National Endowment for the Arts NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS The National Endowment for the Arts is the largest annual hinder of the arts in the United States. An independent federal agency, the NEA is the official arts organization of the United States government, dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established; bringing the arts to all Americans; and providing leadership in arts education. National Endowment for the Arts America's Highest Honor in Jazz Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries http://archive.org/details/neajazzmastersamOOnati A Message from the Chairman Since its creation in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts has worked to further one of the country's greatest artistic inventions — jazz. The Arts Endowment's first grant in the jazz field went to George Russell (who became an NEA Jazz Master in 1990), one of the great jazz composers and theorists who helped to further jazz not only musically but academically. Since that first grant, funding has exploded from an annual budget of $20,000 in 1970 to more than $2.8 million in 2005. Our premier program in jazz is the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowships. In 1982, the NEA created this lifetime achievement award to recognize and reward jazz musicians who have had a major impact on the art form. Since then, 87 of jazz's greatest living artists have been honored as NEA Jazz Masters and during this time, the award has come to be regarded as the nation's highest honor in jazz. To further expand the audiences for jazz, the Arts Endowment expanded the NEA Jazz Masters initiative to include three significant new components: NEA Jazz Masters on Tour, which brings awardees to various venues throughout all 50 states; NEA Jazz in the Schools, a curriculum for high school students that explores jazz as an art form and way to understand American history, developed in partnership with Jazz at Lincoln Center and with support from the Verizon Foundation; and a broadcasting program to provide greater public access to this great American art form on both television and radio. The National Endowment for the Arts believes these musicians and this music deserve the greatest possible recognition. The musicians who have won this award have not only shared then art with U.S. audiences, but have spread this intrinsically American music all over the world. Jazz may well be considered America's most influential and distinguished musical export, and these NEA Jazz Masters are the eminent ambassadors who promote and practice this vibrant and vital part of our nation's cultural heritage. QUAfc H^^ Dana Gioia Chairman National Endowment for the Arts Table of Contents Introduction 1 A Brief History of the Program 3 Program Overview 5 2006 NEA Jazz Masters 7 NEA Jazz Masters 1982-2005 (Year Fellowship Awarded) David Baker (2000) 16 Danny Barker (1991) 17 Count Basie (1983) 18 Louie Bellson( 1994) 19 Art Blakey( 1988) 20 Cleo Brown (1987) 21 Ray Brown (1995) 22 Dave Brubeck (1999) 23 Kenny Burrell (2005) 24 Donald Byrd (2000) 25 Benny Carter (1986) 26 Betty Carter (1992) 27 Ron Carter (1998) 28 Kenny Clarke (1983) 29 Buck Clayton (1991) 30 Ornette Coleman (1984) 31 Miles Davis (1984) 32 Dorothy Donegan (1992) 33 Paquito D'Rivera (2005) 34 Sweets Edison (1992) 35 Roy Eldridge (1982) 36 Gil Evans (1985) 37 Art Farmer (1999) 38 Ella Fitzgerald (1985) 39 Tommy Flanagan (1996) 40 Frank Foster (2002) 41 Dizzy Gillespie (1982) 42 Benny Golson (1996) 43 Dexter Gordon (1986) 44 Jim Hall (2004) 45 Chico Hamilton (2004) 46 Lionel Hampton (1988) 47 Slide Hampton (2005) 48 I ferbie l lancock (2004) 49 NEA Jazz Masters Barry Harris (1989) 50 Roy Haynes (1995) 51 Jimmy Heath (2003) 52 Percy Heath (2002) 53 Joe Henderson (1999) 54 Luther Henderson (2004) 55 Jon Hendricks (1993) 56 Nat Hentoff (2004) 57 Billy Higgins (1997) 58 Milt Hinton (1993) 59 Shirley Horn (2005) 60 Milt Jackson (1997) 61 Ahmad Jamal (1994) 62 J.J. Johnson (1996) 63 Elvin Jones (2003) 64 Hank Jones (1989) 65 Jo Jones (1985) 66 Andy Kirk (1991) 67 John Lewis (2001) 68 Abbey Lincoln (2003) 69 MelbaListon(1987) 70 Jackie McLean (2001) 71 Marian McPartland (2000) 72 Carmen McRae (1994) 73 Jay McShann (1987) 74 James Moody (1998) 75 Anita O'Day (1997) 76 Max Roach (1984) 77 Sonny Rollins (1983) 78 George Russell (1990) 79 Artie Shaw (2005) 80 Wayne Shorter (1998) 81 Horace Silver (1995) 82 Jimmy Smith (2005) 83 Sun Ra (1982) 84 Billy Taylor (1988) 85 Cecil Taylor (1990) 86 Clark Terry (1991) 87 McCoy Tyner (2002) 88 Sarah Vaughan (1989) 89 George Wein (2005) 90 Rand) Weston (20Q1) 91 Joe Williams (1993) 92 Gerald Wilson (1990) 93 Nancy Wilson (2004) 94 fedd) Wilson (1986) 95 NEA Jazz Masters by Year 97 ri N. Introduction THERE IS GENERAL AGREEMENT THAT THE United States has produced three original art forms: movies, modern dance, and jazz. All speak to the genius of American culture. Film is indicative of our ability to convert new technology into a medium for mass consumption, frequently achieving the status of high art. Modern dance, an indigenous kinesthetic art capable of an unbounded range of expression, from treatments of contemporary issues to pure abstraction. And then there is jazz. Jazz lives at the very center of the American vernacular. It is the gift of the generations of new urban African American people whose capacity for the synthesis of diverse strains of musical forms brought schottisches, quadrilles, habaneras, and marches into the bases of the blues and ragtime to create a whole new way of making music. It was built on the discipline of collective improvisation, a remarkable skill when you think about it, which allowed for maximum expression of the individual within the context of the group. Jazz is democratic and virtually without hierarchy: the composer is one more collaborator in the group, and even bandleaders do not stand above the soloists. These qualities are entirely appropriate for what is best about America. The old jazz principle that "you've got to make it new" is so American that it could go on the dollar bill. These defining qualities have made jazz arguably the United States' most wel- comed cultural export. It has taken root wherever it has been planted, moving into and becoming a part of the cultures of other countries and then becoming an aspect of their national expression, in the way that Russian jazz is vastly different from Afro-Cuban jazz. Some years ago, just after apartheid had fallen, I heard a young South African ensemble that com- prised an Indian pianist, a tabla player, a white female flutist, and a black bassist. Distinct traces of each of these musicians' heritages were audible in their solos, yet they performed with intimate ease. I thought, how marvelous that, as these young peo- ple are at a point in history when they can speak to each other as equals, jazz provides the vocabulary. It is no accident that jazz has been a favored medium of cultural diplomacy. For decades, Willis Conover's jazz series on the Voice of America kept ears open to the United States Information Agency (I JSIA) all over the world. Uncounted numbers ol jazz musicians have traveled abroad under the NEA Jazz Masters auspices of the State Department. Many of the National Endowmenl lor the Arts Jazz Masters, such as Dizzy Gillespie, Randy Weston, and Billy Taylor, ba\ e toured the globe as our cultural representatives. The NEA Jazz Masters Fellowships program was created to say to jazz musicians that their govern- ment values the way that they keep our culture rich by continually producing such fabulous music. Mastery is a difficult status to achieve. No creative discipline has more than a few true masters, for it takes exceptional talent, dedication, hard work, and opportunitv to become one. NEA Jazz Masters have demonstrated these qualities and more. The National Endowment for the Arts is honored to recognize these great artists for the outstanding contributions thev have made to American culture. A. B. Spellman Poet and Author, Four Jazz Lives Former Deputy Chairman for Guidelines & Panel Operations National Endowment for the Arts 2 NKA -\.\jj. rVLifltera NEA Jazz Masters Dizzy Gillespie and Max Roach, 1956. A Brief History of the Program A MELDING OF AFRICAN AND EUROPEAN music and cultures, jazz was born in America, a new musical form that used rhythm, improvisation, and instruments in unique and exciting ways. Jazz came to prominence in the early 20th century when recording techniques made it possible for many more people to hear the music. By the 1930s and 1940s, jazz had become America's dance music, selling albums and performance tickets at dizzying rates. But by the 1950s, with the advent of rock and roll and the tilt in jazz toward bebop rather than the more popular swing, jazz began a decline in its popularity. It was still seen as an important and exciting art form, but by an increas- ingly smaller audience. By the 1960s, when the National Endowment for the Arts was created hy Congress, jazz album sales were down and jazz performances were becoming more difficult to find. The music, starting with bebop and into hard hop and free jazz, became more cere- bral and less dance-oriented, focusing on freeing up improvisation and rhythm. It was moving to a new artistic level, and if this high quality were to be maintained, il would need some assistance. NEA assistance to the jazz field began in 1969, with its first grant in jazz awarded to pianist/ composer George Russell (who would later go on to receive an NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship in 1990). In a decade, jazz funding went from $20,000 in 1970 to $1.5 million in 1980, supporting jazz festivals and concert seasons, special projects and services to the field, and fellowships for performance, composition, and jazz study. At the same time, the pioneers of the field were rapidly aging, and often dying without the recogni- tion of their contribution to this great American art form. Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, two of the giants of jazz in terms of both musicianship and composition, both died in the early 1970s without the importance of their contributions being fully acknowledged and appreciated. The National Endowment for the Arts created a new program in 1982 to recognize these artists for their lifelong contributions to and mastery of jazz: American Jazz Masters Fellowships (now called NEA Jazz Masters). These would be awarded to musicians who have reached an exceptionally high standard of achievement in this very specialized art form. In NEA Jazz Masters addition to the recognition, the NEA initially included a monetary award of $20,000 for each fellowship. The rigors of making a living in the jazz field are well documented. Jazz is an art form to which the free market has not been kind. Despite their unparalleled contributions to American art, many of the jazz greats worked for years just barely scraping by. For some, the monetary award provided a much needed infusion of income. Demonstrating just how necessary the program was, Thelonious Sphere Monk — one of the great American composers and musicians — was nominated for a Jazz Master Fellowship in the first year of the program, but unfortunately passed away before the announcement was made. The three who were chosen certainly lived up to the criteria of artistic excellence and significance to the art form: Roy Eldridge, Dizzy Gillespie, and Sun Ra. The panel in that first year included stellar jazz musicians themselves, including some future NEA Jazz Masters: trumpeter Donald Byrd and saxophonists Frank Foster, Chico Freeman, Jackie McLean, and Archie Shepp. In addition, Riverside record company owner Orrin Keepnews was on the panel. From that auspicious beginning, the program has continued to grow and provide increased awareness of America's rich jazz heritage. The recipients of NEA Jazz Masters Fellowships cover all aspects of the music: from boogie-woogie (Cleo Brown) to swing (Count Basie, Andy Kirk, Jay McShann); from bebop (Dizzy Gillespie, Kenny Clarke) to Dixieland (Danny Barker); from free jazz (Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor) to cool jazz (Miles Davis, Gil Evans, Ahmad Jamal); and everywhere in between. What ties all these styles together is a foundation in the blues, a reliance on group interplay, and unpredictable improvisation. Throughout the years, and in all the different styles, these musicians have demonstrated the talent, creativity, and dedication that make them NEA Jazz Masters. 4 NKA .hvy. Mjisters National Endowment for the Arts 1991 American Jazz Masters Fellowship Awards Buck Hill (sax) and NEA Jazz Master Clark Terry (flugelhorn) at the 1 991 Awards ceremony. Program Overview The National Endowment for the Arts recognizes the importance of jazz as one of the great American art forms of the 20th century. As part of its efforts to honor those distinguished artists whose excellence, impact, and significant contribution in jazz have helped keep this important tradition and art form alive, the Arts Endowment annually awards NEA Jazz Masters Fellowships, the highest honor that our nation bestows upon jazz musicians. Each fellowship award is $25,000. The NEA Jazz Masters initiative has expanded in recent years to include a two-CD anthology of NEA Jazz Masters music by the Verve Music Group; the 50-state NEA Jazz Masters on Tour program, sponsored by Verizon, that includes community events and signings held at local Borders stores in connection with performances through a new partnership with Borders Books & Music; radio and television programming in partnership with National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting System; and NEA Jazz in the Schools, a new curriculum for high school students, developed in partnership with Jazz at Lincoln Center and supported by the Verizon Foundation. The selection criteria for the fellowships remain the same: musical excellence and significance of the nominees' contributions to the jazz art form. The Arts Endowment will continue to honor a range of styles, musical instruments, vocalists, and composer/arrangers when making the awards, but now awards fellowships by category: rhythm instru- mentalist, solo instrumentalist, vocalist, keyboardist, arranger/composer, and the A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Award for Jazz Advocacy, which will be given to an individual who has made major contri- butions to the appreciation, knowledge, and advancement of jazz. Fellowships are awarded to living artists on the basis of nominations from the public, including the jazz community. The recipients must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States. An individual may submit only one nomination each year, and nominations are made by submitting a one-page letter detailing the reasons that the nomi- nated artist should receive an NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship. Nominations remain active for five years, being reviewed annually during this period. More information on submitting a nomination and all the components of the NEA Jazz Masters initiative is available on the NEA Web site: www.neajazzmasters.org. NEA Jazz Masters k NEA Jazz Masters Ron Carter, Tony Bennett, and Wayne Shorter at a 1993 inauqural ball. 2006 RHYTHM INSTRUMENTALIST Ray Barretto )SER M)l(> INSTRUMENTALIST 1ENTALIST A B SPELLMAN NEA JAZZ MASTERS AWARD FOR : ADVOCACY Bob Brookm KEYBOARDIST Chick Corea Names in bold in biographies denote NEA Jazz Masters awardees. All recordings listed in Selected Discography are under the artist's name unless otherwise noted. Years listed under recordings in Selected Discography denote the years the recordings were made. arretto PERCUSSIONIST BANDLEADER Born April 29. 1929 in Brooklyn. NY The most widely recorded conguero in jazz, Ray Barretto grew up listening to the music of Puerto Rico and the swing bands of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Benny Goodman. Barretto credits Dizzy Gillespie's recording of "Manteca," featuring conguero Chano Pozo, with his decision to become a professional musician. I [e first sat in on jam sessions at the ( )i l.mdo. a GI jazz club in Munich. In 1949. after military service, he returned to Harlem and taught himself to play the drums, getting his first regular job with Eddie Bonnemere's Latin Jazz Combo. Barretto then played for four years with Cuban bandleader/pianist lose* Curbelo. In L957, he replaced Mongo Santamaria in Tito Puente's band, with which he Mi ended his first album. Dance Mania. After four years with Puente, he me "i the most sought-after percussionists in New 'lurk, attending jam sessions with artists including Max Roai 1 1 lil.ikrv and recording with Sonnj Stitt. Lou d ( iarland, Gene Amnions. Eddie "Lockjaw" mbaH Adderley, Freddie Hubbard. CaJ Tjader, larretto was so mu( h in demand that ^DDISCOG^ in 1960, he was a house musician for the Prestige, Blue Note, and Riverside record labels. Barretto's first job as a bandleader came in 1961. when Riverside producer Orrin Keepnews asked him to form a charanga for a recording, Pachanga With Barretto. Charanga Moderna, "Tico, 1 962 Hard Hands. Fania, 1968 Rican/Strucuon. Fania, 1979 Ancestral Messages, Concord Picante, 1992 Homage to Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Sunnyside, 2002 His next album, Charanga Moderna. featured "El Watusi," which became the first Latin number to penetrate Billboard's Top-20 chart. In 1963, "El Watusi" went gold. In 1975 and 1976, Barretto earned back-to- back Grammy nominations for his albums Barretto (with the prize-winning hit "Guarere") and Barretto Live... Tomorrow. His 1979 album for Fania. Bican/Struction. considered a classic of salsa, was named Best Album (1980) by Latin N.Y. magazine, and Barretto was named Conga Player of the Year. He won a Grammy Award in 1990 for the song "Ritmo en el Corazon" with Celia Cmz. Ray Barretto was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame in 1999. He was voted Jazz Percussionist of 2004 by the Jazz Journalists Association and won the Down Bent critics poll for percussion in 2005. His recording 7Ime Was, lime Is was nominated for a 2005 Grammv Award. 8 NEA A:\yy. Masters " ■ v \ hte p > Ico VOCALIST emiett Born August 3, 1926 in Queens, NY Called "the best singer in the business" by Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett was born as Anthony Dominick Benedetto in 1926 in the Astoria section of Queens, New York. By age 10, he had attracted such notice that he was tapped to sing at the opening ceremony for the Triborough Bridge. He attended the High School of Industrial Arts, worked as a singing waiter, and then per- formed with military bands during his Army service in World War II. After the war, he continued his vocal studies formally at the American Theatre Wing school and infor- mally in the 52nd Street jazz clubs. His break came in 1949, when Bob Hope saw him working in a Greenwich Village club with Pearl Bailey, invited him to join his show at the Paramount, and changed his stage name to Tony Bennett. Bennett's recording career began in 1950, when he signed with the Columbia label, with the number one hit "Because of You," followed by his cover of Hank Williams's "Cold, Cold Heart." With a string of hits to his credit, Bennett was able to exert greater artistic influence over his recordings, allowing him to express his interest in jazz, notably The Beat of My Heart, on which he was accompanied primarily with jazz percus- sionists, and In Person with Count Basie and I lis Orchestra. The Beat of My Heart, Columbia, 1 957 In Person with Count Basie and His Orchestra, Columbia, 1958 The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album, Column!? 1975 On Holiday: A Tribute to Billie Holiday, Columbia, 1996 In 1962, Bennett recorded "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," the song that would become his signature, and for which he won Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Solo Male Vocal Performance. Over the next years, while putting out singles and albums that were consistently among the most popular in the country, he continued to infuse his singing with the spontaneity of jazz and to record and tour with bands composed almost exclusively of jazz musicians. In the 1970s, Bennett formed his own record company and made albums including two duet recording with pianist Bill Evans. His 1992 release, Perfectly Frank, a tribute to Frank Sinatra, and 1993 Steppin' Out, a tribute to Fred Astaire, went gold and won him back-to-back Grammy Awards. Bennett received Grammy's highest award, Album of the Year, in 1994 for his live recording, MTV Unplugged, and was honored with their Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001. He continues to perform to sold-out audiences throughout the world, appearing with his stellar jazz quartet. Playin with my Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues, Columbia, 2001 NEA Jazz Musters 9 Born December 19, 1929 in Kansas City, MO eyer TROMBONIST PIANIST COMPOSER ARRANGER EDUCATOR An innovative composer and gifted arranger for both small and large ensembles, as well as an outstanding performer on valve trombone and piano, Bob Brookmeyer bas been making music for more than 50 years. A professional performer with dance bands since the age of 14. be studied composition for three years at the Kansas City ( lonservatory of Music, where he won the Carl Busch Prize for ( horal Composition. In the early 1950s, he traveled to New York .is a pianisl witb Tex Benecke and Mel Lewis and stayed on in freelance witb artists including Pee Wee Russell, Ben Webster, and Coleman Hawkins. After .i period witb Claude Tbornhill. Brookmeyer joined Stan ( !etz in late 1952, an association that took him to California, where ( lerrj Mulligan asked him to join bis quartet. Brookmeyer gained renown as a member of that '4r Brookmeyer has received grants in composi- tion from the National Endowment for Uie Arts and nominations from NARAS for composing and performing, and be was commissioned by the 12 Cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic to write a piece for an EMI disc featuring trumpet player Till Broenner. A new concert- length piece for the New Art Orchestra will be recorded in January 2006. 