Artist Feature

New Work: Andrew Lamb

From Andrew Lamb: In order to begin speaking about my project, I must give thanks and praise to The Most High for allowing me to be present in this dimension. I have lost several of my colleagues and those which I have known and interacted with from the inception of the pandemic and literally every

New Work: Jessica Pavone

Jessica Pavone’s creative practice encompasses developing a personalized voice on her instrument as both an instrumentalist and composer. She has been focusing primarily on two projects recently. Lull Pavone’s new work, “Lull,” is a composition for string octet and soloists in four movements. Recorded during the pandemic year of 2020, the piece reflects a multifaceted

Artist Feature: Nick Dunston

Over the past few months I had the opportunity to talk with bassist and composer Nick Dunston about his work. As one of a new generation of players on the New York scene (and beyond), he has had a confident, growing presence. Cisco Bradley: What are your current projects? Nick Dunston: A few things! Referring

Artist Feature: Aquiles Navarro

Watching Aquiles Navarro establish himself on the New York music scene over the past six years has been fascinating. He’s a singular voice on trumpet and has been a transformative presence in every ensemble of which he is a part. His most well-known projects are a duo with Brooklyn-born drummer Tcheser Holmes and the collaborative

Artist Feature: Hasan Shahid and the Return of Al-Fatihah

In the late 1960s, the Black Unity Trio exploded onto the free jazz scene comprised of saxophonist Yusuf Mumin, cellist Abdul Wadud, and drummer Hasan Shahid. Based primarily in Cleveland, the band toured in various parts of the United States, especially on college campuses with active Black student organizations. The band exemplified some of the

Artist Feature: Jarrett Gilgore

Today, Heart of the Ghost releases a new record, their fourth, Live at Rhizome. Heart of the Ghost is a collaborative trio of alto saxophonist Jarrett Gilgore, bassist Luke Stewart, and drummer Ian McColm. I had the pleasure of booking them for one of their first gigs at my loft concert series, New Revolution Arts,

Artist Feature: Angel Bat Dawid

Multi-instrumentalist and composer Angel Bat Dawid’s emergence has been one of the most exciting things to happen on the Chicago creative music scene in recent years. Her release of The Oracle in 2019 was a monumental debut release and she has not looked back since. Collaborating with musicians on four continents over the past two

Hip Hop to Transform Africa: Interview with Soundz of the South’s Anele Selekwa

In April, I spoke with Anele Selekwa, one of the key figures behind the anarchist hip hop collective Soundz of the South (SoS), based in Cape Town, South Africa. SoS have performed internationally, but have especially been involved in organizing within the continent as a driving force behind Afrikan Hiphop Caravan. Check out Soundz of

Artist Feature: Asher Gamedze

Drummer, writer, and scholar Asher Gamedze is a growing force on the music scene in Cape Town, South Africa. I have had the pleasure of getting to know him through a couple of extended Skype conversations over the past seven months. Not only is he deeply committed to his craft as an artist, he has

Artist Feature: Patrick Shiroishi

Los Angeles-based alto saxophonist Patrick Shiroishi is set to release another record, this time on the Thin Wrist label. For this release, Shiroishi delved into the personal and political terrain of concentration camps both as they relate to his family history and in the current cycle of immigrant and minority oppression, in what feels nothing