Articles by Idelle Nissila-Stone

Burt Eckoff: A Pianist's Close Encounters With the Greats of Jazz

by Idelle Nissila-Stone
May 14, 2015

Active in the jny: New York City jazz scene since the 1960s, pianist Burt Eckoff played with many jazz greats, among them Howard McGhee, Maynard Ferguson, Art Blakey, Sonny Stitt and Archie Shepp. He is known for exceptional artistry in his work with vocalists Dionne Warwick, The Drifters, Eddie Jefferson, and most importantly Dakota Staton, with whom he had a long association. His formative years playing Rhythm & Blues in Providence, Rhode Island laid the groundwork for his career as ...