The 68th Annual Grammy Awards celebrates jazz excellence this Sunday, February 1, 2026, with six categories featuring diverse nominees spanning generations and styles.

After a six-year wait, Grammy-winning bass virtuoso Thundercat announces his fifth studio album "Distracted", dropping April 3, 2026, via Brainfeeder Records.

The Recording Academy announced January 26 that Nigerian music icon Fela Anikulapo Kuti will receive a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 ceremony, honoring the Afrobeat pioneer alongside Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, Cher, and Paul Simon. Harvey Mason Jr.

Soul sensation Jalen Ngonda is returning to UK and European stages this spring with brand new music! The Daptone Records artist has just announced intimate tour dates for April and May 2026. Ngonda promises to perform in venues he's never played before while debuting new songs for the first time.

Lauryn Hill will lead a powerful In Memoriam tribute at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards (Feb 1, 2026) honoring two soul music legends, D'Angelo and Roberta Flack. This performance marks a deeply personal full-circle moment for Hill, whose history is deeply intertwined with both icons.

Seven-time Grammy winner Jacob Collier has been announced as the official ambassador for BBC Get Singing, the UK's largest music education program in over a decade, launched today (January 29, 2026).

The jazz world mourns the loss of Richard Beirach, who passed away January 26, 2026, at age 78. The Brooklyn-born pianist was a pioneering figure in modern jazz, particularly renowned for his work with ECM Records and his revolutionary approach to chromatic harmony and improvisation.

Tom Misch is back with 'Full Circle'! The London-based producer/songwriter has announced his highly anticipated sophomore album 'Full Circle', arriving March 27th, 2026 via Beyond The Groove/AWAL Recordings.

“It is an artist's duty to reflect the times.” - Nina Simone

The legendary French festival Jazz à Vienne has revealed its stunning first wave for 2026, featuring nine incredible nights at the historic Théâtre Antique (June 25-July 11). Headliners include seven-time Grammy winner Jon Batiste in his only French festival show (July 8).

The North Sea Jazz Festival celebrates 50 years with an extraordinary lineup for July 10-12, 2026, at Rotterdam's Ahoy Centre! The first wave includes Pat Metheny, Hiromi's Sonicwonder, Esperanza Spalding, Diana Krall and Jon Batiste.

The vinyl comeback is real and enduring! Vinyl records marked their 19th consecutive year of growth in the US in 2025, with nearly 48 million units sold, an 8-9% increase year over year.

In an unprecedented collaboration, jazz bass legend Ron Carter and gospel "Choirmaster" Ricky Dillard have created "Sweet, Sweet Spirit," a groundbreaking album merging jazz improvisation with gospel choir power, arriving February 6, 2026, via Motown Gospel and Blue Note Records.

The music world mourns Sly Dunbar, the legendary Jamaican drummer and producer who died at age 73 on January 26, 2026. As one half of the iconic duo Sly and Robbie (with bassist Robbie Shakespeare, who passed in 2021), Dunbar helped define the sound of roots reggae and dancehall over five decades.

Reggae Land returns to Milton Keynes National Bowl August 1-2, 2026 for its 6th and most ambitious edition yet, 120+ artists across 7 stages with up to 100,000 fans expected.

After 26 groundbreaking years, The Bad Plus are calling it quits. Bassist Reid Anderson and drummer Dave King announced that 2026 will be the experimental jazz trio's final year, sharing the news "with heavy hearts, but also with great pride."

The 12-piece powerhouse led by Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks unveils their sixth studio album "Future Soul," dropping March 20, 2026. The album launch coincides with a 10-night Beacon Theatre residency (March 10-28), followed by a massive 35-date "Future Soul 2026 Tour" through October.

Major Grammy performance alert! Rap legends Clipse (Pusha T & No Malice) and producer Pharrell Williams will take the stage at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, February 1, 2026. The performance comes amid ongoing legal tensions between Pharrell and his former Neptunes partner Chad Hugo.

"There’s a lot of jazz in funk, as there is, on a beat level, in hip-hop. I try to take funk and mix it up with my jazz." - George Duke

Running 1–12 July 2026, Marseille Jazz des Cinq Continents has started to roll out its programme, and the first names set a high bar. Marcus Miller will headline with a special project celebrating the 100th anniversary of Miles Davis’ birth.

The Roots are bringing their legendary Roots Picnic Experience back to the Hollywood Bowl on Saturday, June 27, 2026, for "A Great Night in Hip-Hop", a one-night-only celebration of hip-hop culture.

On January 28, The Isley Brothers will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 67 years after "Shout – Part 1" first hit the Billboard Hot 100. They are recognized as the most sampled group of all time, with their songs sampled by Jay-Z, Notorious B.I.G, Ice Cube and countless others.

Chicago has been selected to host International Jazz Day 2026, bringing the prestigious global celebration back to the United States for the first time in a decade.

Show of Hands festival in Bruton, Somerset unveils its line-up for May 22-25, 2026. Headliners include soul powerhouse Lady Wray, genre-defying Submotion Orchestra, and General Levy with TC & The Groove Family! The diverse lineup also features jazz-soul guitarist Oscar Jerome and Dan Shake.

