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The Ten Best Jazz Christmas Albums Of All Time
by Peter J. Hoetjes
As temperatures drop and days grow short, winter is once again upon us. For those looking to listen to the sounds of the season without resorting to December's relentless slew of glossy, generic cash-grabs, jazz can be a breath of fresh, wintry air. You won't find (many) singers on this list, since most people already know and have records by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Ella Fitzgerald, Karen Carpenter, and more. Instead, I've put together jazz's greatest Christmas albums from the ...
Continue ReadingBest Jazz Christmas Songs Of All-Time
by Ken Hohman
While moldy Christmas songs and great jazz seem as compatible as egg nog and Tanqueray, there have been instances where the planets have aligned to create songs that display the best of both genres. Ten instances, to be exact, and you'll find them below. Do you agree? Then post your holiday toast to my list. Don't agree? Post the all-time best Christmas jazz songs of your choice in the comments section below. I will save a special lump of coal ...
Continue ReadingLakecia Benjamin, Patrick Zimmerli, SFJAZZ Collective & Horace Silver
by Ludovico Granvassu
Enjoy a selection featuring A-listers who know how to collaborate and set their egos aside, plus an unearthed live gem from Horace Silver.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Lakecia Benjamin feat. Immanuel Wilkins, Mark Whitfield “Noble Rise" Noble Rise (Ropeadope) 0:16 Host talks 6:29 SFJAZZ Collective “Unknow Know With What Is" Collective Imagery (SFJAZZ) 7:41 Patrick Zimmerli “Emanation" Messages (EMP) 17:55 Host talks 24:41 Horace Silver Quintet “Sayonara ...
Continue ReadingPaul Edis, Ezra Collective, Harry Connick, Jr., Strictly Smokin’ Big Band, And More
by Colin Muirhead
Featuring music by Paul Edis & Friends, Ezra Collective, Harry Connick, Jr., Laufey, Louise Dodds, Bugge Wesseltoft, the Kevin Brown Quintet, the Strictly Smokin' Big Band, and more. Playlist Paul Edis & Friends “Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" from On Christmas Day (Self Released) 00:00 Ezra Collective “Joy to the World" from Joy to the World (Partisan Records) 05:28 Harry Connick, Jr. “It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" from What a Night! A Christmas Album (Columbia ...
Continue ReadingThe Flying Horse Big Band: Unbridled
by Jack Bowers
On Unbridled, its ninth album to date, central Florida's admirable Flying Horse Big Band “meets veteran tenor saxophonist George Garzone" on four of seven numbers, starting with John Coltrane's exemplary jazz standard, “Giant Steps," arranged by the band's music director, Jeff Rupert. Garzone is showcased again on Michael Philip Mossman's handsome arrangement of Rupert's seductive “Pharaoh's Daughter," Lalo Schifrin's genial “Reflections" (neatly scored by Mark Taylor) and Slide Hampton's clever arrangement (borrowing phrases from “Giant Steps") of Coltrane's ...
Continue ReadingLavay Smith & Her Red Hot skillet Lickers At Keys Jazz Bistro
by Walter Atkins
A collection of photos from the Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Licker concert at Keys Jazz Bistro in San Francisco CA on December 6 2025 featuring Lavay Smith, Chris Siebert and Danny Armstrong. ...
Continue ReadingBob Schlesinger: Falling From Earth
by Joshua Weiner
Many a music project was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but Colorado-based pianist, composer, and educator Bob Schlesinger's Falling From Earth (Self-Produced, 2025) has had a longer gestation and more interesting rebirth than most. With funding from the Pathways to Jazz fund, part of the Boulder County Arts Alliance, Schelsinger initially planned for his first release as a leader to be a trio album with legendary Bill Evans bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Billy Drummond, whose expansive career with many ...
Continue ReadingNels Cline: Tales Of A Daunted Guitarist
by Lawrence Peryer
Most people know Nels Cline as Wilco's guitarist for the past two decades. But his range goes far beyond indie rock. He's spent forty-plus years moving between jazz clubs, punk venues, and studios where the rules get bent or thrown out entirely. Rolling Stone put him on their list of the top 100 guitarists of all time, but that tells you nothing about how he actually plays.His current project is Trio Of Bloom (Pyroclastic Records, 2025), and it ...
Continue ReadingBen Folds at Miner Auditorium
by Steven Roby
Ben Folds Miner Auditorium San Francisco, CA December 8, 2025 The holiday season often feels like a cultural rhyme--an annual cycle where the visuals, smells, and sounds are intentionally, comfortingly, and sometimes maddeningly similar to those of previous years. This was the perspective that pianist and singer-songwriter Ben Folds explored last Monday night at SFJAZZ's Miner Auditorium. Touring in support of his 2024 Christmas album Sleigher (New West Records), Folds delivered a performance that was far ...
Continue ReadingSofia Borges: The Unseen Pact
by Hrayr Attarian
German percussionist Sofia Borges explores unique time signatures in her work, drawing on an eclectic range of influences. Meanwhile, Argentinian saxophonist Ada Rave is a dynamic improviser. A deep sensitivity beautifully balances her bold, striking style. The stimulating The Unseen Pact is the result of Borges and Rave's poignant collaboration. It showcases a deep camaraderie and a shared artistic vision. “What the Earth Remembers" sets the spiritual mood for this release. Borges' sparse, thundering beats create an expectant ...
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