I Remember Len Dobbin
Len Dobbin was a cool jazz voice on the radio when I was a teenager just getting into playing jazz. In fact, my love affair with jazz began in the 1970s when I discovered the album Headhunters by Herbie Hancock in 1973. Up to that point I had been playing pop and folk music, like most ...
Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band
Imagine a pianist playing concerts with Benny Goodman and Cecil Taylor in successive years (1977-78). That pianist was Mary Lou Williams. In a career which spanned over fifty years Mary was always on the cutting edge.
She was born Mary Scruggs in 1910 Atlanta. Her mother was a single parent who worked as a domestic and ...
Vocalists 2004
Carol Mennie I'm Not a Sometime Thing CDM 1004 2004
Long closely associated with guitarist composer Dom Minasi, jazz vocalist Carol Mennie steps out as leader and hits one out of the park. Ms. Mennie revealed her deep alto on the recent Dom Minasi release, Time Will Tell, fashioning Monk's ...
Elvin Jones 1927-2004: A True Moment In Time
Elvin Jones, one of the most influential and accomplished drummers in history, passed away Tuesday May 18 due to heart failure. Most notable for his work with John Coltrane, he helped to revolutionize the way jazz and contemporary music are heard and played. Described by Louie Bellson as “Mother Earth coming alive with syncopation," there isn't ...
