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Charles Davis: In the Air
by Terrell Kent Holmes
Saxophonist Charles Davis has spent the past few decades making history with such luminaries as Billie Holiday, Kenny Dorham, Abdullah Ibrahim, Clifford Jordan, Dinah Washington and Freddie Hubbard. Although Davis might be best known as one of the baritone players in the Sun Ra Arkestra, his many recordings and excellent performances outside of the Arkestral context ...
Sam Newsome: To Play or Not to Play the Soprano
by Sam Newsome
When I think about the radical move I made 14 years ago, switching from the tenor to the soprano saxophone, I sometimes ask myself: “What in the hell were you thinking?" Even though in hindsight I look back on my decision with amazement and disbelief, I'm happy to say that it's one I've never regretted. Becoming ...
Frank Wess Nonet: Once Is Not Enough
by Edward Blanco
Known affectionately as “Magic" to his professional colleagues, saxophonist/flautist Frank Wess is a living legend in the jazz world. His résumé includes stints with Billy Eckstine, the Clark Terry Big Band and a decade performing with the Count Basie Orchestra, and he is recognized as one of the first major flautists to have an impact on ...
Jymie Merritt: Dedication Personified
by Victor L. Schermer
Jymie Merritt came up in Philadelphia during the evolution of bebop and hard bop, when the town was a hotbed of musical activity. Players like John Coltrane, Benny Golson, and Philly Joe Jones were getting started there, and musicians like Charlie Parker, J.J. Johnson, Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis would come to the city to perform ...
Concord Music Group to Release "Lester Young: Centennial Celebration"
CONCORD MUSIC GROUP SPOTLIGHTS SAXOPHONIST LESTER YOUNG IN THE LATEST INSTALLMENT OF THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION SERIESLESTER YOUNG: CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION MARKS THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF YOUNG'S BIRTHCOLLECTION TO BE RELEASED AUGUST 4, 2009By the time he reached the height of his powers in the 1950s, Lester Young had single-handedly redefined the ...
Billie Holiday Fifty Years Later: A Tribute and Reassessment
by Victor L. Schermer
Fifty years ago, on July 17, 1959, Billie Holiday died an untimely death at age 44 in a New York hospital from complications of drug and alcohol dependency. Now, half a century after her passing, it is an appropriate hommage to reflect once again on her legacy as a singer, an African American woman, a victim-- ...
Don Byas: Laura
by Mike Neely
Don Byas was clearly a rising star when he walked away from fame. He was the first to hold the Lester Young chair in the Count Basie Band, before his 30th birthday. After two years with Basie he moved to New York City, where he played and recorded with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie and Coleman ...
Chris Potter: Way Above Ground with Underground
by R.J. DeLuke
Saxophonist Chris Potter, at age 38, has long been fast-tracked to the head of his class to become regarded as one of the strongest players on the scene. It doesn't seem that long ago that he was first making waves on recordings, and then became part of the superb Dave Holland quintet, where his strengths were ...
Lester Young, 1950
For a project connected with his Jazz At The Philarmonic operation, the impresario Norman Granz filmed Lester Young with trombonist Bill Harris, Pianist Hank Jones, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Buddy Rich. Although they bypass the melody, the piece is “Pennies From Heaven." For decades, there has been speculation, but no proof, that because of technical ...
Deborah Brown: Jazz Diva Extraordinaire
by Victor L. Schermer
Deborah Brown is one of the finest jazz vocalists in the business, a “singer's singer" with a magnificent voice and mind-boggling technique. Vocalist J.D. Walter mentioned her as an inspirational teacher and mentor in a recent AAJ interview but, despite being very possibly one of the greatest jazz singers of all time, due to her own ...
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