Jazz Philadelphia
Category: Uncategorized
A Shot in the Arm for the Arts
Jazz Philadelphia President’s Letter from Gerald Veasley The line of people snaked around the block looked like it wasn’t going to ever move. Yet there was very little grumbling from the participants in spite of the frigid morning air. Everyone…
Read MoreColtrane Watch: The Opportunity
By Suzanne Cloud There have been questions from some quarters about why there is such renewed interest in the Coltrane House, which can be roughly summarized with, “Where was the jazz community all the time the historic home was slowly…
Read MoreHometown Hero: Sumi Tonooka
By Shaun Brady | Photo courtesy of the artist Awarded a New Jazz Works grant from Chamber Music America in 2019, pianist/composer Sumi Tonooka found herself inspired by the root systems of trees. Above ground they may appear self-sufficient, tall…
Read MoreHometown Hero: Albert “Tootie” Heath
By Suzanne Cloud | Photo by Michael Perez It was quite a place to grow up for a young man. His home at 1927 Federal Street in South Philadelphia was the place for musicians to hang and jam with his…
Read MoreImmanuel Wilkins: In His Solitude
A young jazz impresario talks about his recent accolades, and the joy of sitting alone with music By Bobbi Booker | Photo by Chris Longyne A couple of weeks ago, Immanuel Wilkins, 23, was awakened at home in Upper Darby…
Read MoreLocal musician runs concert series aimed at bringing diverse people and creative genres together
Community News: Community Resilience. Erica Corbo hosts a monthly concert series called Warp Factor 9 (WF9) that has been running every third Thursday since March 2019 and pivoted to live-streaming on Facebook during the pandemic. The series gives Corbo and…
Read MoreHometown Hero: Odean Pope
By A.D. Amorosi When it comes to the tradition of innovative Philadelphia tenor saxophonist-composers, Odean Pope is heavenly-high atop that list. Growing up, competitively, in the same North Philly neighborhoods where Benny Golson and John Coltrane lived would have that…
Read MoreHometown Hero: Immanuel Wilkins
By A.D. Amorosi | Photo by Chris Longyne Upper Darby-raised, Julliard School of Music graduate Immanuel Wilkins could have done anything. He started playing violin at age 3, moved to the piano at 4, was a child of the church,…
Read MoreHometown Hero: Terell Stafford
By Bobbi Booker Acclaimed trumpeter Terell Stafford has been hailed as “one of the great players of our time, a fabulous trumpet player” by the late piano legend McCoy Tyner. The acclaimed bandleader and recording artist has appeared on dozens…
Read MoreV-JAM Philly Session Leader: WXPN
Philadelphia has a unique, rich musical history, and WXPN has made it its mission to build a community focused on discovering that music and connecting artists with new audiences. The nationally recognized leader in Triple A radio and the premier…
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