10 NEA.J. KEYBOARDIST COMPOSER ARRANGER Corea Born June 12, 1941 in Chelsea, MA <$ Now He Sobs. Now He Sings, Blue Note, 1968 Return to Forever, ECM, 1972 Live in Montreux, Stretch, 1981 Eye of the Beholder, GPP, 1W8 Rendezvous in New York, Stretch, 2001 A groundbreaking artist both as a keyboardist (piano, electric piano, synthesizer) and as a composer-arranger, Chick Corea has moved fluidly among jazz, fusion, and classical music throughout a four-decade career, winning national and international honors including 12 Grammy Awards. He ranks with Herbie Hancock and Keith Jarrett as one of the lead- ing piano stylists to emerge after Bill Evans and McCoy Tyner, and he has composed such notable jazz standards as "Spain," "La Fiesta," and "Windows." Corea began playing piano and drums at an early age and enjoyed a childhood home filled with the music of Bud Powell, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Lester Young, as well as Mozart and Beethoven. From 1962 to 1966 he gained experience playing with the bands of Mongo Santamaria and Will if; Bobo, Blue Mitchell. I [erbie Mann, and Stan Getz. He made his recording debut as a leader with Tones For Joan's Bones (1966) and in 1968 recorded the classic trio album Now He Sings, Now He Sobs with Miroslav Vitoua and Roy Haynes. Following a short period with Sarah Vaughan, Corea then joined Miles Davis' group, gradually replacing Herbie Hancock. Davis persuaded Corea to play electric piano on the influential albums Filles $P ^^> de Kilimanjaro, In a Silent Way. Bitches Brew, and Kilimanjaro, In a Silent Way, Miles Davis at the Fillmore. In 1971, Corea formed the ensemble Return to Forever with Stanley Clarke on bass, Flora Purim on vocals, her husband Airto Moreira on drums, and foe Farrell on reeds. Within a year, the samba-flavored group had become an innovative, high-energy electric fusion band, incorporating the firepower of drummer Lenny White and guitarist Al DiMeola. Spearheaded by Corea 's distinctive style on Moog synthesizer, Return to Forever led the mid-1970s fusion move- ment with albums such as Where Have I Known You Bejbre, Bomantic Warrior, and the Grammy Award-win- ning No Mysteiy. In 1985, Corea formed a now fusion group, The Elektric Band, and a few years later he formed The Akoustic Band. In 1992, he established his own record label, Stretch Records. On the occasion of his 60th birthday in 2001, Corea pul together an unprecedented musical gathering al the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City. The three-week evenl resulted in a double CD, Rendezvous in New York, and a two-hour film of the same name. He continues to create projects in multifaceted settings for listeners around the world. NEA Jazz Mastei-s 1 1 eFranco CLARINETIST EDUCATOR Born February 17, 1923 in Camden, NJ A brilliant improviser and prodigious ti 'clinician who has bridged the swing and bebop eras. Buddy DeFranco was born in Camden, New Jersey and raised in South Philadelphia, and began playing tbe clarinet at age nine. At 14, he won a national Tommy Dorsey Swing Contest and appeared on the Saturday Niglit Swing Club with Gene Krupa. Johnny "Scat" Davis soon tapped him for his big band, inaugurating DeFranco's road career in 1939. DeFranco subsequently played in the bands of Gene Krupa (1941] and Charlie Barnel (1942-43) and in i'i44 hi'i ame a featured soloist with Tommy l)nrs.-\. Meanwhile, the modern jazz revolution was in led bj Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. Excited li\ the improvisatory freedom of their music, DeFranco me the Brsl jazz i larinetisl to make his mark in the new idiom ol bebi In ' rani o joined the famous Count Basie Septet with Billie Holidaj in 1954, led a quartet \ii Blakey, Kenny Drew, and Eugene I w ith TOmmj Gumina in a quartet musii . further solidifying his repu- I 111 i.m " His other notable concert have included dates with Ari irker, Dizzj Gillespie. Stan Mr. Clarinet, Norgran, 1953 Cooking the Blues. Verve, 1955 Blues Bag. Affinity, 1964 Wart. Pablo/OJC, 1985 Do Nothing Jill You Hear From Us, Concord Jazz. 1998 Getz. Lenny Tristano. Billy Eckstine, Barney Kessel. Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, Mel Torme. Louie Bellson, Oscar Peterson, and the John Pizzarelli Trio, as well as several Metronome All-Star sessions. He was a featured artist in numerous Jazz at the Philharmonic tours of Europe, Australia, and East Asia. In 1966. he became the leader of the Glenn Miller Orchestra, a post he maintained until 1974. Since the mid-1970s. DeFranco has combined a busy teaching career with extensive touring and recording. His numer- ous television performances have included appearances on The Tonight Show with botJi Steve Allen and Johnny Carson. He was a featured soloist on Stars of Jazz: had his own program on public television. 77ie DeFranco Jazz Forum; and with his long-time musical colleague, vibraphonist Terry Gibbs, shared the spotlight on a segment of the PBS series Club Date. DeFranco has played at concerts and festivals throughout the United States, Europe, Australia. New Zealand. South Africa. Brazil, and Argentina. To date, he has recorded more than 160 albums, has won the Down Beat All Stars award 20 times, and the Metronome poll 12 times. The University of Montana. Missoula, now hosts The Buddy DeFranco Jazz Festival eat h April. 12 NEA Jazz Mas TRUMPETER ubbard Born April 7, 1938 in Indianapolis, One of the greatest trumpet virtuosos ever to play in the jazz idiom, and arguably one of the most influen- tial, Freddie Hubbard played mellophone and then trumpet in his school band and studied at the Jordan Conservatory with the principal trumpeter of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. As a teenager, he worked with Wes and Monk Montgomery and eventually founded his own band, the Jazz Contemporaries, with bassist Larry Ridley and saxophonist James Spaulding. After moving to New York in 1958, he quickly astonished fans and critics alike with his depth and maturity, playing with veteran artists Philly Joe Jones, Sonny Rollins, Slide Hampton, J.J. Johnson, Eric Dolphy, and Quincy Jones, with whom he toured Europe. In June 1960, on the recommenda- tion of Miles Davis, he recorded his first solo album, Open Sesame, for Blue Note records, just weeks after his 22nd birthday. Within the next 10 months, he recorded two more albums, Goin' Up and Hub Cap, and then in August 1961 made what many consider to be his masterpiece, Ready for Freddie, which was also his first Blue Note collaboration with Wayne Shorter. That same year, Hubbard joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, replacing Lee Morgan. By now, he had indisputably developed his own sound and had won Down Beat "New Star" award on trumpet. Hubbard remained with the Jazz Messengers until 1964, when he left to form his own small group, which over the next years featured Kenny Barron and Louis Hayes. Throughout the 1960s, Hubbard also played in bands led by other legends, including Max Roach, and was a significant presence on the Blue Note recordings of Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Hank Mobley. Hubbard was also featured on four classic, groundbreaking 1960s sessions: Ornette Coleman's Free Jazz, Oliver Nelson's Blues and the Abstract Truth, Eric Dolphy's Out to Lunch, and John Coltrane's Ascension. In the 1970s, Hubbard achieved his greatest popular success with a series of crossover albums on Atlantic and CTI Records, including the Grammy Award-winning First Light. He returned to acoustic hard bop in 1977 when he toured with the V.S.O.R quintet, which teamed him with the members of Miles Davis' 1960s ensemble: Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams. In the 1980s, C ^£D BIBIjqq Hubbard again led his own groups, often in the company of Joe Henderson, and he collaborated with fellow trumpet legend Woody Shaw on a series of albums for the Blue Note and Timeless labels. <$>■ H* J/ /, > Ready for Freddie, Blue Note, 1961 Hub-Tones. Blue Note, 1962 Straight Life. Columbia, 1970 Live. CLP, 1983 New Colors. Hip Bop Essence, 2000 NEA Jazz Masters 13 LU Levy Born April 1 1 . 1 91 2 in New Orleans, LA MANAGER BASSIST Renowned as a leading representative of jazz musicians, and as the first African American to work in the music industry as a personal manager, John Levy was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in L912. Mis mother was a midwife and nurse, and his lather was an engine sinker on the railroad. Whim Levy was six. his family moved to Chicago, where George Russell, Stratusphunk, Original Jazz Classics, 1960 George Russell, Ezz-thetics. Original Jazz Classics, 1961 George Russell, The Stratus Seekers. Original Jazz Classics, 1961 Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, Big Band Treasures Live, Smithsonian Recordings, 1996 Steppin'Out, Liscio, 1998 1970s, he had returned to the trombone — playing on Bill Evans' 1972 album Li\ing Time, with George Russell arranging — while continuing to play the cello as well. Although a strong player on both instruments, he is most renowned for his compositions. Baker became a distinguished professor of music at Indiana Universitv and chairman of the Jazz Department in 1966. He has published in numerous scholarly journals and has written several musical treatises as well as having authored more than 70 books on jazz and African American music. Since 1991. Baker has been the artistic and musical director of the acclaimed Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra. He has received numerous awards and citations, includ- ing being nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1973 for his composition Levels, a concerto for bass, jazz band, wood- winds, and strings. He has served as a member of the NEAs National Council on the Arts, was founding president of the National fazz Service Organization, and is former president of the International Association for Jazz Education. 1 1» NEA Jiizz Miistere -.V Dann GUITARIST BANJOIST VOCALIST COMPOSER EDUCATOR Barker Born January 13, 1909 in New Orleans, LA Died March 13, 1994 Upholder of the New Orleans tradition of jazz and blues, this master guitar and banjo player was as well known for his humor and storytelling as for his playing. Many of the younger New Orleans musicians also credit him with providing invaluable information, instruc- tion, and mentoring. He started his musical training on the clarinet, instructed by the great Barney Bigard, and moved on to the drums, taught by his uncle, Paul Barbarin. These instances of musi- cal mentoring and instruction available in New Orleans would inspire him to carry on the tradition of mentoring younger musicians. He later took up the ukulele and the banjo, and began finding work with jazz and blues artists such as the Boozan Kings and Little Brother Montgomery. In 1930 he moved to New York, where he met his wife, vocalist Blue Lu Barker, with whom he frequently recorded. He also wrote many of the songs she performed, such as "Don't You Feel My Leg." By then he had switched from banjo to guitar and found work with Sidney Bechet, James P. Johnson, Albert Nicholas, Fess Williams, and Henry "Red" Allen. He spent the rest of the 1930s working with the big bands of Lucky Millinder, Benny Carter, and Cab Calloway, with whom he stayed for seven years. In the late 1940s he traveled as a freelance musician, making recordings in Los Angeles and New Orleans. In 1947, Barker appeared on the This Is Jazz radio series, and began playing banjo again. He returned to New York in 1949, working with trombonists Wilbur De Paris and Conrad Janis, and accompanied his wife on gigs. In the early 1960s, he led his own band at Jimmy Ryan's on 52nd Street, then returned to the Crescent City in 1965. Barker continued playing up to the end of his life, even appearing on the Dirty Dozen Brass Band's 1993 recording, Jelly. A number of his compositions have been widely interpreted, such as "Save the Bones for Henry Jones." Just as important as his performing career were his edu- cational activities. When he returned home to New Orleans in 1965, he worked for 10 years as an assistant curator for the New Orleans Jazz Museum, help- ing to continue interest in the ^c^ DISC °G/?,, culture and tradition of the music. He also mentored young musicians through his leadership of the Fairview Baptist Church Brass Band. Barker was a writer as well, co-author- ing with Jack Buerkle a study on New Orleans music, Bourbon Street Mack, and writing his memoirs, A Life in Jazz. 4^ *y Blue Lu Barker, 1938-39, Classics. 1938-39 Blue Lu Barker, 1946-49, Classics, 1946-49 Save the flonflfOrleans, 1988 Blue Lu Barker, Live at New Orleans Jazz Festival, Orleans, 1989 Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Jelly, Columbia, 1993 NEA Jazz Masters 1 7 I^H ■ illiam "Count asie Born August 21. 1904 in Red Bank, NJ Died April 26, 1984 PIANIST ORGANIST COMPOSER ARRANGER BANDLEADER Though a pianist and occasional organist. Count Basie's fame stems mainly from his history as one of the great 1 1. n id leaders. Basie's arrangements made good use of soloists, allowing musicians such as Lester Young, Buck Clayton. Sweets Edison, and Frank Foster to create some of their best work. Although his strength was as a bandleader. Basie's sparse piano style often delighted audiences with its swinging simplicity. Basie's first teacher was his mother, who taught him pi. mo. Later, the informal organ lessons from his mentor I .its Waller helped him find work in a theater accompany- ing silent films. In 1927. Basie found himself in Kansas City, playing with two of the most famous bands in the citv: Wilier Page's Blue Devils and the Bennie Moten band. In Basie started his own Kansas City band, engaging the • the Moten band, Thej performed nightly radio broadi asts, which caughl the attention of music producer fohn Hammond In 1936, Hammond brought the Basie York, where it opened at the Roseland By the next \e,ir. the band was a fixture on ceat the Famous Door. s time the kej to Basie's band was what Ml Ainerii an Rhythm Section:" guitar. Walter Page on bass, and |o Jones iile potent, including and I lersc fiel Evans on saxc- lison on trumpets; and ■n trombones. With a i top-noti h soloists in the horn <® ■iP ,^D DISCQq V, The Original American Decca Recordings. MCA, 1937-39 April in Paris. Verve, 1956 The Complete Atomic Basie. Roulette. 1957 Count Basie and the Kansas City 7, Impulse!. 1962 77?e Basie Big Band. Pablo, 1975 section, Basie's band became one of the most popular between 1937-49. scoring such swing hits as "One O'clock Jump" and "Jumpin" at the Woodside." Lester Young's tenor saxo- phone playing during this period, in particular on such recordings as "Lester Leaps In" and "Taxi War Dance." influenced jazz musicians for years to come. In addition. Basie's use of great singers such as Helen Humes and Jimmy Rushing enhanced his band's sound and popularity. Economics forced Basie to pare down to a septet in 1950. By 1952 he had returned to his big band sound, organizing what became euphemistically known as his "New Testament" band, which began a residency at Birdland in New York. The new band retained the same high standards of musicianship as the earlier version. with such standouts as Frank Foster, Frank Wes. Eddie "Lockjaw" Smith. Thad Jones, and Joe Williams. Foster's composition "Shiny Stockings" and Williams' rendition of "Ia ery Day" brought Basic a couple of much-needed hits in the mid- 1950s. In addition to achieving success with his own singers, he also enjoyed acclaim for records backing mii h stars as Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis. Jr.. and Tony Bennett. Basie continued to perform and record until his death in 1984. NKA Jazz Musters * • <*5k±. •• Loui DRUMMER COMPOSER ARRANGER BANDLEADER EDUCATOR Bellson Born July 6, 1924 in Rock Falls, IL Referred to by Duke Ellington as "not only the world's greatest drummer... [but also] the world's greatest musician," Louie Bellson has expressed himself on drums since age three. At 15, he pioneered the double bass drum set-up, and two years later he triumphed over 40,000 drummers to win the Gene Krupa drumming contest. Bellson has performed on more than 200 Live in Stereo at the Flamingo Hotel, Vol. Jazz Hour, 1959 albums as one of the most sought-after big band drummers, working with such greats as Duke Ellington (who recorded many of Bellson's compositions). Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, Woody Herman, Oscar Peterson, Dizzy Gillespie, Louie Armstrong, and Lionel Hampton. He toured with Norman Granz's all-star Jazz at the Philharmonic, and worked with many vocalists, including Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Tony Bennett, Joe; Williams, and his late wife, Pearl Bailey, for whom he served as musical director. He also appeared in several films in the 1940s, including The Power Girl, The Gang's All Here, and A Song is Born. A prolific composer, Bellson has more than 1,000 compositions and arrangements to his name, embracing jazz, swing, orchestral suites, symphonic works, and ballets. ^DDISCOo^ 7. Dynamite I, Concord, 1979 East Side Suite, Musicmasters, 1 987 Black, Brown & Beige, Musicmasters, 1992 Live from New York, Telarc, 1993 As an author, he has published more than a dozen books on drums and percussion, and is a six-time Grammy Award nominee. In 1998, he was hailed — along with Roy Haynes, Elvin Jones, and Max Roach — as one of four "Living Legends of Music" when he received the American Drummers Achievement Award from the Zildjian Company. Bellson also is a highly sought-after educator, giving music and drum workshops and clinics, teaching not onlv his dvnamic drumming technique but also the jazz heritage. He has been awarded four honorary doctoral degrees from Northern Illinois University, Denison University. Augustana College, and DePaul University. In 2003. a historical landmark was dedicated at his birthplace in Rock P'alls, Illinois, inaugurating an annual three-day celebration there in his honor. Continuing to compose and record, his 2005 recording, The Sacred Music of Louie Bellson. showcases his prowess for blending orchestral music, choir, and big band. He continues to perform with his big band after more than 65 years onstage, still thrilling audiences worldwide. NEA Jazz Masters 19 akey DRUMMER BANDLEADER Born October 11. 1919 in Pittsburgh, PA Died October 16, 1990 Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers not only supplied consistently exciting and innovative music for nearly 40 years, but also provided the experience and men- toring for young musicians to learn their trade. Though self- taught, Blakey was already leading his own dance band by age 14. Blakey's first noted sideman job came in 1942 with Mary Lou Williams, whom he joined for a club engagement at Kelly's Stables in New York. The following year he joined the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra, where he stayed until joining Billy Fckstine's modern jazz big band in 1944. A subsequent trip to Africa, ostensibly to immerse himself in Islam, revealed to him that jazz was truly an American music which Ik; preached from the bandstand thereafter. He adopted the Muslim name of Abdullah Ibn Buhaina, but • ontinued to record under Art Blakey. In tin: earl) 1950s, he worked with such greats as Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Horace Silver, and Clifford Brown. I In- latter two Imi imc members of the Jazz Messengers, i!\ a cooperative unit Brown, then to form their own hands and Blakey became the sengers. The Messengers went on I ailed hard bop, a logical the bebop style thai was mom hard-driving i i ' era made a concerted jazz that had n the ballroom era () | jazz dec lined. Blakey powered his bands with a distinctive, take-no- prisoners style of drumming that recalled the thunderous and communicative drum traditions of Africa. Though his drumming became among the most easily recognized sounds in jazz, Blakey always played for the band, prodding on his immensely talented colleagues' solos. From the first Jazz Messengers band he formed, Blakey has welcomed generations of exceptional young musicians who have evolved into prominent bandleaders and contribu- tors themselves. That list, reading like a Who's Who of jazz, includes Donald Byrd, Johnny Griffin, Lee Morgan, Benny Golson, Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, Keith Jarrett, Woody Shaw, Joanne Brackeen, Bobby Watson, James Williams, and three of the Marsalis brothers (Wynton, Branford, and Delfeayo). His mentoring of these musicians, helping them to hone their skills and preparing them to lead their own bands, has helped keep the jazz tradition alive and thriving. For the remainder of his career, Blakey contin- ued to take the Jazz Messengers message across the globe. A Night at Birdland, Vols. 1-2. Blue Note, 1954 Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk. Atlantic, 1957 A lun! 3I™N Moanin. B\W Note, 1958 Buhaina's Delight. Blue Note, 1961 Keystone 3. Concord, 1982 20 NKA .1. PIANIST VOCALIST rowii Cleo Brown bears the distinction of being the first woman instrumentalist honored with the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship. Her family moved to Chicago in 1919 and four years later, at age 14, she started working pro- fessionally with a vaudeville show. Her brother Everett, who worked with "Pine Top" Smith, taught her the boogie woogie piano style that became her trademark. Brown performed in the Chicago area during the late 1920s. In 1935, she replaced Fats Waller on his New York radio series on WABC, and soon began recording. Her version of "Pine Top's Boogie Woogie" was influential on pianists that came after her, and she is credited with being an early influence on Dave Brubeck, who played during the intermissions of her shows, and Marian McPartland, among others. Through the 1950s she worked frequently at that city's Three Deuces club, establishing a reputation as a two-fisted, driving ^ Born December 8, 1909 in Meridian, MS Died April 15, 1995 pianist. Brown began to gain international renown for her work, and she continued to perform regularly in New York, Hollywood, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and San Francisco until 1953, making records for Capitol Records and performing with the Decca All-Stars, among others. Brown then dropped out of the music business com- pletely and took up full-time nursing. After retiring from nursing in 1973, she returned to music, spending her latter years as a church musician in her Seventh Day Adventist Church in Denver, Colorado. In 1987, Marian McPartland sought out Brown as a guest on her long-running radio series, Piano Jazz. A recording of the program was released as Living in the Afterglow, Brown's last recording. Although all the numbers are gospel songs (many are originals by Brown), they are played in the same rol- Various Artists, Boogie Woogie Stomp, ASV/Living Era, 1930s-40s hckm 8 st y le as her 1930s recordings The Legendary Cleo Brown, President, 1 930s Boogie Woogie, Official, 1935-36 Here Comes Cleo, Hep, 1935-36 Living in the Afterglow, Audiophile, 1987 NEA Jazz Masters 21 ►rown BASSIST EDUCATOR Born October 13, 1926 in Pittsburgh, PA Died July 2, 2002 Ray Brown's dexterity and rich sound on the bass made him one of the most popular and prolific musi- cians in jazz for over 50 years. The Penguin Guide to jazz on CD notes that Brown is the most cited musician in the first edition of the guide, both for his own small ensem- ble work and as a sideman, testifying to his productivity. Brown studied the piano from age eight and began play- ing the bass at 17, performing his first professional job at a Pittsburgh club in 194:). His first significant tour was with bandleader Snookum Russell in 1944. whereupon he moved to Now York the following year. By 1946 he was working in l)i//\ Gillespie's band, and in 1948 he formed a trio with Hank Jones and Charlie Smith. In 1948. he married Ella Fitzgerald and be< ame musical director on her own tours and her la// at the Philharmonic lours until their breakup in 1952. In 1951. he >ii a stint with the f )s< ar Peterson ■ d until 1966. It was in i, it Brown's -an loring the ad u both thi piano- ^DDISCOG^ Oscar Peterson, The Ultimate Oscar Peterson, Verve, 1956-64 Much in Common. Verve, 1962-65 Summer Wind: Live a*be Loa, Concord, 1988 Some of My Best Friends Are... The Sax Players, Telarc. 1995 In the mid-1960s. Brown co-led a quintet with vibist Milt Jackson, with whom he had worked in the 1940s as part of Dizzy Gillespie's rhythm section and later as a member of the Milt Jackson Quartet, the precursor to the Modern Jazz Quartet. In the late 1970s to early 1980s. Brown formed his first full-time trio, which was to become his favored touring and performance unit over the next couple of decades, and utilized a variety of up-and-coming musicians in his bands, including pianists Gene Harris. Monty Alexander, Bennv Green, and Geoff Keezer and drummers Jeff Hamilton. Lewis Nash. Gregory Hutchinson, and Kariem Riggins. Brown was also been involved in jazz education, includ- ing authoring the Ray Broun Bass Book 1. an instructional volume. He served as mentor to numerous young musicians, including those who have passed through his groups and special guests he invited to play on a series of 1990s recordings for die Telarc label titled Some of My Best Friends are.... These have included pianists, saxophonists, trumpeters, and vocalists. Some of the greal younger bassists, such as John Clayton and Christian McBride. count him as a major influence on their sound. Ray Brown with John Clayton and Christian McBride, Super Bass 2. Telarc. 