Search results for

Dexter Gordon, considered by some to be the first great bebop stylist on tenor saxophone, recorded most of the songs on Settin' the Pace when he was in his mid-twenties. Gordon was already a pro by this time, having played with Lionel Hampton's band and Nat "King" Cole while still a teenager.

Guitarist Jim Hall's career spanned five decades. A founding member of the Chico Hamilton Quintet (1955-1956), Hall later toured with Ella Fitzgerald and performed duos with Lee Konitz. In 1963, Hall joined with Bill Evans to record a classic piano/guitar duo session, Undercurrent.

Such Sweet Thunder combines two master artists: Duke Ellington and William Shakespeare. A twelve-part suite based on the Bard's plays and sonnets, the album brings Lady Macbeth to life as a ragtime melody.

Legendary clarinetist Benny Goodman has more than eighty albums to his name. Unlike many Goodman records, Ken Burns' JAZZ Series: Benny Goodman contains samples of work from his earlier and later years. The album also has most of Goodman's big band hits, including "Sing, Sing, Sing."

In 1960, "the first lady of song," Ella Fitzgerald, recorded the album that Murray Horwitz calls "his favorite Ella Fitzgerald performance of all time." Wishes You a Swinging Christmas includes classic holiday pieces by Irving Berlin and Mitchell Parish.

The name of this CD is Lee Konitz with Wayne Marsh, but Lennis Tristano is probably its greatest influence. Appearing on half the tracks, piano innovator Tristano played a major role in influencing the album's other musicians away from a traditional, frantic bebop sound.

While working in Miles Davis' first classic quintet, Red Garland made several exemplary recordings as part of a trio. On A Garland of Red, Garland made his first appearance as a trio leader, revealing his own improvisational style.

Norwegian composer Jan Garbarek blends jazz, atmospheric ambient music and European folk traditions, making his music tough to classify. Critic Jim Fusilli says that on his latest CD, In Praise of Dreams, Garbarek heads even further into the ether.

Earl "Fatha" Hines, often credited with establishing the piano as a solo instrument, revolutionized the 1920s "stride" piano style by playing unusual accents with his left hand. By the time Hines recorded '65 Piano Solo , he had perfected his piano technique into a mellow and modern sound.

Music critic Michelle Mercer spent nearly three years working on a biography of jazz legend Wayne Shorter. In the process, she learned a lot about Shorter, his music — and the importance of the silence between sounds.