Today we lost a jazz lion, Freddie Hubbard. I've spent countless hours digesting his music and transcribing his solos so his death deeply touches me. His art was a major influence on my jazz vocabulary. If you don't own Speak No Evil, you're missing … [Read more...]
Meditating On The Musicians We Lost In 2008
The New York Times posted a beautiful sound collage featuring some of the musicians we lost in 2008. Just added to the list, Freddie Hubbard. … [Read more...]
Oscar Peterson Is Dead
How sad to read that Oscar Peterson is dead on Christmas Eve. He died yesterday at the age of 82. This video made the top peak performance articles of 2006. There's no doubt why. … [Read more...]
Graham English Talks Episode 9
In this episode I discuss today's death of Joe Zawinul, remembering 9/11, The return of Katie, Derren Brown, my Dwight Schrute video project, and my solo transcription of Cannonball Adderley. Download: Graham English Talks Episode 9 … [Read more...]
R.I.P. Max Roach
Max Roach, one of the original bebop drummers, died early this morning. He played with all the greatest jazz musicians: Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Coleman Hawkins, Bud Powell, and Miles Davis. I've personally spent many, many … [Read more...]
Michael Brecker Has Died
Jazz World Loses Sax Musician Michael Brecker Tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker died Saturday at the age of 57. The artist was one of the jazz world's most prolific studio musicians. He toured or performed with Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, and … [Read more...]
God Bless James Brown
It's not the news you want to wake up to on Christmas day. But the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, has died. … [Read more...]
Jazz Trumpeter Maynard Ferguson Dies
Jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson, known for his soaring high notes and for his hit recording of "Gonna Fly Now," which lent the musical muscle to the "Rocky" movies, has died. He was 78. Ferguson, who lived in Ojai, Calif., died last night (Aug. … [Read more...]
JonBenet Ramsey — Full Circle
Suspect says Ramsey death an accident: BANGKOK (Reuters) - An American primary school teacher accused of the grisly Christmas murder of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey in 1996 said on Thursday he loved the child beauty queen and her death was an … [Read more...]
Duke Jordan, 84, Jazz Pianist Who Helped to Build Bebop, Dies
Duke Jordan, a pianist whose work with the saxophonist Charlie Parker endures in the jazz canon, died on Tuesday in Valby, Denmark, a suburb of Copenhagen. He was 84, and he had lived in self-imposed exile from the United States since 1978, … [Read more...]