2001 22 NKA I PIANIST COMPOSER Brubeck Bom December 6, 1920 in Concord, CA Dave Brubeck, declared a "Living Legend" by the Library of Congress, continues to be one of the most active and popular jazz musicians in the world today. His experiments with odd time signatures improvised counterpoint, and a distinctive harmonic approach are the hallmarks of his unique musical style. Born into a musically inclined family — his two older brothers were professional musicians — he began taking piano lessons from his mother, a classical pianist, at age four. After graduating from College of the Pacific in 1942, he enlisted in the Army, and while serving in Europe led an integrated G.I. jazz band. At the end of World War II, he studied composition at Mills College with French clas- sical composer Darius Milhaud, who encouraged him to introduce jazz elements into his classical compositions. This experimentation of mixed genres led to the formation of the Dave Brubeck Octet that included Paul Desmond, Bill Smith, and Cal Tjader. In 1949, Brubeck formed an award-winning trio with Cal Tjader and Ron dotty, and in 1951 expanded the; band to include Desmond. Brubeck became the first jazz artist to make the cover of Time magazine, in 1954, and in 1958 performed in Europe and the Middle Last for the U.S. State Department, leading to the introduction of music from other cultures into his repertoire. In 1959, the Dave Brubeck Quartet recorded an experiment in time signatures, Time Out. The album sold Jazz at Oberlin, Original Jazz Classics, 1953 lime Out, Columbia, 1959 The Heal Ambassadors, Columbia/Legacy. 1961 Classical Brubeck, Telarc, 2002 Private Brubeck Remembers, Telarc, 2004 more than a million copies, and Brubeck's "Blue Rondo a la Turk," based on a Turkish folk rhythm, and Desmond's "Take Five" appeared on jukeboxes throughout the world. Throughout his career, Brubeck has continued to experiment with integrating jazz and classi- cal music. In 1959, he premiered and recorded his brother's Dialogues for Jazz Combo and Orchestra with the New York Philharmonic under Leonard Bernstein. In 1960, he composed Points on Jazz for the American Ballet Theatre, and in later decades composed for and performed with the Murray Louis Dance Co. His musical theater piece, The Real Ambassadors starring Louis Armstrong and Carmen McRae. was also written and recorded in 1960 and performed to great acclaim at the 1962 Monterey Jazz Festival. The classic Dave Brubeck Quartet with Paid Desmond, Eugene Wright, and Joe Morello was dissolved in December 1967 and Brubeck's first of many oratorios, The bight in the Wilderness, was premiered in 1968. In the early 1970s, Brubeck performed with three of his musical sons. He later led a quartet thai featured former Octet member Hill Smith. His current group is with Bobby Mililello, sax and flute; Randy Jones, drums; and Michael Moore, bass. He has received many honors in the U.S. and abroad for his contribution to jazz, including the National Medal of Arts, a ( Irammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Austrian Medal ol the Arts. NEA Jazz Masters 23 GUITARIST COMPOSER EDUCATOR Born July 31, 1931 in Detroit, <& ^DDISCOo^ Kenny Burrell pioneered the guitar-led trio with bass and drums in the late 1950s. Known for his har- monic creativity, lush tones, and lyricism on the gui- tar, he is also a prolific and highly regarded composer. Born in Detroil in 1931, he found musical colleagues at an early age among Paul Chambers, Tommy Flanagan, Frank Foster, Yusel Lateef, and the brothers Thad. Hank, and Elvin Jones. While still a student at Wayne State University, he made his Bret major recording in 1951 with Dizzy Gillespie, |ohn Coltrane. Percy Heath, and Milt |a( kson. AJtei graduation, be toured lor six months with the Oscar Peterson Trio and then moved to New York, where he performed in Broadwaj pit hands, on pop and R8d3 studio sessions (with Lena Home, Tony Bennett, and Brown), in jazz venues, and on He went on to work ■ in h artists as Nal lie HoUday, Stan Getz, Dorham, Benny i lillllllV Smith irded more than nisi on more than 200 ith Art Blakey, Herbie Hani i" k > Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane, Prestige/OJC. 1958 Midnight Blue, Blue Note, 1963 Guitar Form's^Jene. 1 964 Live at the Blue Note, Concord Jazz, 1 996 Kenny Burrell & the Boys Choir of Harlem, Love is the Answer, Concord Jazz, 1997 Kenny Burrell's compositions have been recorded by artists including Ray Brown, June Christy, Grover Washington, Jr., Frank Wess, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. His extended composition for the Boys Choir of Harlem was premiered at New York's Lincoln Center, and his "Dear Ella," performed by Dee Dee Bridgewater, won a 1998 Grammy Award. In addition to performing and recording, he is a professor of music and ethnomusicology at the University of California at Los Angeles. A recognized authority on the music of Duke Ellington, he developed the first regular college course ever taught in the United States on Ellington in 1978. In 1997. he was appointed Director of the Jazz Studies Program at UCLA, where he has enlisted such faculty members as George Bohanon, Billy Quids. Billy Higgins, Harold Land. Bobby Rodriguez, and Gerald Wilson. Kenny Burrell is the author of two books. Jazz Guitar and Jazz Guitar Solos. In 2004. he received a Jazz Educator of the Year Award from Down Beat I [e is a founder of the Jazz Heritage Foundation and the Friends of Jazz at UCLA and is recog- nized as an international ambassador for jazz and its promo- tion as an art form. 24 NKA .1. TRUMPETER FLUGELHORNIST EDUCATOR Born December 9, 1932 in Detroit, A pioneer jazz educator on African American college and university campuses, as well as general colleges and universities, Donald Byrd has also been a leading improviser on trumpet. Raised in the home of a Methodist minister and musician, he learned music in the then highly regarded music education system in the Detroit high schools. Byrd went on to earn degrees from Wayne State University and the Manhattan School of Music, eventually earning a doctorate from the University of Colorado School of Education. He studied music with the famed /\ teacher Nadia Boulanger in Paris in 1963. Byrd played in the Air Force band during 1951-52, then relocated to New York. Some of his earliest gigs in New York were with the George Wallington group at Cafe Bohemia. He joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in December 1955. Following his Messengers experience, he worked in a variety of bands with Max Roach, John Coltrane, Red Garland, and Gigi Gryce, refining his playing skills. In 1958 he co-led a band with fellow Detroiter Pepper Adams, which continued for the next three years. In the early 1960s, he became a bandleader of his own touring quintet. During 1965-66 he was a house arranger for the Norwegian Radio Orchestra. It was also at this time that # & he became more active as an educator, teaching at New York's Music & ^ »> First Flight, Denmark, 1955 Early Byrd, Blue Note, 1960-72 Electric Byrd, Blue Note, 1970 Black Byrd, Blue Note, 1974 City Called Heaven, Landmark, 1991 Art High School. He held clinics for the National Stage Band Camps, giving private lessons and instruction. Among the college and university teaching appointments that followed were Rutgers University, Hampton University, Howard University, North Carolina Central University, North Texas State, and Delaware State University. He also earned a law degree between teaching appointments. At Howard University, where he was chair- man of the Black Music Department, he brought together a group of talented students to form Donald Byrd & the Black- byrds, a pop-jazz band that had a hit record for Blue Note, and continued to record — sans Byrd — for the Fantasy label. His recorded innovations also included the use of vocal cho- rus, which resulted in his popular recording of "Cristo Redemptor," as well as his engagements of gospel texts. NEA Jazz Masters 25 Benny Carter Born August 8, 1907 in New York, NY Died July 12. 2003 SAXOPHONIST TRUMPETER ARRANGER COMPOSER BANDLEADER Benny darter made memorable impressions as a great bandleader and improviser with a highly influential style. Largely self-taught, Carter's first instrument u.is the trumpet, altbough the; alto saxophone eventually hi'( .iinc his principle instrument. Some of his earliest professional jobs were with bands led by cornetist June ( Hark .ind pi. mist Earl Hines, where his unusual ability to pla) both trumpel and saxophone was highly regarded. In i'i 10-3 l he spent a year with the Fletcher Henderson On hestra, then for a short time Ik; succeeded Don Redman is musi if McKinney's Cotton Pickers. During the earl) 1930s, be also made his Mist recordings with the date Dandies, which included Coleman Hawkins. In 19 i formed his own big band. At various times the band ini luded su< h significant players leading a multiethnic band in Scandinavia in 1937. Growing restless. Carter returned to the U.S. in 1938 and assembled a new big band, which became house band at die Savoy Ballroom through 1940. In 1942, with another new band in tow. he settled in Los Angeles, his longtime home base. With lucrative film studios calling. Carter began scor- ing films and television. He became one of the first African Americans to be employed in the field, easing the way for other black composers. His first film work was in 1943 on Stormy Weather. Starting in 1946. with his composing and arranging skills in constant demand. Carter disbanded his orchestra and became largely a freelance player. He participated in tours with Jazz at the Philharmonic and wrote n Webster, Chu Berry, Teddy Wilson, Di( k\ Wells, Bill Coleman, and Sid Catlett. In ! • i dissolved bis band and the next year, where be • i foi the BBC don until I 1 ' 18 His mb i adorial lisl u ith (I arrangements for major singers such as Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald. Peggy Lee. Sarah ^DDISCOo^ All of Me, Bluebird, 1934-59 Jazz Giant. Original Jazz Classics, 1957-58 Further ommtions, Impulse!, 1961-66 In the Mood for Swing. MusicMasters, 1987 Harlem Renaissance. MusicMasters, 1992 Vaughan. and Louis Armstrong. Many of his subsequent recordings, such as the widelv hailed Further Definitions, were evidence of the depth of his composing and arranging mastery He received the National Medal of Arts in 2000. 26 NEA .1. VOCALIST BANDLEADER EDUCATOR Carter Born May 16, 1930 in Flint, Ml Died September 26, 1998 Betty Carter developed a legendary reputation, along with Art Blakey, as one of the great mentors for young jazz musicians. Equally legendary was her singing prowess, creating a distinctive style of improvisation that could transcend any song. Carter studied piano at the Detroit Conservatory, a skill that served her well later in her career in writing original songs. Growing up in Detroit, she was exposed to numer- ous jazz greats who passed through town, even getting a golden opportunity as a teenager to sit in with Charlie Parker. Carter's big break came in 1948, when she was asked to join the Lionel Hampton band. Developing her vocal improvisations during the three years with the band led to her singular singing style. Hampton, impressed with her saxophone-like improvisatory vocals, dubbed her "Betty Bebop." After leaving Hampton's band, she worked variously with such greats as Miles Davis, Ray Charles, and Sonny Rollins before creating her own band. Although she recorded for major record labels early in her career, Carter became increasingly frustrated with record company dealings and disparities and formed her own label Bet-Car in 1971, one of the first jazz artists to do so. Selling her own recordings through various distributors, she was able to sustain her performing career. Carter was uncomfort- able with studio recordings, but live recordings, like The Audience with Betty Carter, demonstrate her remarkably inventive singing and her ability to drive the band. Carter's bands served a dual purpose: for her to create her own great music and to help the young musicians develop then craft. Many of the musicians who passed through her groups went on to lead their own groups, such as Geri Allen, Stephen Scott, Don Braden, and Christian McBride. She also developed a mentoring program called Betty Carter's Jazz Ahead through links with organizations like the International Association for Jazz Education, 651 Arts, and the Kennedy Center. The program was a one-to-two week teaching seminar where nationally selected promising young jazz musicians Learned from Carter and other seasoned musicians, culminating in a final concert of instructors and students together. Jazz Ahead was one of Carter's proudest achievements, and she worked with the program up until her death. I Can't Help It, Impulse!, 1958-60 At the Village Vanguard, Verve, 1970 The Audience with Betty Carter, Verve, 1979 Look What I Got, Verve, 1988 Feed the Fire, Verve, 1993 NEA Jazz Masters 27 • ••• • •• ' BASSIST CELLIST COMPOSER EDUCATOR Bom May 4, 1937 in Ferndale, I Ron Carter's dexterity and harmonic sophistication have few rivals in the history of bass in jazz. In addi- tion to the bass, he has also employed both the cello and the piccolo bass (a downsized bass pitched somewhere between cello and contrabass), one of the first musicians to use those instruments in jazz settings. His pursuit of music began with the cello, at age 10. One of the many students aspiring to be musicians in the Detroit public schools, he switched to the bass I Eigb School. Hi? studied .it the Eastman Si hool of Music in K(« tester, New York and eventually made his way to New York City, aster's degree in Musii from the Manhattan Si hool ii 1961. He began freelancing, playing with a host of jazz greats, such as ( bjco Hamilton, Ranch Weston. Bobby ill Monk, and Art Farmer. nii.il albums with the greal Dolphy, two undei Dolphy's name and ind Dolphy's Out There ' played i ello against i in Ii lowei texture against his horn plaj ing. MiU's Davis in wh.it would bet ome intel tli.it iik ludcd VVavne Miles Davis, ES.P. Columbia, 1965 Live at Village West, Concord, 1982 Eig, Drevfi us, 1990 i Herbie Hani cm k l).i\is even : notably "R.J.," "Mood," and "Eighty-One" — and the rhythm section of Carter, Williams, and Hancock powered the horn section to greater heights. He remained with Davis from 1963-68, whereupon he grew tired of the rigors of the road, preferring to freelance, lead his own groups, and teach. Among the cooperative bands he performed with during the ? °Q / *4/> remainder of the 1960s were the New York Jazz Sextet and the New York Bass Choir. Throughout the 1970s, he was a recording stu- dio bassist in high demand, though he never stopped gigging widi a variety of artists and bands, including several touring all-star units such as the CTI All-Stars, V.S.O.P. (ostensibly a reunion of die Davis band minus die leader), and Uie Milestone Jazzstars, which included Sonny Rollins on tenor saxophone. McCoy Tyner on piano, and Al Foster on drums. His freelance work has continued throughout his career, including chamber and orchestral work, film and television soundtracks, and even some hip hop recordings. Carter continues to record with young musicians such as Stephen Scott and Lewis Nash, and his college and university teaching career has also been quite active. He is Distinguished Professor of Music, Emeritus of the City College of New York, and has received honorary doi torate degrees from The Berklee School of Music, the Manhattan School of Music, and the New England Conservator] in Boston. He has also written several book on bass. ju( hiding Building A Id/:/. Bass Line. Brandenburg Concerto, Blue Note, 1995 The Golden Striker, Blue Note, 2002 28 NKA .1. 00 CO DRUMMER BANDLEADER Kenny Clarke, known among musicians as "Klook" for one of his characteristic drum licks, is truly a jazz pioneer. He was a leader in the rhythmic advances that signaled the beginning of the modern jazz era, his drum style becoming the sound of bebop and influencing drum- mers such as Art Blakey and Max Roach. Clarke studied music broadly growing up, including piano, trombone, drums, vibraphone, and theory while in high school. Such versatility of knowledge would later serve him well as a bandleader. Clarke moved to New York in late 1935, where he first began developing his unique approach to the drums, one with a wider rhythmic palette than that of the swing band drummers. Instead of marking the count with the top cymbal, Clarke used counter-rhythms to accent the beat, what became known as "dropping of bombs." He found a kindred spirit in Dizzy Gillespie when they hooked up in Teddy Hill's band in 1939. A key opportunity to further expand his drum language came in late 1940 when he landed a gig in the house band (with Thelonious Monk on piano, and Nick Fenton on bass) at Minton's Playhouse. It was this trio that welcomed such fellow travelers as guitarist Charlie Christian, Gillespie, and a host of others to its nightly jam sessions. These sessions became the primary laboratory for their brand of jazz, which came to be called bebop. A stint in the Army from 1943-4(i introduced him to pianist John Lewis. After their discharge he and Lewis joined Gillespie's bebop hig band, which gave Clarke his first taste of Paris during a European tour, a place that even- Clarke Born January 2, 1914 in Pittsburgh, PA Died January 26, 1985 Modern Jazz Quartet, The Artistry of the Modern Jazz Quartet, Prestige, 1952-55 Bohemia After Dark, Savoy, 1 955 Discoveries, Savoy, 1 955 Kenny Clarke Meets the Detroit Jazzmen, Savoy, 1956 Clarke-Boland Big Band, RTE, 1968 tually became his home for nearly 30 years. After returning to New York, he joined the Milt Jackson Quartet, which metamor- phosed into the Modern Jazz Quartet in 1952. Though he and Lewis remained friends, Clarke chafed at what he felt was the too-staid atmosphere of the MJQ. In 1956, he migrated to Paris, working with Jacques Helian's band and backing up visiting U.S. jazz artists. During the years 1960-73, he co-led the major Europe- based jazz big band with Belgian pianist Francy Boland, the Clarke-Boland Big Band. The band featured the best of Europe's jazz soloists, including a number of exceptional U.S. expatriate musicians living in Europe. Among these were saxophonists Johnny Griffin and Sahib Shihab, and trumpeter Idrees Sulieman. Alter the disbanding of his big band, he found numerous opportunities both on the handstand and teaching in the classroom, remaining quite active as a freelancer, often working with visiting U.S. jazz musicians, until his death in 1985. NKA Jazz Mastere 29 Clayton Born November 12. 1911 in Parsons, KS Died December 8, 1991 TRUMPETER COMPOSER ARRANGER BANDLEADER EDUCATOR A valued member of a variety of classic big bands, liu( k ClaytOE was versatile enough to thrive as a bandleader, session man, and trumpet soloist. ( l,i\ toil first studied piano with his father beginning at age six, taking up the; trumpet at age 17. He played in his ( hurt lis on nostra until 1932 when he moved to California taking various band jobs. In 1934, Clayton assembled his own hand and took it to China for two years. I [e joined Count Basie's hand in Kansas City in 1936 at the height of its popularity, playing his first promi- nent solo on "Fiesta in Blue." He wrote several arrangements lor liasie. including '"laps Miller'' and "Red Hank Boogie," before joining the Ann] in 1943. following his disc harge, he performed around New through the t'n<\ of the decade. [azz .it the Philharmonii tours took him overseas, and he made ret ord sessions with artists like [immj Rushing and its foi Duke Ellington and Harry James. In the earl) 1950s, he part- ith pianist [oe Bushkin in the Bret of the influential Embers quartets. Other artists he worked with include Benny Goodman, Teddy Wilson, Eddie Condon, Sidney Bechet, and Humphrey Littleton. His ability to improvise in a variety of styles made him much in demand for sessions, especially with vocalists such as Billie Holiday. Physical issues with his embouchure — how the mouth forms against the mouthpiece of die instrument — caused him to relinquish the trumpet from 1972 until late in the decade, when he was able to resume playing. While he was unable to perform, Clayton wrote arrange- ments for various bands. That skill was fully exercised when he put together his own big band in the mid-1980s, playing almost exclusively his own compositions and arrangements. He also became an educa- tor, teaching at Hunter College in the 1980s. He continued to freelance for the remainder of his career, being called upon as an honored soloist, and spent much of his last two decades teaching, lecturing, and arranging. The Classic Swing of Buck Clayton, Original Jazz Classics, 1946 Buck Special, Vogue, 1949-53 sjmn the Vaults, jiff 95: Jam Session. Columb 1953-56 Buck and Buddy, Original Jazz Classics, 1960 A Swingin Dream, Stash, 1988 80 NKA .liiyy. M;ls-. Orne SAXOPHONIST TRUMPETER VIOLINIST COMPOSER Coleman Born March 9, 1930 in Ft. Worth, TX Ornette Coleman is one of the true jazz innovators, whose sound is instantly recognizable and unques- tionably unique. Coleman's work has ranged from dissonance and atonality to liberal use of electronic accom- paniment in his ensembles, as well as the engagement of various ethnic influences and elements from around the globe. While experimenting with time and tone, his strong blues root is always evident. For the most part, Coleman has been self-taught, begin- ning on the alto saxophone at age 14. Coleman's earliest performing experiences were mostly with local rhythm & blues bands. Coleman eventually settled in Los Angeles in 1952. His search for a different sound and approach, a means of escaping traditional chord patterns and progres- sions, led some critics to suggest that he did not know how to play his instrument. However, he was studying harmony and theory zealously from books while supporting himself as an elevator operator. His performances in clubs and jam sessions were often met with derision if not outright rejec- tion and anger from his fellow musicians and critics. Coleman soldiered on, honing his sound with like-minded musicians, including trumpeter Don Cherry, drummer Billy Higgins, and bassist Charlie Haden. The year 1959 was an important one for Coleman and his band mates: he signed a recording contract with Atlantic; Records, recording the first album to really present his new sound, Tomorrow Is The Question!; his quartet was invited to participate in what became a historic session at the Lenox School of Jazz in Massachusetts, being championed by John Lewis and Gunther Schuller; and the band began an extended engagement at the Five Spot Cafe in New York. *1 c ^ D DISCO G , The Shape of Jazz to Come, Atlantic, 1959-60 free Jazz, Atlantic, 1960 At the Golden Circle, Stockholm, Vol. 1-2, Blue Note, 1965 In All Languages, Verve/Harmolodic, 1987 Colors, Verve/Harmolodic, 1996 Meanwhile, Ornette Coleman was developing an approach to his music that he was to dub "harmolodics." Coleman's albums for AUantic, while tame by today's standards, were quite controversial at the time. Perhaps the most controversial of this series of albums was Free Jazz, recorded with a double quartet as essentially one continuous collective improvisation, which influenced avant-garde recordings in the 1960s and 1970s. After that recording, Coleman took time off from playing and recording to study trumpet and violin. Since that time Coleman has expanded his composi- tional outlook. His writing includes works for wind ensembles, strings, and symphony orchestra (notably his symphony Skies of America, recorded with the London Philharmonic). Coleman's ongoing experiments have taken him to Northern Africa to work with the Master Musicians of Joujouka, and in recent years he has performed with an electric ensemble he calls Prime; Time. A recipient of Guggenheim Fellowships for composition, a MacArthur grant, and the presigious Gish Prize in 2004, Coleman continues to astound audiences with his imaginative! approaches to music. NEA Jazz Masters 31 avis TRUMPETER FLUGELHORNIST COMPOSER BANDLEADER Born May 25, 1926 in Alton, IL Died September 28, 1991 Miles Davis is arguably the most influential jazz musician in the post-World War II period, being at the forefront of changes in the music for more than 40 years. Bom into a middle-class family, Davis started on the trumpel al age 13. His first professional music job came when be joined the Eddie Randall band in St. Louis from 1 '14 1-4.!. In the fall of 1944 Davis took a scholarship to attend the [uilliard School, a convenient passport to New York. It didn't take him long to immerse himself in the New York si cue mihI he began working 52nd Street gigs alongside Charlie Parker in 1945. Soon. Davis found work with Coleman Hawkins and the big bands of Billy Eckstine and Benny Carter. During the late 1940s, a number of musical contempo- - began to meet and jam regularly al the small apart- ment ni arranger-pianist Gil Evans. Among them were saxo- phonists Gerrj Mulligan and Lee Konitz, and pianist John Lewis Out of this group ol musicians, l).i\ is formed (he ooni l his liisi major musical statement, Birth of Iditiorj in thr standard piano, bass and drums i is' nonet horn section used French horn b trombone, alto and baritone saxo- land a unique harmonic sound. tnbled his Brsl important band with ind, Paul Chambers, and Philly foe nnball" Adderlej in 1958. By ■r Knsscils theories, I than standard ( hnrd imiis album (and the nil. kind nt Blue, in 1" Davis also continued an important musical partnership with Gil Evans, recording four releases in five years: Miles Ahead. Porgy and Bess, Sketches of Spain, and Quiet Nights. In 1964, Davis assembled a new band of younger musi- cians, which became known as his second great quintet. This included Herbie Hancock. Tony Williams. Ron Carter. and Wayne Shorter. By this time, the Miles Davis Quintet was recording mostly originals, with all the band mem- ^t,b bers contributing memorable <& Birth of the Cool, Capitol, 1949-50 Kind of Blue, Columbia. 