South African pianist and NEA Jazz Master Abdullah Ibrahim became an idol and inspiration to new generations of artists

One Flight Up: A New Jazz Club Rises in Lower Manhattan

A new jazz club in New York's Financial District is part of a surprising wave of venues opening across the city. Leo Sidran visits One Flight Up, where drummer Joe Strasser and his longtime friend and business partner Mark Quinn have turned a decades-old dream into reality.

Paula Cole and the Song That Took on a Life of Its Own

Thirty years after Where Have All the Cowboys Gone? became one of the defining songs of the 1990s, Paula Cole reflects on writing, recording and ultimately misunderstanding the success of a song that never fit neatly into a category.

Nasar Abadey and Supernova

Willard Jenkins chats with Nasar Abadey, leader of the group Supernova, ahead of their 2026 D.C. Jazz Fest appearance.

Pat MacDonald: Looking Back at “The Future’s So Bright”

Forty years ago this summer, singer songwriter Pat MacDonald released one of the defining pop songs of the 1980s: “The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades.” Today Leo Sidran considers the song’s legacy.

Herbie Hancock on landing his pivotal gig with Donald Byrd

Long before Herbie Hancock became the musical giant he is today, there was a time when he too, like so many other musicians past and present, would pull all-nighters practicing for an especially crucial performance. In conversation recently with WBGO’s Pat Prescott, Hancock looked back on his formative years, landing the gig with Donald Byrd, and moving to New York City.