Guitarist Talmage Holt Farlow was born on June 7, 1921 in Greensboro, North Carolina. He taught himself chord melodies by playing a mandolin tuned like a ukulele using the music of Bix Beiderbecke, Louis Armstrong, and Eddie Lang as models. Working the night shift as a sign painter so he could listen to jazz performances […]

Guitarist and composer Grant Green was born on June 6, 1935 in St. Louis, Missouri. Green was playing professionally at 12, inspired by the music of Charlie Christian, Charlie Parker, and Lester Young. McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Sonny Clark and many others sought him out. He made his first recordings with tenor saxophonist Jimmy Forrest […]

Pianist Monty Alexander (born Montgomery Bernard Alexander) was born on June 6, 1944 in Kingston, Jamaica. He got off to an early start on the piano training in classical music at six. At 14 he discovered jazz and recorded his first jazz album at 20. Since then he’s recorded dozens more as a leader and […]

Pianist and leader William John Evans was born on New Jersey. Classically trained, Evans studied at Southeastern Louisiana University and the Mannes School of Music. After moving to New York, he worked as a sideman and recorded with Jerry Wald, Dick Garcia, Lucy Reed, George Russell, Tony Scott, Don Elliott, Joe Puma, Charles Mingus, Jimmy […]

Trumpeter, percussionist and bandleader Jerry Gonzalez was born on June 5 1949 in Bronx, New York. Gonzalez’s father sang in Latin bands, his uncle was a guitarist, and his younger brother Andy Gonzalez is a bassist who has often worked in Jerry’s bands. Jerry Gonzalez began playing trumpet when he was 12 and, inspired by […]

Alto saxophonist, soprano saxophonist, and clarinetist Paquito D’Rivera was born on June 4, 1948 in Havana, Cuba. D’Rivera studied at the Havana Conservatory of Music and by 17 was a featured soloist with the Cuba National Symphony. He was a founding member of Orquesta Cubana de Música Moderna which became “Irakere”, a group that mixed […]

Saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger, composer and bandleader Oliver Edward Nelson was born on June 4, 1932 in St. Louis, Missouri. Hearing music by Ravel and Hindesmith while stationed in Japan with the Marines inspired him to become a composer. After completing his Master’s degree in music theory and composition he worked as the house arranger at […]

Clarinetist and bandleader Benjamin David “Benny” Goodman was born on May 30, 1909 in Chicago, Illinois. A fast learner, he got his musicians union card at 13 and at 14 was playing in a band that featured Bix Beiderbecke. His success is well known, but not so well known was how long it took for […]

Guitarist and leader John McLaughlin was born January 4, 1942 in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. McLaughlin studied violin and piano before switching to guitar when he was 11. Always interested in many different styles, McLaughlin gained his early experience playing in England with Alexis Korner, Georgie Fame, Graham Bond and Brian Auger, performing swing, modern […]

Guitarist Joseph Passalacqua (Joe Pass) was born on January 13, 1929 in New Brunswick, NJ. He started playing guitar when he was nine, worked with Tony Pastor’s orchestra while still in high school, and was with the Charlie Barnet big band in 1947 before serving in the military. But after that fast start, the 1950s […]