Live Review
Reporting on live jazz from around the globe.
Lucian Ban and Mat Maneri at the Northampton Center for the Arts
by Tyran Grillo
Lucian Ban & Mat Maneri Northampton Center for the ArtsNorthampton, Massachusetts October 1, 2025 In the early 20th century and throughout his life, composer Béla Bartók endeavored to document the folk songs of Hungary and beyond. Of the approximately 10,000 examples he preserved on wax cylinders and later transcribed, a significant handful reflected the dying traditions of his native land, along with the people and places in which they might have been consigned were it ...
Continue ReadingKurt Elling With Christian Sands at Miner Auditorium
by Steven Roby
Kurt Elling With Christian Sands Miner Auditorium (SFJAZZ Center) San Francisco, California October 04, 2025 A spare duo becomes an engine--voice and piano reworking Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, theater, and rock into a present-tense argument for hope, empathy and the living tradition of jazz. They walked on together, and before Christian Sands reached the bench, Kurt Elling was already sketching possibilities in the air--quick scat shapes, a conspirator's grin, one hand on the ...
Continue ReadingChristian McBride and Brad Mehldau at The Clarice
by Robert Bellafiore
Christian McBride and Brad Mehldau The Clarice College Park, MDOctober 2, 2025 Christian McBride and Brad Mehldau made it to the top of their game together, each helping the other rise from promising talent in early '90s New York City to modern king of the bass and piano, respectively. Now, they can afford to take an occasional look back, reuniting with former colleagues and digging up old tunes. This retrospective mindset has given ...
Continue ReadingIdris Ackamoor & The Pyramids at Miner Auditorium
by Steven Roby
Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids Miner Auditorium Night Of The Exotictress San Francisco, CA October 2, 2025 This show burned hot and without apology--no coasting, no filler, no easy out. The room hinted at it before the first note: Miner's seats pulled back for a dance floor, a crowd already swaying, costumes and masks and a rubber chicken on a security guard like a dare--move or be moved. Women claimed the open ...
Continue ReadingPatricia Brennan Trio at Bar Bayeux
by Paul Reynolds
Patricia Brennan Trio Bar Bayeux New York, NY September 24, 2025 If you've heard of Patricia Brennan, it's likely the awareness is recent. The Mexican vibraphonist isn't new to the scene, having been quietly honing her reputation through high-caliber collaborations in New York and elsewhere since at least the early 2020s. Yet she's traveled a little under the radar, even within the avant circles in which she belongs stylistically. Now, all of a ...
Continue ReadingArturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble at Miner Auditorium
by Steven Roby
Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble Miner Auditorium San Francisco, CA September 28, 2025 What you noticed first was the circle. Not a literal one--the chairs sat in standard rows--but a social circle that materialized as soon as Arturo O'Farrill addressed the room. He joked, testified, and conducted--in short bursts of fingers and eyebrows--an octet that behaved like a civic body. Before the opening tune cooled, he framed the night's thesis: urgency yoked ...
Continue ReadingLex Korten At Close Up
by Max Kutner
Lex Korten Close Up Canopy Release Show New York, NY September 19, 2025 Pianist and composer Lex Korten has been an ascendent force in the modern jazz world for several years and his appearance at Close Up represented a milestone moment for the young artist. Korten was celebrating the release his first full-length album of original material, Canopy (Sounderscore Records, 2025). From September 18th-19th, he, alongside a formidable ensemble of likeminded artists ...
Continue ReadingPaquito D’Rivera Quintet at Miner Auditorium
by Steven Roby
Paquito D'Rivera Quintet Miner Auditorium San Francisco, CA September 26, 2025 On Friday night at SFJAZZ's Miner Auditorium, Paquito D'Rivera walked out smiling, a clarinet at his side and seven decades of stagecraft in his pocket. The Cuban-born NEA Jazz Master had long argued that the hallway between the conservatory and the clavé was not a border but a corridor of constant traffic. With his longrunning quintet--Alex Brown (piano), Oscar Stagnaro (six-string electric bass), ...
Continue ReadingIron Blossom Festival 2025: Jazzy Enough?
by Konstantin N. Rega
Iron Blossom Festival Midtown Green Richmond, VA September 20-21, 2025 A quick look at Richmond's relatively new Iron Blossom Festival lineup might give some jazz fans pause. With headliners like Vampire Weekend and The Lumineers, the festival looks to be serving up more indie pop-rock selections for younger audiences to consume. Such hasty or dismissive judgment might serve jazz purists just fine, but for those listeners looking for more fusion, sonic flavors and blends, the ...
Continue ReadingReykjavik Jazz Festival 2025
by Nenad Georgievski
Reykjavik Jazz Festival Harpa Concert Hall Reykjavik, IcelandAugust 26-31, 2025 Jazz festivals are rarely just stages and instruments. They are living, breathing ecosystems, a careful weaving together of artists, ideas, and audiences. Each performer brings a unique expression, and each set is curated with an ear for the festival's identity. Financial constraints may exist, but thoughtful curation is what gives a festival its soul. The Reykjavik Jazz Festival is no exception: it's a mosaic of ...
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