With more than 20 gold, platinum and multi-platinum records, WAR have cemented their righteous strains of funk and soul in the fabric of global culture and consciousness. But in the 50 years since The World Is A Ghetto made the Southern Californian street band a crossover sensation and became the best-selling album of 1973, the group's sound has continued to transcend genres and generations.

GRAMMY® Award-nominated Turkish psych-folk innovators Altın Gün have shared their grooving new single, “Su Siziyor,” available now at all DSPs and streaming services. The track heralds the impending release of Altın Gün’s eagerly anticipated new album, Aşk, arriving via ATO Records this Friday, March 31.

The music of Oleh Zaychenko, who performs under the moniker Bring Prudence, alternately shimmers with the subtle textures of chamber pop and seamlessly breaks into folk-rock, recalling the soundtrack of the folk revival of the 1960s with a sound he calls “folk resuscitation.” His next single, “Summon the Ghost,” is out today, a tribute to the power of memory that features a Balinese gendèr — often used for significant ceremonies — as well as a slightly out-of-tune Brooklyn public library piano.
 

Building on a long track record of scholarship and interpretive artistry focused on the great Mary Lou Williams, vibraphonist and composer Cecilia Smith is proud to announce the release of Volume 1: Small Ensemble Repertoire, the new album from her NEA American Masterpiece Award-winning Mary Lou Williams Resurgence Project.

Genre-smashing southern troubadour Afton Wolfe has announced a 16-city East coast trek in support of his recently released EP, ‘Twenty-Three,’ the follow-up to his critically-acclaimed debut LP, Kings for Sale, (Grandiflora Records) which The Rocking Magpie declared “The real deal in a very shallow world.”

Cloudchord (Derek VanScoten), the producer, guitarist, and genre bender specialist that is augmenting musical possibility into reality shares his new full-length LP Bloom Bap via Nettwerk. With Bloom Bap, Derek VanScoten’s Cloudchord project has put forth its greatest and most impossibly lush collection of tunes to date.

A family legacy of music can be a precious thing for a musician, and when a duo brings two of them together, the results can be even more special.

On Record Store Day (Saturday, April 22), the long-running Silver Spring, MD record store Joe’s Record Paradise invites music fans to join them for a special celebration of Baltimore’s Left Bank Jazz Society. Joe’s Record Paradise will host a panel discussion featuring Left Bank’s own John Fowler, who will share anecdotes from Left Bank Shows starring Lee Morgan, Sonny Stitt, and the great Duke Ellington.

The Naya Rockers are excited to announce their new single Reggae Train Dub ft. Johnny Clark, a Mad Professor Remix. The legendary producer gives the dub treatment to “Reggae Train,” a highlight from the band’s album Naya Sound System. Last year, the Naya Rockers released the remastered edition of the much-loved 2014 studio album. Reggae Train Dub ft. Johnny Clark a Mad Professor Remix is due out April 7th! Pre-save and order here: https://ffm.to/reggaetrainmadprofdub.OPR

The evening overview including musicians, presenters and performers: The night’s honorees will be Benny Golson (composer and saxophonist), Wendy Oxenhorn (founding director and vice chairman of the JFA), legendary songwriter Mike Stoller, Titans of Jazz Bass (Cecil McBee, Rufus Reid, Larry Ridley, Paul West, Buster Williams and Reggie Workman) and a special tribute to the late Ramsey Lewis (composer and pianist). In addition to an evening of honors, the night will feature a gala concert headed by Musical Director Steve Jordan. Performers include Jon Batiste, Taj Mahal, Robert Cray, Bettye LaVette, Monty Alexander, Ray Parker Jr., Kenny Barron, and more.