Kevin Whitehead
Stories
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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.
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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.
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'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.
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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.
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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.
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'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.
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Remembering Roy Haynes, a jazz drummer known for his unfailing good taste
Haynes, who died Nov. 12, was a heavy hitter, whose limber beat could lift the bandstand. His 65-year recording career was studded with more classics than we have time to even hint at.
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Marking the centennial of jazz pianist Bud Powell
Born Sept. 27, 1924, Powell helped set the style for jazz piano after WWII. While earlier pianists played busy bass patterns, he helped establish a more fragmented, punctuating role for the left hand.
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'Fresh Air' marks the centennial of the 'Queen of Blues' Dinah Washington
