Artie Shaw
I first encountered Artie Shaw’s playing as a teenager. At that time, the local New York TV stations would play old movies until sign-off, usually … Read More “Artie Shaw”
Tributes & Obituaries
Journalists and colleagues bid farewell to the jazz community’s departed.
Oscar Brown Jr. (10.10.26 – 5.29.05)
The first time I heard Oscar Brown Jr. was an LP called Sin & Soul. I just liked the name, and I had sort of … Read More “Oscar Brown Jr. (10.10.26 – 5.29.05)”
Lucky Thompson (6.16.24 – 7.30.05)
Lucky Thompson was the bridge between swing and bebop. Lucky, Dexter Gordon and Don Byas were among the ones who showed up in New York … Read More “Lucky Thompson (6.16.24 – 7.30.05)”
Farewells: Musicians Remember Their Peers Who Passed in 2005
Artists reflect on their peers who passed in 2005.
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Roswell Rudd: Song Styles of a Planet
Trombonist Roswell Rudd turned 70 last November. Among his presents was the reformation of his first (and unrecorded) band, which played in the Dixieland style he favored before falling for free jazz in the ’60s. Rudd’s story is classic jazz, from sharing stages with Steve Lacy and Cecil Taylor to doing time playing in a hotel dance band. Geoffrey Himes talks to Rudd about his past accomplishments and recent interest in Mongolian music.
James Williams Dies
James Williams, a pianist and onetime member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, died Tuesday, July 20 of complications from liver cancer. He was 53. Born … Read More “James Williams Dies”
John Coltrane: Images of Trane
Essentially an unknown, 29-year-old John Coltrane was thrust into the jazz forefront in 1955…into the world of Miles Davis …when he was summoned to fill … Read More “John Coltrane: Images of Trane”