1959 nbia, sWtt tunes. Davis' horn playing also changed, increasing the spacing of notes to create more suspense in the music. In 1968. Davis again changed direction, leading the way for electric jazz with the release of In a Silent Way. By the L969 release of Bitches Brew, the transformation was complete as he deepened the elec- tronic elements and rock rhythms of his music. By the mid-1970s, following the debilitating effects of a 1972 auto accident. Davis went into semi-retirement. He returned to the scene in 1980 and resumed touring in 1981, with even newer fans in his wake, from then to 1991. Davis remained vital and popular despite some i riticism that he had softened his electric approach. The Complete LiveWthe Plugged Nickel. Columbia, 1965 Bitches Brew, Columbia, 1969 Amandla, Warner Brothers, 1989 NKA .1. PIANIST VOCALIST EDUCATOR ; ,D6roth '.9. •' 4EW onegan Born April 6, 1924 in Chicago, IL Died May 19, 1998 Blessed with an enormous orchestral capacity at the keyboard, Dorothy Donegan was fluent in several styles of jazz as well as with European classical music. Underrated by some due to her proclivity towards showy flamboyance and her penchant for entertaining an audience, she was nonetheless an exceptional pianist with a rich harmonic sense. Given her virtuosity, it's no wonder her earliest influence and one of her champions was the peerless master of the piano, Art Tatum. Encouraged by her mother to be a profes- sional musician, Donegan was playing piano for a dollar a night at Chicago's South Side bars when she was only 14. She subsequently attended the Chicago Conservatory, Chicago Music College, and the University of Southern California, where she studied classical piano. In 1943, Donegan gave a concert at the Orchestra Hall in Chicago, the first African American performer to do so. This created publicity that led to some work in film [Sensations of 1945) and theater (Star Time). Her playing career was largely centered around nightclub engagements, as Donegan was more comfortable in a live setting than a studio. In the 1950s, she developed her flamboyant performance style, which at times tended to obscure her extraordinary piano playing, deep sense of swing, and wide-ranging repertoire. She would often spice her performances with uncanny impressions of other pianists and singers, skills that enhanced her abilities as an entertainer. She spent the bulk of her career performing in trios with bass and drums. Her appearance at the Sheraton Centre Hotel in 1980 broke all previous attendance records. In the early 1990s, her show-stopping appearances on Hank O'Neal's Floating Jazz cruises brought her talents to the attention of another generation of jazz fans. She also lectured at several colleges and universities, including Harvard, Northeastern, and the Manhattan School of Music, and received an hon- orary doctoral degree from Roosevelt University in 1994. Donegan performed at the White House in 1993 and gave her last major performance at the Fujitsu Concord Jazz Festival in 1997. Dorothy Romps: A Piano Retrospective, Rosetta, 1953-79 Makin' Whoopee, Black & Blue, 1979 Live in Copenhagen 1980, StoryvfWl980 Live at the 1990 Floating Jazz Festival, Chiaroscuro, 1990 Live at the Floating Jazz Festival 759?, Chiaroscuro. 1992 NEA Jazz Masters 33 Rivera SAXOPHONIST CLARINETIST FLUTIST COMPOSER Born June 4, 1948 in Havana, Cuba The winner of four Grammy Awards, Paquito D'Rivera is celebrated both for his artistry in Latin jazz and his achievements as a classical composer. Born in Havana, Cuba, he performed at age 10 with the National Theater Orchestra, studied at the Havana Conservatory of Music and, at 17. became a featured soloist with the Cuban National Symphony. D'Rivera co-founded the; Orquesta Cubana de Musica Modern;) and served as the band's conductor for two years. In 1 ( )73, he was co-director of Irakere, a highly popular ensemble whose explosive mixture of jazz, rock, classical, .iihI traditional ( !uban music had never before been heard. The blind loured extensively and in 1979 was awarded theGramm) Award forBesI Latin Jazz Ensemble. In 1981, while oil tour in Spain, D'Rivera lii asylum in the l Inited States embassy. Since then be has toured the world with jembles— the Paquito D'Rivera Band, the Paquito D'Rivera Quintet, and the Chambei fazz Ensemble. numerous recordings include lo albums In hihh. be member oi the United ;.!■■! e ensemble l)i//\ Gillespie to showi ase ^ODISCOG^ the fusion of Latin and Caribbean influences with jazz. In 1991, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Carnegie Hall for his contributions to Latin music. That same year, as part of the band Dizzy Gillespie and the United Nation Orchestra, he along with James Moody, Slide Hampton, Airto Moreira, Flora Purim, Arturo Sandoval. Steve Turre, and others were featured on the Grammy Award-winning recording, Live at the Royal Festival Hall. He has appeared at, or written commissions for, fazz at Lincoln Center, the Library of Congress, the National Symphony Orchestra, Brooklyn Philharmonic. London Philharmonic, Costa Rican National Symphony Orchestra, Simon Bolivar Symphonic Orchestra, and Montreal's Gerald Danovich Saxophone Quartet. He serves as *> Blowin'. Columbia, 1981 Dizzy Gillespie and the United Nation Orchestra, Live at the Royal Festival Hall. ~ I89 Portraits of Cuba. Chesky, 1996 Brazilian Dreams, MCG Jazz, 2001 Big Band Time. Pimienta, 2003 artistic director of jazz programming at the New Jersey Chamber Music Society and is artistic director of the Festival Internacional de Jazz en el Tambo (Punta del Este. Uruguay). He has become the consummate multina- tional ambassador, creating and promoting a cross-culture of music that moves effort- lessly among jazz, Latin, and classical. D'Rivera received the National Medal of Arts in 2005. 34 NKA I TRUMPETER Edison Born October 10, 1915 in Columbus, OH Died July 27, 1999 Known in the jazz world as "Sweets," for both his dis position and his playing ability, Edison was a con- summate big band section trumpeter and skilled soloist whose ability to enhance a piece without overpower ing it was renowned. A self-taught musician, his earliest gig came in high school with the Earl Hood band. From 1933-1935, he played in the Jeter- Pillars Orchestra, a prominent territory band of the time. After moving to New York in 1937, he spent six months with Lucky Millinder's band, until joining Count Basie later that year. It was with Basie that he truly began to distinguish himself, not only as a strong member of the trumpet section, but also as a distinc- tive soloist. His warm sound, using repeated notes thai lie would bend and rip- ple, was a welcome contrast to the usual high- note, piercing solos of most trumpet players. Edison stayed with the band from 1938 until Basie disbanded in 1950. Rarely a bandleader under his own name, he spent the hulk of his career working with singers and with big bands on the road and in the recording studio. Edison's work with Millie Holiday and the Nelson Kiddle Orchestra backing ^^DDISCOG^ Frank Sinatra, Songs for Swingin' Lovers, Capitol, 1955-56 Jawbreakers, Original Jazz Classics, 1962 Edison's Lights, Original Jazz Classics, 1976 Swing Summit, Candid, 1 990 Live at the Iridium, Telarc, 1997 Frank Sinatra during the 1950s is some of his finest, accent- ing the vocals and setting up the mood of the songs. His echoing trumpet on Sinatra's Songs for Swingin ' Lovers, for example, helped set the pace of the songs, playing off Sinatra's phrasing of the lyrics. Edison provided some of the bright moments in Holiday's output in the 1950s on albums such as Songs for Distingue Lovers. His tasteful playing cre- ated a great demand from singers for his services, and besides Sinatra and Holiday, Edison played behind Ella Fitzgerald, Josephine Baker, Sarah Vaughan, and Nat "King" Cole. Edison was also a welcome addition to the big bands he worked with, including Buddy Rich, Louie Bellson, and Quincy Jones. Although leaving the Basie band as a full-time member in 1950, he rejoined the band on many subsequent occasions for the rest of his career. He worked as musical director for such artists as Redd Foxx and Joe Williams, and collabo- rated with other soloists, such as Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Oscar Peterson. Valued lor his superb sense; of dynam- ics, he carved out a beautiful trumpet stylo noted for its sim- plicity and good taste. He also found a home in film and television soundtrack work. NEA Jazz Masters 35 Born January 30, 191 1 in Pittsburgh, PA Died February 26, 1989 ge TRUMPETER PIANIST VOCALIST Also known as "Little Jazz," Roy Eldridge was a fiery, energetic trumpeter, the bridge between the towering trumpet stylists Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie. Some of the great rhythmic drive of Eldridge's later trumpet exploits could be traced to his beginnings on the drums, which he began playing at age six. Eldridge's older brother Joe, who played alto saxo phone, was his first teacher. In 1930, Eldridge moved to New York, heading straight to Harlem where he gained work with a number of dance hands before joining the Teddy Hill band Fi\ 1'Ki5, Eldridge and saxophon isl Qui Berry (who would later join the Count Basie Orchestra] were Hill's prin- i ip.il soloists, and .liter gigs they would mnd town on cutting contests, chal- ians to see who could play with his Lightning speed and awe- Idridge rarely lost. After Hill's ame the lead trumpeter in the on Orchestra, where his upper register M didn't lake long lor Eldridge to iftei freelancing with a wide I iM.tic e as one of the swing ^ D,SCOG v bands' most potent soloists. In 1941, he joined drummer Gene Krupa's band. Not only did he provide trumpet fire- works for Krupa's outfit, he also sang, recording a memo- rable duet with the band's female singer, Anita O'Day. on the tune "Let Me Off Uptown" in 1941. Later, after Krupa's band disbanded in 1943 and a period of freelancing, he toured with the Artie Shaw band in 1944. Then After You've Gone, GRP/Decca, 1936-46 Little Jan: The Best of the Verve Years. Verve, 1951-60 IK .,Vc Roy and D/z, Verve, 1954 Just You Just Me. Stash, 1959 Montreux 77. Original Jazz Classics. 1977 idei forming his own octel in 1936 luded his brother foe. Eldridge led his own bands, usually small swing groups. In 1948, Norman Granz recruited Eldridge for his Jazz at the Philharmonic, an ideal situation since Eldridge was one of the ultimate jam session trumpeters. He toured briefly with Benny Goodman and took up residence in Paris in 1950. where he made some of his most suc- cessful recordings. He returned to New York in 1951 and continued freelancing with small bands, including work with Coleman Hawkins, Benny Carter. Ella Fitzgerald, and Johnny Hodges. He made notable albums for Verve Records alongside Hawkins and con- tinued freelancing and leading a house band at Jimmy Ryan's club in New York. A stroke in 1980 stopped him from playing the trumpet, but Eldridge continued to make music as a singer and pianist until his death in 1989. 36 NKA .1.: bi PIANIST COMPOSER ARRANGER BANDLEADER vans Born May 13, 1912 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada Died March 20, 1988 As an arranger, Gil Evans has few peers in jazz his- tory. His style is instantly recognizable, often using unusual brass colorations for jazz, such as combi- nations of tuba and French horn. Arranging started early for Evans, leading his own band when he was 16 and taking piano gigs at local hotels. In junior college, he and Ned Briggs joined forces to lead a 10-piece band modeled after the popular Casa Loma Band. The band was the house band at the Rendezvous Ballroom in Balboa Beach, California, where they remained for two years, up until 1937. In 1937, singer Skinny Ennis took over leadership of the band, retaining Evans as pianist and arranger as they moved to Hollywood, where they were regularly featured on the Bob Hope radio show. In 1941, Claude Thornhill, who had been associated with the Hope show, hired Evans as an arranger for his first orchestra, which lasted for seven years. Evans was influenced by Thornbill's unusual voicings, particularly for brass and woodwinds. Evans settled permanently in New York in 1947 and his unusual arrangements for Thornhill began to attract the attention of some of the nascent beboppers of the; tinii!. including Miles Davis, John Lewis, and (Jerry Mulligan. It was around this time that Evans' apartment became a meeting ground for these and other musicians seeking fresh ^"■"""X approaches. These musical and conversational exchanges led to the recording of Miles Davis' Birth of the Cool session for Capitol Records. That album was marked by its cooler, less bustling tempos than was characteristic Miles Davis, Sketches of Spain, Columbia, 1959-60 Out of the Cool, Impulse!, 1960 The Individualism of Gil Evans, Verve, 1963-64 Svengali, Atlantic, 1973 Gil Evans Orchestra Plays the Music of Jimi Hendrix, Bluebird, 1974-75 of bebop, the modern jazz of the day. Several Evans arrangements stood out, especially "Moondreams" and "Boplicity." Evans spent much of the 1950s as a freelance arranger, until 1957 when he began working with Davis on the first of their four collaborations, Miles Ahead, featuring Davis on flugelhorn as the only soloist, an unusual arrangement in jazz at the time. Over the next few years, Evans and Davis worked together on Porgy and Bess, Sketches of Spain and Quiet Nights. In the 1960s, Evans began making his own recordings, displaying his unusual voicings and distinctive settings for some of the best soloists of the time, such as Steve Lacy, Wayne Shorter, and Eric Dolphy. In the 1970s, Evans began exploring the music of Jimi Hendrix and taking on some of the accoutrements usually associated with rock music, including guitars, synthesizers, and electric bass. In the 1980s, his shifting cast of exceptional soloists included Billy Harper, George Adams, Howard Johnson, John Scofield, and David Sanborn, and Evans would have occasional weekly shows at New York clubs such as the Village' Vanguard and Sweet Basil. NEA Jazz Masters 37 armer TRUMPETER FLUGELHORNIST FLUMPETER Bom August 21, 1928 in Council Bluffs. IA Died October 4. 1999 One of the more lyrical of the post-bop musicians. Art Farmer helped to popularize the flugelhorn in jazz. He switched to a hybrid instrument known as the flumpet later in his career, an instrument that combined the power of the trumpet with the warmth of the flugelhorn. He and his late twin brother, bassist Addison Farmer, were raised in Phoenix, Arizona. Farmer took up the piano, violin, and tuba before settling on the trumpet at 14. He Inter moved to Los Angeles and worked with Horace Henderson, and Floyd Ray, eventually travel- ing east to New York with the Johnny Otis Revue in 1947. In New York, he studied with Maurice Grupp and freelanced in the clubs. In 1948 be returned to the West Coast and found work with Benny Carter, Gerald Wilson. Roy Porter, lay McShann, and trough 1952. He ad W ith Lionel Hampton in ii to the tour. be intermit- Hi Silvei •'i. with whom he appeared in two films: J Want to Live and The Subter- raneans. Farmer's performances with the various groups earned him a reputation for being able to play in any style. In 1959, he and Benny Golson formed the Jazztet, whose first incarnation lasted until 1962. The Jazztet's tightly arranged music defined mainstream jazz for several years. Farmer switched to the flugelhorn in the early 1960s, finding a rounder, mellower sound with the instrument, and co-led a band with guitarist Jim Hall until 1964. He worked in Europe from 1965-66, and when he returned stateside he again co-led a band, this time with Jimmy Heath. In 1968 he moved to Vienna, joined the Austrian Radio Orchestra, and worked with such European outfits as the Clarke-Boland Big Band, and Peter Herbolzheimer. He toured Europe and Asia with Jimmy Smith's band in 1972, and his appearances in the U.S. became rarities. In 1982, Farmer and Golson re-formed the Jazztet for a short while. Otherwise his perform- ances in the U.S. were on an annual basis. For a time he teamed up with yet another saxo- phonist. Clifford Jordan, for annual New York visits. He continued to lead his own bands on occasion, particularly at festival time. In 1991, he began employing the flumpet, specially designed for When Farmer Met Gryce. Original Jazz Classics. 1954-55 Meet the Jazztet. MCA/Chess, 1960 Live at tnaMall Note. Atlanta 1963 Blame It on my Youth, Contemporary. 1 988 Silk Road. Arabesque. 1996 Farmer b\ David Monette. 38 NKA.I. I ^ v* to * VOCALIST itzger; Born April 25, 1917 in Newport News, VA Died June 15, 1996 It is quite apropos that Ella Fitzgerald was the first vocalist recipient of the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship, as she is considered by most people to be the quintessential jazz singer. The purity of her range and intonation, along with her peerless sense of pitch, made her a signature singer. In addition, her scat singing, using the technique of a master instrumental improviser, was her hallmark. These 4? characteristics make her an enduring purveyor not only of jazz and the art of improvising, but also of the classic American songbook. Fitzgerald was raised in Yonkers, New York, and her first artistic proclivities were as a dancer, even though she sang with her school glee club. At 17, she entered the famous amateur show com- petition at the Apollo Theatre, which led to her being hired as a singer for Chick Webb's orchestra. She soon became a pop- ular attraction at the Savoy, and Fitzgerald recorded her first song, "Love and Kisses," with Webb in June 1935. Three years of steady work later, she had her first major hit with her rendition of "A-Tisket, A-Tasket." That lightweight ditty remained a popular request throughout Fitzgerald's ensuing decades. When Chick Webb died in 1939, Fitzgerald assumed leadership of the band for the next two years, beginning her solo career. In 1946 she began an enduring relationship (jtfi D DISCOo^ with producer Norman Granz, becoming part of his Jazz at the Philharmonic concert tours. At the time her regular trio leader was bassist Ray Brown, to whom she was married from 1947 to 1953. By 1955, Granz had become her man- ager and had begun recording Fitzgerald for his Verve label. This affiliation led to her recording with numerous greats, including Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, M ''. > 75th Birthday Celebration, GRP, 1938-55 The Complete Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong on Verve, Verve, 1 956-57 Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook, Verve, 1956-57 The Complete Ella in Berlin, Verve, 1960-61 Montreux '77, Original Jazz Classics, 1977 Count Basie, and Oscar Peterson. Among the landmark recordings she made with Granz were her historic songbook treatments of the music of Ellington, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer, and Ira and George Gershwin. Fitzgerald's superb intonation and crystal clear voice was also blessed with a rhythmic flexibility to effortlessly swing. Though she came up in the swing era, Fitzgerald also could hang with the best of the beboppers. Her ability to scat with the most skilled instrumentalists served her well on such notable voice-as-instrument hits as "Lady Be Good," "Flying Home," and "How I ligh The Moon." Each became enduring parts of her repertoire. She forged memorable partnerships with her piano accompanists, most notably Tommy Flanagan and Paul Smith. NEA Jazz Masters 39 lanagan PIANIST Born March 16, 1930 in Detroit, Died November 16, 2001 Tommy Flanagan was noted as both a stimulating accompanist and a superb small ensemble leader, p hiving with some of the biggest names in jazz. A product of a noteworthy arts education system in the Detroit public schools, he began his musical pursuits on clarinet at six years old, switching to the piano at age 11. At 15, he made his professional debut. Thereafter he performed with fellow Detroiters Milt Jackson. Rudy Rutherford, Billv \1il( hell, Kenny Burrell, and Thad and Elvin Jones as part ol the fertile Detroit jazz scene in the 1950s. I lanagan moved to New York in 1956, securing his first job as .i replai < mint lor Bud Powell at Birdland. Powell, along with Ail Tatum and Nal "King" Cole, was a major influeni e on Flanagan's playing, Throughout the 1950s, lie worked with many of the biggest names in jazz, including J.J. Johnson. Miles Davis Marry "Sweets" ^cscoo^ l (Iimiii Sonny Rollins. Jim Thelonica, Enja, 1982 Beyond the Bluebird. TimelesjL 1990 G/anf StepSnja, 1992 Let's Play the Music of Thad Jones, Enja. 1993 Lady Be Good... For Ella, Verve. 1994 Hall, and Tony Bennett, playing on some of the landmark recordings of that decade. One of his most significant recordings was with John Coltrane on the wildly influential recording. Giant Steps. His playing on the complex title track, using space between the notes to contrast Coltrane's rapid-fire attack, was especially inspired. He also met and began performing with Ella Fitzgerald. an association that lasted until the end of the 1970s, his trio touring exclusively with her from 1968-78. After leaving Ella Fitzgerald in 1978, some of his best, most compelling work was in the trio format, with George Mraz on bass and Elvin Jones or Lewis Nash on drums. Influenced by the playing and arrangements of Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk. Flanagan's lyrical playing and harmonic sophistica- tion placed him. in die top echelon of jazz pianists. He was an especially tasteful interpreter of Billy Strayhorn, Thad Jones, and Tadd Dameron's music. Flanagan was a multiple jazz poll winner, and in 1992 was recipient of the prestigious Danish Jazzpar prize. 