On this day, August 26th, we gather our thoughts and pay tribute to Branford Marsalis, a master of sonic alchemy, whose notes whisper like wind through the reeds of the saxophone. His playing is a flight of shadows and light, twisting through the mind like the architecture of dreams. Branford's style moves with fluid grace, a river of jazz and soul, interwoven with the ghostly echoes of those who came before.

The Newport Jazz Festival just announced that tickets will go on sale and the lineup will drop for the 2024 festival (August 2-4) on April 9th at 1PM Eastern, which has this East Coast mama reminiscing of all my favorite moments from last year! After having finally experienced the longest-running jazz festival in the country last year, it quickly made its way to the top of my ever-expanding list of favorite summer fests.

Patrick Davis, the South Carolina-born and Nashville-based songwriter is thrilled to share his newest single “Wrong Side of the Tracks ft. Branford Marsalis” which exclusively premiered earlier this week via The Bluegrass Situation.

After nearly six decades, a private recording of a rare, nightclub performance by John Coltrane of his magnum opus, A Love Supreme, is now available via Impulse! Records/UMe.

One of the longest running Grateful Dead tribute bands in the world, Shakedown Street, makes its home in and around the Rocky Mountain region of North America. Spawned from jam sessions at the Ancient Mariner bar in Manitou Springs, Colorado in 1987, Shakedown Street quickly grew in popularity, and garnered a legion of loyal fans who refer to themselves as “Shakeheads”. In a few short years, throngs of “Shakeheads” could be found on the highways and byways of the Rocky Mountains, making their way to another Shakedown Street show.

The final day of Lockn’ 2018 dawned hot and sweaty and ended in spectacular fashion with two sets by Dead and Co., joined by master saxophone player Branford Marsalis. A cloudy sky kept the atmosphere steamy until the afternoon when the hot summer sun broke through. Keller Williams got the MainStage started just after noon with a different entourage in tow than from the day before. This time he appeared with a group he calls the Grateful Gospel. The idea was to play music in the spirit of Jerry Garcia in the tune of Black Gospel music. The concept was born at Lockn’.

On March 3rd, Durham’s Performing Arts Center was the site of a show that if you were fortunate enough to attend, will stand as one of the shows of your lifetime.  If you are familiar with the Grateful Dead’s March 29th, 1990 show with Branford Marsalis; get that show roaming around your mind.

The All Good Music Festival has been around for 16 years, but for the first time since 2003 it was held away from Marvin’s Mountaintop in West Virginia. Once again the festival held up to its reputation for inspiring acts to put on big things.

Thanks for continuing to check out our coverage of the 2012 17^th Annual Gathering of the Vibes festival. Friday started off rainy. Quite the opposite from my experience last year of being the hottest I have ever been in my entire life (record breaking 100 degree temperature with all humidity?! Makes this Colorado guy weary!) Regardless, the continuing drizzle didn’t stop any of the fun. If anything the crowd was thinner and more relaxed all day.

Shout out to the Vibe Tribe out there for Dylan Muhlberg. This year I have the distinct pleasure of covering the 17^th annual Gathering of the Vibes festival, which is celebrating its eighth year in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Bridgeport is a diverse city on the Connecticut shoreline off of the Long Island Sound. The venue, Seaside Park, has hosted the Gathering all these years and by all counts is an incredible site.