Pianist, composer and arranger Mal Waldron was born on August 16th, 1925 in New York City, New York. After graduating from Queens College with a B.A. in music, Waldron began his career at the Café Society Downtown, a famous NYC jazz club. During the mid-1950 he frequently performed with Charles Mingus, Lucky Millinder, and Lucky […]

Mulgrew Miller (1955-2013) was a brilliant pianist who was greatly in demand throughout his career. After having stints with the Mercer Ellington Orchestra, Betty Carter, Woody Shaw, and Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, he worked with the Tony Williams Quintet (1986-93) in addition to having his own trio and freelancing. For 30 years Miller (who was […]

The Renaissance Bassist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer Marcus Miller was born on June 14, 1959 in Brooklyn, New York. His father was a church organist and choir director and the family is related to piano great Wynton Kelly. By 15, Miller was already gigging professionally in New York City . A big breakthrough in his career […]

Drummer Louis Hayes was born on May 31, 1937 in Detroit, Michigan. As a teenager, he led his own band and played with Yusef Lateef and Curtis Fuller, fellow Detroiters. In addition to leading his own groups, Hayes has performed with Horace Silver’s Quintet, the Cannonball Adderley Quintet and the Oscar Peterson Trio. He’s also […]

Stablemates Pianist Donald Ernest “Don” Friedman was born on May 4, 1935, in San Francisco, California. San Francisco-born, Don started his piano education at five and while a teenager in the San Fernando Valley, developed a love for jazz. Self taught, he made gigs with Shorty Rogers, Chet Baker, Ornette Coleman, and Scott LaFaro. Dexter […]

Trumpeter and bandleader Walter Maynard Ferguson was born May 4, 1928, in Montreal, Quebec. Ferguson was a child prodigy who quit school at 15. He played with a young Oscar Peterson before moving to the U.S. in 1948. He made his name as a “screech” trumpeter with Stan Kenton. In 1956, he formed the first […]

Pianist, composer, and arranger John Aaron Lewis was born on May 3, 1920 in La Grange, Illinois. Classically trained, he was first exposed to jazz by an aunt. In the Army, Lewis met and played with drummer Kenny Clarke who encouraged him to move to New York when he got out of the service. In […]

How High The Moon (cello solo) Bassist and cellist Percy Heath was born April 30, 1923 in Wilmington, North Carolina and was raised in Philadelphia. By the age of eight he was playing the violin and cello. In 1944, he was drafted and became a member of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen. He worked in the […]

The Duke Ellington Orchestra perform “Take The ‘A’ Train” with singer Betty Roche in an excerpt from the 1943 film “Reveille With Beverly.” Pianist, composer, and bandleader, Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington was born April 29, 1899 in Washington, DC. In a world of giants, he was a giant with a capital “G.” Both parents were […]

Sax: Michael BreckerTrumpet: Randy BreckerKeys: George WhittyGuitar: Mike SternBass: James GenusDrums: Dennis Chambers Michael Brecker Band (1987) Michael Leonard Brecker (March 29, 1949 – January 13, 2007) was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. He was awarded 15 Grammy Awards as both performer and composer. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Berklee College of […]