40 NKA .1 SAXOPHONIST COMPOSER ARRANGER BANDLEADER EDUCATOR oster Born September 23, 1928 in Cincinnati, OH Although best known for his work in the Count Basie Orchestra (and as the composer of the Count Basie hit, "Shiny Stockings"), Frank Foster's saxophone playing owes more to the bebop of Charlie Parker and Sonny Stitt than the swing of Basie. Foster began playing clarinet at 11 years old before tak- ing up the alto saxophone and eventually the tenor. By the time he was a senior in high school, he was leading and writing the arrangements for a 12-piece band. Foster stud- ied at Wilberforce University in Ohio before heading to Detroit in 1949 with trumpeter Snooky Young for six weeks, becoming captivated by its burgeoning music scene. Drafted into the Army, Foster left Detroit and headed off to basic training near San Francisco, where he would jam in the evenings at Jimbo's Bop City. After being discharged in 1953, two life-changing events happened to Foster: he sat in with Charlie Parker at Birdland and he was asked to join Count Basie's band, where he stayed until 1964. Foster's fiery solos contrasted nicely with Frank Wess' ballad work, providing Basie with an interesting contrast. Foster, already an accomplished composer by this time, learned from Basie how to simplify arrangements to make the music swing. He soon was pro- viding compositions and arrangements for the band ("Blues Backstage," "Down for the Count," the entire Easin' It alburn just to name a few), with his most popular number being "Shiny Stockings." He also was an extremely successful freelance writer, creating a large body of work for jazz, including works contributed to albums by singers Sarah Vaughan and Frank Sinatra, and a commissioned work for the 1980 Winter Olympics, Lake Placid Suite, written for jazz orchestra. In the 1970s, Foster played with contemporary musi- cians such as Elvin Jones, George Coleman, and Joe Farrell and began expanding his compositions. He led his own band, the Loud Minority, until 1986 when he assumed leader- ship of the Count Basie *$D DISCOgc, Orchestra from Thad Jones. While playing the favorites, Foster also began introducing orig- inal material into the playlist. Foster resigned as the musical director of the orchestra in 1995 and began recording albums again. In addition to performing, Foster has also served as a musical consultant in the New York City public schools and taught at Queens College and the Slate University of New York at Buffalo. Count Basie, Verve Jazz Masters, Verve, 1954-65 No Count, Savoy, 1956 Fearless, Original Jazz Classics. 1965 Shiny Stockings, Denon, 1977-78 Leo Rising, Arabesque, 1996 NEA Jazz Mastei-s 4 1 •> ohnBirkS Gillespie Born October 21, 1917 in Cheraw, SC Died January 6, 1993 Dizzy Gillespie's effect on jazz cannot be overstated: his trumpet playing influenced every player who came after him, his compositions have become part of the jazz canon, and his bands have included some of the most significant names in the business. He was also, along with Charlie Parker, one of the major leaders of the bebop movement Gillespie's father was an amateur bandleader who, although dead by the time Gillespie was ten, had given his son some of his earliest grounding in music. Gillespie began playing trumpet at 14 after briefly trying the trom- bone, and his first formal musical training came at the; Lauiinburg Institute in North Carolina. Gillespie's earliest professional jobs were with the I i.mkie Fairfax band, where Ik; reportedly picked up the nickname I )i//\ related to his outlandish antics. His earli- infruence was Roy Eldridge, who he later replaced in Teddj Hill's hand. From 1<).'!<)-4I. Gillespie was one of the prini ipal suluists in Cab Calloway's hand, until he was dis- ■ notorious bandstand prank. It was while with • it In- met the Cuban trumpeter Mario Bauza, in d i greal interest in Afro-Cuban thru time he also befriended Charlie Parker. Jd !■ in to develop some ol the bile sitting in at Minion's tlani ed with a number of big I Btha" Mines. Ilines' hand < on espie would interact with in the TRUMPETER COMPOSER BANDLEADER ^DD**^ The Complete RCA Victor Recordings\ 1937-1949, Bluebird, 1937-49 Dizzy's Diamonds. Verve, 1 954-64 Birk's Works: Verve Big Band Sessions Verve, 1956-57 Gillespiana/Camegie Hall Concert, Verve, 1960-61 Max + Dizzy. Paris 1989, A&M, 1989 development of bebop, such as singer Billy Ecksrine, who formed his own band featuring Gillespie on trumpet in 1944. 1945 was a crucial year for both bebop and Gillespie. He recorded with Parker many of his small ensemble hits, such as "Salt Peanuts," and formed his own bebop big band. Despite economic woes, he was eventually able to keep this band together for four years. His trumpet playing was at a peak, with rapid-fire attacks of notes and an amazing harmonic range. A number of future greats performed with Gillespie's big band, including saxophonists Gene Amnions, Yusef Lateef. Paul Gonsalves, Jimmy Heath. James Moody, and John Coltrane. The rhythm section of John Lewis, Milt Jackson. Kenny Clarke, and Ray Brown became the original Modern Jazz Quartet. He took various bands on State Department tours around the world starting in 1956, the first time the U.S. govern- ment provided economic aid and recognition to jazz. Those excursions not only kept Gillespie working, they also stimu- lated his musical interests as he began incorporating differ- ent ethnic elements into his music, such as the Afro-Cuban rhythms he weaved into his big band arrangements. Ne\ ar losing his thirst for collaboration, Gillespie worked with a variety of jazz stars as well as leading his own small groups on into the 1980s. . SAXOPHONIST COMPOSER ARRANGER EDUCATOR Golson Born January 25, 1929 in Philadelphia, PA Benny Golson is as renowned for his distinctive compositions and arrangements as for his innovative tenor saxophone playing. Major cornerstones of his career have included not only notable additions to the jazz canon, but also included his work in film and television studios, and in education. Golson began on the piano, at age nine, moving to the saxophone at age 14. He earned a degree from Howard University, then joined Bull Moose Jackson's band in 1951. Arranging and composing became a serious pursuit for him at the early encouragement of composer- 4> T$D DISCOo^ arranger Tadd Dameron, who he met in Jackson's band. Other early band affiliations included Lionel Hampton, Johnny Hodges, and Earl Bostic. He toured with the Dizzy Gillespie big band from 1956-58, then joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. His robust playing added extra kick to the band, and his solo on Bobby Timmons' song "Moanin"' is a classic. With the Messengers, Golson 's writing skills blossomed as he contributed pieces for the band that have forever entered the jazz canon, including "Along Game Betty," "Blues March," "I Remember Clifford" (written upon the death of his Erieni Clifford Brown), "Killer Joe" (which later became a hit for Quincy Jones), and "An; You Real?" After leaving the Messengers, he and Art Fanner formed the hard bop quintet known as the Jazztet. The original incarnation of the Jazztet lasted from 1959-62. In 1963, he moved to California and began to concentrate on composing and arranging. He scored music for European and American television and films, and essentially discontinued touring until 1982, when he and Farmer revived the Jazztet briefly. Thereafter he played more frequently, working in all-star aggregations, and completing commissioned assignments, such as an original orchestral work for the 100th anniversary of the Juilliard School of Music in 2005. His soundtrack credits include M*A*S*H, Mission Impossible, Mod M '',, Benny Golson's New York Scene, Original Jazz Classics, 1957 Up Jumped Benny, Arkadia Jazz, 1986 Tenor Legacy, Arkadia Jazz, 1996 One Day Forever, Arkadia, 1996-2000 Terminal 1, Concord Jazz, 2004 Squad, and Ironside. In 1987, Golson participated in a U.S. State Department tour of Southeast Asia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Burma, and Singapore. As a tribute to Art Blakey, Golson organized the "Jazz Messengers — A Legacy to Art Blakey" tour of the U.S., Europe, and Japan from 1998 to 2000. As an educator he has Lectured, given clinics, and performed extended residencies at New York University, Stanford University. University of Pittsburgh, Cuyahoga Community College, Rutgers University, William Paterson College, and Herklee College of Music. Among his awards is a 1994 Guggenheim Fellowship. Currently, be is putting the finish- ing touches on two hooks: a major college textbook and his autobiography, which will be published in late 2005 by Ihboh Music. Inc. NEA Jazz Masters 43 SAXOPHONIST Born February 27, 1923 in Los Angeles, CA Died April 25, 1990 Dexter Gordon was one of the leading bebop tenor saxophonists, with his near-vibratoless sound and prodigious ability to improvise. He was a strong intluence on the tenor saxophonists who came after bebop, especially Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane. Gordon took up the clarinet at age 13, switching to the saxophone at 15. His first formal teacher was Lloyd a series of classic two-tenor duels, including their classic recording of "The Chase." Continuing to freelance through- out the 1950s, he began touring Europe as a soloist in the early 1960s to acclaim, eventually settling in Copenhagen in 1962. Gordon continued to play in Europe as a soloist, making a series of recordings for the Danish label Reese, who had other notable students, including Steeplechase. He added the soprano sax to his Charles Mi ngus and Buddy Collette, with <&$> ^&. arsenal in the earlv 1970s. During a trip back Mingi whom Cordon interacted in Reese's student band Cordon left school in 1940 and joined .i Local hand before taking a posi- tion with the Lionel Hampton band from 1940-43, (lilting his first recordings with the hand in 1942. Hack home in Los Angeles. Cordon played with Lee Young (brother ol Lester) and [esse Price, and made .i subsequent record with Nat "kii ii the piano. in to garner attention when New York in 1944 to join the Billy bestra. He recorded with Eckstine and i din fbi the Savoy label. Through the QS, h^ played and recorded with the | MK h .is Charlie Parker. Dizzy Gillespie ron. Between 1947 and 1952, he ti doi Baxophonisl WardeL Graj lor Dexter Gordon on Dial: The Complete Sessions, Spotlite, 1947 Doin' Alright, Blue Note, 1961 Go!, Blue Note, 1962 Something Different, Steeplechase, 1975 Great Encounters, Columbia, 1978 g a trip to the States in 1976, he took a gig at the Village Vanguard and die response to his plaving was overwhelming. He found willing partners in several musicians of a younger generation, including trum- peter Woody Shaw. The response prompted him to return permanently to the U.S., where he made a series of well- received records for the Columbia label. Included was a notable return to his two- tenor battle days, diis time with fellow expatriate Johnny Griffin. The culmination of the decade-long renewal of interest in Gordon was his starring role in the film 'Round Midnight, which garnered an Oscar nomination. Thereafter, until felled by ill health, he continued to tour with his own potent quartets and returned to his former record label. Blue Note, lor a briei Mini following his film success. 44 NKA .1 icop / ICO |H GUITARIST COMPOSER tm I Born December 4, 1930 in Buffalo, NY & Iazz guitarist Jim Hall's technique has been called subtle his sound mellow, and his compositions understated; yet his recording and playing history is anything but modest. He has recorded with artists ranging from Bill Evans to Itzhak Perlman and performed alongside most of the jazz greats of the 20th century. The first of the modern jazz gui- tarists to receive an NEA Jazz Masters award, his prowess on the instrument puts him in the company of Charlie Christian, Wes Montgomery, and Django Reinhardt. After graduating from the Cleveland Institute of Music, Hall became an origi- nal member of the Chico Hamilton Quintet in 1955 and of the Jimmy Giuffre 3 the following year — both small but musi- cally vital ensembles of the era. Hall contin- ued to hone his craft on Ella Fitzgerald's South American tour in 1960, a fruitful time in which his exposure to hossa nova greatly influenced his subsequent work. From there, he joined Sonny Rollins' quartet from 1961-62, and appears on The Bridge, Rollins' first recording in three years after a self-imposed retirement The interplay between Rollins' fiery solos and Hall's classic guitar runs make this one of jazz's most essential recordings. > Hall then co-led a quartet with Art Farmer, recorded a series of duets with noted saxophonist Paul Desmond, and performed as a session musician on numerous recordings. His extensive ensemble experience has produced a con- trol of rhythm and harmony so that Hall's playing, while grounded in scholarly technique and sci- ence, sounds both rich and free. He eventually formed his own trio in 1965, which still performs and records today. Well-studied in classical compo- sition, Hall has produced many original pieces for various jazz orchestral ensem- bles. His composition for jazz quartet, "Quartet Plus Four," earned him the Jazzpar Prize in Denmark. His influence on jazz guitarists, including such disparate ones as Bill Frisell and Pat Metheny, is immense. Hall continues to explore new avenues of music, even appearing on saxophonist Greg Osby's 2000 recording. Invisible Hand, with leg- endary pianist Andrew Hill. He; also has worked in smaller settings as well, often in duets with jazz greats such as pianists Bill Evans and Red Mitchell, and bassists Ron Carter and Charlie Haden. In addition to numerous Grammy nominations, Ilall has been awarded the New York Jazz Critics Circle Award for Best Jazz Composer/Arranger. Jimmy Giuffre 3, Trav'lin' Light, Atlantic, 1958 Sonny Rollins, The Bridge, RCA, 1962 Ron Carter and Jim Hall, Live at Village West, Concord, 1982 Something Special, Music Masters, 1 993 Grand Slam: Live at the Regattabar, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Telarc, 2000 NEA Jazz Masters 45 c/) Foreststorn Born September 21, 1921 in Los Angeles, CA PERCUSSIONIST BANDLEADER COMPOSER EDUCATOR Chico Hamilton is almost as well known for his band leadership and ability to discover talented newcom- ers as for his subtle, creative drumming. As a teenager growing up in Los Angeles, Hamilton started play ing regularly for the first time with a band that included classmates Charles Mingus, Dexter Gordon, and Illinois facquet. He made his recording debut with Slim Gaillard, and studied drumming u itli jazz great Jo Jones during his mili- tarj sen i( e from 1042-46. After working briefly with Jimmy Mundy, Count Basic and Lester Young. I [amilton joined Lena I tome's band in i')4a. staying with her on and off for si\ years, in< luding a tour ol Europe. I hiring this time, he also became an orig- member of the Legendary Gerry Mulligan Quartet, whi< h ini luded Mull, i Baker, and Boh Whitlock. ordingwith them for three years the Pai ifii [azz Libel. Hamilton go1 his idleader. In 1955, he formed the Chico Hamilton Quintet, utilizing ol instruments: < ello, flute, guitar, i the important West Coast bunds. < ii film debut in the movie The U .is highlighting In// on a ■•it the 1958 Newport Jazz nd started In 1962 with Albeit ^DISCOO^ Stinson on bass, Gabor Szabo on guitar, Charles Lloyd on tenor sax and flute, and George Bohanon on trombone, bringing a fresh, new sound to jazz once again. Over the vears, Hamilton's bands have had various personnel, but the quality of the musicianship has remained high. Some of the players who Hamilton nurtured in his bands Complete Pacific Jan Recordings of the Chico Hamilton Quintet, Mosaic, 1955-59 Man From Two Worlds, Impulse!, 1962 Dancing to a Different Drummer, Soul Note, 1993 Foreststorn. Koch, 2000-01 Thoughts of. ... Koch, 2002 include Jim Hall, Eric Dolphy, Ron Carter, Arthur Blythe, Larry Coryell, and John Abercrombie. During the 1960s, Hamilton formed a company to score feature films and com- mercials for television and radio. In 1987. Hamilton was on the originating faculty at Parsons New School of Jazz in New York. During the same year, he formed a new quartet called Euphoria, and began touring in Europe. The quartet met with great popularity, and in 1992. their album Arroyo placed in the Jazz Album of the Year category in the Douti Beat Reader's Poll. In 1995. a documentary of Hamilton's extraordinary life and career, Dancing to a Different Drummer, directed by Julian Benedict. was presented twice on the French-German Arts Network. ARI'E. In June 1999, Hamilton received a Beacons of Jazz award from the Mamies College of Music at the New School University in New York City, where he is presently teaching. 1 le is working on his autobiography and will be releasing four new albums in 2006 in celebration of his 85th birthdav. 46 NKA .1. VIBIST DRUMMER PIANIST VOCALIST BANDLEADER Hampton Born April 20, 1908 in Louisville, KY Died September 30, 2002 Featuring outstanding sideman and soloists, as well as his own swinging vibe playing, Lionel Hampton's bands during the 1940s and 1950s were among the most popular and most exciting in jazz. Hampton was raised in the Midwest, primarily in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he received his first musical training. His career began behind the drums, taking his first music job in a newsboys band sponsored by the Chicago Defender. In 1928, Hampton moved west to California, landing first in the Paul Howard Orchestra, later working with band- leaders Eddie Barefield and Les Hite. In 1929 he took up the vibraphone with the Hite band, which at the time was led by Louis Armstrong, becoming a pioneering figure in the use of vibes in a jazz band. Hampton made his recorded debut on an Armstrong ver- sion of "Memories of You" in 1930. By 1934, Hampton had become leader of his own band, performing at Sebastian's Cotton Club in Los Angeles. Benny Goodman saw Hampton perform at one of his gigs and recruited him to augment his trio, with Teddy Wilson and Gene Krupa, for a 1936 record- ing date. Hampton remained in Goodman's band through 1940, occasionally replacing Krupa on the drums. Hampton became well known with the Goodman band, and started his own big band, achieving his biggest recorded hit with "Flying Home" in May 1942, driven by Illinois Jacquet's unforgettable tenor saxophone solo. Hampton's popular big band boasted such potent musi- cians as Dexter Gordon, Clifford Brown, Fats Navarro, The Complete Lionel Hampton, Bluebird, 1937-39 Hamp: The Legendary Decca Recordings, Decca, 1942-63 Hamp and Geti, Verve, 1 956 Reunion at Newport, Bluebird, 1967 Made in Japan, Timeless, 1982 Johnny Griffin, Charles Mingus Art Farmer, Clark Terry, Cat Anderson, Wes Montgomery, and singers Dinah Washington, Joe Williams, Betty Carter, and Aretha Franklin. He toured the globe and continued to nurture young talent, often providing some of the earliest band experi- ences to musicians who went on to become leaders in their own right. His band became the longest established orchestra in jazz history. Lionel Hampton received numerous awards of merit, including several honorary doctoral degrees, the National Medal of Arts, and the Kennedy Center Honors. His diligent work with the jazz festival at the University of Idaho in Moscow led to it being renamed the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in 1985. The university's music department shortly followed suit and became the; Lionel Hampton School of Music. Winner of numerous polls, Lionel Hampton had been an honored soloist into the 1990s, performing in numerous festivals as part of all-star assemblages. In 2001, he donated his vibraphone to tin; Smithsonian Institution. NEA Jazz Masters 47 TROMBONIST ARRANGER COMPOSER EDUCATOR Born April 21, 1932 in Jeannette, PA Slide Hampton's distinguished career spans decades in the evolution of jazz. At the age of 12 he was already touring the Midwest with the Indianapolis-based Hampton Band, led by his fadier and comprising other members of his musical family. By 1952. at the age of 20, he was performing at Carnegie Hall with the Lionel Hampton Band. He then joined Maynard Ferguson's band, playing trombone and providing exciting charts on such popular tunes as "The Fugue," "Three Little Foxes," and "Slide's Derangement." As his reputation grew, he soon began working with bands led by Art Blakey. Dizzy Gillespie, Barry Harris, Thad Jones. Mel Lewis, and Max Roach, again i ontributing both original ( (impositions and arrange- ments. In 1062. he formed the Slide Hampton Octet, which Slide Hampton and His Horn of Plenty, Strand. 1959 World of Trombon, 201 Music, 1979 Roots. CnssTjross, 1985 5^r< Dedicated to Diz. Telarc, 1993 Spirit of the Horn. MCG Jazz, 2003 included stellar horn players Booker Little, Freddie Hubbard, and George Coleman. The band toured the U.S. and Europe and recorded on several labels. From 1964 to 1967, he served as music director for vari- ous orchestras and artists. Then, following a 1968 tour with Woody Herman, he elected to stay in Europe, performing with other expatriates such as Benny Bailey. Kenny Clarke. Kenny Drew, Art Farmer, and Dexter Gordon. Upon return- ing to the U.S. in 1977, he began a series of master classes at Harvard, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, De Paul University in Chicago, and Indiana University. During this period he formed the illustrious World of Trombones: an ensemble of nine trombones and a rhythm section. In 1989, with Paquito D'Rivera. he was musical director of Dizzy's Diamond Jubilee, a year-long series of celebrations honoring Dizzy Gillespie's 75th birthday. Slide Hampton's countless collaborations with the most prominent musicians of jazz were acknowledged by the 1998 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Arrangement with a Vocalist. Most recently, he has served as musical advisor to the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band. A charismatic figure, master arranger, and formidable trombonist. Slide Hampton holds a place of distinction in the jazz tradition. 48 NEA Jazz M.i. KEYBOARDIST COMPOSER Hancock Born April 12, 1940 in Chicago, IL Herbie Hancock's talent as a pianist was evident when, at age 11, he performed Mozart's D Major Piano Concerto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He began playing jazz in high school, initially influenced by Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans. Also at this time, a passion for electronic science also began to develop, so Hancock studied both electrical engineering and music composition at Grinnell College in Iowa. His love of elec- tronics led Hancock to be a pioneer in the use of electric piano, clavinet, and synthesizer in jazz. In 1961, trumpeter Donald Byrd asked the young pianist to join his group in New York, leading to Blue Note offering him a recording contract. His first album as leader, Takin' Off, which included the hit single, "Watermelon Man," demonstrated a gift for composition and improvisation. His talent impressed Miles Davis enough to ask Hancock to join his band in 1963. In the five years he worked with Davis, who became a mentor as well as an employer, Hancock established his standing as one of the greatest pianists of all time. Along with Ron Carter (bass) and Tony Williams (drums), Hancock altered the role of the rhythm section in jazz to include expanded solos and spontaneous changes in mood and tempo. He also composed a number ol pieces lor the ^ D D,SCOO V The Complete Blue Note Sixties Sessions, Blue Note, 1962-69 Head Hunters, Columbia, 1973 1/S.OP, Columbia. 