Ten years ago, the number of female jazz vocalists that fans were familiar with were relegated to a few fading legends and at-the-time unproved talents still searching for their own individual style, such as Dianne Reeves and Cassandra Wilson. Today, listeners can choose from a wide spectrum of singers, from Wilson and Reeves; to the popular stylings of Diana Krall and Jane Monheit; to the eclectic work of Patricia Barber, Jay Clayton, or Grazyna Aguszyk. Somewhere in the mix stands Jacintha …

"Give me a steady paycheck and I’ll be the happiest guy in the world." Those words are in the introduction to and the impetus for Chicago keyboardist George McRae’s record label (Affinity Jazz) and website www.affinityjazz.com. "The only way to truly follow my vision was to do it myself." On his second album "Being Here", McRae utilizes the Fender Rhodes, Clavinet, and Wurlitzer organs to create some funky, tight songs. It’s a surprisingly focused album for a sophomore release, especially fo …

Tony Monaco’s life is an amazingly inspired story a courageous tale about overcoming physically limitations in bringing his genuine, musical gift to jazz lovers everywhere. Tony, a Columbus, Ohio native, is at the vanguard of a new crop of Hammond B3 jazz organists, having received rave reviews and an enhanced profile for his Summit Record’s release "Burnin’ Grooves." But, his success did not happen overnight. In fact, there were many obstacles to his journey. Monaco grew up in a musica …

If one were to ask a jazz musician or serious jazz listener in Chicago about Tatsu Aoki, chances are that they're aware of the Tokyo-born bassist, who moved to Chicago in 1978 from a brief stay in New York. "It was either (Chicago) or New Orleans," Aoki said. "In New York, I couldn’t get a good read on the pulse of the city. It was either Chicago or New Orleans. I chose Chicago." Aoki is a virtual cottage industry in the Chicago music scene. He has released 28 albums as a leader or solo …

As the songwriter, visionary force, and de facto leader of the Chicago octet 8 Bold Souls for over fifteen years, Edward Wilkerson, Jr. has earned a place among the great tenor saxophonists of that city's tenor royalty- Von Freeman, Ari Brown, and Fred Anderson. Although a member in good standing of the south side collective Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), Wilkerson's talent for improvising gets lost in the shuffle of the compositions of the Souls and his larger big