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Backgrounder: George Braith - 'Extension' (1967)
Imagine recording an album and waiting three years for it to come out. That's what happened to saxophonist George Braith with Extension (Blue Note), after recording it in 1964 The delay surely had something to do with the fact that he had already released two other LPs for the label—Soulstream (1963) and Laughing Soul (1966). Or ...
Take Five with vocalist Diana Hamilton
by AAJ Staff
Meet vocalist Diana Hamilton I'm an instinctive artist--meaning, I didn't choose to be a singer. Singing chose me. It began during a moment of deep torment when my three-year-old son, Nairobi, was subjected to racism at a daycare in France. I had never experienced such cruelty growing up as a Black child in the Bahamas. I ...
Perfection: Paul Smith - Under My Skin (1957)
Last weekend, I posted a video clip that included pianist Paul Smith accompanying Frank Sinatra. Smith belonged to a small group of superb West Coast jazz studio pianists that included Lou Levy, Jimmy Rowles and Pete Jolly. In the late 1950s, Smith recorded four albums for Capitol that became known as the Liquid Sound sessions. One ...
Video: Kenny Clarke Plays 'Black Knight' (1957)
On November 12, 1957, drummer Kenny Clarke was in a recording studio in Paris recording Kenny Clarke Plays Christian Chevallier for French Columbia. His band included composer-arranger Christian Chevallier, Ack van Rooyen (tp), Nat Peck (tb), Hubert Fol and Jean Aldegon (as), Georges Grenu (ts), Armand Migiani (bar), Maurice Vander (p) and Pierre Michelot (b). They ...
Vinnie Riccitelli (1926-2025)
Vinnie Riccitelli, a jazz composer-arranger, pianist and alto saxophonist who recorded one superb album as a playing leader in 1956 and then became a leading fixture in Broadway pit bands and jazz combos that played gigs and events in New York's tri-state area, died on July 9. He was 99. Riccitelli's desire to stay local in ...
Backgrounder: Spud Murphy - Gone With the Woodwinds
Lyle “Spud" Murphy was one of the more fascinating figures in jazz and today is among the least known. Murphy was a multi-instrumentalist, bandleader and arranger. He was one of Benny Goodman's arrangers in the mid-1930s and wrote charts for many other bands. But his claim to fame was his 12-volume course in composing, arranging, and ...
Perfection: Doug Raney - 'Lean Years' (1979)
Guitarist Doug Raney was one of the greats. The son of guitarist Jimmy Raney, Doug spent much of his career in Copenhagen. Doug was a hard-wired addict. As his brother, Jon, told me soon after Doug's death in 2016, at age 59: Doug was struggling with prior drug addiction and was on the program for a ...
Lew Tabackin: My 15 Favorite Tracks
The best way to appreciate Lew Tabackin is through a cross-section of his work over the years. Lew will be making a rare live appearance on New York's Upper East Side at 92NY on Saturday, July 19, at 7:30 p.m. You can attend in-person at the cultural institution (starting at $40 per seat) or purchase an ...
Interview: Lew Tabackin, Part 2
On the tenor saxophone, Lew Tabackin has a strong, bossy sound. Other major saxophonists who came up at the same time include Joe Henderson and Joe Farrell. On flute, Lew has a warm, pronounced tone. Lew will be making a rare live appearance on New York's Upper East Side at 92NY on Saturday, July 19, at ...
Interview: Lew Tabackin, Part 1
Lew Tabackin is a jazz legend but less well-known than he should be. A tenor saxophonist and flutist, Lew came up in the mid-1960s and played and recorded with dozens of jazz stars, including Maynard Ferguson, Duke Pearson, Donald Byrd, Frank Foster, Frank Wess, and most famously with pianist Toshiko Akyoshi. They began fronting small groups ...
