Discover the greatest stories from jazz history
The best stories and anecdotes from more than 100 years of jazz
Rare Footage of The 1959 Timex All-Star Jazz Show (Video)
In the late 1950s, American television rarely gave jazz musicians the space to simply play. Variety shows might feature a short … Read more
John Coltrane in Düsseldorf, 1960: Rare Television Footage from a Pivotal Year
By 1960, John Coltrane had already established himself as one of the most powerful improvisers in modern jazz. Yet the direction … Read more
Watch Cannonball Adderley Explain the Success of “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” to Dick Clark
Few jazz recordings from the 1960s crossed into the wider popular consciousness the way Mercy, Mercy, Mercy did. Released in 1966 … Read more
Video: Reunited after 30 years – Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington Share a Stage in 1961
Few moments in jazz feel as symbolic as seeing Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington performing together. That’s just what we’ve gort … Read more
Watch: The Airline Which Kicked Ella Fitzgerald Off A Flight
In the summer of 1954, Ella Fitzgerald was at the height of her powers. She had already become one of the … Read more
Jazz at the Super Bowl – The Good Old Days!
For most viewers today, the Super Bowl halftime show means pop spectacle: global stars, elaborate staging, and tightly choreographed medleys designed … Read more
From Room 335 to On Solid Ground: Larry Carlton’s Long Road Back After 1988
For most musicians, being shot in the neck and losing the use of one arm would be career-ending. For guitarist Larry … Read more
2026 Grammy Awards – The Jazz Winners
The 2026 Grammy Awards reaffirmed something essential about jazz: it is both a living tradition and an unfolding future. Across the … Read more
Gospel Jazz: 10 Singers Who Took Music From Church to Club
Many of jazz’s most expressive vocalists were shaped long before they ever stepped onto a bandstand. They learned to sing in … Read more
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