John Hilderbrand
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Allan Harris Blends Jazz and Verse in New Live Album
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Allan Harris’s The Poetry of Jazz: Live at Blue LLama is more than a live album—it’s a vibrant homage to the power of jazz as a storytelling art form. Recorded at Ann Arbor’s Blue LLama Jazz Club, the album blends Harris’s signature vocals and guitar with an inspired mix of jazz standards, original compositions, and…
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Fatherhood: Geoff Mann Salutes His Dad, Nathan and Noah East
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Being a father has been the most rewarding role in my life and the one I’m most thankful for. The responsibility of being Dad has enriched me in ways that words can’t seem to convey. It’s simply been my favorite thing. It certainly can be challenging. Fatherhood, at its best, is an improvisation. It’s listening,…
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8-Bit Big Band’s Orchestrator Emulator Turns Video Game Themes Into Big Band Joy
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Every once in a while, something unexpected makes you stop what you’re doing and smile. That happened to me recently while listening to Orchestrator Emulator, the upcoming album from The 8-Bit Big Band. A Nintendo-inspired contemporary jazz orchestra project blends unexpected elements into something that genuinely swings. This fifth full-length release from GRAMMY-winning composer Charlie…
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George Howard – There’s a Riot Goin’ On
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Shortly after his untimely passing, contemporary jazz saxophonist George Howard’s There’s a Riot Goin’ On was released. This was no ordinary release — it was a smooth jazz homage to Sly and the Family Stone’s seminal 1971 album of the same name, reimagined through Howard’s expressive, melodic lens. George Howard passed away on March 20,…
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Joe Sample and Lalah Hathaway – The Song Lives On
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When legendary jazz pianist Joe Sample joined forces with vocalist Lalah Hathaway, the result was The Song Lives On—a soulful and emotionally rich collaboration that bridges generations and genres. The recording was released on April 20, 1999. Sample, a founding member of The Crusaders, had already established himself as a composer with a gift for…