jazz musicians

Alphonse Mouzon was one of the early leaders of the jazz fusion movement of the late ’60’s and early ’70’s. Mouzon was a versatile drummer who influenced other musicians beyond the genres of jazz and R&B. SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER:  Mouzon was born November 21, 1948 in Charleston, S.C. After taking to music in […]

Mary Lou Williams was a jazz pianist who performed with and arranged songs for several jazz legends in her time. The Atlanta-born, Pittsburgh-raised musician was born May 8, 1910. Mary Elfrieda Scruggs was known in her Pittsburgh neighborhood as a child prodigy, earning the nickname “The Little Piano Girl” while playing for some of the […]

Shirley Horn was a classically trained pianist and vocalist who forged a friendship with jazz legend Miles Davis, enjoying a career resurgence in her late ‘40s. The Washington, D.C. native was born May 1, 1934. Horn began studying piano at the age of four. She studied composition and piano at the Howard University Junior School […]

Eubie Blake was one of the popular pianists and composers of the early 20th Century, and helped usher in the ragtime sound of that era. Today is the Baltimore native’s birthday. James Hubert Blake was born in 1887 and raised in Baltimore. He began playing music at a young age, getting lessons from a local […]

Roy Hargrove may not have been a mainstream name but in the world of jazz and music period, the virtuosic trumpeter was rightfully regarded as a major talent. Hargrove passed away last weekend, reportedly from cardiac arrest. Born on October 16, 1969, he raised primarily in the Dallas, Texas area. As a student at Booker […]

Jazz music has no shortage of eccentric characters among its ranks, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk was right in step with many of the masters of his time. Today is the talented multi-instrumentalist’s birthday and we look back at a life that ended far too short. Ronald Theodore Kirk was born on this day in 1935 […]

Hearts are heavy in South Africa and across the world as the world mourns the loss of iconic jazz trumpeter Hugh Masekela. The South African musician and anti-apartheid activist passed after a long battle with prostate cancer, leaving behind a dazzling array of work. Hugh Ramapolo Masekela was born April 4, 1939 in Witbank, South […]

The jazz world is in mourning after news that composer and pianist Geri Allen has died. The University of Pittsburgh educator has worked with some of the genre’s notable players, and was herself an influential figure. Allen, a native of Detroit, celebrated her 60th birthday on June 12.  In high school, she was mentored by […]

The loss of jazz vocalist legend Al Jarreau sent ripples throughout the music world after news of his passing on Sunday. The legendary singer enjoyed a history-making career, becoming the first artist to win a Grammy Award across three different categories. Alwin Lopez Jarreau was born March 12, 1940 in Milwaukee, Wisc. The son of […]

  Sidney Bechet is considered by some jazz experts to be the greatest soprano saxophonist ever and he was equally adept with the clarinet as well. Bechet was also a hothead who had legal issues that would eventually plague his career. Bechet was born May 14, 1897 in New Orleans, La. As a member of […]

  Tampa jazz legend Julian “Cannonball” Adderley became proficient in playing the alto saxophone during his time in the Florida town. But it was his move to New York that gave way to his connections with jazz giants Miles Davis, George Duke and Yusef Lateef. Adderley was born September 15, 1928, earning his nickname by […]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gerald Wilson, the dynamic jazz big band leader, composer and arranger whose career spanned more than 75 years, has died. He was 96. Wilson’s son, jazz guitarist Anthony Wilson, said his father died Monday at his Los Angeles home from pneumonia. The big band leader began his career in the late […]