Bassist, arranger, composer and bandleader Chuck Israels was born Aug. 10, 1936 in New York City. Raised in a musical family in Cleveland, Israels had the opportunity to meet Louis Armstrong in 1948 when his parents featured Armstrong’s All-Stars in a concert series. A bassist from an early age, Israels started at the top, performing […]

Alto saxophonist, trumpeter, arranger, composer, and leader Bennett Lester Carter was born August 8, 1907 in New York City. Carter, whose father was a guitarist and his mother played organ and piano, had piano lessons early on. He originally wanted to be a trumpeter but, after he found that he could not master it after […]

Multi-instrumentalist Ronald Kirk was born on August 7th, 1935 in Columbus, Ohio. Despite going blind as a young child, Kirk, who later changed his name to “Rahsaan Roland,” excelled at multiple instruments. Roland began recording in the late ‘50s, playing almost exclusively as a leader. His unique style was rooted in hard bop, but drew […]

Pianist and composer Marcus Roberts was born on August 7th, 1963 in Jacksonville, Florida. Roberts, who lost his sight at the age of five, began teaching himself piano at a young age. In 1986, he joined the band of the legendary trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, where he first gained recognition. Roberts has led and recorded with […]

Master of Samba Percussionist Airto Moreira was born on August 5th, 1941 in Itaiópolis, Brazil. Moreira was musically gifted from a young age, beginning his professional career at 13. After moving to the United States in 1967, Moreira worked with influential fusion artists like Miles Davis, Weather Report, and Return to Forever. He has since […]

Singer Anthony “Tony” Benedetto was born on August 3rd, 1926 in New York City, New York. After fighting on the frontline of WWII, he returned to the States to pursue a career in singing and adopted the stage name Bennett. He embarked on a career of his own as a pop singer during the early […]

Pianist, bandleader, arranger, and composer Hank Jones was born on July 31, 1918 in Vicksburg, Mississippi. He is the brother of two prolific jazz musicians: trumpeter Thad and drummer Elvin. After accompanying Ella Fitzgerald from 1948 to 1953, Jones recorded with a variety of bebop artists and appeared on Cannoball Adderley’s classic 1958 LP Something’ […]

Guitarist Kenny Burrell was born on July 31, 1931 in Detroit, Michigan. As a college student, Burrell made his first appearance on record playing with trumpeter and bebop trailblazer Dizzy Gillespie. After moving to New York in 1956, he began recording as a leader and sideman for the Blue Note label. In the late 1950s, […]

Guitarist and pianist Stanley Jordan was born on July 31, 1959 in Chicago, Illinois. Jordan, who began learning piano at the age of 6, graduated from Princeton with a BA in music. He was the first artist to be signed to Blue Note after the label relaunched in 1985. His album Magic Touch topped Billboard’s […]

Alto saxophonist David Sanborn was born on July 30, 1945 in Tampa, Florida. He began playing the saxophone to strengthen his weakened breathing while suffering from polio as a child. Sanborn played various styles, such as free jazz and the blues, before becoming associated with smooth jazz in the 1980s. He is a highly acclaimed […]