Jazz Artists 1965 -1980

Marc Mommaas’ “Irreversible Momentum” by CJ Shearn

Marc Mommaas is a multifaceted saxophonist, and jazz educator who is free of boundaries; freedom is the very essence of this music we call jazz. In 2009 he co-founded New York Jazz Workshop School of Music and Marc’s generous spirit has contributed mightily to the ... more

Talking about “Kin” (<-->) with Pat Metheny: by CJ Shearn

Pat Metheny has been one of the greatest musicians in jazz or any other genre over the past 30 plus years. The guitarist has done what every great musician should do: create their own voice and add to the grammar of a music ever expanding. He has won an unprecedented 20 Grammy ... more

Miles Davis: Part III

Between 1973 and 1975, Davis was exploring more directions in which he was trying to bring music back to black audiences. For him, this meant investigating a heavily rhythmic context. From albums such as In Concert At Carnegie Hall(1972) the music gained an even more obvious ... more

Miles Davis: Part II

By September 1964, the final piece in what would be known as the “Second Great Quintet” was now in place: tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter. Davis had hired the avant garde phenom, Sam Rivers for a tour of Japan in July 1964, but found him to be an ill fit for the music. Rivers’ ... more

Donald Byrd

Donald Byrd was one of the most consistent trumpeters to come out of the fertile Detroit Jazz scene that immigrated to New York in the mid fifties. Born on December 9th 1932, Byrd possessed a beautiful, round, brassy tone, and intriguing ideas. Among some of his early ... more

Pat Metheny

Pat Metheny is one of Jazz’s most influential guitar players of the past 40 years. His tone, innovative use of technology and fearlessness of genres, are well known and make him both controversial, and a favorite of many. Born in the town of Lee’s Summit, Missouri ... more

Tony Williams

Very seldom in Jazz history have come musicians that singlehandedly change the course of the way their instruments are approached forever. Only a handful of players have done so, and even fewer are teenage prodigies. Born on December 12th 1945, Tony Williams fits all those ... more

John Coltrane

John William Coltrane spent a career of searching and scaling new heights, with thrilling highs, and some things that leave many listeners puzzled. Coltrane was born September 23, 1926 in Hamlet, South Carolina. His father passed while John was young, prompting he and mother ... more