It’s hard to underestimate the impact that iconic composer, pianist and bandleader Duke Ellington had on the development of jazz to where it is today. Unsurprisingly, he’s a popular subject amongst jazz biographers and, in this article, we’ve highlighted six of the best books about Duke Ellington. A multi-faceted musician, the various booked about Duke …
The Harlem Renaissance is the name given to a period in the early 20th Century from the 1910s to the mid-1930s which marked an explosion of African American culture emanating from the New York neighbourhood of Harlem. Whilst the term covers a wide range of artistic and societal topics in black history, jazz was perhaps …
The personal stories of the jazz greats are often just as exciting, entertaining and emotional as the music they created. In this article, we’ll look at some of the best movies about jazz, from documentaries and biopics to fictional films. From the early days of bebop, jazz has intrigued artists from across various creative disciplines. …
If ragtime was the seed of jazz, then stride piano was the flower that pollinated the future of the music. In this post, we’ll be taking a tour through some of the key figures in the development of this style of jazz and a selection of essential stride piano recordings. Like many music forms, stride …
1959 was a seismic year in the history of jazz music. It saw the arrival of several timeless classics (not least ‘Giant Steps‘ and ‘Kind of Blue‘) and is frequently heralded by critics and fans as the greatest year in jazz. Pioneering releases by the likes of John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman and Charles …
Drenched in emotion, struggle and triumph, the history of jazz reveals a style of music which has evolved at lightening pace over the last 100 years. In this article we chart its course to answer a question which has occupied musicians and listeners for decades, both on a practical and a philosophical level: what is …
The guitar is no stranger to Latin music and, as part of our series on the different types of jazz, we’re diving into some of the key players and albums who popularised the Afro-Cuban side of Latin Jazz. Much has been written, recorded and documented about the guitar’s evolution in the Latin Jazz style which …
Great jazz music didn’t appear in a vacuum and in this article we’ve picked 10 books which allow the reader to get deeper into jazz history. The goal? To discover the people and the situations which led to the evolution of the music we love. Whether you’re an artist, fan or just starting to learn …
As part of the Jazzfuel series on the different types of jazz, we take a journey back in time to the early days of the music, to discover the key players and recordings of Dixieland Jazz. Whilst Louis Armstrong may be the key artist connected to this joyous music, there are many more legendary names …
As part of our round up of the different types of jazz, we’re taking a trip into the melting pot that resulted in what we now call Latin Jazz. Stay tuned for 10 of the best latin jazz artists and albums of all time! Jazz has always featured a myriad of cultural influences, dating back to …