Smooth jazz violinist Michael Ward, a fixture at festivals, nightclubs and special events in New Orleans and beyond for decades, died suddenly Monday after collapsing. He was 60. A cause of death has ...

The funeral plans for New Orleans Smooth jazz violinist Michael Ward include a special honor reserved for prominent musicians and other local dignitaries. His body will lie in state at Gallier Hall, ...

Los Angeles–based multi-instrumentalist and producer Nate Franchesco continues to carve out a unique creative lane by merging ...

The ideal gala soundtrack should feel like a well-led conversation: engaging, smooth, and memorable. Jazz remains a cornerstone of elegance, but in 2025 it appears with softer, more accessible ...

Every year, the music world loses irreplaceable voices, visionaries, and pioneers whose impact continues to echo long after ...

Here is the third part of our playlist of the essential 100 (or so) tunes to come out of Scotland. It marks eleventh year of this rundown of the best Scots tracks of the year.   As ever, in 2025, ...

Explore the best Christmas jazz albums from Vince Guaraldi's A Charlie Brown Christmas to 2025 releases by Herb Alpert, Darius de Haas, and more.

As Epigram concludes another year of stellar-quality music, our team of writers and editors cast their ballots for the best ...

The ragtag group of respected hardcore and punk figures are six albums deep and still packing hefty riffs into their songs.

Variety's music writers pick 2025's best songs, from Lily Allen, Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Dean, Dijon, Hayley Williams, ...

Departed musicians leave a rich legacy in their genres, from Sly Stone in R&B to Serge Fiori in progressive rock ...

The Hip-Hop world lost a true pioneer when Gene “Groove” Allen passed away in February 2025. As a key member of Groove B. Chill, Allen helped bridge the gap between Hip-Hop’s golden era and mainstream ...