John Hilderbrand
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Chris Standring Embraces a New Chapter with Time Of Change
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I’ve been following guitarist Chris Standring for a long time now. His track “Liquid Soul” has been a five star staple in my library for years, and I’ve been receiving his newsletter consistently, watching his journey unfold in real time. Change is a part of life, and it always impresses me when someone embraces change…
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Norman Brown Returns With Authentically Norman
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I remember when I saw Norman Brown in 1992 or 1993. He was opening for Grover Washington Jr. in St. Louis, and he was really new to the scene. But he made an impression then with his live performance and his debut album, Just Between Us. Since then, he’s sold over five-million albums. And now…
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Lakecia Benjamin: Finding the Light with We Dream
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Lakecia Benjamin’s latest studio project, We Dream, feels less like a standard album release and more like a necessary pivot. As the world feels increasingly heavy, Benjamin is using this record to shift her focus toward something intentional. “It felt like that story couldn’t go all the way, given the state of the world,” she…
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Next Jazz Legacy 2026
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The future of jazz is always unfolding, and programs like Next Jazz Legacy are helping make sure the next generation of artists has the support and mentorship they need to thrive. New Music USA and the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice have announced the 2026 Next Jazz Legacy cohort, a group of seven…
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30 Years of ContemporaryJazz.com!
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I launched this site, ContemporaryJazz.com, on January 13, 1996. Hard to believe it’s been 30 years! I had, and still have, a love of technology, a love of communicating and sharing, and a love of the music. I was born to do something like this—the medium just didn’t exist until the World Wide Web started…