Articles by Shannon J. Effinger
Marcus Belgrave: Preserver of Jazz
by Shannon J. Effinger
If you trace the careers of many of today's jazz artists, you'll discover that they all converge around one man--trumpeter Marcus Belgrave. He gave Karriem Riggins his very first drum set. Ray Parker, Jr. got his first gig thanks to him. He even took a then 15- year-old James Carter to Europe for the first time. And throughout the years, Belgrave has continued to give so much to jazz because he himself learned from many of the originators of this ...
read moreNina Simone: High Priestess of Soul
by Shannon J. Effinger
“I insist on being not one of your clowns, but one of you," she commands of her French audience early on in her performance. When Nina Simone walks out onto the stage, the first word that comes to mind is: regal. “I am a queen," she proudly announces. Her black wrap dress is simple and minimalist. Her silver necklace, a gift from a man who lives in Greece, is modest and beautiful--she pulls attention towards it on more than one ...
read more
Giveaway
Days remaining: 3
