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Timely announcements covering new album releases, tours, concert series, special events, job postings, crowdfunding campaigns and more. You can find more news by searching our website, viewing our news stream, seeing what's trending or reading our blog posts. Subscribe to our news RSS feed and/or embed AAJ news content on your website or blog. Learn about our news service here. Submit news here.

Education

The Milt Hinton Institute For Studio Bass camp For Young Musicians Returns This Summer, July 19-25, 2026

Source: AMT Public Relations
February 19, 2026

Hosted by NJPAC and in residence at Drew University in Madison, NJ Registration Now Open at NJPAC.org. The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) will produce the Milt Hinton Institute for Studio Bass, an exceptional summer music education program for teen musicians (ages 14 through 18) from July 19-25, 2026. The camp is named for Milt Hinton (1910-2000), a prolific jazz bassist, studio musician and photographer whose career intersected with many of the greatest musicians of the 20th century. ...

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Recording

Jazz Great Dan Damon Breaks Barriers With New Album 'Needed Time'

Source: Jessica Morris Media
February 18, 2026

Needed Time, the new album by international jazz stalwart Dan Damon is out now. Delivering a bluesy take on spirituals like “He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands,” the instrumental record breaks down the walls of religion, offering hope. Featuring a collaboration between Damon on piano, and celebrated Bay Area bassist Kurt Ribak, listeners are treated to a modern rendition of Lightnin' Hopkins 1950 classic “Needed Time.” From here, Damon taps into his religious roots, pairing his 33 years ...

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TV / Film

'Everybody Digs Bill Evans' Film by Director Grant Gee Debuts at the Berlin International Film Festival

Source: All About Jazz
February 17, 2026

New York, June 1961. Legendary jazz pianist Bill Evans has found his musical voice and created the perfect trio, including bassist Scott LaFaro, his musical soulmate. A residency at New York’s Village Vanguard culminates in the live taping of two of the greatest jazz records of all time in one day. Only a few days later, LaFaro dies tragically in a car crash. Numb with grief, Evans stops playing for the first time since his childhood. This is the story ...

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Book / Magazine

Simplify Your Approach To Improvisation - A practical 10-step guide for all instrumentalists by Bill McBirnie

Source: Bill McBirnie - Extreme Flute
February 16, 2026

Simplify Your Approach to Improvisation! (A practical 10-step guide for all instrumentalists) is now available, in paperback format, at all Amazon websites. Building on his previous publication (The Technique and Theory of Improvisation), Bill McBirnie's new book is a concise, comprehensive, and organized 10-step guide to understanding any chart or lead sheet. This fundamental skill is essential in learning to improvise on any tune with confidence and fluency. This book presents the necessary theory, the 10 basic steps, and then ...

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Music Industry

Judith Owen Releases New Single “that’s Why I Love My Baby” Ahead Of International Tour

Source: Quite Great PR & Marketing
February 15, 2026

Acclaimed singer, songwriter and pianist Judith Owen releases her new single “That’s Why I Love My Baby”, the first single from her forthcoming new album, due out this Spring. Following the international success of Come On And Get It — hailed by The Times as “one of the most joyous releases of the year” and streamed millions of times worldwide — Owen returns with new music that is as sharp, warm and emotionally intelligent as ever. Written with Owen’s signature ...

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Performance / Tour

John McNeil Memorial Concert On Monday, February 23 Honors The Longtime New England Conservatory Faculty Member With Performances By Faculty, Students, And Alumni

Source: Braithwaite & Katz Communications
February 14, 2026

The John McNeil Memorial Concert features NEC faculty, students, and alumni in performances honoring the longtime NEC faculty member, who passed away in 2024. Faculty and alumni performers include saxophonist Allan Chase, pianist Frank Carlberg, saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi, pianist Randy Ingram, pianist Ethan Iverson, trumpeter Jason Palmer, pianist Mark Shilansky, vocalist Allegra Levy, saxophonist Noah Preminger, trumpeter {{David Adewumi, trumpeter Mark Tipton, and saxophonist Jeremy Udden. The concert is on Monday, February 23, 7:30 p.m. at Jordan Hall. Admission is ...

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Festival

Vinterjazzfestivalen 2026 Brings World-class Jazz To Fredrikstad, Norway

Source: Michael Brovkine
February 13, 2026

The acclaimed Vinterjazzfestivalen returns for its 2026 edition with an assembled program of extraordinary jazz performances, international artists, and genre-spanning concerts, presented from March 11 to March 15, 2026 at multiple venues including Båthuset Scene and Kulturkirken Gamle Fredrikstad. Curated to spotlight both Norwegian and international talent, the festival offers audiences a richly varied musical journey — from electrifying jazz fusion and soul grooves to innovative tributes and contemporary ensembles. Festival Headliners and Program Highlights The Real Thing — Esteemed ...

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Recording

Daggerboard Showcases A Pair Of Iconic Musical Associates On 'The Skipper And Mike Clark,' Set For Release March 6 On Wide Hive

Source: Terri Hinte Publicity
February 12, 2026

Daggerboard—the collaborative effort of trumpeter/composer Erik Jekabson and multi-instrumentalist/composer Gregory Howe—retrains its spotlight on the rhythm section with The Skipper and Mike Clark, dropping March 6 on Howe’s own Wide Hive Records. The titular characters are bassist Henry “Skipper” Franklin and drummer Mike Clark: two of the living legends of jazz, whose alchemy when brought together forms the core of the new album. Neither Franklin nor Clark is a newcomer to Daggerboard’s pool of collaborators. The bassist previously featured on ...

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