Home » Jazz Musicians » Kenny "Blue" Ray
Kenny "Blue" Ray
Blue Bottle Coffee Debuts Notes In Repose, A Limited-edition Vinyl Celebrating Coffee, Jazz And The Art Of Composition
Source:
Lily Baizer
Blue Bottle Coffee today announced the launch of Notes in Repose, its first-ever compilation album, created in celebration of the brand’s Signature Blends. The limited-edition vinyl brings together 10 contemporary jazz compositions from artists representing nine cities across Blue Bottle’s cafe markets in North America and Asia, including Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Makaya McCraven, Jeff Parker, Angel Bat Dawid and the Kyoto Jazz Sextet. Woven together with ambient recordings captured in Blue Bottle cafes, the album invites listeners to slow down, ...
read more
Blue Fire: Aayushi Karnik And The New Indian Guitar Crossing
Source:
Frank Gazerro
Aayushi Karnik, 32, plays the guitar with breathtaking authority. Widely acclaimed as the leading Indian female blues guitarist of her generation, the Juilliard-trained, Fender-endorsed virtuoso has built a career that completely defies the traditional borders of American roots music. What listeners hear first is her touch. Karnik knows exactly how to make a bent note sting, how to let an acoustic phrase bloom around open strings, and how to snap a rhythm figure into place before widening the harmony underneath ...
read more
Lizz Wright + Kenny Banks Sr. Announce Duo Jazz Album 'nearness' With Release Of New Single
Source:
Big Feat PR
Last week, on Friday, June 26, jazz vocalist and songwriter Lizz Wright, together with acclaimed pianist Kenny Banks Sr., announced the forthcoming release of their duo album, Nearness, and released the first single, “Soon I Will Be Done.” Set for release on September 25, 2026, on Blues & Greens Records and Candid Records, the 11-track LP of standards and spirituals serves as an intimate showcase of each artist’s talent, as well as their creative connection. The new single, “Soon I ...
read more
Paramax Films Announces Global Premiere Of Concert Film: John Beasley's 'Unlimited Miles: Live From Blue Note Tokyo,' May 26 Miles Davis's Centennial Birthday
Source:
AMT Public Relations
Landmark Concert Film Premieres May 26, 2026‚ Miles Davis's Centennial Birthday Available Worldwide on Mezzo TV and Medici.tv Streaming Platform Paramax Films today announced the global release of John Beasley's Unlimited Miles: Live from Blue Note Tokyo, a concert film capturing an electrifying performance at the iconic Blue Note Tokyo. The film premieres on May 26, 2026, the 100th birthday of Miles Davis. How to watch Unlimited Miles: Live From Blue Note Tokyo: Subscribe to Mezzo TV (airing in 70 ...
read more
Available Now: Remixed, Remastered Edition Of Harold Mabern's "Afro Blue" Recording (smoke Sessions Records)
Source:
AMT Public Relations
Smoke Sessions Records honors legendary pianist Harold Mabern with a remixed, remastered 10th anniversary edition of his all-star album Afro Blue Released on Mabern’s 90th birthday, March 20, 2026, Afro Blue features a stunning roster of vocalists: Gregory Porter, Norah Jones, Kurt Elling, Jane Monheit and Alexis Cole A Tribute to Mabern | 90th Birthday Celebration Concert Series at Smoke Jazz Club in NYC, March 18-22, 2026 Smoke Session Records was honored to be the final label home for Harold ...
read more
Butter And The Genre Announce New Single 'So Cool So Blue' On Out October 22
Source:
Butter And The Genre
Oklahoma City jazz collective Butter And The Genre will release their new single, “So Cool So Blue,” on Wednesday, October 22, 2025. The track captures the group’s signature blend of melody-forward jazz and contemporary soul, offering listeners an intimate late-night vibe. The single features three of the band’s original members—Gregory “Butter” Haubrich (trumpet/keys), Calliope Staudt (vocals), and Alex Chapman (bass). Inspired by classic jazz vocalists and modern innovators, the trio bridges traditional jazz language with contemporary production, creating a sound ...
read more
The 4th Annual M³ Festival Features Becca Stevens, Kenny Barron, Immanuel Wilkins, Melanie Dyer, Maia, Shoko Nagai, Devon Gates And More On Saturday, October 4 At Roulette Intermedium
Source:
Braithwaite & Katz Communications
Mutual Mentorship for Musicians (M³), the groundbreaking initiative dedicated to advancing professional and artistic growth for women and gender-expansive musicians, presents the fourth annual M³ Festival 2025 on Saturday, October 4 at Roulette Intermedium, 509 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, NY. The event begins at 7 pm. Tickets and information are available atm3musicians.org. Early bird discounts through August 22. Digital tickets are also available. The marathon-style event features Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Becca Stevens, NEA Jazz Master and pianist Kenny Barron, acclaimed saxophonist/ composer ...
read more
Ravita Jazz’s Releases 'Alice Blue'
Source:
Ravita Jazz
Ravita Jazz released Alice Blue in May of 2025. In the liner notes, jazz journalist and author Raul d'Gama Rosewrote: “Throughout Alice Blue the poetics of musical tradition are impressively maintained. The balance of melody, harmony and rhythm present in compositions and improvisation make this an album worth adding to your collection.” Bassist, composer, educator, and radio host Dr. Phil Ravita leads Ravita Jazz, a dynamic ensemble rooted in modern jazz traditions and creative innovation. As one of the Mid-Atlantic’s ...
read more
Video: Kenny Clarke Plays 'Black Knight' (1957)
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
On November 12, 1957, drummer Kenny Clarke was in a recording studio in Paris recording Kenny Clarke Plays Christian Chevallier for French Columbia. His band included composer-arranger Christian Chevallier, Ack van Rooyen (tp), Nat Peck (tb), Hubert Fol and Jean Aldegon (as), Georges Grenu (ts), Armand Migiani (bar), Maurice Vander (p) and Pierre Michelot (b). They were there to record a tricky Chevallier tune called Black Knight. Here it is... Fortunately, a French TV crew was in the studio filming ...
read more
Backgrounder: Tina Brooks - True Blue (1960)
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
No other category of artist in American history had to fight harder to have his or her creativity recognized than the jazz musician. This war was waged on three fronts—with themselves, with the culture and with their record label. If any one of these three battles was lost, the other two often collapsed as well. In the 1940s and '50s, the battle with one's self meant steering clear of drug addiction. The battle with the culture was the struggle to ...
read more
