Results for "Billy Taylor"

Billy Taylor

Billy Taylor encompassed that rare combination of creativity, intelligence, vision, commitment and leadership, qualities that made him one of our most cherished national treasures. The distinguished ambassador of the jazz community to the world-at-large, Dr. Billy Taylor's recording career spans nearly six decades. He has also composed over three hundred and fifty songs, including "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free," as well as works for theatre, dance and symphony orchestras. Playing the piano professionally since 1944, he got his start with Ben Webster's Quartet on New York's famed 52nd Street

Rahsaan Roland Kirk: An Alternative Top Ten Albums Guaranteed To Bend Your Head

By CHRIS MAY

Jazz musicians are rarely called shamanistic but the description fits Rahsaan Roland Kirk precisely. Clad in black leather trousers and heavy duty shades (he was blind from the age of two), a truckload of strange looking horns strung round his neck—two or three of which he often played simultaneously--twisting, shaking and otherwise contorting his body, stamping ...

Christian Sands, Gary Burton, Chris Cheek and More

By JOE DIMINO

The young and electric pianist Christian Sands opens this week's edition of Neon Jazz. During the rest of the show we showcases new albums by Ricardo Grilli, Homero Alvarez and Dafnis Prieto. The talents of veteran cats is also included with the likes of Gary Burton, Edward Simon and Chris Cheek. Enjoy the show!

Paul Gonsalves @ 100 And More July Birthdays

By MARC COHN

Time to celebrate July birthdays! Among the living, David Sanborn @ 75, pianist Mark Soskin, trumpeter Theo Croker, Kenny Burrell and Ahmad Jamal @ 90! We celebrate the saxophonists: Paul Gonsalves @ 100 and Hank Mobley @ 90. Along the way, birthday salutes to Philly Joe Jones, Lee Morgan, Charlie Christian, pianist Billy Taylor and Johnny ...

July Jazz Birthdays

By MARC COHN

Celebrate and give thanks for these jazz voices—honored in this month of their births. Playlist Junior Cook “Illusion of Grandeur" from Somethin's Cookin' (Muse) 00:00 Cal Tjader “Mood For Milt" from Latin Concert (Fantasy) 09:25 Cal Tjader “Cubano Chant" from Latin Concert (Fantasy) 13:49 Don Patterson “S'Bout Time" from The Exciting New Organ ...

Jazzmobile partners with Minton's Playhouse for synergy of jazz in Harlem, NYC

By DOUG HALL

A synergy in jazz can mean that band members complement and combine with one another for a greater result. That same concept applies to an exciting summer announcement that kicks-off a new partnership between two renowned and heralded jazz organizations, Jazzmobile and Harlem Jazz Enterprises will team-up with the iconic Minton's Playhouse jazz club, to present ...

Denny Zeitlin: Balancing Act

By KEN DRYDEN

Denny Zeitlin is a true Renaissance man with many interests, in addition to balancing his careers in medicine and music. Although his medical practice and teaching have limited his abilities to tour beyond brief trips east or playing near his home in California, he has recorded regularly in recent years, releasing a variety of projects for ...

Ted Rosenthal: Dear Erich, A Jazz Opera

By KEN DRYDEN

Ted Rosenthal is one of the most renowned pianists of his generation. He won first prize at the second Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition and has been awarded several NEA grants as a composer. Well known as the pianist in Gerry Mulligan's final quartet, Rosenthal has recorded or performed with many other artists, including Bob ...

2017 Howard University Jazz Ensemble: A Tribute to Geri Allen

By JACK BOWERS

Pianist / composer Geri Allen, one of the Howard University Jazz Studies program's distinguished alumnae, left us far too soon, succumbing to cancer on June 27, 2017, two weeks after her sixtieth birthday. During a career that spanned more than thirty-five years, Allen performed and recorded with a who's who of renowned jazz artists from Ron ...