DOWN BEAT

News, Ryan Porter, Ronell Johnson By DownBeat   I  Jun. 30, 2026 Ryan Porter, left, with Kamasi Washington at Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival in 2024. (Photo: Benji Garcia) Trombonist and educator Ryan Porter, a prominent figure on the Los Angeles jazz scene, died May 16 from injuries sustained in an automobile accident on April 28, according to Tony Austin, his bandmate in the jazz collective West Coast Get Down. He was 46.

News, From the Magazine, Warren Wolf By Stephanie Jones   I  Jun. 30, 2026 “I’ll always keep the jazz harmonic side in my music because I could never go all the way and be a straight smooth-jazz guy,” says Warren Wolf of his groove-oriented music. (Photo: Roy Cox Jr.) March 2020: Less than 24 hours before Baltimore residents begin sheltering in place, Warren Wolf is preparing for his studio date when he gets a call from his piano player. He won’t make the session.

Review, From the Magazine, Thelonious Monk, Michel Petrucciani, Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express, Denman Maroney By Josef Woodard   I  Jun. 30, 2026 Michel Petrucciani breathes fire on 1987’s Kuumbwa. (Photo: Deborah Feingold) On this short list of new/old releases, the item of greatest historical importance is undoubtedly the revelatory unburied treasure that is Thelonious Monk’s Live In Paris 1967, Vol.

By Robert Ham   I  Jun. 30, 2026 Ibrahim was an early jazz acolyte, studying the music via 78s he would buy from soldiers stationed in South Africa — who also gave him the nickname “Dollar.” (Photo: Michael Jackson) Pianist Abdullah Ibrahim, the NEA Jazz Master from South Africa who helped fuse the folk music of his home country with modern jazz and was reportedly called the “South African Mozart” by Nelson Mandela, died June 15 at his home in Germany, according to his family. He was 91.

News, From the Magazine, Noah Jackson By Veronica Johnson   I  Jun. 23, 2026 “I want to leave something for people to hear what the music is about and you can vibe with it in the car or wherever you’re at, which is awesome,” says Noah Jackson. (Photo: Courtesy Noah Jackson) It was Valentine’s Day 2023 when bassist Noah Jackson found the distinctive sound for his band Full Circle.

By Michael J. West   I  Jun. 23, 2026 ​When Chuck Redd canceled his Christmas Eve show on the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, it led to a national media firestorm. (Photo: Courtesy Chuck Redd) Victory has been declared in the case of the jazz man who balked. Chuck Redd, the vibraphonist sued by the Kennedy Center for canceling his annual Christmas Eve performance at the Washington, D.C., arts venue, saw the $1 million case against him dismissed on June 5 by a Superior Court judge. Judge Tanya M.

News, Clive Davis, Rayse Biggs By DownBeat   I  Jun. 23, 2026 Music industry executive Clive Davis (right), shown here at a Grammy ceremony with Carlos Santana, championed the careers of pop stars and landmark jazz artists alike. (Photo: Courtesy CliveDavis.com) Clive Davis, one of the music industry’s most powerful and outspoken executives, died on June 15 at his home in Manhattan. He was 94 and had recently been hospitalized with respiratory problems.

Interview, From the Magazine, Steve Wilson By Dan Ouellette   I  Jun. 23, 2026 “I feel a little lost in our pop music world today where the art of melody has been lost,” says Steve Wilson.

By DownBeat   I  Jun. 16, 2026 (Photo: Courtesy Blue Note) Just in time for the FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament, Blue Note Records has launched a limited-edition merchandise line of custom soccer apparel. The Blue Note FC Merch Collection includes the Blue Note Jersey, the alternate Hub-Tones Jersey and the Blue Note Track Suit Jacket and Track Suit Pants, as well as the Blue Note Soccer Scarf.

By Ted Panken   I  Jun. 16, 2026 A changing of the guard, from left: Ellen Price, Darrian Douglas, Clara Winder and Mark Morganelli transition to keep Jazz Forum Arts on track.