Discover the greatest stories from jazz history
The best stories and anecdotes from more than 100 years of jazz
Live on CBS: Grover Washington Jr.’s Final Performance
On the evening of December 17, 1999, Grover Washington Jr. was at CBS Studios in New York, recording a performance for … Read more
When Coltrane & Getz Shared the Stage: A Rare 1960 European Jam
Jazz history is often told through famous bands. Miles Davis’s First Great Quintet. The John Coltrane Quartet. Oscar Peterson’s trio. Stan … Read more
10 Essential Billy Strayhorn Tunes
Billy Strayhorn wrote “Take the ‘A’ Train” in 1939, a few months into a job with Duke Ellington that had no … Read more
Miles Davis Recorded Four Classic Albums in Two Days — To Get Out of His Contract
In 1956, Miles Davis had a problem most musicians would recognize: he owed his record label albums he no longer wanted … Read more
Stan Getz & The Brief Solo That Launched “The Sound”
Some jazz careers begin with a spectacular breakthrough. Others build more slowly, through a performance that gradually catches the attention of … Read more
Miles Davis Played a Pimp on Miami Vice. Here’s the Story.
Few people would have predicted that jazz legend Miles Davis’ first acting role would come in a network cop show. Fewer … Read more
Miles Davis and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
The 2006 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony was, by all accounts, something a mess. Blondie feuded onstage over which … Read more
Michael Brecker Proved the EWI Was More Than a Gimmick
When the Electronic Wind Instrument (EWI) first appeared in the early 1980s, plenty of musicians weren’t convinced. To some, it looked … Read more
What Was a Bourbon Street Jazz Club Really Like in the 1950s? Rare Footage Gives Us a Glimpse
Walk into a jazz club today and someone will almost certainly pull out a phone within minutes. In the early 1950s, … Read more
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