Jazz Artist Biographies
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Art Blakey
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Born Pittsburgh, 1919, drummer Art Blakey remains one of the greatest jazz players and combo leaders in the history of jazz.
Blakey is known for his furious commitment, that soloists playing with him had to exert all their might to keep along with him. Generations of young players have learned their craft in Blakey's groups, left to lead... |
| Artist Biography by Yasir Agha |
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Art Blakey
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Art Blakey (Abdullah Ibn Buhaina) worked with Fletcher Henderson 1939; Billy Eckstine 1944-7, Buddy DeFranco Quartet 1951-3. He started working as a leader at Birdland in 1954. His group evolved into the Jazz Messengers, who came to prominence in 1955 and toured the US and Europe during the next five years.
Despite changes in personnel, Blakey continued to dominate... |
| Artist Biography by Beatrice Richardson |
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Dave Koz
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He goes for the heart - that’s for sure. Close your eyes and imagine a tear dripping from the bell of the horn. Or envision the keys blasting off the alto, straining under torrential sound. Judging from his acceleration in today’s musical marketplace, Dave Koz conjures up a range of feelings and always leaves a mark.
You’ve heard the... |
| Artist Biography by Beatrice Richardson |
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Joe Henderson
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He’s not Pres-like or Bird like, not Trane-ish or New-ish. None of the stylish adjectives so commonly use to describe the work of tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson. It’s evident he’s listened to the greats, to Lester Young, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins- to them and all the others he’s enjoyed. But he doesn’t play like them, doesn’t sound... |
| Artist Biography by Beatrice Richardson |
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Sonny Rollins
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Rollins established himself as the outstanding jazz saxophonist between Charlie Parker and John Coltrane and a leading figure in the hard-bop style. The prevailing interpretation of his method of improvisation derives from Schuller’s "Thematic Analysis" of Rollins’ celebrated solo on Blue7 (1956); other writers, accepting and expanding on Schuller’s insights, have even declared thematic improvisation to be Rollins’ greatest... |
| Artist Biography by Lee Prosser |
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Joe Williams
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Williams (Goreed,Joesph) grew up in Chicago ,where his primary influence was the gospel quartet in which he sang. He began performing professionally in 1937 and worked as a soloist in and around Chicago, occasionally singing with bands led by Jimmie Noone and others in the late 30's,and with Coleman Hawkins and Lionel Hampton in the 40's.
He toured with Andy... |
| Artist Biography by Lee Prosser |
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Antonio Carlos Jobim
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When I was twenty-one, I fell in love with a sound. That sound, a romantic harmonic-engaging rhythm that swept across the United States like the plague in 1962, still lingers near my heart. I close my eyes and remember driving up the coast from Los Angeles in my boyfriend's fire-engine red, classic '52 Jag, wind blowing my hair, sun... |
| Artist Biography by Suzi Price |
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Al Grey
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A few years back, I had the chance to go see J.J. Johnson in a performance in a quintessential jazz club. After the show, I stood in the ubiquitous autograph-line to praise J.J. and steal a signature before it was time to leave. The line streamed its way across the room and ended against the far wall. I joined... |
| Artist Biography by Lee Prosser |
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Louis Armstrong
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The auditorium was packed...standing room only. The people were ready. There was an aura of splendor hovering over the audience excitement, allied with love as they waited to hear the inimitable, and, paramount musician, singer, and entertainer the world over..."Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong"
When the band kicked off the intro to "Hello Dolly," the audience went into an emotion-packed uproar... |
| Artist Biography by Lee Prosser |
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J.J. Johnson
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In an artform which has produced a Count, a Duke, and at least one Dark Prince, jazz has also given the world a considerable number of innovators.
Indeed, these masters took musical instruments otherwise relegated to hackneyed artistic uses, and single-handedly endowed their chosen vessels with richly filigreed vocabularies. More than this, these performers infused these instruments with a harmonic... |
| Artist Biography by Lee Prosser |
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Dick Morrissey
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For those of you who are lovers of Jazz Saxophone, the name of Dick Morrissey MUST be at the top of your list of all time great players.
Born just 60 years ago in Horley, Surrey, just down the road from the international Gatwick Airport England, Dick was a unique human being.......and that's not just my opinion, believe me!.... |
| Artist Biography by Barry Watson |
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Toots Thielemans
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When most people think of the harmonica, they usually picture Ackroyd and Belushi soulin' it up in black suits, southern fried wah-wah blues or a scene from within a jail cell at state prison. Now that's not jazz. But, one man managed to create something unique with the harmonica that no one could ever imagine in the complex world... |
| Artist Biography by Lee Prosser |
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George Howard
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Saxman George Howard was born in Philadelphia in 1956. In the 70s he toured with Philly based groups such as Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes and Blue Magic. Howard got his big break in 1979 when he toured with Grover Washington, Jr. In 1982 he released his first album, " Asphalt Garden". Two of his many performances were... |
| Artist Biography by Lee Prosser |
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