Baltimore Jazz Fest 2019 Thanks You
This past Father’s Day BJA presented Baltimore Jazz Fest, a free day-long festival that featured some of the best jazz in town. I say the BJA presented, but in reality, this was truly a community effort. When we first presented Baltimore Jazz Fest in 2016, at Druid Hill Park, we also had great support, but it was a big effort for our small organization, and while we tried to repeat it the following year, we really didn’t have the resources to make it happen right away. | Read more>>
Great Reviews for Josh Espinoza’s new album, Journey into Night
“Espinoza is already a powerful storyteller on his instrument, and he’s found partners who can execute his musical vision masterfully.” — Jamie Sandel, Capital Bop
Baltimore-based pianist Josh Espinoza released his debut album in June of 2018, with band members Mikel Combs on bass and Jeron Lamar Davis on drums. | Read more>>
A POSTURE OF POSSIBILITY
“[Free improvisation] is about purity of sound, flow, trust, spirit, and the celebration of our humanity — HERE AND NOW.”
My name is Derrick
Michaels, and I’m a professional musician based in Baltimore, MD. My work as a
saxophonist/improviser explores the nexus between free improvisation and jazz
tradition. | Read more>>
Baltimore-Area Big Bands Abounding
Trumpeter Scott Stansfield heard Stan Kenton’s big band at Towson State College in 1983, when he was in sixth grade. In his subsequent school report Stansfield vowed to have a band like that someday. Two years ago he fulfilled his dream by starting the Melting Pot Big Band. | Read more>>
Tribute to Norma Allman
While researching Baltimore-area big bands for our Winter 2018 hard-copy newsletter,
I was pleasantly surprised to learn that a retirement community, Carroll Lutheran Village, in Westminster, had its own big band, the Never Too Late Band. I was amazed to learn that its leader was a 90-year-old trombonist, Norma Allman. | Read more>>