Fuji, one of the stars of “Chasing Trane” talks about John Coltrane – Click picture above to listen

Fuji’s Collection is on display at the Grammy Museum NOW

Click Album Cover above to listen to Wadada Leo Smith

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Click Below and Listen to Drum Master Ndugu Chancler

talk about his band for Jazz at Drew

Photos by Rashid Kafele

Performers for this years Festival include….

Come out and ENJOY!!!

Hello Beautiful Jazz People!

We have lost a tremendous radiant being. Bobby has meant so much to me in my career as a musician, father figure and friend. Of course his vibraphone resonates throughout the Universe but, so does his smile, his laugh and his presence.

Special 3hr Bobby Hutcherson Broadcast

Listen Live

Saturday August 20th

(Late Friday Night/Early Saturday Morning)

3am – 6am

Wherever you are in the world, Paris, London, Tokyo, Brazil, Chicago, Amsterdam I promise that if you tune in, you are going to hear some great music, some musicians talk about how Bobby influenced them and, you get to hear from Bobby himself from an interview we did way back in the day. Love, Laugh, Cry, LISTEN….

Teddy Hutcherson, Bobby Hutcherson, McCoy Tyner, LeRoy Downs

A night to honor our beloved hero of the music, dear friend and sweetest man in Jazz!

Bobby Hutcherson 

Aug 20th, 2016

Saturday Morning

3AM to 6am Pacific Standard Time

3 Hours of Progressive, Eclectic Jazz for you dome!

The Light is ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Jazz Creative 2nd Episode to Aired on March 25th on the ASPiRE TV NETWORK

Click and Enjoy

The Jazz Creative Eps #002 from All Music Television LLC on Vimeo.

The Jazz Creative Episode 2

March 25, 2016

10PM PST and 1am EST

Click here to find the Aspire channel in your area!

We’ll Take A Sneak Peak of the New Film, “Miles Ahead” starring Don Cheadle!!!!

The 2nd episode of The Jazz creative features guests include bassist Joe Sanders who tours and plays with everyone in the business including Gerald Clayton, Charles Lloyd, Ambrose Akinmusire and a TON of this music’s beautiful players. Grammy Award winning Jazz historian Ashley Khan talks about Miles, Coltrane and Kamasi Washington!

Performances by Cameron Graves introducing his new album, “The Planetary Prince” and Dontae Winslow and the Winslow Dynasty.

Click above to watch the Premier Episode of The Jazz Creative!

The Jazz Creative, the only regularly scheduled music television series to feature both established and up and coming jazz artists, premieres its 2nd episode online at www.allmusictelevision.net and on the ASPIRE TV NETWORK on Friday, March 25th at 10pm (PST)/1am (EST). The ASPiRE Television Network was created by legendary athlete and entrepreneur Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson. The new music series is produced by All Music Television, LLC and features in depth interviews and new music from many of the biggest, brightest and popular artists and musicians in Jazz.

Hosted and curated by Los Angeles Radio and Television personality LeRoy Downs, the new music series premiers its 2nd episode on the Aspire Network March 25, 2016 at 10pm PST / 1am EST.  The show will feature today’s sung and unsung heroes of jazz whose music, creativity and originality continue to lay the foundation and create the landscape of today’s music. Jazz is a music that has its roots here in America and through the ages has branched out globally literally embracing and assimilating into all countries, cultures, genres of music, and demographics from the boomers to the millennials! All Music Television is taking the power of this music and cross pollinating it with the  television media platform to broaden awareness, expose it’s creativity and to share the wonders of the music visually with a larger audience!

Sneak Peak of Saxophonist Kamasi Washington!

About All Music Television, LLC All Music Television produced ‘Live From The Blue Whale’ featuring Matthew Stevens and Gerald Clayton and Christmas Jazz with LeRoy Downs with Danny Janklow, Jazzmeia Horn, Dontae Winslow, Nicole Mitchell Theo Croker and more!  The show reached 40 million+ viewers in 22 of the top 25 US TV markets.

