Featured Jazz Videos

Joshua Espinoza Trio: Take the A Train

Joshua Espinoza
Duration: 05:29
2,966 views

If you feel you really know “Take the A Train,” then kindly reconsider… Joshua Espinoza’s piano trio lends a fresh and noteworthy take on the standard. Espinoza opens with a trickle of upper-range notes on the keyboard, as if a rain shower were just starting. The trickle soon turns into a flurry, mixing blues and classical technique, until a full-on “A Train” storm-on-the-prairie emerges. Drummer Jaron Lamar Davis and bassist Kris Monson generate their own kind of supporting groove playing underneath or soloing--as much rimshot as ride cymbal; or staggered bass riffs as walking line.

Taped live at the Pumphouse in Baltimore, this video hints at the many strengths of this emerging trio, whether it is performing originals inspired by the pianist’s Mexican/Appalachian heritage or covering a Billy Joel ballad.

Recommended by Scott Lichtman.

Other Side Live at Bowery Electric

Thompson Newkirk
Duration: 4:22
3,054 views

Thompson Newkirk is New York City's southern pop rock guitarist. The music is blues-influenced, upbeat, and lyric based. He tells stories about love lost, getting kicked out of Canada, and not letting the harsh realities of life win over the soul. The video for “Other Side" was recorded live at the Bowery Electric in NYC in May of 2024 and captured the performer's high energy and audience participation style. The songwriter says, “The song iis really about not comparing yourself to other people's perceived situations or a perceived status in this world and making your dreams and aspirations known to yourself in order to achieve theme."

Recommended by Terence C Burke.

Guinga + Joia Luz Live at JazzB, São Paulo

Guinga
Duration: 3:18
1,856 views

To celebrate Brazilian Song, Guinga joins the young Italian interpreter Joia Luz and presents a selection of his compositions arranged for guitar and voice, recorded last year and released this July 2024 by the Kuarup label. Songs like “Fonte Abandonada,” “Noturna,” “Jogo de Damas,” among others. Guinga is one of the greatest Brazilian composers of today, with a career spanning decades of collaborations with big names in Brazilian music, such as Elis Regina, Chico Buarque, and Ivan Lins. His compositions, marked by melodic beauty, sophisticated harmonies, and poetic lyrics, are true gems of Brazilian popular music. Joia Luz, the stage name of Gioia Persichetti, is an Italian singer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer based in Brazil. With a sweet and expressive voice, Joia Luz interprets Guinga’s songs with sensitivity and emotion, creating an intimate and engaging atmosphere.

Recommended by Oh! Jazz.

Voyage

Danny Jonokuchi
Duration: 4:36
2,594 views

Danny Jonokuchi, the award-winning arranger-trumpeter-vocalist, has released a new album 'A Decade'. Among the highlights is a rousing rendition of Kenny Barron's “Voyage", which serves as the album opener. “This composition resonates with so many jazz musicians—it’s a classic that we all know and love to perform," Jonokuchi says. “For my arrangement, I introduced a fresh, slightly off-kilter groove to keep listeners on edge, and featured two incredible soloists: Andrew Gould on alto sax and Jeb Patton on piano."

Recommended by Michael Ricci.

Friendly Pressure (Remastered)

Jhelisa
Duration: 3:50
816 views

Celebrating exactly 30 years to the date today since the release of her acclaimed debut album Galactica Rush, Jhelisa has released a newly remastered version of the full record for the momentous anniversary. Hailed as “a potent brew of jazz, funk and soul, with style and substance” by i-D Magazine when it first arrived, the genre-bending album quickly became an acclaimed underground sensation and was cemented as a highly influential work within the London music scene and beyond. Listen to the remastered 2024 version of Galactica Rush now here via Dorado Records.

Jhelisa wrote and co-produced the entire record herself, including title track “Galactica Rush"—an acid jazz opus featuring the saxophone of Greg Osby, harmonica-heavy R&B track “Death Of A Soul Diva"—which was covered by friend and collaborator Chaka Khan, and “Friendly Pressure"—a timeless tune that’s reached a whole new generation of listeners thanks to a sped-up remix of the song serendipitously going viral on TikTok just in time for this 30th anniversary of the release. The Sunship ‘Into The Sunshine’ remix has been used as the sound for over 400k TikTok videos, garnering 1.5 billion collective views on the app, with over 50 million streams across DSPs in 2024 alone.

The Mississippi-born songstress, who GQ dubbed “Cosmic princess of soul," comes from a family of music legends—including Vicki Anderson and Bobby Byrd from the James Brown band, who were her aunt and uncle. Before beginning her journey as a solo artist in the mid-1990s, she got her start singing in church which eventually led to her becoming the go-to vocalist for Bjork, Massive Attack and The Shamen. But she didn’t feel at home until she began working on Galactica Rush, where she had complete creative control and freedom.

