Some of the greatest albums in jazz history were born not out of months of careful planning, but a chance encounter or event. Miles Davis’ now-famous ’64 Concert was one of those, as this article explains… In February 1964, Miles Davis walked onto the stage of Philharmonic Hall in New York with a band that …
For all the stories of marathon practice sessions and gradual musical evolution, sometimes the smallest gesture changes the course of jazz history. That’s the case here: one small gift from Miles Davis redirected John Coltrane’s entire musical path… In early 1960, Miles Davis walked into a shop in Europe and bought a soprano saxophone. It …
The Charlie Parker blindfold test is a rare and early insight into the mind and ear of a true jazz genius. We’ve picked out some key highlights from the wide-ranging interview, with musical examples to go with it. See if you can guess, before the end, who it is he describes as ‘the other half …
Kenny G: the pantomime villain of the contemporary music scene. That may be true, but digging back to his early days—including the performance at the legendary Newport Jazz Fesival below—provides an interesting look at the man that jazz fans love to hate. There’s a particular kind of jazz fan who still shudders when Kenny G’s …
Far too often, child prodigies in any field burn out young, failing to fill their potential. Perhaps that’s what makes those early video clips of celebrated saxophonist Chris Potter so exciting. A fourteen year old boy, already sounding like a fully-formed professional, who’d go onto even greater things… When people talk about saxophonist Chris Potter …
The history of jazz is full of tragedy and addiction, but few stories are as heartbreaking as Chet Baker’s. Yet footage from his final weeks doesn’t just show a road-weary musician — it also reveals the quietly enduring brilliance that made his sound so distinctive. By the late 1980s, trumpeter Chet Baker had become something …
Who do you choose to perform for one of the greatest jazz musicians who ever lived? For the organisers of the 2017 Polar Music Prize in Stockholm, it was easy: a 32-year old saxophone prodigy from Norway. The video of his rendition of Beauty and the Beast shows how right they got it! When Wayne …
By the early 1980s, swing-era clarinettist Benny Goodman stood as one of the last great figures of the big band age — still active, still unmistakable. Audiences hadn’t forgotten him either. On The Merv Griffin Show, America’s most music-friendly chat host invited Goodman to share a few memories and lead his band through one more …
If (like us) you’re a fan of the great Sun Ra, this wide-ranging TV interview from the 1970s is a goldmine of other-worldly wonderings..! Finland wasn’t the obvious stage for cosmic philosophy, but by 1971 the Arkestra had become a global curiosity. Jazz festivals were beginning to open their doors to avant-garde performers, and Sun …
Miles Davis was never one to shy away from an honest opinion, was he?! In 1986, he appeared on the American talk show Time Out with Bill Boggs. He was there to discuss his new album Tutu… but one short exchange with a 13-year-old trumpeter ended up stealing the show. The student, introduced as “Little …