Drummer Duffy Jackson passed away on March 3, 2021 at the age of 67. He was born on July 3, 1953 in Freeport, New York, the son of bassist Chubby Jackson who was most famous for his association with Woody Herman. Jackson began playing drums when he was four, developed quickly, and at the age […]

Cecil Taylor is featured in this excerpt from Ron Mann’s 1981 documentary “Imagine the Sound.” Pianist and poet Cecil Percival Taylor was born March 25, 1929 in New York City. Taylor started learning piano when he was 6, and continued his studies at the New York College of Music and the New England Conservatory. He […]

Singer Alwin Lopez “Al” Jarreau was born on March 12, 1940 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Jarreau began singing when he was four, performed locally in Milwaukee, and earned a degree in Psychology from Ripon College and a Masters degree in Vocational Rehabilitation at the University of Iowa. He sang for the fun of it in college […]

Singer Robert Keith “Bobby” McFarrin Jr. was born on March 11, 1950 in Manhattan, New York. The son of the opera singer Robert McFerrin, he did not begin his singing career until he was already 27 in 1977. After performing with Astral Projection while living in New Orleans and appearing at the 1980 Playboy Jazz […]

Singer Flora Purim was born on Mar. 6, 1942 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She had piano lessons from the age of four, switched to acoustic guitar, and sang with a jazz vocal group in Brazil when she was 14. At 18 Flora Purim became a solo singer; she met her husband percussionist-drummer Airto Moreira […]

Guitarist Larry Carlton was born on March 2, 1948 in Torrance, California. He began playing guitar when he was six and started playing professionally in 1962 when he was 14. Always a very versatile guitarist, Carlton recorded his first record as a leader in 1968, toured with the Fifth Dimension, and became a busy studio […]

Bandleader, arranger and trombonist Alton Glenn Miller was born March 1, 1904 in Clarinda, Iowa. He began playing cornet and mandolin before switching to trombone when he was 12 in 1916. Miller was playing professionally as early as 1921 with Boyd Senter, attended the University of Colorado, and then spent 1926-28 with Ben Pollack as […]

A rare clip of Kenton’s greatest band Stan Kenton led many unique and powerful big bands during 1941-79. While many versions can be cited as one’s favorite, it would be difficult to improve upon the orchestra that he led during 1952-53. This short but swinging performance, filmed on Aug. 27, 1953 in Berlin and taken […]

A tribute to Branford Marsalis’ longtime pianist Dexter Gordon DayPianist Joseph “Joey” Calderazzo was born on February 27, 1965 in New Rochelle, New York. Calderazzo began studying classical piano when he was eight but soon turned towards jazz, studying with Richie Beirach and attending Berklee and the Manhattan School Of Music. Among his early professional […]

A tribute to the film composer and underrated jazz pianist Composer, arranger and pianist Michel Legrand was born on February 24, 1932 in Courbevoir, France. He studied music at the Conservatoire de Paris from age 11 and seemed poised to have a career in classical music but instead Legrand detoured into jazz and writing film […]