brown got a taste of lime

Massachusetts native and jazz guitarist Mary Halvorson has been performing and recording for well over a decade. After studying at Wesleyan College, she relocated to New York City and also attended the New School. Quickly digging into the local music scene, she studied with composer/saxophonist Anthony Braxton and joined several incarnations of his bands, from trio up to twelve-piece. She’s also lent her talents to Trevor Dunn Jason Moran, John Zorn, and Marc Ribot, among ma