GRAMMY-nominated Malian artist Fatoumata Diawara is the first black woman receive an Epiphone signature guitar. The Afrofuturist guitarist, known for fusing traditional Wassoulou sounds with global influences, has collaborated with Herbie Hancock, Paul McCartney, Damon Albarn and Angélique.

Pure improvisation! Los Angeles jazz quintet SML joined WXPN's World Cafe from NPR on January 21 for an extraordinary 25-minute live session with zero set list and zero edits.

The 2026 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival has revealed its complete daily schedule for April 23-26 and April 30-May 3.

The Public Enemy frontman just launched Rap Central Station in collaboration with Silverback Publishing, a bold, 12x12 vinyl-sized print magazine that promises to restore creators back to the center of hip-hop conversations.

"I would like to be a scholar in whatever I do, a scholar is never finished, he is always seeking and I am always seeking." - Ahmad Jamal

Three-time Grammy-nominated blues legend Eric Bibb releases his most musically adventurous album yet on January 30, 2026. Produced by Grammy-nominated Glen Scott and recorded in Sweden, the album features thirteen originals plus a cover of Janis Ian's "One Mississippi".

Mack Avenue Music Group and Strata-East Records just released four iconic albums from one of jazz's most revolutionary independent labels, meticulously remastered on CD and 180g vinyl, cut directly from original analog tapes.

The direct-to-fan platform just announced a complete ban on music and audio created "wholly or in substantial part by AI", including any use of AI tools to impersonate other artists or styles.

Jill Scott is back! After 11 years, the R&B queen drops "To Whom This May Concern" on February 13, 2026, her first album since 2015's "Woman"!

Chris Dave takes over Blue Note NYC for an epic February-March 2026 residency featuring unprecedented collaborations!

A$AP Rocky channels 1930s jazz with "Robbery," sampling Duke Ellington's iconic standard "Caravan" (via Thelonious Monk's 1955 interpretation) and featuring Doechii on his new album "Don't Be Dumb"! Built on this authentic jazz production, the track transports listeners to a smoky Harlem speakeasy.

Jazz is courage in real time.

Nine-time Grammy winner Christian McBride launches his first cruise production, Christian McBride's World at Sea, January 20-27, 2026. The seven-night voyage on Celebrity Summit departs Fort Lauderdale with stops in Jamaica and Grand Cayman.

Ralph Towner, ECM guitar visionary and co-founder of Oregon, Dies in 2026 at 85. Born in Chehalis, Washington in 1940, Towner became one of the most distinctive voices on classical and 12‑string guitar in modern jazz, blending counterpoint, extended harmony and folk-inspired lyricism.

The third annual Montreux Jazz Festival Miami expands from 3 to 5 nights for 2026, February 25-March 1, marking the festival's first programming in Miami Beach!

Bill Frisell celebrates his 75th birthday with a stunning new Blue Note album "In My Dreams," arriving February 27, 2026! The album was recorded live at concerts in Brooklyn, Denver, and New Haven in 2025, with additional studio work creating a brilliant hybrid of spontaneity and sonic craft.

The Telluride Blues & Brews Festival has officially announced its star-studded lineup for 2026! The 32nd annual festival, held in the beautiful Telluride Town Park from September 18-20, will feature headlining performances from The Marcus King Band, Jon Batiste, and the duo of Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo'.

Craft Recordings' Original Jazz Classics series launches 2026 with three landmark reissues dropping February 27th!

Grammy-winning bassist and Snarky Puppy mastermind Michael League presents an extraordinary four-night residency at SFJAZZ, January 28-February 1, 2026! As SFJAZZ Resident Artistic Director, League curates four distinct musical experiences at Miner Auditorium

Gibson Custom has partnered with Keith Richards to recreate his famed black 1960 ES‑355, a guitar closely associated with Rolling Stones tours since the late 1960s.

The highly anticipated trio debut from 2025 MacArthur Fellow Craig Taborn with cellist Tomeka Reid and drummer Ches Smith arrives this weekend on ECM Records.

The 22nd edition of Winter Jazzfest transformed Manhattan and Brooklyn into a jazz playground January 8-13, and our team was there capturing it all. We sat down with saxophone legend James Carter (see photo) along with other groundbreaking artists who made this year's festival unforgettable.

Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson claims his second Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score with Ryan Coogler's vampire thriller "Sinners" at the 83rd ceremony in Los Angeles!

Rio de Janeiro's Diogo Strausz unveils "Dance Para Se Salvar", a vibrant tribute to the golden era of Brazilian Disco-Funk!

Swiss-Honduran guitarist and composer Louis Matute unveils "Dolce Vita" – his most audacious album yet, blending jazz, groove, Caribbean rock, and vintage textures in a deeply personal and politically engaged work.

Elipsis brings together three extraordinary musicians from three continents for one groundbreaking album: Antonio Sánchez from Mexico City (the Oscar-nominated drummer behind Birdman), Pedrito Martinez from Havana , and Michael League from California (Snarky Puppy bandleader).