1977 Village Life, Columbia, 1985 Gershwin's World, Verve, 1998 band as well as for his outstanding solo recordings with Blue Note. It was toward the end of his tenure with Davis that he began to use electric piano. After leaving the band in 1968, Hancock continued to explore the use of electronic instruments in his music. In 1973, he formed a quartet whose first recording, Head Hunters, launched him into jazz stardom and became a best-selling jazz album. In the late 1970s, Hancock revived the old Miles Davis band (Freddie Hubbard stood in for Davis) under the name V.S.O.P. and they toured extensively. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated stunning artistic versatility, and in 1983, "Rockit," a single that resulted from a collaborative effort with the rock band Material, became a hit on MTV. Hancock then switched gears completely, partnering with Gambian kora virtuoso Foday Musa Suso that culminated in two albums, Village Life and fax/, Africa. He also has written scores for several films, including Blow-Up in 1966, Death Wish in 1974, and 'Round Midnight, for which he won an Academy Award in 1987. Hancock has won eight Grammy Awards in the past two decades, and continues to work as a producer and in both the electric and acoustic spheres of jazz. NEA Jazz Mastei-s 49 41 ! i: arry s PIANIST COMPOSER ARRANGER EDUCATOR Born December 15, 1929 in Detroit, Barn' Harris is part of an exceptional crew of Detroit- bred jazz musicians, including Tommy Flanagan and Donald Byrd, who rose through the extraordinary arts education program in the public school system during the 1930s and 1940s. Harris' earliest musical mentor was a church piano-playing mother who exposed him to piano lessons at age four. He became seriously immersed in jazz in the mid-1940s and fell under the spell of Thelonious Monk. Charlie Parker, and Bud Powell. As a professional, be would become a key translator of Monk's music. Detroit was blessed with a high-energy jazz scene during tlic 1940s, and Harris was house pianist at one of the hottest spots, the Blue Bird Lounge. At the Blue Bird and later it the Rouge, he backed such traveling soloists .is Miles Davis. YVardell Gray. Max Roach. Sonnj Stitt, Lee Konitz, and Lester Young. Displaying an early interest in passing the torch through education, l!.nr\ began teat bing his bebop theories : a 1956, tutoring young talent foe Henderson, it is a tradition he has < arried on throughoul his life. At the urging ol Julian "Cannonball" II irris lefl Detroil in I960 York. In addition to mil work in the 1960s ^D DISCOS Chasin' The Bird, Original Jazz Classics, 1962 Barry Harris Plays Tadd Dameron, Classics, 1975 For The Moment, Uptown, 1984 Live at Maybeck Recital Hall, Vol. I & 2, Concord, 1990 and 1970s with fellow Detroiter Yusef Lateef. Charles McPherson, and Coleman Hawkins. In addition to sideman work, Harris led various trios and duos at piano bars and restaurants around New York. He also began to get work as an arranger and composer, showing a particular adeptness for his treatment of strings. A consummate freelancer, he found work in a variety of diverse settings and continues to play, inaugurating the Lincoln Center's Penthouse piano series in 1997. By the early 1980s, Barn' Harris' acumen as a teacher and mentor to developing pianists had become legendary. He was able to expand these interests when he opened the Jazz Cultural Center in 1982 on Eighth Avenue in Manhattan. The Center served as workshop, educational facility, and performance space for Harris and his affiliated artists, but unfortunately only lasted until 1987. Harris soldiered on. though, continuing to teach and mentor young musicians. He also continues to present and pro- duce annual multimedia concert spec- taculars at places like Symphony Spat 8 and the Manhattan Center in New York. Live in New York, Reservoir, 2002 SO NEAJjizz. M;Lst N N > p P lm Nat CRITIC JOURNALIST PRODUCER ento: Bom June 10, 1925 in Boston, MA One of the major voices in jazz literature, Nat Hentoff has written about and championed jazz for more than half a century, produced recording sessions for some of the biggest names in jazz, and written liner notes for scores more. Through his work, he has helped to advance the appreciation and knowledge of jazz. It is fitting that he is the first to receive the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship for Jazz Advocate. Hentoff began his education at Northeastern University in Boston, his hometown, and went on to pursue graduate studies at Harvard University. As a graduate student, he hosted a local radio show and became immersed in the Boston jazz scene. In 1953, after completing a Fulbright Fellowship at the Sorbonne in Paris, he spent four years as an associate editor at Down Beat magazine, where he laid the foundation for a truly remarkable career as a jazz jour- nalist. Hentoff was co-editor oijazz Review horn 1958 to 1961, and worked for the Candid label as A&R director from 1960 to 1961, producing recording sessions by jazz icons such as Charles Mingus, Cecil Taylor, and Abbey Lincoln. His books on music include Jazz Country (1965), Jazz: New Perspectives on the History of Jazz by Twelve of the World's Foremost Jazz Critics and Scholars (with Albert J. McCarthy, 1974), Boston Boy: Crowing Up with Jazz and Other Rebellious Passions (1 986), Listen to the Stories: Nat Hentoff on Jazz and Country Music (1995), and American Music Is (2004). His work has appeared in such venerable publications as The New York Times, The New Republic, Jazz Times, and The New Yorker, where he was a staff writer for more than 25 years. In addition to his status as a renowned jazz historian and critic, Hentoff also is an expert on First Amendment rights, criminal justice, and education and has written a number of books on these topics. In 1980, he was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in education as well as a Silver Gavel Award from the American Bar Association for his coverage of the law and criminal justice. Five years later, he was awarded an honorary degree from Northeastern University. The multidisciplinary body of work that Hentoff has produced represents an articulation of the interconnectedness of the ideals of constitutional rights and jazz music and is without a doubt a major contribution to the dialogue surrounding the uniquely American jazz tradition. Currently, Hentoff writes about music for the Wall Street Journal and has a weekly column in The Village Voice and in the United Media syndicate, which distributes the column to 250 papers nationwide. c ^BIB Uoo 4? % Jazz Country, HarperCollins, 1965 The Jazz Life, Harper Collins 1975 Jazz Is, Random House, 1 976 Boston Boy: Growing Up With Jazz and Other Rebellious Passions, Random House, 1986 The Nat Hentoff Reader, DaCapo Press, 2001 NEA Jazz Master 57 DRUMMER Born October 11, 1936 in Los Angeles, CA Died May 3, 2001 Known among musicians and fans as "Smiling Billy," Billy Higgins was first introduced to the broader jazz public when he came to the East Coast with the Ornette Coleman Quartet in 1959 for their extended engage- ment at the Five Spot Cafe. Although he does not have many records under his own name, Higgins was often in great demand as a sideman, providing sensitive accompaniment in a variety of settings. Higgins started on the drums at age 12. By the time he was 19, he was working in rhythm and blues bands, including Amos Milburn and Bo Diddley. Other early affiliations included singers Brook Benton, Jimmy Witherspoon, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. He also began working with jazz artists, such as Dexter Gordon. Don Cherry, James Clay, and Walter Benton. 1 le joined the Red Mitchell band in 1957, but soon left to join Ornette Coleman's new band, with whom he worked Steadily ill 1958 and 1959. In the early 1960s, he worked with Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, and Sonny Rollins. By then he had become one of the most ^0 0,3000^ Ornette Coleman, Change of the Century, Atlantic, 1959 Soweto, Red, 1979 Mr. Billy Higgins. Evidence, 1984 3 M For Peace. Red, 1993 Charles Lloyd, Hyperion with Higgins. ECM, 2001 in-demand freelance drummers on the scene, particularly on many Blue Note sessions. His drumming was an important addition to many recordings, such as Andrew Hill's Point of Departure, Herbie Hancock's Takin ' Off, and Lee Morgan's The Sidewinder, the last two being especially popular jazz albums. He would intermittently' work with Coleman again in the 1960s arid 1970s as well. Outside of Coleman, a frequent musical col- laborator was Cedar Walton, an association that began in 1966 and continued into the 1990s, often in the Walton's Eastern Rebellion bands. In the 1990s his career was halted by kidney disease, leading to a subsequent kidney transplant. After resuming playing, he remained much in demand for record dates. During 1999- 2001, he worked frequently with Charles Lloyd when not leading his own bands, recording some of his most inventive drum- ming while playing against Lloyd's saxophone. 58 NEA Jazz Masters BASSIST EDUCATOR Hmton Born June 23, 1910 in Vicksburg, MS Died December 19, 2000 Milt Hinton's career spanned the gamut of jazz gen- erations, working from the early swing days of the 1930s with Cab Calloway through the end of the millennium with the new guard of jazz, such as Branford Marsalis and Christian McBride. His ability to make a con- tribution in any setting allowed for his vast array of work. As a soloist, Hinton, nicknamed "The Judge," was adept at the early bass tradition of slapping the strings. In addition to his love of music, Hinton was a perceptive and widely exhibited photographer. Much of tbe history of jazz can be found in his photographs, which were published in several magazines and in two extraordinary coffee-table books. Like many African American families in the early part of the 20th century, his family migrated north from Mississippi to Chicago, where he was raised. His mother was a church musician, playing organ, piano, and directing the choir. She bought him a violin for his thirteenth birthday, which he studied for four years from 1923-27. Later he picked up the bass horn and tuba while studying music at Wendell Phillips High School in Chicago. In 1928, he found his voice when he switched to string bass. One of his earliest professional affiliations was with violinist Eddie South, with whom he played intermittently between 1931-36. Other early affiliations included Zulty Singleton, Erskine Tate, Art 'latum, and Jabho Smith Hinton's early career experience was centered around the Cab Calloway Orchestra, with which he worked from C^DISCOO, Various Artists, The Modern Art of Jazz, Biograph, 1956 The Judge at his Best, Chiaroscuro, 1973-95 Back to Bass-ics, Progressive, 1984 Branford Marsalis, Trio Jeepy, Columbia, 1988 Laughing at Life, Columbia, 1995 1936-51. After leaving Calloway, he worked with the big bands of Joe Bushkin, Jackie Gleason, Phil Moore, and Count Basie. He played with Louis Armstrong between 1952-55, then became a staff musician for CBS, one of the first African American musicians wel- comed into the TV studios. From 1956 on, Hinton was a much in-demand studio musi- cian, adept at different styles of play- ing, from the pop of Paul Anka to the jazz of Teddy Wilson. He also was in-demand in live settings, performing with Jimmy McParlland, Benny Goodman, Ben Webster, Sammy Davis, Jr., Judy Garland, and Harry Belafonte, among others. In the 1960s, he became a staff musician at ABC, working on the Dick Cavett Show. In the last decades of bis life, Hinton continued to play and record, inspiring new genera- tions of jazz musicians and fans. He received numerous honorary doctoral degrees and taught jazz at several colleges and universities, including Hunter College, Baruoh College;, Skidmore Col lego, and Interlochen Music ( lamp. NEA Jazz Masters 59 Horn Bom May 1, 1934 in Washington, DC Died October 20, 2005 VOCALIST PIANIST Shirley Horn began leading her own group in the mid- 1950s, and in 1960 recorded her first album, Embers and Ashes, which established her reputation as an exceptional and sensitive jazz vocalist. Born in 1934 in Washington, DC, she studied classical piano as a teenager at Howard University's Junior School of Music. Under the influence of artists such as Oscar Peterson and Ahmad Jamal, she then began a career as a jazz pianist and soon after discovered the great expressive power of her voice. When Miles Davis heard Embers and Ashes, he brought her to New York, where she began opening for him at the Village Vanguard. Soon she was performing in major venues throughout the United States and recording with Quincy Jones for the Mercury label. For some years she spent much of her time in Europe, then took a ten-year hiatus to raise her family in Washington. She continued to appear in and around the DC area, and in the 1980s she returned to the recording studio. The overwhelming critical success of her 1981 appearance at Holland's North Sea Jazz Festival reintroduced her to old bins, won her new followers, and revitalized her career, allowing her to take to the road with her trio and record four more alliums. ^D DlSCOCft # Embers and Ashes, Stereo-Craft, 1960 Violets for Your Furs, Steeple Chase, 198 You Won't Forgm/le, Verve, 1990 I Remember Miles, Verve, 1998 May the Music Never End, Verve. 2003 Her association with the Verve label, which began in 1987, gave a new showcase to her inimitable style and cemented her reputation as a world-class jazz artist. Six of her more than 20 albums have been nomi- nated for Grammy Awards, and she has collaborated with jazz artists including Hank Jones, Kenny Burrell, Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Buck Hill, Branford Marsalis, and Toots Thielemans In 1991, she collaborated with Miles Davis on her criti- cally acclaimed album You Won't Forget Me. Her 1992 recording Here's to Life was that year's top-selling jazz album and earned a Grammy Award for arranger Johnny Mandel. In 1998. Horn paid tribute to her mentor with the brilliant recording / Remember Miles, winning the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance. 60 NEA Jazz Masters VIBIST PIANIST BANDLEADER Jackson Characterized by a slower vibrato than his predeces- sors, Milt Jackson's ability to swing and to create vocal-like inflections made his an instantly recogniz- able sound on the vibes. Another jazz musician whose ear- liest experience was in the church, he sang gospel duets with his brother and played the guitar. At age 11, he began playing the piano, moving to the xylophone and the vibes in his early teens. After studying music at Michigan State University, his musical career actually began with a touring gospel ensemble in the early 1940s. Upon hearing him in Detroit, Dizzy Gillespie arranged for Jackson, known by the nickname "Bags," to come to New York in 1945 to join his band. After leaving Gillespie's pioneering bebop big band in 1948, he went on to play with Howard McGhee, Thelonious Monk, Tadd Dameron, and Charlie Parker, applying the bebop sound to the vibes. He replaced Terry Gibbs in the Woody Herman band during 1949-50, returning to the Gillespie band from 1950-52. Thereafter he formed his own quartet, featuring John Lewis, Ray Brown, and Kenny Clarke. The Milt Jackson Quartet then became the Modern Jazz Quartet, with Percy Heath Born January 1, 1923 in Detroit, Ml Died October 9, 1999 replacing Brown, and Connie Kay eventually replacing Clarke. The MJQ would become an enduring jazz institu- tion for more than 40 years, with Jackson's blues-drenched solos being a crucial ingredient in their sound. When the MJQ wasn't touring, Jackson occasionally led bands featur- ing Jimmy Heath and Ray Brown and worked on recording sessions that included Julian "Cannonball" Adderley and Ray Charles. He left the MJQ in 1974, leading his own groups or play- ing with all-star aggregations until 1981, when the MJQ reunited for a concert in Japan. Following that concert, the quartet made annual tours from 1982 through the early 1990s. For most of the remainder of his career he worked with his own groups, which often included such *» C ^D DISCOg/j M '^ Modern Jazz Quartet, MJQ, Original Jazz Classics, 1954-56 Plenty, Plenty Soul. Atlantic, 1957 Bags Meets Trane, Atlantic, 1959 Milt Jackson + Count Basie + The Big Band, Vol. 7 & 2, Original Jazz Classics, 1978 musicians as Mickey Roker, Bob Cranshaw, and Mike LeDonne. The winner of numerous jazz polls, Jackson's vibe-playing dominated the field for much of his career, leading to his induction into the Percussion Hall of Fame and Down Haul I hill of Fame, among other honors. Sa Va Bella, Warner Brothers, 1996 NEA Jazz Masters 61 PIANIST COMPOSER Born July 2. 1930 in Pittsburgh. PA One of the subtlest virtuosos of jazz piano, Ahmad Jamais uncanny use of space in his playing and leadership of his small ensembles have been hallmarks of his influential career. Among those he has influenced is most notably Miles Davis. Davis made numerous and prominent mentions of Jamal's influence on the trumpeter, particular in his use of space, allow- ing the music to "breathe," and his choice of compositions. Several tunes that were in Jamal's playlist, such as the standard "Autumn Leaves" and Jamal's own "New Rhumba," began appearing in the playlist of Davis' 1950s bands. Additionally, Jamal's tex- tured rhythms on piano influenced Davis' piano players as well, from Wynton Kelly in the 1950s to Herbie Hancock in the 1960s. His piano studies began at age three, and by age 11, he was making his professional debut with a sound strongly influenced by Art Tatum and Erroll Garner. Following graduation from Pittsburgh's Westinghouse High School, he joined the George Hudson band in 1947. In 1949, he joined swing violinist Joe Kennedy's group Four Strings as pianist. a? c Andy Kirk, though virtually unknown nowadays out- side of jazz circles, led one of the hottest swing bands in the country during the 1930s, rivaling Basie's. His band, the Clouds of Joy, also introduced some of the biggest names in jazz, most notably Mary Lou Williams. Kirk grew up in Denver, Colorado, where he came under the musical tutelage of Paul Whiteman's father, Wilberforce Whiteman. His first job, as bass saxo- phonist and tuba player, came with the George Morrison Orchestra in 1918. In 1925 he relocated to Dallas and joined Terence Holder's Dark Clouds of Joy, a band he eventually took over in 1929, changing the name to the Clouds of Joy (sometimes being known as the Twelve Clouds of Joy, depending on the number of musicians in the bandj. He moved the band to Kansas City, where they made their first recordings in 1929-39, including Mary Lou Williams' "Froggy Bottom," which has been covered count less times since. Kirk's band was highly popular, becom- ing — along with the Count Basie hand, the Benny Moteii *t 1929-1931, Classics, 1929-31 1936-1937, Classics, 1936-37 1937-1938, Classics, 1937-38 Kansas City Bounce, Black and Blue, 1939-40 1940-1942, Classics, 1940-42 Orchestra, and Jay McShann's band — one of the purveyors of the Kansas City swing sound. Particularly popular was their recording of "Until the Real Thing Comes Along" in 1936. Although the leader of the band, Kirk usually was not a soloist, utilizing the talent in his band for the spotlight instead. His genius lay in realizing how best to make use of his band members' skills. Realizing the awesome writing and arranging aptitude of Mary Lou Williams, for example, he made her the chief composer and arranger for the Clouds of Joy from 1929-42. Other notable band members who Kirk high- lighted as soloists included Shorty Baker, Don Byas, Kenny Kersey, Howard McGhee, Fats Navarro, and Dick Wilson. The band continued to tour and record until disbanding in 1948. Kirk led another hand in California in the early 1950s, then went into other professions. In the 1970s he led pickup bands on occasion, though ho spent the remainder of his life working for his Jehovah's Witness church. NEA Jazz Mastei-s 67 Lewis Born May 3, 1920 in La Grange, IL Died March 29, 2001 PIANIST COMPOSER ARRANGER EDUCATOR Iohn Lewis' artistry flowered during his historic tenure as musical director of the longest continuing small ensemble in the annals of jazz, the Modern Jazz Quartet, vvith whom he was able to realize his unique vision of fusing blues, bebop, and classical music into an artful, elegant balance. Raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Lewis' mother was a primary musical influence. After high school, Lewis joined the Army in 1942, where he met drummer Kenny Clarke and trumpeter/bandleader Dizzy Gillespie. In 1946, Lewis and Clarke joined the rhythm section of Gillespie's pioneer big band, which included vibraphonist Milt Jackson and bassist Ray Brown. The Gillespie band provided a convenient canvas for Lewis to write composi- tions and craft arrangements, utilizing the talents of some of the finest young musicians in jazz. Lewis' first extended composition for Gillespie was his 1947 "Toccata for 1 1 umpnt." which premiered at Carnegie Hall. Other early ' ontributions to the Gillespie book included Lewis' arrange- ments of the tunes "Two Bass Hit" and "Emanon." Coinciding with his work with the Gillespie band, Lewis atinued bis music studies at the Manhattan School of Musil . eventuallj earning his master's degree in 1953. Lewis also worked with other j.izz greats in between tours with Gillespie's band, in< hiding serving as pianist and arranger for the Miles I).i\ is rei ording, Birth o) the Cool, in 1950. In 1951, the Gillespie band rhythm section of 1946 — Lewis. ( llarke, [at ksnn. and Brown — reunited in the ret onl- ine studio .is the Mill [ai kson Quartet, later becoming the Modem [azz Quartet By the time those recordings were 68 NEA Jazz Masters ^ Modern Jazz Quartet, Django, Original Jazz Classics, 1953-55 Grand Encounter. Blue Note, 1956 The Wonderful WorlcWf Jazz, Atlantic. 1£ Kansas City Breaks, DRG, 1982 Private Concert, EmArcy, 1 990 issued, Percy Heath had replaced Brown. In 1954, the Modern Jazz Quartet began touring and Connie Kay replaced Clarke on drums the follow- ing year. Lewis would use his time in the more than 40 years with MJQ to hone his composing and arrang- ing skills, experimenting with form and sound, while collaborating with guests rang- ing in diversity from Sonny Rollins to the Beaux Arts String Quartet to singer Diahann Carroll to full orchestras. Perhaps his most widely interpreted composi- tion is "Django," which he wrote in honor of the legendary Gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt. Throughout his career. John Lewis had written for a vast number of musical configurations in a dizzying array of styles, from solo piano to symphonies, ballets to film and television scores. Lewis was part of the first wave of what composer Gunther Schuller dubbed the Third Stream — an effort at forging a third stream through the fusing of the two primary streams: jazz and European classical music. As an educator, he served as director of faculty at the Lenox School of Jazz, where he first championed Ornette Coleman: on the trustee board of the Manhattan School of Music: and in faculty positions at Harvard University and ( Sty College of New York. Abbey VOCALIST COMPOSER Strongly influenced by jazz icons Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong, both of whom she met early in her career, Abbey Lincoln's distinctive vocal style, thought-provoking writing, and spirited personality have secured her a place among the jazz luminaries. Born in Chicago and raised in rural Michigan, Lincoln began performing while still in high school. In 1951, she moved to the West Coast, working under various names (Gaby Lee, Anna Marie, Gaby Wooldridge) before settling on Abbey Lincoln. She recorded her first album with jazz great Benny Carter in 1956 and appeared in the 1957 film, The Girl Can 't Help It. Lincoln then recorded a series of albums for the Riverside label with drummer Max Roach, who had introduced 4? ^ddiscog^ «*>. '/* Max Roach, We Insist! Freedom Now Suite, Candid, 1960 Straight AheaijXatviiti, 1961 Abbey Sings Billieltol. 