Jazz Artists 1945-1965

My Time with Pat Martino: From Admiration to Friendship and Musical Enlightenment

Life is a beautiful journey, made all the more so by the people we spend our time with. Upon visiting Pat Martino’s house for the first time for a lesson, he handed me a book he wrote which consolidated his lesson and masterclass materials from the past decades of his work. ... more

Jazz and Latin Music

The rhythmic traditions brought to the Americas by the African diaspora have had an immeasurable impact on the music of the region. Dating back to the slave trade, African rhythms and musical practices were brought to the New World and merged with indigenous and European ... more

Is white male gatekeeping a problem in online jazz culture?

Is white male gatekeeping a problematic issue in online jazz culture? In the contemporary era, there are multiple YouTube channels which have taught the fundamentals of jazz to those who seek out the music, as well as the historical information. Among the top channels run by ... more

Change (Makes You Wanna Hustle)– Blue Note till it wasn’t Blue Note Anymore

Change is an inevitable part of the universe. Matter and humankind are born, they morph, they die. “Change, (Makes You Wanna Hustle)” the title of the Mizell Brothers track on Donald Byrd‘s 1975 hit album Places and Spaces had a point. Likewise, since the ... more

Cancel culture in jazz

Cancel culture can be seen in jazz, though it is not quite as prevalent as it is in other genres of music, it does exist. Cancel culture is something that has taken root in social media circles, and is quite popular among millennials and Generation Z, the liberal sphere of ... more

Could AI generated music affect jazz?

Could AI generated music affect jazz? In contemporary culture, AI is becoming much more advanced. AI in the domain of sci fi movies and novels has created a fear among people that robots and artificial intelligence could take over human society. AI generated music has taken ... more

Why does straight ahead jazz become stale?

Straight ahead jazz, or jazz that uses primarily swing rhythms, walking bass and often, but not always a 32 bar song structure is beloved for transmission of a medium that’s existed over 60 years. Why does it become stale? For musicians the limitations reveal themselves ... more

What’s wrong with the “j” word?

In the lexicon of Black American Music, also known as “jazz”, in the past almost 40 years there has been a concentrated effort to get away from the use of the “j” word. What IS exactly wrong with the “j” word? — first is its ... more

New York Jazz Workshop Remembers Chick Corea (1941-2021)

The heroes and legends that define this music, our ancestors that we pay homage to are transferring from the earthly realm. Chick Corea, one of the most important modern keyboard innovators and composers, passed away on February 9th from a rare form of cancer. The following ... more

Restless Visionary: Eight groundbreaking Herbie Hancock tracks

Herbie Hancock is a restless visionary and groundbreaking artist. This year marks the 80th birthday of one of music’s most important innovators. Growing up in Chicago, being a classical piano prodigy, and having an insatiable appetite for curiosity, both as a player and ... more

5 Ear Grabbing Lester Young Solos You Should Know

Born on August 27th 1909, Lester Young ( “Prez” ) was one of the giants of the tenor saxophone. In the swing era he staked his claim by being refreshingly different from his peers Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster. Young’s sound was dancing, light as air and he played ... more

New York Jazz Workshop at Home: 5 important Freddie Hubbard solos

As an adjunct to the 2015 profile of Freddie Hubbard, New York Jazz Workshop at home offers up 5 of the most important solos for those new to the trumpeter. There are at least several more that were up for inclusion, but this strikes a nice balance as a primer for his ... more