Author Archives: The Independent Ear

It is indeed my distinct honor and privilege to be named a Jazz Hero of Washington, DC (for more scroll down just below the Ysaye Maria Barnwell interview below) in a group of jazz activists that includes the distinguished saxophonist-educator … Continue reading →

The deeply organic, folkloric, and humanitarian expressions of the a cappella ensemble known as Sweet Honey in the Rock has made the ensemble an institution. Sweet Honey in the ROck was founded in 1973 by the distinguished freedom fighter Dr. … Continue reading →

Many thanks to the voters in the annual Jazz Journalism Awards for nominating Willard Jenkins for a Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism; I’m deeply honored by this nominationNOMINEES FOR JAZZ JOURNALISM AWARDS 29) LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN JAZZ JOURNALISM Ted Panken … Continue reading →

Multiple poll-winning flutist (currently nominated in the Flute category of the Jazz Journalists Association annual poll) Nicole Mitchell has a new recording “Aquarius” on the Delmark label, with a fairly new ensemble she calls Ice Crystals. Much about this new … Continue reading →

Last weekend, on the occasion of the Dave Brubeck Institute’s annual festival, at the invite of the exceedingly pleasant and humble Brubeck executive director Simon Rowe, I had the distinct pleasure of making a site visit to their Stockton, CA … Continue reading →