Jazz

The Jazz a la Mode Film Series resumes at Amherst Cinema tonight with an encore presentation of Anita O’Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer, a documentary that’s as gutsy and driven as its...

Archie Shepp The documentary, Miles Davis: The Birth of the Cool, will be shown in the American Masters series on PBS on February 25.  The film includes a scene in which Archie Shepp recalls...

May 24 was Archie Shepp’s 75th birthday.  I heard little fanfare about this milestone around the jazz watercooler, certainly nothing to compare with the silver anniversary celebrations of Miles Davis and...

Benny Golson, whom I had the pleasure of interviewing on July 25, said he was profoundly affected by the experience of seeing Lionel Hampton’s Orchestra with Arnett Cobb at the Earle Theater...

The two most memorable experiences I had hearing Art Blakey, whose 94th birthday anniversary is today, occurred in Western Massachusetts. The first took place at the Pines Theater Jazz Festival in Northampton...

Art Farmer holds a special place in my heart.  In 1978, the trumpeter was the first musician I ever interviewed on the radio, and he proved to be as gracious and responsive as one could wish.  Farmer...

Working Through John Coltrane’s Influence Art Pepper was born 90 years ago today in Los Angeles. The saxophonist’s life was scarred by violence and ravaged by drug addiction. He served time at...

Art Tatum If you’ve seen the Ken Burns documentary on jazz, or just about any other film related to jazz history, you’ve probably seen part of this footage of the Art Tatum Trio playing “Tiny’s...

Arthur Blythe They call me a producer/host in the staff directory at NEPR, but this week, like many others, I feel more like a eulogist. Two days after writing a memorial tribute to my friend and jazz...

As a producer and impresario, Norman Granz was full of great ideas.  Among his inspired initiatives were Jazz at the Philharmonic; the documentary Jammin’ the Blues; pairing two...