About ASPiRE TV NETWORK

ASPiRE celebrates the African American experience, offering inspirational and motivational programming. It is available to over 37 million television homes on Comcast, Verizon Fios, DirecTV, DISH and AT&T U-VERSE in 22 of the top 25 US television markets. Click here to find the Aspire channel in your area!

The Jazz Creative to Air on ASPiRE TV NETWORK

Hosted by Los Angeles Radio and Television personality LeRoy Downs, the new music series premiers on the Aspire Network February 26, 2016 at 10pm PST / 1am EST.  The show will feature today’s sung and unsung heroes of jazz whose music, creativity and originality continue to lay the foundation and create the landscape of today’s music. Jazz is a music that has its roots here in America and through the ages has branched out globally literally embracing and assimilating into all countries, cultures, genres of music, and demographics from the boomers to the millennials! All Music Television is taking the power of this music and cross pollinating it with the  television media platform to broaden awareness, expose it’s creativity and to share the wonders of the music visually with a larger audience! Watch the premiere episode of The Jazz Creative here:

The Jazz Creative Eps #001 (AIR MASTER) from All Music Television LLC on Vimeo.

The Jazz Creative Premiers 

February 26, 2016

10PM PST and 1am EST

on the Aspire TV Network

The first episode of The Jazz creative features guests include famed jazz trumpeter, film scorer Terence Blanchard, Kennedy Center Artistic Director and accomplished composer, arranger and pianist Jason Moran, the one and only four time Grammy Winning, super bass player Christian McBride, Cameron Graves and Theo Croker Los Angeles, California

The Jazz Creative, the only regularly scheduled music television series to feature both established and up and coming jazz artists, is set to premiere online at www.allmusictelevision.net and on the ASPIRE TV NETWORK on Friday, February 26th at 10pm (PST)/1am (EST). The ASPiRE Television Network was created by legendary athlete and entrepreneur Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson. The new music series is produced by All Music Television, LLC and features in depth interviews and new music from many of the biggest, brightest and popular artists and musicians in Jazz.

Hosted and curated by popular Los Angeles Jazz Radio Personality LeRoy Downs, the premiere episode of The Jazz Creative celebrates African American History Month, the GRAMMY’s and the Academy Awards as we peek inside the creative process of composing Music for Film with multiple GRAMMY winning artists Terence Blanchard (CHI-RAQ) and Jason Moran (SELMA), a visit with Philadelphia born bassist Christian McBride, who talks Gamble & Huff, the Sound Of Philadelphia, Grover Washington Jr. and the 76er’s and two sets of great new music from The Planetary Prince, pianist Cameron Graves and the Afrophysicist, trumpeter Theo Croker.

About All Music Television, LLC All Music Television produced ‘Live From The Blue Whale’ featuring Matthew Stevens and Gerald Clayton and Christmas Jazz with LeRoy Downs with Danny Janklow, Jazzmeia Horn, Dontae Winslow and more. Airing Christmas week on ASPIRE and on several local TV stations, the show reached 40 million+ viewers in 22 of the top 25 US TV markets.

About ASPiRE TV NETWORK

ASPiRE celebrates the African American experience, offering inspirational and motivational programming. It is available to over 37 million television homes on Comcast, Verizon Fios, DirecTV, DISH and AT&T U-VERSE in 22 of the top 25 US television markets. Click here to find the Aspire channel in your area!

Click on Pictures above to Listen and Enjoy!!!!

On Saturday Feb 13th Brother Bo Leibowitz invited me back to join him in the studio to talk about the New Jazz TELEVISION Series called,

The Jazz Creative Premiers 

February 26, 2016

10PM PST and 1am EST

on the Aspire TV Network

The first episode of The Jazz creative features guests include famed jazz trumpeter, film scorer Terence Blanchard, Kennedy Center Artistic Director and accomplished composer, arranger and pianist Jason Moran, the one and only four time Grammy Winning, super bass player Christian McBride, Cameron Graves and Theo Croker Los Angeles, California

The Jazz Creative, the only regularly scheduled music television series to feature both established and up and coming jazz artists, is set to premiere online at www.allmusictelevision.net and on the ASPIRE TV NETWORK on Friday, February 26th at 10pm (PST)/1am (EST). The ASPiRE Television Network was created by legendary athlete and entrepreneur Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson. The new music series is produced by All Music Television, LLC and features in depth interviews and new music from many of the biggest, brightest and popular artists and musicians in Jazz.

