As a high schooler, I was obsessed with jazz's fusion movement of the 1970s. Bands such as Return to Forever, Tony Williams' Lifetime, and the Mahavishnu Orchestra were in constant rotation on my CD player, because those were the groups that appealed to an inexperienced musician obsessed with technique and speed. Now, 15 years later as a 30-something, my tastes lean heavily toward pure emotion and sentiment instead of flash. But my inner 16-year-old smiled with glee on Wednesday night at the Music Center at Strathmore, as Chick Corea and John McLaughlin, two pioneers from that time, led The Five Peace Band, a throwback to that vibrant era that changed jazz. more ›

A band name like Garaj Mahal triggers certain expectations when one first hears it. It could be an adventurous group, fusing punk, rock, blues, or jazz, with an exotic variety of world rhythms. This expectation only grows after learning that the group includes a Pakistani/Chilean guitarist and a German/Liberian bassist. That is what we expected just before last night's early set at Blues Alley, but that is not exactly what the band delivered. Instead of contemporary music infused with global elements, the energetic five-song set showcased eighty minutes of classic uptempo jazz-rock fusion that time warped the audience back to the electric jazz of the 1970s. more ›

Monday >> Canada’s post-punk four piece Uncut just released their latest album Modern Currencies in the U.S. on July 17th and will be at DC9 tonight with special guest Patrick Krief of The Dears. Just like their name says, they are raw: loud, bold, and off the wall. Check out the stopmotion animated video for their recent single, "Darkhorse" which includes a fire bombing Ronald McDonald and an army of pissed off Care Bears. 8p.m.,... more ›

The Hammond B-3 organ is an expensive and unwieldy instrument, so it is understandable why we don't see very many of them on the club circuit or why there are so few young organists out there. It must have been refreshing to the jazz community in the late 80s when a young Joey DeFrancesco (pictured) put out his first album as a leader at the tender age of 18. DeFrancesco, son of "Papa" John DeFrancesco, a well respected organist in his own right, is carrying the torch of organ jazz and has played with luminaries such as Miles Davis, John McLaughlin, and Pat Martino. Last night, his trio arrived at Blues Alley to begin a four night stand. Unlike many organists who tend to adopt a soul-jazz sound in the vein of Richard "Groove" Holmes or Jack McDuff, last night's trio stuck mainly to a straight ahead jazz sound and occasionally ventured into more adventurous territory. more ›

Like so many great jazz artists, guitarist Mike Stern got his big break playing with jazz legend Miles Davis. Over the past 25 years, he has become a first rate performer, composer, and bandleader in his own right with fifteen albums to his credit. Still, very few artists have the draw to book a six night stand at Blues Alley. While the word "supergroup" may be a bit cheesy, it's an accurate description of the... more ›