Howard Reich

Some songwriters remain widely beloved long after they're gone, tunesmiths such as George Gershwin and Cole Porter to this day epitomizing American popular song at its creative zenith. Others fade...

For 65 years, Chicagoan Bob Koester has given the world some of the most important jazz and blues recordings ever made via his Delmark Records label. Blues masters Junior Wells...

When saxophonist and MacArthur Fellowship winner Steve Coleman was growing up on the South Side of Chicago, he was transfixed to hear the great jazz musicians in his midst. Watching...

Though Orchestra Hall long has been presenting jazz performances, it wasn't until 1994 that the institution created a bona fide jazz series. It started modestly, as a four-concert lineup, and...

More than half a century ago, Sheila Jordan announced her arrival as a restlessly creative singer with her Blue Note Records debut, "Portrait of Sheila." On Friday night, Jordan returned...

If "Heart Tonic" isn't the most gently lyrical recording saxophonist Caroline Davis' has released, it certainly ranks high among them. The former Chicagoan, who moved to New York five years...

How deeply did Chicago – and the world of jazz – love and admire pianist Willie Pickens? The answer was obvious and pervasive Wednesday night at the Studebaker Theater, where...

A farewell performance by Chicago pianist Ramsey Lewis, a themed concert by Orbert Davis and the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic and homecoming sets by former Chicagoans Nicole Mitchell and Kurt Elling...

It's easy to take for granted the musical treasures in our midst for decades on end. But drop in on a long-running engagement, as I did Monday evening, and you're...

The evening began with a question. "Who knows anyone alive that played with Charlie Parker?" Green Mill club owner Dave Jemilo asked the overflow crowd on Friday night. The answer...