Guardian Music — If soulful stuff is what you're after, here are the best jazz fests taking place this summer up and down the countryBluesFestWhen 26 June-6 JulyWhere Various venues in London and ManchesterWhat Performers bring out the blues in their musicWho Nick Lo... more info

Guardian Music — The most connected man in jazz on working with Erykah Badu and Mos Def, and why he puts beer bottles in his pianoHi Robert, how are you? I'm good but I'm late for a gig. I've gotta be at a venue in 25 minutes' time.OK, I'll talk quick. Your album Bla... more info

Guardian Music — Madame JoJo's, LondonHip-hop's Daisy Age was fairly short-lived. The late-80s strain of whimsical, positivist, new age rap purveyed by De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest was largely in retreat by the early 90s, relegated to the margins by the inexor... more info

Guardian Music — The feelgood sensation of this year's SXSW festival, hip-hop duo THEESatisfaction talk about the jazz, R&B and rap music that inspired their fresh new soundThe consensus at this year's SXSW – or South by Southwest music festival – in Texas is tha... more info

Guardian Music — Honest Jon's RecordsDamon Albarn does supergroups as regularly as other people do the washing up. This year's ensemble includes Tony Allen, Flea, Erykah Badu, Fatoumata Diawara and the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. Allen is the centre of the group: from t... more info

Guardian Music — New double LP, The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends, features Ke$ha, Chris Martin, Nick Cave and more – and each individual album will be uniqueThe Flaming Lips are going big for Record Store Day, releasing an album of team-ups that includes appearanc... more info

The Late Greats — Esperanza Spalding’s new album drops today. She is a truly unique talent. A jazz bassist who has an impressive vocal range and a knack for writing catchy tunes. She is kind of a more sophisticated Erykah Badu. Sort of a … Continue reading → more info

Guardian Music — Touring the UK with Talib Kweli are representatives of a new breed of homegrown, politically engaged rapperJay-Z and Kanye West's Watch the Throne, which dropped in August 2011, epitomised the glut and profligacy in modern day hip-hop. "What's 50 gra... more info

Chicago Tribune — AUSTIN, TEXAS -- Sure, plenty of stars and superstars descended on the South by Southwest Music Conference, which concluded Sunday after five days of glad-handing, pitch-making and music scouting by thousands of attendees. There were sets by everyone... more info

Gorilla vs. Bear — The lovely, life-affirming new single from Tim Delaughter and his new project Preteen Zenith, featuring... Read more » more info