Candice Hoyes, Val Jeanty and Mimi Jones are Nite Bjuti. They are an Afro-Caribbean Brooklyn-based trio having chosen their name from Haitian folklore called “Night Beauty” about a girl who sings for justice in the afterlife. Their debut in 2018 at Jazz at Lincoln Center to celebrate International Women’s DayContinue Reading
Fletcher Henderson recorded Jelly Roll Morton’s “King Porter Stomp” multiple times with his orchestra starting in 1925. Morton introduced the song with his inaugural 1923 recording but the popularity of Henderson’s version led the way to it becoming a jazz standard. Henderson was a known bandleader who had been pioneeringContinue Reading
Cassandra Wilson’s “You Move Me” appears on the soundtrack to the 1997 film Love Jones. The jazz singer’s nuanced lower register projected an earthy desire that matched the movie’s bohemian aesthetic and love story. Lyrics describing trembling thighs and eyes blinded by rainfall captured the quintessence of romantic love withContinue Reading
Roy Hargrove’s Hard Groove album was a tribute to his childhood affection for hip-hop. He credited the project to his band The RH Factor. As a young star trumpet player in the ’90s, he was recognized for his roots in bebop and hard bop styles of jazz. He quickly expandedContinue Reading