1&2, Enja, 1987 The World Is Falling Down, Verve. 1 990 It's Me. Verve, 2003 her to the label's owner. Lincoln's collaborations with Roach (to whom she was married from 1 962- 70) lasted more than a decade, and included Lincoln Born August 6, 1930 in Chicago, IL the seminal recording, Freedom Now Suite in 1960. This was the beginning of a more social and political activist approach to her music. Over the years, she has worked with some of the biggest names in jazz, including Sonny Rollins, Eric Dolphy, Coleman Hawkins, Miles Davis, Jackie McLean, Clark Terry, and Stan Getz. In addition to her music, Lincoln also pursued acting, appearing in the films Nothing But A Man and For Love of Ivy and on television series, such as Mission: Impossible and the Flip Wilson Show. She also taught drama at the California State University. She did not record any albums as a leader from 1962-72, but made a grand return to jazz with her 1973 recording, People In Me. her first album of all original material. Lincoln returned to her influences in 1987, recording two albums in tribute to Billie? Holiday, and then a series of recordings for Verve throughout the 1990s that showcased her writing prowess. Her emotionally honest, mature style is still revered, and Lincoln continues to perform and tour with a new trio. NEA Jazz Mastei-s 69 Melba Liston Born January 13, 1926 Kansas City, MO Died April 23, 1999 TROMBONIST ARRANGER COMPOSER EDUCATOR # Although a formidable trombone player, Melba Liston was primarily known for her arrangements, espe- cially working with Randy Weston, and composi- tions. Growing up mostly in Los Angeles, some of her first work came during the 1940s with two West Coast masters: bandleader Gerald Wilson and tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon. In Gordon's small combos, she began to blossom as a trombone soloist, and Gordon wrote a song as a tribute to her, "Mischievous Lady." Despite her obvious talent as a soloist, Liston became an in-demand big band section player, which likely fueled her later work as an arranger. During the 1940s. Liston also worked with the Count Basie band and with Billie Holiday. Following a brief hiatus from music. she joined Dizzy Gillespie's bebop big band In 1950. and again for two of Gillespie's State Department tours in 1956 and 1957. which included her arrangements of "Annie's Dance" and "Stella by Starlight" in per- formani es. She started her own all-woman quintet in 1958 working in New York and Bermuda, before joining Quincv [ones' hand in 1959 to play the musical Free and Easy. She staved in Jones' louring hand as one of two woman members until 1961, ^DDISCOo^ '/J > Dizzy Gillespie, Dizzy In South America, Vol. I &2. CAP, 1956 Quincy Jones, Q Live in Paris, Warner Brothers, 1960 Bandy Weston, Tanjah, Verve, 1973 Bandy Weston/Melba Liston, Volcano Blues, Verve, 1993 Bandy Weston, Khepera, Verve, 1998 In the 1950s, Liston began a partnership Uiat she would return to on and off for more than 40 years. From the seminal 1959 recording Little Niles through 1998's Khepera. Liston was the arranger on many of Randy Weston's albums. Her arrangements, with a powerful base of brass and percus- sion and expressive solo performances, helped shape and embellish Weston's compositions. Other affiliations during the 1960s included co-leading a band with trumpeter Clark Terry. and writing for the Duke Ellington orches- tra, singers Tony Bennett and Eddie Fisher, and the Buffalo Symphony Orchestra. During die 1970s, she worked with youth orchestras in Los Angeles, continuing to write for Basie, Ellington, and singer Abbey Lincoln. Liston also became a staff arranger for die Motown label. Later that decade she took up residence in Jamaica, where she taught at the University of the West Indies and was director of Popular Music Studies at the Jamaica Institute of Music. Slowed by a stroke in 1985, which effectively ended her playing career, she was able to resume work as a composer and arranger in the 1990s through the aid of computer technology. Liston's career helped pave the way for women in jazz in roles oilier than as vocalists. 70 NEA Jazz Masters SAXOPHONIST COMPOSER EDUCATOR McLean Born May 17, 1931 in New York, NY Known in the jazz community as "J ac ki e Mac," Jackie McLean has been a stalwart, enduring force in jazz since the early 1950s, and a distinguished educator since 1968. Long the possessor of one of the most recogniz- able alto saxophone sounds and styles, he has explored the cutting edge of jazz creativity. McLean grew up in a musical family, his father being a guitarist for bandleader Tiny Bradshaw and stepfather own- ing a record store. By age 15, he chose the alto saxophone as his instrument. Jackie's earliest studies came through the tutelage of Foots Thomas, Cecil Scott, Joe Napoleon, and Andy Brown in his native New York. Another of his infor- mal teachers was piano master Bud Powell. McLean's most significant early band affiliation came during the years 1948- 49, when he joined a Harlem neighborhood band led by tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins and including pianist Kenny Drew. McLean's stints with the Miles Davis band, between 1949-53, yielded his first recording sessions as a sideman and marked the beginning of what became known as hard bop, an advanced progression on bebop. During McLean's busiest period as a sideman in the 1950s, he worked with pianist George Wellington, drummer Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, and bassist Charles Mingus. McLean's first recording as a leader came in 1955, when he CUl a quintet date lor the Ad Lib label. I lis intense; playing has lit in well with both hard bop and the avant-garde, two schools ol jazz in which McLean has experimented. Throughout the 1960s, McLean continued to work with his own bands and occasional all-star aggregations, but also 4, 5 and 6, Original Jazz Classics, 1956 New Soil. Blue Note, 1959 Let Freedom Ring, Blue Note, 1962 The Jackie Mac Attack Live, Verve, 1991 Nature Boy, Blue Note, 2000 became more interested in social issues. In 1959-60 he acted in the off-Broadway play The Connection, a cautionary tale dealing with jazz and the perils of drug abuse, which evolved into a 1961 film. In 1967 he took his music into prisons, working as a music instructor and counselor. Then in 1968, he moved to Hartford, Connecticut to take a teaching position at Hartt College of Music of the University of Hartford. It was in Hartford that McLean and his wife Dollie founded the Artists Collective, a widely hailed combination community center/fine arts school, primarily aimed at troubled youth. The Artists Collective opened a beautiful new building in 1999 following years of residence in a former schoolhouse in one of Hartford's most disadvantaged neighborhoods. At the University of I lartford, McLean established the school's African American Music Department and subsequent Jazz Studies degree program, which was renamed The Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz on November 17, 2000. The program has instructed a number of excep- tional young jazz musicians, including saxophonist Antoine Roney, drummer Eric MacPherson, trombonist Steve Davis, and pianist Alan Palmer, NE A Jazz Masters 7 1 Marian MePi Born March 20, 1918 in Slough, England am PIANIST BROADCASTER Best known as the host of the weekly national radio program Piano Jazz, Marian McPartland has helped to popularize jazz with her intricate knowledge and prowess on the piano. She has made the program one of the most popular in the history of public radio. Born to a musical mother who played classical piano, she studied at the famed Guildhall School of Music in London. Her first professional activity was as part of a touring vaudeville act featuring four pianists. During World War II, she enter- tained the troops and while playing in Belgium met her late husband, cornetist Jimmy McPartland, whom she married in 1945. They relocated to the U.S. in 1946, whereupon she performed in his band in Chicago. She formed her first active trio in 1950 for an engagement at the limbers in New York. Two years later, she began what would be an eight-year res- idency al the Hickory House in New York with her trio. In 1963, she worked with the Benny Goodman Sextet, and in 1965 she began her radio career, at WBAI in 7- Jazz at the Hickory House, Jasmine, 1954 Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz with Guest Bill Evans. Jan Alliance. Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz with Guest Jay McShann, Jazz Alliance, 1979 Plays the Benny Carter Songbook, Concord, 1990 Just Friends, Concord, 1 998 New York. In 1970 she started her own record company. Halcyon Records, one of the first jazz women to do so. In 1979 she began her weeklv program Piano Jazz, the longest running syndicated National Public Radio program. An intimate program involving just her and a guest — usually a pianist — the program has won numerous awards, including the Peabody Award. Many of the programs have been subsequently released on compact disc. As part of the segments, McPartland would interview the guest, drawing out colorful anecdotes and stories about their careers. The shows also included performances of McPartland and the guest together. Taken as a whole, the series presents a formidable history of jazz. Her plaving career has also included piano tours with such greats as Earl Hines. Teddy Wilson. Ellis Larkins. and Benny Carter. She has performed with symphony orchestras and at many of the major jazz festivals, and has received numerous awards, including a Down Beat Lifetime Achievement award in 1997. 978 72 NEA Jazz Masters VOCALIST PIANIST cRae Born April 8. 1920 in New York, NY Died November 10, 1994 Tender and warm with a ballad, Carmen McRae was one of the great singers of jazz, finding the depth of feeling in the lyrics of the songs she interpreted. An accomplished pianist who in her early career accompa- nied herself, she occasionally returned to the piano later in her career. McRae learned piano through private lessons and was discovered by Irene Wilson Kitchings, a musician and former wife of pianist Teddy Wilson. McRae sang with the Benny Carter, Count Basie, and Mercer Ellington big bands during the 1940s and made her recorded debut as Carmen Clarke while the wife of drummer Kenny Clarke. During the bebop revolution at Minton's Playhouse, McRae was an intermission pianist, which is likely where she first heard Tholonious Monk's music, which influenced her piano playing and musical sense. In the early 1950s, she worked with the Mai Mathews Quintet. She signed her first signif- icant recording contract with Uecca in 1954. Here to Stay, MCA/GRR 1955-59 Carmen McRae Sings Great American Songwriters, MCA/GRR 1955-59 Sings Lover Man & Other Billie Holiday Classics, Columbia, 1961 Carmen Sings Monk, Novus, 1988 Sarah — Dedicated to You, Novus, 1990 Working as a soloist, she gained wide recognition and was often seen in the pantheon of jazz singers that included Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan, to whom she idolized and later paid homage on a recording. Her greatest idol was Billie Holiday, whom she feted on record and in perform- ances on many occasions. Although she admired these singers, she never resorted to sheer mimicry and developed her own original style. She recorded notably alongside Louis Armstrong on Dave Brubeck's extended work The Real Ambassadors, a social commentary written with his wife Iola. She made several film and television appearances, and performed as an actress in the landmark television series Roots. In the late 1980s, she returned to her first love, recording a full album of Monk's music with lyrics by Jon Hendricks, Abbey Lincoln, Mike Ferro, Sally Swisher, and Bernie Hanighen. The album became one of her signature recordings. NEA Jazz Masters 73 A PIANIST VOCALIST BANDLEADER Born January 12, 1916 in Muskogee, OK For better or worse, Jay McShann is tied to the legend of Charlie Parker. Parker's first real professional work was with McShann 's Kansas City band, and McShann is credited with helping Parker to hone his talents. Arguably more important, McShann — along with Andy Kirk's Clouds of Joy. the Bennie Moten Orchestra and the great Count Basie bands — shaped and developed the Kansas City swing sound that was so popular in the 1930s and 1940s. Known in jazz circles as "Hootie," McShann is for the most part a self-taught artist, though he did attend Tuskegee Institute. He developed a piano style that drew heavily on blues and boogie woogie. McShann's earliest professional job came with tenor saxophonist Don Byas in 1931. Following his days at Tuskegee, McShann played in bands in Oklahoma and Arkansas prior to joining a trio with bassist Oliver Todd and drummer Elmer Hopkins in late 1936 in Kansas City. in subsequent months, he worked with alto saxophonist Buster Smith .ind trumpeter Dee Stewart before forming a sextet in 1937. In late 1939. McShann put together his first big band. His recording career commenced in 1941 with the Decca label, records that often featured blues singer Walter Brown. McShann's first New York appearance, at the Savoy Ballroom, came in February 1942. His band during the height of his popularity included such notables as Parker, bassist Gene Ramey, drummer Gus Johnson, and saxophonists Paul Quinichette and Jimmy Forrest, all of whom McShann used brilliantly as soloists. Following service in the Army. McShann reformed his band, which played New York spots and traveled west to California. Towards the end of the 1940s, McShann's small band fronted blues singer Jimmy Witherspoon. In the early 1950s, McShann moved his home base back to Kansas City, where he continues to reside. In the tf&O DISCOGh 1970s and 1980s, McShann experienced a bit of a **► Blues from Kansas City, MCA, 1941-43 1944-46, Classics, 1944-46 Vine Street Boogie. Black Lion, 1974 renaissance, with increased recording and per- forming opportunities, often with Kansas City violinist Claude "Fiddler" Williams, and he continues to perform throughout the Midwest. A Tribute to Charlie Parker, Music Masters, 1989 Hootie!, Chiaroscuro, 1997 74 NEA Jazz Masters SAXOPHONIST FLUTIST VOCALIST EDUCATOR y Born March 26, 1925 in Savannah, GA One of the surviving champions of Dizzy Gillespie's music, James Moody is an accomplished musician on the tenor and alto saxophones, as well as the flute, despite being born partially deaf. In addition to his instrumental prowess, Moody is an engaging entertainer, captivating audiences with his personal charm and wit. Although born in Savannah, he was raised in # iP Newark, New Jersey. His interest in jazz was sparked by a trumpet-playing father who gigged in the Tiny Bradshaw band, and he took up the alto sax, a gift from his uncle, at the age of 16. His first musical training came in the Air Force, and after leaving the service in 1946 he joined the Dizzy Gillespie big band, staying until 1948. Gillespie became his musical mentor. In 1949, he moved to Paris for three years, often playing with visiting American musi- cians, including the Tadd Dameron-Miles Davis band. In Sweden he recorded his famous improvi- sation on "I'm in the Mood For Love" in 1949. playing on an alto saxophone instead of his usual tenor. I lis solo was later set to lyrics by Eddie Jefferson and recorded by King Pleasure, known as "Moody's Mood for Love," becoming a surprise nil in 1952. Throughoul the rest of his career, Moody would be more known lor the vocal version oi the song based on his solo than for the instrumentaJ version C ^D DISCOq/j, itself, and obliged requests for the song by singing his famous solo. Through the 1950s and 1960s, he led his own bands, and worked alongside other saxophonists, notably Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt, with whom he co-led a three-tenor sax band. In 1963 he returned to the Dizzy Gillespie small group, where he largely remained until 1971. In 1975, «P. ^ James Moody and His Swedish Crowns, Dragon, 1949 Last Train from Overbrook, GRP/Chess. 1954-55 Moody's Panj[e\atc, 1995 Moody Plays Mancini, Warner Brothers, 1997 Homage, Savoy Jazz, 2003 he moved to Las Vegas and worked numerous hotel and casino shows with singers and comics, picking up the clarinet along the way In 1979, he left Las Vegas and moved back to New York to lead his own quintet. Then in 1989 he moved to San Diego, working as a consummate soloist and member of all-star touring units. In the 1990s, he teamed up again with his lifelong friend Dizzy Gillespie to tour Europe and the United States as a member of the l Inited Nations Orchestra. He continues to tour worldwide and experiment with his music, sometimes including synthesizers and strings on his recordings. He is sought-after on college and university campuses for master classes, workshops, and Lectures, and has received honorary doctoral degrees from the Florida Memorial College and the Berk lee College of Music, In 1997. he played an acting role in the Clint Hast wood lilni Midnight in the (kirdan of (iood and Evil. NEA Jazz Mastei-s 75 Born October 18, 1919 in Chicago, IL Anita O'Day's unique sound and swinging rhythmic sense put her in the upper echelon of jazz singers, as skillful with ballads as with scatting and liberal interpretations of standard songs. Her career spans the late swing and bebop eras, inspiring many singers who followed her, such as June Christy, Chris Connor, and Helen Merrill. She began her performing career as tion until 1943. In 1944 she joined Stan Kenton's band. She then re-joined Krupa in 1945, remaining there until 1946, when she began a solo career. In the mid-1950s she made a few notable albums for the Verve label, demonstrat- ing the power of her vocals. In 1958 her appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival, replete with characteristic big hat, caused a sensation. a ballroom dance contest winner in the <$& ^^ ^ e provided one of the highlights of the subse- rment film i 1930s, which is when she adopted the stage name O'Day. At 19, she began singing professionally in clubs around Chicago. In 1941 she joined Gene Krupa's big band, recording a memorable duet with Roy Eldridge on "Let Me Off Uptown," one of the first interracial vocal duets on record. She also may have been the first feminist big band singer, refusing to appeal in the standard gown and gloves, instead opting for band jacket and short skirt. She stayed with the Krupa organiza The Complete Recordings, 1949-50, Baldwin Street Music, 1949-50 Swings Cole Porter with Billy May, Verve, 1552-59 Anita Sings the Winners, Verve, 1956-62 Anita Sings the Most, Verve, 1 957 Rules of the Road, Pablo, 1993 quent film of the festival, Jazz on a Summer's Day. From that point on she worked mainly on the club circuit with her own groups. Always a hit in Japan, she made her first tour there in 1964, returning on several occa- sions. Frustrated with record label indiffer- ence to her artistry, she developed her own record labels. In the 1980s and 1990s, she continued to work the club and jazz festival circuits, including a concert at Carnegie Hall in 1985 to celebrate her 50 years in jazz and notable performances at the Vine Street Bar & Grill in Los Angeles in 1992. 76 NEA Jazz Masters ^ ^iJ ■ Max DRUMMER COMPOSER BANDLEADER Roach Born January 10, 1924 in New Land, NC Max Roach is one of the two leading drummers of the bebop era (along with Kenny Clarke) and has remained one of the leading musicians, com- posers, and bandleaders in jazz ever since the 1940s. His often biting political commentary and strong intellect, not to mention his rhythmic innovations, have kept him at the vanguard of jazz for more than 50 years. Roach grew up in a household where gospel music was quite prominent. His mother was a gospel singer and he began drumming in a gospel ensemble at age 10. Roach's formal study of music took him to the Manhattan School of Music. In 1942, he became house drummer at Monroe's Uptown House, enabling him to play and interact with some of the giants of the bebop era, such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, and Bud Powell. Roach would later record with Parker, Gillespie, Powell, and bassist Charles Mingus at the historic Massey Hall concert in 1953. Throughout the 1940s, Roach continued to branch out in his playing, drumming with Benny Carter, Stan Getz, Allen Eager, and Miles Davis. In 1952, he and Mingus collabo- rated to create their own record label, Debut Records. In 1954, Roach began a short-lived but crucial band with incendiary trumpeter Clifford Brown. This historic: band, which ended abruptly with Brown's tragic death in 1956, also included saxophonists Harold Land and Sonny Rollins. In the late 1950s, Roach began adding political commen- tary to his recordings, starting with Deeds Not Words. I in I coming into sharper focus with We Insist! Freedom Now Suite # ^PDISCOO, *1 > Clifford Brown and Max Roach, At Basin Steet, EmArcy, 1956 We Insist! Freedom Now Suite, Candid, 1960 M'Boom, Columbia, 1979 To The Max, Rhino, 1990-91 Explorations to the Mth Degree, Slam, 1994 in 1960, on which he collabo- rated with singer-lyricist Oscar Brown, Jr. From then on he has been an eloquent spokesman in the area of racial and political justice. Roach continued to experiment with his sound, eschewing the use of the piano or other chord- ing instruments in his bands for the most part from the late 1960s on. His thirst for experimenta- tion has led to collaborations with seemingly disparate; artists, including duets with saxophonist Anthony Braxton and pianist Cecil Taylor, as well as partnerships with pianist Abdullah Ibrahim and saxophonist Archie; Shepp. As a drum soloist he; has few peers in terms of innova- tions, stemming from his deeply personal sound and approach. His proclivities in the area of multiethnic percus- sion have flowered with his intermittent percussion ensem- ble M'Boom, founded in 1970. A broad-based percussionist who was a pioneer in establishing a fixed pulse on the ride cymbal instead of the bass drum, Roach has also collabo- rated with voice, string, and brass ensembles, lectured on college i ampuses extensively, and composed music for dance, theater, film, and television. NEA Jazz Mastei*s 77 Rollins Born September 7, 1930 in New York, NY SAXOPHONIST COMPOSER With more than 50 years in jazz, Sonny Rollins' tow- ering achievements on the tenor saxophone are many, and he continues to be one of the most exciting and fiery players in concert. Inspired by the exam- ple of his brother's pursuit of music, Rollins began piano les- sons at age nine. At 14 he picked up the alto saxophone, and switched to the tenor two years later. Soon he was play- ing dances in a band of youngsters in his New York commu- nilv. which included Jackie McLean, Kenny Drew, and Art Taylor. Rollins' first recording was made alongside the bop singer Babs Gonzales in 1949. Later that year he played at sessions with J. }. Johnson and Bud Powell, recording his song "Audubon" with Johnson. In the 1950s, Rollins began by serving as a sideman on sessions with Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Art Farmer, and the Modern Jazz Quartet. In late 1955, while living in Chicago, he began one of his most fruitful band affiliations when he stood in for Harold Land in the superb Clifford Brown-Max Roach Quintet al (he Bee Hive club. He remained a regular member until Brown's tragic June 1956 death from an auto accident. Rollins continued to record, mainly for Prestige, where his output was some of the finest music recorded in the mid-1950s on anj label. Among his recorded highlights during this period were Tenor Madness, which included an eni ounter with John Coltrane; Saxophone Colossus, a sparkling album that introduced his most noted composi- tion, "St. Thomas," which honored his parents' Virgin Islands roots; and Way Out West, which took seemingly mundane songs like "I'm an Old Cowhand" and spun them out with extraordinary improvisations. By 1959, Rollins had grown impatient with the vagaries of the jazz scene and took a hiatus. He would often practice his horn deep into the night on the upper reaches of the Williamsburg Bridge, which crosses the East River from Manhattan to Brooklyn. In 1961 he returned to the scene, refreshed and playing better than ever. He made a series of recordings for the RCA label with musicians such as Jim Hall, Don Cherry. Billy Higgins. and Herbie Hancock, and also began his long-term employment of bassist Bob Cranshaw. In London in 1966, he composed and recorded a sound- track album for the film Alfie for the Impulse! label, which brought him some popularity beyond jazz audiences. By 1968 Rollins again required a break from the scene, returning in 1971. He has been playing and growing ever > since, continuing his long affiliation with the Fantasy Family of labels (including Prestige and Milestone) and working almost exclusively on concert stages. Sonny Rollins' recordings have con- tinued to reflect his interest in Caribbean rhythms, particularly the calypso. Saxophone Colossus, Original Jazz Classics. 