Hosted and curated by popular Los Angeles Jazz Radio Personality LeRoy Downs, the premiere episode of The Jazz Creative celebrates African American History Month, the GRAMMY’s and the Academy Awards as we peek inside the creative process of composing Music for Film with multiple GRAMMY winning artists Terence Blanchard (CHI-RAQ) and Jason Moran (SELMA), a visit with Philadelphia born bassist Christian McBride, who talks Gamble & Huff, the Sound Of Philadelphia, Grover Washington Jr. and the 76er’s and two sets of great new music from The Planetary Prince, pianist Cameron Graves and the Afrophysicist, trumpeter Theo Croker.

Bo and I will spin a few tunes and rap the Premiere Episode Featuring all of the above super cool beautiful jazz cats!

I hope you enjoyed the music and please Check out the Brand New Television Series!!

PREMIERE Feb 26th on the Aspire Television Network

10pm PST / 1am EST

and we will all have the best time loving this music!

 Progressive Jazz Music Lovers from all over the world UNITE!

New York  London  Chicago  New Orleans  Tokyo  Paris  Istanbul  Brussels  Moscow Washington Poland Copenhagen TUNE-IN!!!

To Listen Click KCRW Above

click Logo Listen and Enjoy

Saturday Feb 6th Show

Mark Torres & LeRoy Downs

Talking about The Jazz Creative

And spinning some of LA’s Finest!

Got some Get Down Tickets for you too!

2016 presents some great opportunities for our music JAZZ! Happy to once again be on the air at 90.7 FM KPFK. Tune in this Friday

February 6, 2016

90.7 FM or KPFK.ORG

Click Logo Above to enjoy show!

2 Hours of LA’s finest from 10pm PST to Midnight / 1AM -3am EST on the right!

Jazzzzzz Music Supreme!!!

 “living on the front lines of a new generation in sound!!!!!”

Take a look at any list of the world’s greatest drummers, and Peter Erskine’s name will invariably be near the top.

For more than four decades, Erskine has proven among the most consistently innovative and reliable masters of his instrument. He’s appeared on over 600 albums and film scores, more than 50 of those albums as leader or co-leader. He’s collaborated with an astonishing list of giants including the Stan Kenton and Maynard Ferguson big bands,

Weather Report, Steps Ahead, Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan, Diana Krall, Kenny Wheeler, the Brecker Brothers, Yellowjackets, Pat Metheny and Gary Burton, and John Scofield. He has won two Grammy Awards, plus an Honorary Doctorate from the Berklee School of Music.

As if that’s not enough, he’s also a producer, author—his latest book, No Beethoven, is an autobiography and chronicle of Weather Report—as well as educator, presently serving as Professor of Practice and Director of Drumset Studies at the Thornton School of Music, University of Southern California.

But in recent years, Erskine feels, he’s strayed from his true love, fusion and R&B drumming. Dr. Um (Fuzzy Music, release date January 22, 2016), which Erskine self-produced, marks the world-class musician and composer’s return to “the kind of drumming I was best-known for in my youth and during my years with Weather Report and Steps Ahead.” He elaborates: “I’d traveled my ‘anti-drumming’ path of recent years about as far as I could take it—exquisite music where ‘less’ was so much ‘more’—the minimalism of my ECM and Fuzzy Music trio recording years had become my calling card. So the chance to play this way again feels very fresh and new to me. It’s being able to live the ‘if I knew then what I know now’ dream and make some really cool music at the same time. I feel inspired, like a kid, only one who’s got something to say.” Indeed, Dr. Um—the title a very cool play on words—feels like a return, yet at the same time there’s nothing retro about it. Recorded and mixed by Talley Sherwood at Tritone Recording Glendale, California, the collection—10 songs and two spoken-word pieces—finds Erskine, along with keyboardist John Beasley (who co-produced the album) and electric bassist Janek Gwizdala, plus several special guests, taking the classic fusion sound into the 21st century.

