The first issue of Musica Jazz International is now available in English language, with previews of columns and articles. The cover story, dossier, interviews, and two accompanying CDs

Ayers died on March 4 in New York. The warm sound of his instrument has fallen silent, leaving an empty void. He was eighty-four years old and had been battling a long illness. His notes, once rays of sunshine in the jazz-funk and soul firmament, now float like precious dust in an endless sunset. The music world is left devastated and suspended, waiting for a final note that will never come. His vibraphone spoke directly to the heart, and every chord he played was a fragment of melancholic light—a thrill we now miss like a lost heartbeat. Roy Ayers leaves behind a bittersweet void—a silence filled with memories in...

The recent death of the Brazilian pianist truly marks the end of an enchanted world: a true la-la land built in the perfect image and likeness of its ingenious creator

Six for Wes is the latest project by guitarist Giampiero Spina: a journey through the music of Wes Montgomery, arranged and performed by four guitars. We asked him to tell us about his ensemble approach to the compositions of the great American guitarist. Giampiero, you’re a creative guitarist in the sense that you enjoy developing both personal projects and original reinterpretations of other composers’ work. I’m thinking of Cinema Paradiso, the Beatles-inspired Nothing Is Real, or your previous, highly personal album Alien Flowers. Tell us about this multifaceted side of your musical personality. A musician’s personality is shaped by the musical imprint rooted in their past: it is an emotional baggage...

Ms Peterson, a few days ago I interviewed Mark Stryker, who wrote the liner notes for the new Verve release dedicated to Oscar Peterson. I’d like to ask you a few things about Oscar: you were his wife, and today you take care of his artistic legacy. How do you manage such an enormous legacy – a career spanning more than sixty years, a vast number of recordings and such a wide-ranging body of work? It has been, and still is, a tremendous learning process. Ever since Oscar passed away, I’ve felt that taking proper care of his legacy is both a privilege and a responsibility. It means looking after...