Apart from "Old Blue Eyes," Ella, and Tony Bennett, I'm not really a huge fan of jazz singing. I'll take a John Coltrane record any day, but even I have been jonesing for someone to bring the format back into mainstream prominence. Jeffery Smith could finally be the male jazz vocalist that I have been craving. Granted there is Mark Murphy, Kurt Elling, and Kevin Mahogany, but none has really captivated the medium like Frank Sinatra once did. Then there's Andy Bey, who just released a gem, but he …

I have a soft spot for the more adventuresome aspects of jazz, the avant-garde, free, way out, loft scene stuff. And I have been a Hugh Ragin devotee since my first experience hearing him on a David Murray album. When I heard he was set to release an album on Justin Time, I knew I had to talk to him about it. We sat down from his office at Oberlin to talk about his album, "An Afternoon in Harlem," his friendship with David Murray and Roscoe Mitchell, and his teaching. This is a conversation with …

I was mortified to see an unnamed guitarist (Mark Whitfield) on stage at an undisclosed location (The Iridium) in a major metropolitan city (New York) play some sort of instrumental pop, smooth, crossover, hybrid. What had led such a promising young musician to abandon his once true calling? After all, he (Mark Whitfield) was touted by most members of the selective media and his own label (Verve) to be the next great guitarist in jazz. The answer? Simple. It's why strippers disrobe (not that I'm …

It would be difficult for me to think of a harder working musician than Benn Clatworthy. A tenor saxophonist that is every bit the player that Joshua Redman is, Clatworthy has been a staple in Los Angeles clubs for the past two decades. He has a brand new album, "Let's Face the Music" (available by calling 562-698-8267 or by email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) and we spoke at length about his release and his humble life in music. The following is a portrait of one of the most unheralded musicians in the mus …

As a student enrolled in Stanford Business School, Ray Drummond could have chosen a much easier life than that of a jazz musician. The mere fact that he left school to journey down that difficult road is a testament to the bassist's love for the music. He is one of the most in-demand bassists of our time. Christian McBride may garner the publicity, but Drummond has McBride's record output beat hands down. Drummond has been featured on well over two hundred recordings. His latest as a leader has …