Speaking of roses… Oh, we weren’t? Well, we are now. The resident rose expert around here informed me the other day that two famous roses are named in honor of Louis Armstrong. The same breeder developed both of them. His name is Sam McGredy (pictured), an Irishman who moved to New Zealand … [Read more...]

In a section of a Hank Jones master class DVD that was a 2008 Doug’s Pick, Jones critiqued budding jazz pianists. One of them was a 21-year-old Julliard graduate named Aaron Diehl. For Jones, Diehl played “I Cover The Waterfront” and Art Tatum’s arrangement of Massenet’s “Elegy.” Apart … [Read more...]

It seems unlikely that anyone who follows jazz closely has not encountered Mr. P.C., counselor to musicians who wish to do the right thing but are confused about what that is. However, it's tough to keep up with much of even the most valuable information in the bounty—not to say glut— of … [Read more...]

One Monday night in the ‘70s, I found myself seated at a table in the Village Vanguard with Manny Albam, listening to the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra. During a break, I said to him, “I wonder why you haven’t written something for this band.” “So do I,” he said. To my … [Read more...]

Outrage continues to grow in the Latin jazz community over the decision of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) to drop the Best Latin Jazz category from the annual Grammy awards. The NARAS Board of Governors this week decided to eliminate nearly a third of the award … [Read more...]

I had the middle part kind of vaguely in mind. I thought, "We could do this, but then we'd have to modulate again and we're already playing in 5/4 and six flats, and that's enough for one day's work." Fortunately, we tried it, and that's where you get the main part of the song.—Paul … [Read more...]

When Dave Brubeck and Paul Desmond took time out for tips from Indian musicians during their 1958 State Department tour, the exchange worked both ways. The Brubeck Quartet’s tour was an important component of the cultural diplomacy the United States practiced during the Cold War. Among other … [Read more...]

Jazz historian, composer, arranger, bandleader, educator and short sleeper Bill Kirchner writes: You've probably seen—or will see—the new "Jazz" U.S. postage stamp just issued. A year ago, I was a paid consultant on the design of it. The graphic artist's original design included a … [Read more...]

The violinist Billy Bang, who created himself as a jazz musician out of the trauma of the Vietnam war, died yesterday at 63. Inhabited by his combat experiences, his emotions wounded, Bang found relief and rehabilitation by returning to the violin he had studied as a child. He pursued an intensity … [Read more...]

Researching key signatures in performances of “Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams,” I made a discovery. Everyone else out there may have known about Olaf Polziehn, but he was new to me. After I heard him play the piece (in E-flat), further research turned up these facts: Polziehn is 40 years old. He … [Read more...]

Here is Thelonious Monk in Japan with Charlie Rouse, Butch Warren and Frankie Dunlop. Monk is in a dancing mood. That’s the bonus in this splendid performance of “Evidence.” The staff recommends full-screen viewing. Now, how can you not have a good weekend? … [Read more...]

Miscellany accumulates, each unrelated matter of some importance but too small for an item of its own. The solution—hardly an innovation—is to put them all in the same container, call it Odds And Ends and get the jumble out of my mind and into yours. More Help For Japan Following … [Read more...]

Since the previous exhibit doesn't give you a clear look at Jon Wikan’s cajon, here’s a picture of one. And here is a link to a Wikipedia article about the instrument's nature and history. … [Read more...]

Today is the 84th anniversary of Gerry Mulligan’s birth. He died in 1996 at the age of 68. There are many contexts in which to remember Mulligan—as a precocious teenaged arranger for Tommy Tucker, Elliott Lawrence and Gene Krupa; one of the key figures in the Birth of the Cool recordings; the … [Read more...]

The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra played to a packed Village Vanguard in New York in its Japan earthquake and tsunami benefit performance on Monday Night. The event streamed live on the internet and had hundreds of viewers, many of them in Japan. Guest artists included Barry Harris, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Lew … [Read more...]