Kevin Whitehead
Stories
-
Celebrating 100 years (give or take) of jazz organist Jimmy Smith
Some books give Smith's birthdate as Dec. 8, 1925, but more recent sources cite 1928 as his birth year. Regardless, the late musician always delivered the goods, even as the beats behind him changed.
-
Joni Mitchell showcases her jazz connections on a new anthology
Of all the folk songsters from the 1960s, Mitchell has proven to have the strongest influence on jazz singers. Joni's Jazz features her collaborations with stars like Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock.
-
Marking the centennial of Art Pepper, a jazz saxophonist who played with heart
Sept. 1 marks what would have been Pepper's 100th birthday. Kevin Whitehead offers an appreciation of the jazz saxophonist, who started on clarinet at age 9. Pepper died in 1982.
-
Jazz artist James Moody would have been 100 this year
Moody made untold records over 63 years of recording, and really excelled as a live performer. 80 Years Young: Live at the Blue Note is a recording made on his 80th birthday in 2005.
-
Francis Davis, Jazz critic and Terry Gross' husband, dies at 78
Davis was jazz critic for The Village Voice and a contributing editor for The Atlantic. He wrote many books on jazz, and won a Grammy for his liner notes for the reissue of Miles Davis' Kind of Blue.
-
Jazz tenor saxophonist Gene Ammons would have turned 100 this week
Born on April 14, 1925, Ammons was a second-generation jazz musician from Chicago, who earned attention for his fiery work in Billy Eckstine's big band, and his staged duels with fellow saxophonists.
-
'The Moment of Truth' offers a solid portrait of Ella Fitzgerald on the road
The jazz singer's 1960s concert career is amply documented on record, with live albums from Berlin, LA, Tokyo and the French Riviera. Now comes a newly released concert of Fitzgerald in Oakland, Calif.
-
Marking the centennial of powerhouse jazz drummer Roy Haynes
Born March 13, 1925, Haynes was a drummer who liked to prod his fellow players. Over the course of his career, he played with Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Sarah Vaughan, Chick Corea and many others.
-
Remembering the jazz greats who died in 2024
From music producer Quincy Jones, to critic and archivist Dan Morgenstern, jazz historian Kevin Whitehead remembers just a few of the influential musicians and personalities we lost this year.
-
'Lights on a Satellite' revisits a three-set Sun Ra show from 1978
The Philadelphia bandleader didn't always connect with traditional jazz audiences, but he found a second home doing so in Baltimore. A new double album revisit a show he and his "Arkestra" gave there.