The Side Door

Grammy Nomimated Richard Baratta was born into a musically oriented family in Poughkeepsie, NY in 1950. He began his musical journey at the age 12, playing saxophone, flute and drums, and eventually, exclusively drums. He played mostly jazz all through his teens. After earning a BA in History from Wagner College in 1973, and after […]

When George Cables was going to school in New York City he used to walk the streets at night, taking in the cosmopolitan sights and sounds, mentally recording his encounters with “so many different kinds of people.” In his musical career as well, Cables has prowled sidestreets and main thoroughfares in relative anonymity, absorbing countless […]

After 5 decades of glorious careers playing with virtually who is who in all genres of music - jazz, fusion, rock, pop and world music, and after guesting on each other’s projects - the Levin Brothers finally decided to have their own jazz band. The band has toured all over the USA, and has performed […]

JOE ALTERMAN is an Atlanta-born jazz pianist, composer, writer, and cultural curator who channels the timeless joy of swing with youthful energy and heartfelt enthusiasm. Praised by legends like Ahmad Jamal as "a very special artist," Les McCann as "tiny but only in stature; as a man and musician, he is already a giant," and Ramsey Lewis as "an inspiration" whose playing […]

Eddie Henderson is an American jazz trumpet and flugelhorn player. He came to prominence in the early 1970s as a member of pianist Herbie Hancock‘s Mwandishi band, going on to lead his own electric/fusion groups through the decade. Henderson earned his medical degree and worked a parallel career as a psychiatrist and musician, turning back to […]

In 2007, NEA Jazz Master and Grammy Award winning trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis formed the Uptown Jazz Orchestra (UJO) for the purpose of keeping important jazz music traditions alive; such as riff-playing, spontaneous group improvisations, and collective New Orleans instrumental polyphony. At the time, Marsalis realized that the New Orleans music community was lacking the infusion […]

There can be few readers of The Clarinet who are unfamiliar with the outstanding artistry and career of Ken Peplowski. He is one of the finest jazz instrumentalists on the scene today. Russell Davies of BBC Two hailed him as the greatest living jazz clarinetist. The Siletz Bay Music Festival in Oregon referred to him as “the […]

New York-based composer, bandleader, sideman, educator, and 2019 DownBeat magazine “Rising Star” bassist Dezron Douglas has established himself as a musician’s musician. One of the most in-demand young bassists in jazz today, Douglas is respected not only for his talent but also for his dedication to the authenticity of the music. Having recorded on more than 100 […]

Celebrate the New London Big Band's release of their album: "Don't Stop Now: The Lost Music of Thad Jones"! Led by trombonist Sean Nelson, the New London Big Band is a "full bodied and polished brassy big band" (Jazz Weekly) made up of 17 of the finest musicians in New England. They present music from […]

Gianni Gardner is an up-and-coming jazz guitarist and composer living in New York City. He is best known for his quintet, Ascent, who performs original compositions. Ascent draws inspiration from innovative composers of a variety of generations such as The Miles Davis Second Great Quintet, Wayne Shorter, John Coltrane, Pat Metheny, Kurt Rosenwinkel and his […]

Trinidad born Etienne Charles is a performer, composer and storyteller, who is continuously searching for untold stories and sounds with which to tell them. His lush trumpet sound, varied compositional textures and pulsating percussive grooves enable him to invoke trance, soothing and exciting listeners while referencing touchy and sometimes controversial subjects in his music. A […]

Grammy-nominated guitarist, composer and arranger Tom Guarna began his musical studies at age fifteen, rapidly demonstrating a natural ability to play and compose. After studying classical guitar and composition at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music in 1986, he played local gigs in New York and fine-tuned his education with John Abercrombie. He earned a Bachelor […]