Standing On The Corner: Classical, Jazz, Hip-Hop & All Else

Though firmly avant-garde, Standing On The Corner’s talents have earned them notoriety among mainstream acts. Now, the “post-genre” ensemble’s distinctive musical palette has grown to include classical music.

Jimmy Cobb, ‘Kind of Blue’ drummer for Miles Davis, dies

Jimmy Cobb, a percussionist and the last surviving member of Miles Davis’ 1959 “Kind of Blue” groundbreaking jazz album, has died. His wife, Eleana Tee Cobb, announced on Facebook that her husband died Sunday at his New York City home from lung cancer. He was 91. Born in Washington, D.C., Cobb was a drummer on the “Kind of Blue” jam …

WATCH: Pianist Aaron Diehl Plays Scott Joplin, Fats Waller, and Gershwin in Live Video Concert

WFMT is thrilled to bring you this upbeat, swinging concert livestream from pianist and composer Aaron Diehl featuring propulsive Harlem stride hits by James P. Johnson, Thomas “Fats” Waller, and Willie “the Lion” Smith, plus selections by Scott Joplin, Gershwin, and Massenet.

This Friday: A Swinging Stride Piano Livestream with Aaron Diehl

Pianist and composer Aaron Diehl shares virtuosic music by “Fats” Waller, Willie “the Lion” Smith, plus selections by Gershwin, Grieg, and Scott Joplin in a free upcoming livestream co-presented by WFMT.

Louis Armstrong org starts COVID-19 fund for jazz musicians

The fund will give one-time grants of $1,000 to jazz musicians that live in the New York City region and work regularly in the five boroughs of New York City.

Son: Jazz great Ellis Marsalis Jr. dead at 85; fought virus

Marsalis was born in New Orleans, son of the operator of a hotel where he met touring Black musicians who couldn’t stay at the segregated downtown hotels where they performed.

McCoy Tyner, iconic and influential jazz pianist, dies

NEW YORK (AP) — McCoy Tyner, the groundbreaking and influential jazz pianist and the last surviving member of the John Coltrane Quartet, has died at age 81. Tyner’s family confirmed the death in a statement released on social media Friday. No more details were provided. Tyner was born in Philadelphia on Dec. 11, 1938. He eventually met Coltrane and joined …

A Concerto of Discovery: Nicola Benedetti on Collaborating With Wynton Marsalis

Classical music, jazz, Celtic folksongs, and funk — these genres make up just a few of the words in Wynton Marsalis’ musical language. Violinist Nicola Benedetti calls Marsalis’ new violin concerto a “path of discovery.”

Get Into the Halloween Swing With This Jazzy, Vocalese Tune by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross

From the 1961 album High Flying, enjoy “Halloween Spooks,” Dave Lambert’s whimsical, bebop-infused tune delivered with the characteristic vocalese and giddily blended harmonies of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross.

Playlist: 10 Jazzed Up Versions of Chopin Classics

Frédéric Chopin is one of the most beloved composers of all time. Here are 10 jazz versions of Chopin that will have you listening to old favorites with new ears.

Mixing Philip Glass & Coldplay: How Emmy Winner John Lunn Scored Downton Abbey

Lunn: “With Downton, the music is also carefully choreographed under the dialogue. I need to see exactly where and what it’s going to be so I can get it right.”

Playlist: Fretless and Linear — How Classical Violin Shaped Andrew Bird’s Sound

Using his violin and virtuosic whistle, Andrew Bird genre-jumps from indie rock to jazz, and from folk to classical. Born in Lake Forest, Bird began learning classical violin from the Suzuki Method at the age of four and recalls, “My mom would have WFMT on all the time… My dad listened to Merle Haggard.”

Igor Levit not content to be heard only through piano

Winner of last year’s Gilmore Artist Award, given quadrennially to a pianist along with a $300,000 prize, Levit is among the most probing young artists in classical music. His website describes him as “Citizen. European. Pianist.”

Pianist Jacques Loussier Dies at Age 84

The French pianist was known for his jazz interpretations of classical music, most famously, the works of Bach in his Play Bach record series.

André Previn, Oscar-winning composer, has died at 89

Previn was a child prodigy whose family fled Nazi Germany. As a teenager, he found work as a composer and arranger in Hollywood, mostly at MGM, winning four Oscars for his orchestrations of such stylish musicals as 1964’s “My Fair Lady.”

Pianist, composer Ramsey Lewis to be honored in Chicago

A jazz pianist and composer is being honored with a lifetime achievement award on the occasion of African-American Heritage Month.

Composer Lalo Schifrin says Oscar is an ‘amazing honor’

In over 50 years of work, he’s also racked up six Academy Award nominations — five for original score and one for original song — but has gone home empty-handed every time.

Chicago’s top classical, jazz, and hip hop artists gather for a night of musical improvisation

Thursday, August 30, some of Chicago’s most acclaimed musicians gather at Thalia Hall in Pilsen for a night of completely improvised music.

Kennedy Center honors for Cher, Reba McEntire, Hamilton

The national arts center also announced Wednesday a special award for the genre-bending musical Hamilton, as part of the gala set for December 2.

Playlist: 19 African American Composers to Celebrate on Juneteenth (and Every Day of the Year)

Though African Americans have faced oppression throughout American history and the arts, Black composers’ contributions to music have been nothing short of history-changing.

Playlist: 20 Works That Inspire CSO Composers-in-Residence Elizabeth Ogonek, Samuel Adams

Samuel Adams and Elizabeth Ogonek shared 20 modern and contemporary works that have most inspired them in celebration of 20 years of CSO’s MusicNOW series.

Visa difficulties force Esperanza Spalding, National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba to cancel Chicago concert

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has announced that a concert featuring the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba with Esperanza Spalding, originally scheduled for February 9, 2019, has been cancelled.

The One Classical Album That Almost Caused Cuban Musician Roberto Fonseca to Quit Playing the Piano

“In Cuba you will find any type of music: mariachi, heavy metal, dubstep, or even free jazz… It’s a mystery — it’s something magical that you will find there in any type of music.”

Playlist: The Best Classical Music to Serve at Your Next Cookout

As you fire up the grill, we have the perfect soundtrack for you: some of our favorite American works, from classics like Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue to modern masterpieces like John Adams’ City Noir.

This Video of Pianist Oscar Peterson Tearing It Up While John Williams Conducts Will Give You Life

Oscar Peterson has delighted music lovers as a solo pianist, playing in his trio, and even with large orchestras. He joined the Boston Pops Orchestra for a performance that was broadcast December 23, 1980 as part of Evening at the Pops, produced by PBS member station WGBH-TV between 1970 and 2005.