Jazz Artists 1945-1965

Freddie Hubbard

Following the line of trumpet royalty beginning with Armstrong, Eldridge, Gillespie and Davis, Freddie Hubbard’s clarion tone, and incredible power is one of jazz’s most identifiable sounds. Born on April 7, 1938 in Indianapolis, Hubbard started with the euphonium ... more

What are some good holiday jazz selections?

With Christmas just a matter of hours away, it doesn’t take much to rouse people into the holiday spirit. There are tons of holiday music selections playing everywhere from restaurants to shopping malls, but jazz isn’t often the most often heard choice. Here are a ... more

What are some good Halloween jazz selections?

With a few days away before the scariest day of the year, it may be good fun to choose some tunes that conjure images of the macabre, two selections really bring to mind the spirit of the season. One a bit lighthearted with Philly Joe Jones’ classic “Blues For ... more

Wayne Shorter

In the history of jazz there have been many colorful characters, Lester Young, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, pianist Cecil Taylor, the vocalist Babs Gonzales to name just a few. Tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter, who recently celebrated his 82nd birthday has always been one ... more

Lee Morgan’s “Speedball”: Essential Small Group Jazz Performances Part XII

Lee Morgan: “Speedball” from The Gigolo (Blue Note, 1965). Lee Morgan: trumpet, Wayne Shorter: tenor saxophone, Harold Mabern: piano, Bob Cranshaw: bass, Billy Higgins: drums. Recorded July 1, 1965 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Recording engineer: ... more

Ornette Coleman

2015 has been a rough year for America’s Classical Music. Irreplaceable, individual giants that have shaped the music with few peers such as the great Clark Terry and as of June 11, 2015 the enigmatic icon, Ornette Coleman, left the earth plane. Coleman’s ... more

New York Jazz Workshop Podcast Series #2 with CJ Shearn: David Weiss

On the second episode of this podcast series I spoke with trumpeter David Weiss, a veteran of the New York scene. Topics covered include his new album entitled When Words Fail on Motema, the late bassist Dwayne Burno, working with trumpeter Freddie Hubbard and jazz education. ... more

Trane’s Resolution: Essential Small Group Jazz Performances Part XI

“Resolution” from the album A Love Supreme (Impulse! 1964) John Coltrane: tenor saxophone McCoy Tyner: piano, Jimmy Garrison: bass, Elvin Jones: drums. Recorded December 9, 1964 at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Recording engineer: Rudy Van Gelder. ... more

Clark Terry

Clark Terry was positively a giant, one of the most joyful forces in jazz. A huge irreplaceable void has been left in the jazz community since his recent passing at the age of 94 on February 21, 2015. His sense of humor, slippery phrasing, signature plunger muted trumpet and ... more

Thelonious Monk

One of the most important, and colorful figures in all of jazz Thelonious Monk’s contributions as innovator were massive. His advances in the harmonic, and rhythmic vocabulary have influenced nearly every pianist that followed, and his relatively brief book of ... more

How do I explore an artist’s work?

Exploring artist’s catalogs in jazz can be a rewarding, and daunting proposition. There are so many labels, albums, and at times, phases in a musician’s career it can sometime be challenging to find music that appeals to your taste. Here are a few ways that can ... more

Herbie Hancock

Herbie Hancock, who has recently celebrated his 75th year, is an innovator, explorer, a trendsetter, and one of music’s greatest composers. Whatever he plays abounds with youthful energy. While the general populace knows the keyboardist primarily for hit tunes including ... more