It’s no wonder her debut album instantly became a seminal essential for the record collector. Starting November 1, listeners can add two limited-run Jhelisa vinyls to their collection: Galactica Rush and a 12” of Friendly Pressure remixes.

Recommended by Peter Quinn.

The Most Beautiful Jazz Piano Performance: Alton Merrell

Alton Merrell
Duration: 04:07
556 views

Alton Merrell Trio concert, “Withholding Nothing," is a profound musical journey of personal and spiritual surrender, led by the powerful artistry of pianist Alton Merrell. This jazz concert, featuring music from his latest album on the Grammy Award-winning MCG Jazz label, showcases Merrell's dynamic performances and the world-class musicians accompanying him. Blending jazz, gospel, classical, and rhythm and blues, Merrell reimagines classic hymns like “Amazing Grace” and “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” alongside original compositions such as “Alfred Blues” and “Main Street Rag.” With nods to jazz legends like McCoy Tyner and Herbie Hancock, Merrell's compositions combine lyrical melodies, rich harmonies, and intricate rhythms. The concert's title track, “Withholding Nothing,” arranged by Merrell, holds deep personal significance as it reflects his experience of surrender. Join Merrell on this spirit-filled musical excursion that touches the soul, inviting listeners to embrace the message of surrender and authenticity through a powerful jazz experience.

Recommended by Oh! Jazz.

The Endless Wait

Brenda Earle Stokes
Duration: 5:08
499 views

Brenda Earle Stokes' Motherhood is a collection of 10 original songs that deal with the laughter, the frustration, the joy and the tears of motherhood. Deeply rooted in traditional and jazz styles, the album features Grammy winning fellow Canadian mother Ingrid Jensen on trumpet.

Recommended by Michael Ricci.

Live from Con Alma

Ryan Devlin
Duration: 3:19
865 views

Ryan Devlin, a 27-year-old saxophonist and woodwind instructor living in Boston, grew up in a musical household where his father, Scott Devlin, led the Walt Disney World Sax Quartet. Surrounded by music, Ryan's interest was sparked early on, and at age 9, after three years of piano, he asked his dad to teach him the saxophone. Since then, Ryan has been practicing, gigging, and teaching every day. He completed a Jazz Performance master’s degree at The New England Conservatory in 2023 under saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi and now teaches at Newton South High School. Ryan has performed extensively across the United States and Canada, collaborating with many notable musicians and earning accolades like the 2017 Central Florida Jazz Society Scholarship Competition.

Recommended by Oh! Jazz.

On a Journey, Ailing

Wataru Uchida
Duration: 3:41
1,316 views

Tabi ni yande
yume wa kareno o
kake-meguru

On a journey, ailing,
my dream goes running
over the withered field.
(English translation)

This is the last haiku ever written by the 17th century Japanese poet Basho Matsuo, dictated from his deathbed in a rented room in Osaka in 1694. A few days later he was dead. Tough times may often seem to last forever, but at least your imagination can remain as active as it was in your childhood.

This album has 8 tunes that I wrote between 2022 and 2024, and one that I wrote in 2015. By the time of the recording session, it had been 24 years since I moved to New York City. And This Japanese man has grown old.

The blessings and challenges I've encountered in this city have provided the framework for my understanding of life.

Just as you need both light and shadow to perceive the form of something, now I realize I require both aspects to comprehend its entirety. In this project, my intention wasn't to record solely happy or sad tunes. Each composition lies somewhere in between, expressing abstract impressions or sound of appreciation and affirmation.

I recorded music with two excellent Brooklyn-based musicians, creating pieces we had never heard before. It's as if someone might have whispered a spell to share each individual's history of emotions.

—Wataru Uchida

Recommended by Michael Ricci.

King of Pain

Rachel Z
Duration: 08:25
682 views

Jazz musicians have long been adept at blending first principles of swing and improvisation with current forms of popular music. Therefore, it is only a bit surprising that pianist Rachel Z makes The Police song “King of Pain” feel so good. The small surprises are that: this live performance is much more engaging than the original studio recording; her trio, The Department of Good and Evil, strikes an ideal balance of jazzy and rock rhythms; and she first quotes the acoustic jazz number “Pools” from her ‘90s work with Steps Ahead before covering the rock tune. Watch this video--the cover kicks in at [1:44]--and discover why Rachel Z is considered one of the most successful jazz/rock crossover artists over the last three decades, recognized by Wayne Shorter, Peter Gabriel, Najee and others.

Recommended by Scott Lichtman.