Jazz Philadelphia
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Hometown Hero: Michelle Lordi
by Shaun Brady | Photo Courtesy of the Artist The best jazz singers have a knack for connecting with audiences. Few musicians of any stripe share Michelle Lordi’s gift for creating them. While Lordi has graced the usual stages with…
Read MoreHometown Hero: Yesseh Furaha-Ali
by Shaun Brady | Photo by Richard Conde When you grow up as the youngest of seven children, you quickly figure out how to set your ego aside. Saxophonist Yesseh Furaha-Ali learned that lesson as a child in Upper Darby,…
Read MoreHometown Hero: Sonia Sanchez
By Bobbi I. Booker | Photo Courtesy of the Temple University Archives Poetry. Motion. Sound. For most of the 85 years Sonia Sanchez has existed, she has known and embraced the power of words and music, eventually merging both aspects into…
Read MoreHometown Hero: Uri Caine
By A.D. Amorosi | Photo by Bill Douthart When Uri Caine speaks in his deep, low voice, each phrase unfurls with rich, diverse, all-inclusive information. In a fashion, it’s as if the Philadelphia-born pianist and composer is looking to get…
Read MoreKeep Going, and It Will Happen
I was fortunate to have musicians in my life who took the time to provide mentorship when I needed it. They were more than bandleaders, they were my guides in navigating a complex artistic and professional landscape. Through Ira Tucker,…
Read MoreHometown Hero: Ernest Stuart
By A.D. Amorosi | Photo by Ben-Houdijk How does trombonist-composer Ernest Stuart best show his Philadelphia-ness? Of course, there is his music. Stuart has a post-bop-jazz-based but often genre-fluid sound that merges influences from Philadelphia soul past and present. Think…
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