Live Review

Reporting on live jazz from around the globe.

The Kind of Blue Band at 92NY

by Paul Reynolds
October 21, 2026

The Kind of Blue Band 92NY A Tribute Weekend to Miles Davis New York, NY October 16, 2026 On one level, paying tribute to the best-selling jazz album of all time--and arguably the most critically revered--is a plum musical assignment. It promises playing a masterwork to a crowd that's deeply familiar with it and likely to be thrilled to hear it all performed live for the first time. Yet deciding just how ...

Arcanum at Victoria Nasjonal Jazzscene, Oslo

by Artur Moral
October 20, 2026

Arcanum Victoria Nasjonal Jazzscene Oslo, Norway October 9, 2026 Forget the hermetic allusions suggested by their name; forget the content of their first and only album, even though part of their live set is based on it; and forget, above all, preconceived notions about national characteristics and artistic approaches. An Arcanum performance shatters every stereotype and established mold we might associate with its members, its music, or the stylistic identity of the label that houses ...

Jill Scott with Freeman and the Future of Soul R&B

by Acacia Grace
October 17, 2026

Jill Scott Zénith Paris October 14, 2026 Jill Scott arrived at Zénith Paris--La Villette with the presence of a woman who understood both her artistry and her message. Opened in 1984, the venue sits within a cultural district with a long-standing relationship to jazz and popular music, including La Villette's jazz-festival tradition dating to 1986. On this evening, Scott brought that spirit of musical exploration into a performance where neo-soul, jazz, blues, and the rhythms ...

Jeremy Pelt and His Quintet At Chris’ Jazz Cafe

by Carl Medsker
October 16, 2026

Jeremy Pelt and His Quintet Chris' Jazz Cafe Philadelphia, PA October 3, 2026 Saturday evening and the siren call of swing, to tap the toes and nod to the beat, was undeniable. So it was off to Chris,' Philadelphia's venerable, COVID-defying house of bop and all its variants. Turning down the glorified alley known as Sansom Street, we spotted the glowing blue “JAZZ" beacon beckoning. Past a phalanx of dumpsters, dodging revelers, we entered to ...

Dan Pugach and the Macedonian National Jazz Orchestra at the NOB

by Nenad Georgievski
October 15, 2026

Dan Pugach and the Macedonian National Jazz Orchestra NOB Skopje, Macedonia October 7, 2026 Big-band jazz thrives on a productive contradiction. Its arrangements demand discipline, coordination, and a collective sense of direction, yet the music comes alive when individual musicians find room to assert their personalities within that carefully constructed framework. At the National Opera and Ballet in Skopje on October 7, Dan Pugach and the National Jazz Orchestra demonstrated just how much expressive freedom ...

Festival-ing on Historic Grounds

by Josef Woodard
October 9, 2026

Monterey Jazz Festival Monterey, CA September 25-27, 2026 As the legendary Monterey jazz festival leans into its 70th year in 2027, the artistic and commercial mission remains steadfast, while the leadership chair has been in rotation the last few years. After Tim Jackson retired after 32 years of noble and forward-thinking duty as director, the director role has been passed to Darin Atwater for a year (and a very good year it was), then ...

Nao Yoshioka Brings Neo-Soul and Old-School Soul to Bizz’Art

by Acacia Grace
October 7, 2026

Nao Yoshioka Bizz'Art Paris, France September 25, 2026 From jazz and soul veterans to contemporary voices working across R&B, Bizz'Art has become one of those Parisian unassuming venues where international music feels remarkably close to home. The venue has also welcomed artists including Leela James, Sy Smith, Eric Roberson, and Kindred The Family Soul, reflecting its longstanding connection to the broader continuum of soul, jazz, funk, and contemporary R&B. On Friday, September 25, ...

Isaiah Collier Plays Coltrane: Live at Jazz Alley in Seattle

by Paul Rauch
October 4, 2026

Isaiah Collier Plays Coltrane Jazz Alley Seattle, WA September 29, 2026 The final wave of Coltrane 100 performances are rolling in, after the year-long blitz of celebrating his genius and legacy. Chicago-born tenor master Isaiah Collier landed at Seattle's renowned Jazz Alley this week, his first two-nighter there after a few years of attempting to do just that. His patience and our waiting proved to be worth the trouble on opening night-with the foursome delivering ...

Hyphen Dash At Satory-Saal

by Ian Patterson
October 3, 2026

Hyphen Dash Satory-Saal 12th European Jazz Conference Cologne, Germany September 26, 2026 Ukrainian band Hyphen Dash's performance at Cologne's storied Satory-Saal carried a significance that extended well beyond the music. Firstly, it was a reminder that no amount of Russian aggression will bring Ukraine to its knees, and that resistance takes many forms. Secondly, the fact that Hyphen Dash's punchy half-hour showcase set was taking place within the program of the 12th European Jazz ...

Marcus Miller At Miner Auditorium

by Steven Roby
September 30, 2026

Marcus Miller Miner Auditorium, SFJAZZ Center “We Want Miles" Centennial Celebration San Francisco, CA September 27, 2026 On Sunday at Miner Auditorium, Mino Cinélu stepped down from his percussion riser, carried a large black gourd to center stage, and drew a startling range of sounds from it, wowing the crowd. No one onstage seemed in a hurry to leave. They had reason to linger. This was the final show of Marcus Miller's ...