Favorite Number
The story of the 55 Bar dates back to Prohibition, when the underground West Village watering hole opened as a speakeasy. It entered jazz lore … Read More “Favorite Number”
Tributes & Obituaries
Journalists and colleagues bid farewell to the jazz community’s departed.
Kelly Sill
You never quite knew what Chicago bassist Kelly Sill was going to play (or what he was going to say). But you always knew that … Read More “Kelly Sill”
In Memoriam: Joey DeFrancesco
My introduction to Joey’s music was in 1995 when I was given his Live at the 5 Spot CD as a Christmas gift and immediately … Read More “In Memoriam: Joey DeFrancesco”
In Memoriam: Eric Jackson
On the night of July 17, 1987, the 20th anniversary of John Coltrane’s passing, I listened (as I frequently did in those days) to Eric … Read More “In Memoriam: Eric Jackson”
In Memoriam: Ron Miles
I was living in Seattle and my manager received a cassette from someone named Ron Miles. I had no idea who he was. He had … Read More “In Memoriam: Ron Miles”
In Memoriam: Final Roll Call
The last few years have been particularly hard ones for the jazz family. Between COVID-19 and other health hazards, the resulting isolation, and the shutdown … Read More “In Memoriam: Final Roll Call”
In Memoriam: James Mtume
Mtume, whom I affectionately called “Tumes,” was in my uncle Miles Davis’s band. Whenever the band would come through Chicago, I would come backstage and … Read More “In Memoriam: James Mtume”
In Memoriam: Sue Mingus
In January of 1987, somebody told Sue Mingus there’s this new tenor player in town, and so she came out to a gig on Long … Read More “In Memoriam: Sue Mingus”
In Memoriam: Jessica Williams
“Where the hell did you come from?” – Bill Evans Jessica loved that little anecdote from Evans discovering her playing for the first time and … Read More “In Memoriam: Jessica Williams”
In Memoriam: Ronnie Cuber
There’s a legacy in jazz of certain “Giants,” from generation to generation, who occupy the position as “King of the Mountain.” It started in the … Read More “In Memoriam: Ronnie Cuber”
