Articles by AAJ Staff
Take Five with Pianist Andrii Pokaz
by AAJ Staff
Meet Andrii Pokaz Andrii Pokaz holds Bachelor's and PhD degrees from the Odesa National A.V. Nezhdanova Academy of Music, where he later returned as a professor, teaching and mentoring young Ukrainian musicians for over 16 years. A laureate of numerous international competitions, he is also frequently invited to serve on juries at prestigious music contests. In 2016, Andrii founded Pokaz Trio, which quickly became a distinct presence on the jazz scene. Their debut album Kintsugi (Losen Records, 2019) ...
Continue ReadingTake Five with flutist Hanna Kim
by AAJ Staff
Meet Hanna Kim Hanna Kim is a talented South Korean flutist, arranger, composer, improviser, songwriter, and a bandleader. After she earned her B.A. in Music and the M.M. degree with a concentration in flute performance and conducting in California. After that, Hanna also graduated from Berklee College of Music with a B.M. in 2016 as a dual major in flute performance and songwriting. During her Berklee years, she concentrated on jazz performance as a scholarship student. In 2019 ...
Continue ReadingTake Five with Saxophonist Inbar Solomon
by AAJ Staff
Meet Inbar Solomon Inbar Solomon is a saxophonist, flutist, and composer originally from Tel Aviv, Israel who is now based in Brooklyn, New York. A graduate of The New School's Jazz and Contemporary Music program, he received significant merit scholarships from both The New School and Berklee College of Music. Solomon has appeared at major international festivals such as the Bern Jazz Festival in Switzerland and the Jerusalem Jazz Festival in Israel. He has also performed at leading venues in ...
Continue ReadingTake Five with Pianist & Guitarist Justin Fitzgerald
by AAJ Staff
Meet Justin Fitzgerald I think of myself primarily as a composer, and jazz is my favorite form of music to write. I've always been surrounded by music--my mother was an opera singer before I was born, my wife is a singer, and her father was a skilled guitarist.I used to perform in restaurants and bars around southern Sydney, but when my wife and I moved away to run a tourist park in our early 30s, that became all-consuming. ...
Continue ReadingTake Five with King Llama
by AAJ Staff
Meet King Llama: Los Angeles-based King Llama has carved a bold lane in the modern jazz-fusion landscape, blending the fire of progressive rock with the soul of improvisation. Founded by guitarist and composer Ryan Tanner Bailey, the band quickly gained attention for its fearless mix of intricate time signatures, fluid guitar textures, and a rhythm section that bridges funk, Latin, and jam-band energy. Alongside drummer Luis Briones, bassist Anthony Crawford, and guitarist Billy Paulsen, King Llama has expanded from a ...
Continue ReadingMichael Ricci: The Heart Of All About Jazz
by AAJ Staff
This AAJ @ 30 article by Juan Carlos Abelenda first appeared on Toma Jazz in 2006 and was translated from Spanish. During the 38th Barcelona Jazz Festival, a series of conferences complemented the main events, offering deeper insights into jazz-related topics. One standout session was led by Michael Ricci, titled “All About Jazz: An Adventure Bridging Jazz and New Technologies." Michael Ricci, the founder of the American jazz portal allaboutjazz.com, has created a website widely recognized as a ...
Continue ReadingTake Five with Pianist Irving Flores
by AAJ Staff
Meet Irving Flores From his early beginnings as a child prodigy leading Orchestra Tamalipas to victory at the tender age of ten, to becoming a nationally treasured artist in Mexico, Irving's journey has been nothing short of legendary. Now based in San Diego, California, Irving continues to push musical boundaries and innovate within the jazz genre, contributing richly to its evolution and reaching new audiences through his performances and recordings. Irving's career is marked by notable collaborations and ...
Continue ReadingTake Five with Bassist Phil Ravita
by AAJ Staff
Meet Bassist Phil Ravita One of the Mid-Atlantic's most versatile and sought-after bassists, Phil Ravita leads Ravita Jazz and appears with many other jazz and classical ensembles and orchestras. He is also host of a weekly radio program on WMTB 89.9 FM. Tune in on Mondays at 8 PM EST. He has shared the stage with music legends Joe Coleman, Jimmy Heath, Bobby Shew, Claudio Roditi and Ruby Glover, appearing in countless clubs, concert halls, and festivals. He can be heard ...
Continue ReadingTake Five with Trumpeter Gregory Haubrich of Butter And The Genre
by AAJ Staff
Meet Gregory “Butter" Haubrich Gregory “Butter" Haubrich is a lifelong musician, songwriter and arranger whose sound bridges the soulful roots of jazz with accessible melodies and spontaneous storytelling. A trumpet player with a deep emotional range and a background that includes keys, harmonica and vocals, Butter brings both grit and grace to every performance. From rural Minnesota to the U.S. Navy School of Music, his journey has always revolved around creating music that moves people, whether on stage or through ...
Continue ReadingTake Five with vocalist Diana Hamilton
by AAJ Staff
Meet vocalist Diana Hamilton I'm an instinctive artist--meaning, I didn't choose to be a singer. Singing chose me. It began during a moment of deep torment when my three-year-old son, Nairobi, was subjected to racism at a daycare in France. I had never experienced such cruelty growing up as a Black child in the Bahamas. I wasn't prepared for the brutality of what I witnessed--not in a country where I had chosen to raise my child. One day, ...
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