The Checkou‪t‬ Simon Rentner

Back in 2014, Chick Corea visited The Checkout to promote Portraits , an solo album celebrating artists he admired. Instead, the pianist gave us a clear picture of himself.

We are all blindsided and deeply saddened by the passing of Chick Corea . One of his longtime collaborators, from his early fusion years up until the very end, is drummer Steve Gadd. He pays tribute to his friend on The Checkout podcast.

One year ago, trumpeter Giveton Gelin won the LetterOne Rising Stars Jazz Award , which recognizes undeniable young talent in North America and Europe.

We’ve always admired Shai Maestro’s fearless approach to music. When he sits down at the piano, especially in an improvisational solo setting, he checks the temperature of a space and lets the music come to him, allowing one idea to flow into another. But he wasn’t always that free.

For years, the French accordionist Vincent Peirani resisted playing tango. Why would a modernist like himself venture down a predictable road? Now, with Abrazo , he not only embraces the tango, but puts his own squeeze on the tradition too.

Pianist and songwriter Chilly Gonzales is on the record saying he hates Christmas. In reality, it’s a little more complicated than that.