Oct. 23
With his gravity-defying hair and temperamental attack on the piano, comparisons between Eric Lewis and Beethoven are probably inevitable. They're also apt: Lewis is a brilliant talent who loves to throw conventions to the wolves. His solo sets tend to include jazz standards, pop songs, rock anthems, even TV and movie themes—whatever gets his [...]

Oct. 16
Brass bands are hot at the moment: The New Orleans second-line configurations are back, but more experimental-minded musicians are also tackling the possibilities. That formula is the latest version of the ever-changing Reggie Nicholson Concept. Nicholson, an improvisational drummer and vibraphonist who belongs to Chicago's Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), has [...]