The original concept for the album, however, stretches further back. “Jack Fletcher is my oldest and closest friend,” says Erskine. Fletcher, a theater director who does voice directing for animation and film, wrote the liner notes for Dr. Um. “Jack envisioned an evening of music and lights and sets with a musical host, an alter ego who might allow me to discover my true musical and theatrical roots. I had no aim to take such a production on the road as it seemed so ambitious, and besides, I was learning how to play less and less, so did I really want to put a spotlight on all of that? ‘Dr. Um’ began to stand for the ephemeral ‘me’ that was out of reach. Would I ever step into that outfit? 2015 became the year in which to do it. I knew that I finally wanted to give voice to Dr. Um.” Erskine “felt the ‘doctor’ rising within me” and began to envision a new recording featuring “the kind of record that I’ve wanted to make for years, the kind of album Weather Report might have made were the band still around (and I was still in it).”

When it came time to choose his collaborators, Erskine “knew John Beasley was great, but I didn’t really know how great he was until he sat down at the piano in my studio. And Janek Gwizdala is, in my opinion, the most talented bass player to have come along since Jaco. It’s not just the chops. It’s the sound and the ideas and the bass discipline that only the best bassists know.” Dr. Um begins with “You’re next,” a brief sonic montage that segues seamlessly into “Lost Page,” composed by Beasley.
Erskine calls it “the kind of sophisti-funk tune I loved to listen to in the 1970s.” It’s followed by “Hawaii Bathing Suit,” a tune that Erskine had twice tried to bring to life earlier and which finally finds its way to an album here. “Borges Buenos Aires” has its roots in Erskine’s Weather Report days, and precedes “Little Fun K,” which Erskine compares to the classic fusion band Stuff; it features guitar from Jeff Parker. “Mahler” is a tribute to great Austrian classical composer, based on music that goes all the way back to 1901. “Recording jazz versions of classical music has long been a fancy of mine, and it’s almost become a conceit,” says Erskine. “But such gorgeous music! It takes a lot of heart as well as nerve to lay one’s playing so open to such long melodic lines.

Beasley and Gwizdala are the perfect foils for this, and I only need to sit back and play some brushes. The short opening speech, spoken by Jack Fletcher, is from Hamlet. The song is from heaven.” “Sage Hands” is borrowed from the late, under-appreciated jazz composer and vibraphonist Gary McFarland, and “Okraphilia,” which, say Erskine, “owes its Crusaders vibe and sound to John Beasley’s Wurlitzer electric piano and his own Texas roots,” follows. “Speechless” is reprised from the final Weather Report album Erskine made with Pastorius. “The original is terrific, but I’m pretty proud and knocked out by this passionate version,” he says. Vince Mendoza sent “Sprite” for the band to play; it was originally performed by several soprano saxes playing the melody at a faster tempo. “We take the cool approach because, after all, we are a West Coast band,” says Erskine. The album’s final tune, “Northern Cross,” was actually the first recorded for the set but fit better at the end. Finally, there’s “You awake,” another brief spoken word piece that brings the Dr. Um saga full circle.

“Dr. Um is an album that was fun to make, and I hope that it’s fun for people to listen to,” says Erskine. “I think that it represents my best work in ages. Much of it has to do with my instrument—my drums and cymbals and percussions all feel like me. This music feels like me. I’m playing on a new Tama STAR kit, and this drumset has freed me from any technical limitations or sound constraints I might have felt in the past. Between the tunes and the other musicians and the sound we were getting, it was the most enjoyable two days in a recording studio that I can remember. As new as each tune sounded upon its first playing, everything felt so much at home. It’s the album that my father, Frederick Adams Erskine —who was a real doctor—always wanted me to make. And it turns out to be the album that I’ve always wanted to make, too.”