Trumpeter and singer Chesney “Chet” Baker was born on December 23, 1929 in Yale, Oklahoma. Baker grew up in the Los Angeles area, taking up the trumpet when he was 13. He played in school groups, spent time playing in an Army band, and in 1952 won an audition to play with Charlie Parker who […]

Bassist John Patitucci was born on December 22, 1959 in Brooklyn, New York. Patitucci began playing bass when he was 12 and considers Ray Brown and Ron Carter to be his early influences. After studying at San Francisco State University and Long Beach State University, he freelanced in the Los Angeles area starting in 1980, […]

Pianist Stanley Cowell passed away on December 17, 2020 at the age of 79. He was born on May 5, 1941 in Toledo, Ohio. He decided to become a pianist he watched Art Tatum (who also lived in Toledo at the time) play his father’s piano at their home. Cowell graduated from the Oberlin Conservatory […]

Guitarist John Abercrombie was born on December 16, 1944 in Port Chester, New York. He began having guitar lessons at the age of ten, being initially influenced by the playing of Barney Kessel but also being open to rock music. While attending the Berklee College of Music, Abercrombie became influenced by Jim Hall, Wes Montgomery, […]

Pianist Phineas Newborn Jr. was born on December 14, 1931 in Whiteville, Tennessee. Newborn, whose father played drums in blues bands and younger brother Calvin became a jazz guitarist, studied piano, trumpet, tenor and baritone sax, settling on the former. The pianist began his career playing with his father’s r&b band which was on B.B. […]

Flugelhornist and occasional singer Clark Terry was born December 14, 1920 in St. Louis, Missouri. An important link in the St. Louis trumpet tradition between Dewey Jackson and Miles Davis, Terry began playing professionally in St. Louis in the early 1940s including with George Hudson’s band. After serving in the Navy, he was featured with […]

Drummer Anthony Tillman “Tony” Williams was born on December 12, 1945 in Chicago, Illinois. Williams moved to Boston and studied drums early on with Alan Dawson. A child prodigy, Williams worked with Sam Rivers when he was just 13 and with Jackie McLean at 16. In 1963 Williams made his recording debut on albums by […]

Tenor, alto and soprano-saxophonist Grover Washington Jr. was born on December 12, 1943 in Buffalo, New York. The son of a saxophonist, he began playing tenor when he was eight, developing quickly as a musician. He worked with the Four Clefs and the Mark III. Trio in the Midwest before serving in the U.S. Army. […]

Singer Joe Williams was born on December 12, 1918 in Cordele, Georgia. Williams grew up in Chicago, learned piano, formed and sang in a gospel vocal quartet (the Jubilee Boys) as a teenager, and was part of the Chicago jazz scene starting in the late 1930s. Williams worked with clarinetist Jimmie Noone, the Les Hite […]

inger Francis Albert “Frank” Sinatra was born December 12, 1915 in Hoboken, New Jersey. Born to Italian immigrants, Sinatra began listening to jazz and big band music in his early childhood. He idolized Bing Crosby most of all. As a teenager, Sinatra worked in several vocal groups, and made $15 per week as a singing […]