20 pianists who helped change the direction of jazz
The history of the jazz piano starts in roughly 1899. By my count, 20 pianists influenced the direction of jazz over the...
Getz at the Gate gives a glimpse of a critical moment in Stan Getz’s career
In 1956, tax problems compelled Stan Getz to move to Denmark. He wasn’t alone when it came to sizable tax bills and...
Judy Wexler takes a fresh approach to song selection with Crowded Heart
A large percentage of singers today have wonderful voices. But not all choose the best material. Too many pick tired songbook standards...
Five essential videos of Bobby Hutcherson, one of jazz’s finest vibraphonists
Bobby Hutcherson was one of the finest vibraphonists of the 1960s. His Blue Note albums remain an adventure in modal jazz and...
6 young guitarists who reveal Jim Hall’s lasting influence
Guitarist Jim Hall had a way with notes. His improvisational style often involved taking a song apart and reassembling it in jagged...
How bebop became big business in 1949
Bebop began to emerge in 1945, when Dizzy Gillespie recorded Be-Bop (also known as Dizzy’s Fingers) and Groovin’ High. The jazz press didn’t start using the...
In 1958, John Coltrane broke away from the pack
John Coltrane in 1958 was unnerving. If you were a tenor saxophonist back then, Coltrane’s playing in clubs and on albums must...
How Bill Evans’s must-hear London concert finally made it to record
The year 1969 was a busy one for pianist Bill Evans. In January, February and early March, Evans and bassist Eddie Gomez...
The Music Never Stops features Betty Carter at her stylistic peak
After singing with Lionel Hampton in the late 1940s, vocalist Betty Carter had her first hit with Hampton’s Red Top in 1952. Teamed with...
Roxy Coss is empowering women with her potently political jazz
Jazz and politics go way back. One can argue that Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings in the 1920s were...
How Miles Davis and Gerry Mulligan birthed what would become West Coast jazz
In late 1949 and 1950, the Miles Davis nonet recorded 12 songs in New York arranged by Gil Evans (two songs), John...
Remembering Ira Gitler, a scholar of post-war jazz
Ira Gitler, a jazz author, critic and producer who was an intimate eyewitness to post-war jazz and whose prolific liner notes starting...
Perfect Album: Band in Boston
In the late 1950s, New England’s answer to Maynard Ferguson was trumpeter Herb Pomeroy. Pomeroy not only was a high-energy jazz player,...