DOWN BEAT

By Sharonne Cohen   I  Aug. 18, 2026 ​Oliver Jones’ debut album, Live At Biddle’s Jazz & Ribs, was recorded in 1983, the first release on the Montreal-based label Justin Time. (Photo: Sharonne Cohen) The passing of Canadian treasure Oliver Jones on July 22, at the age of 91, has left a void in the Montreal jazz community and beyond. “He was an incredible musician whose humanity truly spoke through his music,” reflects Jim Doxas, Jones’ longtime accompanist.

By Stephanie Jones   I  Aug. 18, 2026 This year’s Reykjavík Jazz Festival ​runs Aug. 25–30 in Iceland’s Capital Region. (Photo: Courtesy Reykjavík Jazz Festival) In late August, when skygazers across Reykjavík, Iceland, begin glimpsing the Aurora Borealis, the Nordic island’s capital welcomes another beloved tradition: The Reykjavík Jazz Festival. A critical platform for hyperlocal musicians, the weeklong celebration, running Aug.

By Mark Sheldon   I  Aug. 18, 2026 NEA Jazz Master Billy Hart was a fan favorite. (Photo: Mark Sheldon) Charles Lloyd and his Sky Quartet offered one of the fest’s most introspective sets. (Photo: Mark Sheldon) ​Flea, on tour in support of his solo album Honora, was among the Newport headliners. (Photo: Mark Sheldon) ​Nate Smith’s group showed how straightahead jazz continues to thrive at Newport. (Photo: Mark Sheldon) Sullivan Fortner was out to show a new slant on keyboards.

By DownBeat   I  Aug. 18, 2026 “The love from the jazz and music community restored my faith in humanity,” Walia wrote in an online post upon his release from detention at an ICE facility. (Photo: Courtesy Pritesh Walia) Indian jazz guitarist and composer Pritesh Walia has been released after being unexpectedly detained by ICE and taken into custody on Aug. 2 at Los Angeles International Airport.

By Yoshi Kato   I  Aug. 18, 2026 Nicole Zuraitis performs at San Jose Jazz’s Summer Fest. (Photo: Robert Birnbach) It was a momentous weekend for San Jose Jazz, the 40-year-old presenting and educational non-profit, and its annual Summer Fest. With headliners such as Trombone Shorty, Cory Wong and Patti LaBelle as well as notable sets by trumpeter-vocalist Bria Skonberg, tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson and vocalist-pianist Nicole Zuraitis, the three-night/two-day event from Aug.

By DownBeat   I  Aug. 11, 2026 Inspired by the sonic world of Bitches Brew, Dad Grass developed a flavor profile intended to feel lush, layered and slightly psychedelic. (Photo: Courtesy Dad Grass) The low-dose cannabis brand Dad Grass and the Miles Davis Estate have released Miles Davis Bitches Brew by Dad Grass, a THC-infused adult beverage inspired by the landmark 1970 album Bitches Brew.

By Josef Woodard   I  Aug. 11, 2026 Some of the boldest highlights at Molde arrived in the intimate quarters of improvised duets, including a morning concert in the park with esperanza spalding and Shabaka.

By Howard Mandel   I  Aug. 11, 2026 On The Blues Is My Biography, Branch employs far-reaching roots to advance the blues process of observation, reportage, assertion, transcendence. (Photo: ) Has the blues world changed very much — or not at all — in the 100-some years since the music was first recorded?

By DownBeat   I  Aug. 11, 2026 In 1993 Bryson signed to the Telarc Jazz label, which released her first album, I Love Being Here With You. (Photo: Matthew Rolston/Telarc/DownBeat Archive) Jeanie Bryson, an American singer firmly rooted in the legacies of Peggy Lee and Dinah Washington whose signature style combined jazz, pop and Latin music, died June 19 at a New York hospital after a short bout with an aggressive form of cancer. She was 68.

By Michael J. West   I  Aug. 11, 2026 ​Percussionist Poncho Sanchez is among the artists scheduled to perform at the now-canceled inaugural LA Jazz Festival. (Photo: Courtesy ponchosanchez.com) The inaugural LA Jazz Festival, originally scheduled to run Aug. 7–23 with dozens of events across Los Angeles’ vast cityscape, was canceled hours before its planned opening.