1956 A Night at the Village Vanguard. Blue Note, 1957 The Complete R&Wictor Recordings. RCA Victor, 1962-64 Silver City. Milestone, 1972-95 Without A Song: The 9/1 1 Concert. Milestone, 2001 78 NEA Jazz Masters George COMPOSER ARRANGER THEORETICIAN PIANIST DRUMMER Russell Bom June 23, 1923 in Cincinnati, OH George Russell is first and foremost a composer rather than an instrumentalist, and is one of the most important jazz theorists of the latter half of the 20th century. He first expressed himself musically on the drums in the drum and bugle corps. After high school, Russell attended Wilberforce University, where he found gigs playing drums at local clubs. Russell's study of composing and arranging increased while he was bedridden with a case of tuberculosis at 19. It was during this time that he began formulating his unprecedented musical theorems. While his first arrangements were for the A.B Townsend Orchestra, a Cincinnati dance band, Russell's initial major band affiliation was as a drummer with Benny Carter. Later he found work arranging with the Earl Hinos band. His first major score was "Cubano Be, Cubano Bop," an Afro-Cuban piece written for the; Dizzy Gillespie big band. Russell followed that wilh charts for Lee Konitz ("Ezz-thetic" and "Odjenar") and Buddy DeFranco ("A Bird in Igor's Yard"). He continued his advanced composition study with Stefan VVolpe. I lis theory, 'The Lydicin Chromatic: Concept of Tonal Organization was eventually published in hook form in the mid-1950s. Russell's concept involves a composition system based on using the Lydian scale, rather than the major scale, as the basis for analysis and composition. Music theoreticians hailed this as a breakthrough, being perhaps the first major contribution by a jazz musician to the field of musical theory. Russell's continued refinement and study of this concept eventually led him to academia when he taught at the Lenox School of Jazz during 1958-59. In the meantime, his theories on modes influenced Miles Davis and Bill Evans (who studied with Russell), leading to the creation of Davis' masterpiece, Kind of Blue. In the early 1960s, Russell led several small groups, which included musicians such as Eric Dolphy and David Baker, and made some significant recordings before moving to Scandinavia. There he continued to refine his theories and work with Scandinavian musicians, among them Jan Carbarek and Terje Rypdal, before returning to the U.S. in 1969. That year he took a teaching position at New England Conservatory of Music at the invitation of then president Gunther Schuller. In the late 1970s, Russell formed big bands to play his music, creating his Living Time Orchestra in 1978. The Orchestra makes frequent tours of Europe, including residencies at the Perugia Jazz festival. In addition to teaching and lecturing at other conservatories and universities, Russell has been the recipient of numerous awards, honors, and grants, including an NEA Composition fellowship, a MacArthur award, two Guggenheim fellowships, and election to the Royal Swedish Academy. Russell published the revised and expanded edition of his Lydian Chromatil Concept in 2001. NEA Jazz Masters 79 Jazz Workshop, RCA Victor, 1956 New York, NY, Impulse!, 1958 Ezz-Thetics, Original Jazz Classics, 1961 The African Game, Blue Note, 1983 The 80th Birthday Concert, Concept, 2003 ■Jfc§**V T*V5 ■*»"■ i- ■^ Artie Shaw Bom May 23, 1910 in New York, NY Died December 30, 2004 CLARINETIST BANDLEADER COMPOSER ARRANGER ated a sensation. He then added two trumpets, trom- bone, saxophone, and a singer, signed a recording contract, and led his first orchestra into New York's Lexington Hotel. During 1938. with a more conventional swing band line-up (which briefly included Billie Holiday as vocalist), he recorded Cole Porter's "Begin the Beguine," which pro- pelled him to die forefront of big band leaders. After die United States entered World War II. Artie Shaw enlisted in the Navy and was soon lead- ing a service band drroughout die Pacific war zone. Upon returning stateside, he organized a new band in 1944, widi which he toured and made recordings drat included the classic "Little Jazz." featuring Roy Eldridge on trumpet. Over the next 10 years. Artie Shaw worked in Hollywood, toured extensively (including appearances at Carnegie Hall and a performance of Mozart's Clarinet Concerto with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic), and continued to record, both with his big bands and with a small group named Gramercy Five. Although he retired from music in 1954. Artie Shaw continued to enjoy popularity through his recordings and also through a big band fronted by Dick Johnson bearing Artie Shaw's name. 'Hie library of the University of Arizona holds his collection of scores. 80 NEA Jazz Mastere SAXOPHONIST COMPOSER Shorter Born August 25, 1933 in Newark, NJ Equally renowned for his compositions as for his saxo- phone playing, Wayne Shorter has contributed many songs to the jazz canon while participating in some of the major changes in jazz music over the last 40 years, and has received six Grammy Awards for his recordings. Shorter's musical pursuits started on the clarinet, at age 16, evolving to the tenor saxophone soon thereafter. Shorter majored in music education at New York University from 1956-58, working for a short while with Horace Silver in 1956. After serving in the Army, he joined Maynard Ferguson's band for a couple of months in 1959, followed by one of his most fruitful jobs: playing with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. He remained in the Messengers until 1964, establishing himself as both composer and saxophonist, and began making his own records, first for Vee Jay, then for the Blue Note label. His three releases for Blue Note in 1964, Night Dreamer, fuju, and Speak No Evil, are considered the quintessential Blue Note sound: sophisticated structures and rhythms, strong melodies, exceptional playing. He left Blakey in 1964 to assume another productive affiliation with the Miles Davis Quintet, where he remained until 1970. While with Davis, he further solidified his posi- tion as one of the most intriguing composers of his time, contributing tunes such as "Nefertili," "fall," "ESP," "Paraphernalia," and "Sanctuary." He also developed his sound, a mixture of technique and emotion, able lo find the appropriate mood in his playing to 111 the song. During the latter stages of his Davis tenure, he took up the soprano sax- ophone, which thereafter often became his principle horn. In 1971 he and pianist Joe Zawinul, who also had been part of Davis' recording sessions in the late-1960s to early- 1970s, formed one of the pioneering jazz fusion bands, Weather Report. The band stayed together for 15 years through several different permutations, engaging electronics and numerous ethnic influences and furthering Shorter's repu- tation as a composer. The band scored a major hit, "Birdland," in 1977 on their bestselling record, Heavy Weather. After the breakup of Weather Report he made occasional recordings and tours, continuing to mine the influences he felt from other musical cultures and continuing to write intriguing music. He is a major influence on the generations of musicians who have entered the scene since the 1970s. In 2001, Ik; began touring and releasing recordings with a new quartet comprising Danilo Perez on piano, John Patitucci on bass, and Brian Blade on drums. Shorter, who originally studied as a visual artist, continues lo pursue the visual arts as well as milsii Speak No Evil, Blue Note, 1964 Miles Davis, Miles Smiles, Columbia, 1966 Weather Report, Live in Tokyo, Columbia, 1972 Herbie Hancock/Wayne Shorter, h 1. Verve, 1997 Alegria. Verve, 2003 NEA Jazz Mastei-s 81 orace liver Born September 2, 1928 in Norwalk, CT PIANIST COMPOSER c$ Horace Silver was the heart of the hard bop era, help- ing to form the influential Jazz Messengers and com posing many blues and gospel-flavored songs that have become part of the jazz canon, including "Lonely Woman," "Song For My Father," "Senor Blues," "The Preacher," "Nica's Dream," and "Peace." His piano playing is heavily rhythmic, driving his musical colleagues to greater heights in their solos. Silver was exposed to music at an early age. hearing Cape Verde Islands folk music from his father. Silver later used the island rhythms and flavor to great effect on his 1960s albums Song For My Father and Cape Verdean Blues. He took up the saxophone and piano in high school, and was influenced early on by th(! blues of Memphis Slim, various boogie woogie piano players, and the bebop pianists Bud Powell .md Thelonious Monk. After a 1950 stint backing guest soloist Stan Getz on a gig in Hartford. I lonnei ii< ut, Silver was enlisted by Getz to join him on tour for the next year. Getz recorded three of Silver's earliest < (impositions. ■'Split Kick." "Potter's Luck." and "Penny." In L951, lie moved to New York and quickly found work with Coleman Hawkins, Bill Harris, Oscar Pettiford. Lester Young, and Art Blakey. In 1952, as a result of a Lou Donaldson record session, he began what became a 28-year relationship with the Blue Note label. Between 1953-55 he played in a band called the Jazz Messengers, co-led *$D DISCogc, by Blakey. The band was at the forefront of the hard bop movement that followed bebop. By 1956, Silver formed his own band and Blakey maintained the Jazz Messengers name as his own. Both Silver's band and the Jazz Messengers turned out to be proving grounds for a number of excep- tional, aspiring musicians. Among those who passed through his band were Art Farmer. Donald Byrd. Joe Henderson. Blue Mitchell. Charles Tolliver. Stanley Turrentine. Woody Shaw, and Randy and Michael Brecker. Silver's terse, funky playing has influenced pianists as disparate as Herbie Hancock and Cecil Taylor. For several years in the 1980s, he recorded on his own Silveto label, writing lyrics to his compositions with a decidedly metaphysical bent. In the 1990s, he returned to the hard bop sound he helped create. Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers, Blue Note, 1954 Blowin' the Blues Away, Blue Note, 1 959 Song For My Father, Blue Note, 1964 Cape Verdean Blues, Blue Note, 1 965 The Hardbop Grandpop, GBP, 1996 82 NEA Jazz Masters ORGANIST Smith Born December 8, 1928 in Norristown, PA Died February 8, 2005 Jimmy Smith personified the jazz organ revolution. He raised the organ — specifically the legendary Hammond B3, over which he reigned during the 1950s and 1960s- irom a novelty instrument in jazz to primary status. Having first learned piano from his parents in his native Norristown, Pennsylvania, he was playing stride piano by 14 and performing with his father by the early 1940s. He joined the Navy at age 15 and after discharge attended the Hamilton School of Music (1948) and Omstein's School of Music (1949-50), where he studied bass and piano. He then switched to the Hammond organ, woodshed- ding in a warehouse for a year. Inspired by the great horn players of the day — Don Byas, Arnett Cobb, Coleman Hawkins — as well as by pianists Art Tatum, Erroll Garner, and Bud Powell, he cut the tremolo off and began playing horn lines with his right hand. He also created a new organ registration to simulate Garner's sound, establishing the standard for jazz organists who would follow. Jimmy Smith's burgeoning reputation soon took him to New York, where he debuted al Cafe Bohemia. His fame grew with his influential Blue S> i? Note recordings (1956-63), including brilliant collaborations with Kenny Burrell, Lou Donaldson, Jackie McLean, Wes Montgomery, Lee Morgan, Ike Quebec, and Stanley Turrentine. His appearances at Birdland and the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival solidified his international promi- nence as the first jazz organ star. He toured extensively through the 1960s and 1970s and continued to release hit albums, this time on Verve (1963- 72), including several big band recordings with such stellar arrangers as Oliver Nelson and Lalo Schifrin. His reputation in the 1990s was enhanced by the M*» A New Sound, A New Star: Jimmy Smith at the Organ, Vols. 1-2, Blue Note, 1956 The Sermon!, Blue Note, 1958 Root Down, Verve, 1972 Fourmost, Milestone, 1990 Dot Com Blues, Verve, 2000 sampling of his Verve work by rap group the Beastie Boys on the song "Root Down." He recorded for the Blue Note and Milestone labels in the late 1980s through the 1990s, and in 2001 released his first new recording after a live-year layoff: Dot Com Blues, which featured guest appearances by Dr. John, Taj Mahal, Etta James, Keb' Mo', and B.B. King. NKA JaiK Mastei-s 83 *t ' Sun Ra KEYBOARDIST COMPOSER ARRANGER BANDLEADER Born May 22, 1914 in Birmingham, AL Died May 30, 1993 Sun Ra was one of the most unusual musicians in the history of jazz, moving from Fletcher Henderson swing to free jazz with ease, sometimes in the same song. Portraying himself as a product of outer space, he "traveled the spaceways" with a colorful troupe of musicians, using a multitude of percussion and unusual instrumentation, from tree drum to celeste. Sun Ra, who enjoyed cloaking his origins and develop- ment in mystery, is known to have studied piano early on with Lula Randolph in Washington, DC. His first noted pro- fessional job was during 1946-47 as pianist with the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra at the Club DeLisa on the South Side of Chicago. In addidon to playing piano in the band he also served as one of die staff arrangers. Finding his calling as an arranger, he put together a band to play his compositions. In the 1950s, he began issuing recordings of his unusual music on his Saturn label, becoming one of the first jazz musicians to record and sell his own albums. Sun Ra's band became a central part of the early avant- garde jazz movement in ( ihicago, being one of the first jazz bands to employ electronic The Singles, Evidence, 1954-82 Jazz in Silhouette. Evidence, 1958 The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Vol ; * ^ ESP. 1965 Space is the Place. Evidence, 1972 Purple Night. b&M. 1989 instruments (as early as 1956), including electric piano, clavioline, celeste, and synthesizers. In 1960, he moved his band to New York, where he established a communal home for his musicians, known as The Sun Palace. In March 1966, the band began one of its most significant residencies, playing every Monday night at Slug's nightclub on New York's Lower East Side. By the 1970s, the Sun Ra Arkestra and its various per- mutations began touring Europe extensively. His band had by then expanded to include singers, dancers, martial arts practitioners, film, and colorful, homemade costumes, becoming a true multimedia attraction. Their performances would often stretch on for hours, including hypnotic, chant- ing processionals through the audience. Sun Ra's global fol- lowing had become significant, though his recordings had become sporadic. His arrangements of his songs, however, were among the best in jazz. He made excellent use of his soloists, especially the great tenor saxophonist John Gilmore. alto saxophonist Marshall Allen, and baritone saxophonist Pat Patrick, all of whom were with the Arkestra on and off for decades. An outsider who linked die African American experi- ence with ancient Egyptian mythology and outer space. Sun Ra was years ahead of all other avant-garde musicians in his experimentation with sound and instruments, a pioneer in group improvisations and the use of electric, instruments in jazz. Since Sun Ra's death, the Arkestra has continued to perform under the direction of Allen. 84 NEA Jazz Masters PIANIST COMPOSER EDUCATOR BROADCASTER Bom July 24, 1921 in Greenville, NC Although well respected for his tasteful, non-intrusive accompaniment as a sideman, Billy Taylor is known for his championing of jazz music, especially through his various broadcasting and educational ventures. After growing up in Washington, DC and studying music at Virginia State College, where he earned a degree in Music in 1942, Taylor moved to New York. He spent the 1940s frequently playing the clubs on New York's famed 52nd Street, performing with greats such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Ben Webster, Stuff Smith, Machito, Slam Stewart, and Don Redman. His adroit abilities enabled him to freely cross over from swing to the then-burgeoning modern jazz called bebop. In the 1950s, he served as the ideal sideman, finding work with Roy Eldridge, Oscar Pettiford, and Lee Konitz while employed as house pianist at Birdland in 1951. Beginning in 1952 he became a bandleader, primarily heading trios with bass and drums Taylor started in radio with a program in the 1960s on WLIB in New York. From 1969-72 he was house bandleader for the David Frost television show, and in the 1970s also served as host-director of the NPR syndicated Jazz Alive radio series. Since 1981, Taylor has profiled some of the biggest names in jazz as an interviewer and reporter for CBS television's Sunday Morning program. CtSDDISCOo^ %■ Cross-Section. Original Jazz Classics, 1953-54 My Fair Lady Loves Jazz, Impulse!, 1965 White Nights and Jazz in Leningrad, Taylor-Made Music, 1988 Its a Matter of Pride, GRP, 1993 Live at the IAJE, New York, Soundpost, 2001 As a jazz educator, Taylor's experience has been vast, starting with authoring a series of beginning piano primers. He was a founder of New York's successful Jazzmobile com- munity performance and school-without-walls, beginning in 1965. He earned his doctorate in Music at the University of Massachusetts in 1975, with a dissertation on The History and Development of Jazz Piano: A New Perspective for Educators. Taylor has subsequently taught at Yale, Manhattan School of Music, Howard University, University of California, Fredonia State University, and C.W. Post College. His experience at the University of Massachusetts led to a lead faculty position at the university's annual sum- mer intensive. Jazz in July. As a composer he has written a number of commis- sioned works, his most well known composition being "I Wish I Knew How it Would Feel to be Free." In the 1990s, Billy Taylor became artistic director of the Jazz at the Kennedy Center program in his adopted home- town, Washington, DC. from which emanated his syndicated NPR radio series, Bill) Taylor's jazz at the Kennedy Center. I [e has also served Oil the Nh'A's National Council on the Arts. Taylor worked with the National Endowment for the Arts as chair- man of the advisory group for a research project thai studied the financial condition and needs of jazz artists in four cities: New York, Detroit, New Oilcans, and San Francisco. NEA Jazz Masters 85 PIANIST COMPOSER Born March 15, 1929 in New York, NY Cecil Taylor is one of the most uncompromisingly gifted pianists in jazz history, utilizing a nearly over- whelming orchestral facility on the piano. While his work has elicited controversy almost from the start, Taylor's artistic vision has never swayed. At his mother's urging he began piano studies at age five. He later studied percussion, which undoubtedly influ- enced his highly percussive keyboard style. At age 23 he studied at the New England Conservatory, concentrating on piano and music theory. He immersed himself in 20th century classical composers, including Stravinsky, and found sustenance for his jazz proclivities in the work of Lennie Tristano and Dave Brubeck. Later Duke Ellington. Thelonious Monk, and Horace Silver began to influence his playing. By 1956 he was working as a professional, taking a prolonged engagement at New York's Five Spot Cafe, recording his first album, Jazz Advance, and making his Newport Jazz Festival debut. Playing in the manner he did — an aggressive style of almost assaulting the piano, sometimes breaking keys and strings — presented challenges in terms of rinding stead) work. Taylor struggled to for most of the 1950s and 1960s, despite being recognized by Down Beat magazine & r «&V> DISCOge, Jazz Advance, Blue Note, 1956 3Phasis. New World, 1978 ForOlim. Soul Note, 1986 Alms/Tiegarten.mP, 1988 The Willisau Concert, Intakt, 2000 in its "New Star" poll category. He eventually found work overseas, touring Scandinavian countries during die winter of 1962-63 with his trio, including Jimmy Lyons on alto saxophone, and Sunny Murray on drums. His approach had evolved to incorporate clusters and a dense rhythmic sensibility, coupled with sheer physicality that often found him addressing the keyboard with open palms, elbows and forearms. His solo piano recordings are some of the most challenging and rewarding to listen to in all of jazz. Controversy has continued to follow him throughout his career. Fortunately, his work as a pianist and composer gained much-needed momentum in die 1970s and beyond, as touring and recording opportunities increased, largely overseas, though finding reg- ular work for his uncompromising style of music still remains a struggle. Throughout his career, he has worked with many important, like-minded musicians, including Archie Shepp. Albert Ayler. Steve Lacy, Sam Rivers. Max Roach, the Art Ensemble of Chicago, and a host of European and Scandinavian musicians. His influence on the avant-garde, espe- cially of the 1960s and 1970s, in terms of performance and composition is enormous. f> 86 NEA Jazz Masters Clark TRUMPETER FLUGELHORNIST VOCALIST EDUCATOR Terry Born December 14, 1920 in St. Louis, MO Clark Terry is the consummate freelance musician, able to add a distinctive element to whatever band or jam session of which he is a part. His exuberant, swing- ing horn playing was an important contribution to two of the greatest big bands in jazz, Count Basie's and Duke of the first African American musicians employed in a tele- vision house band — he came to prominence through his popular "Mumbles" persona, his unique way of mumbling a scat vocal solo. He worked and recorded with artists such as J.J. Johnson, Oscar Peterson, and Ella Fitzgerald, # S? Ellington's. In addition, his use of the flugelhom as an alternative to trumpet influenced Art Farmer and Miles Davis, among others. In high school, Terry took up the valve trombone, later playing the bugle with the Tom Powell Drum and Bugle Corps. Upon his discharge in 1945, he found work with Lionel Hampton's band. He rounded out the 1940s playing with bands led by Charlie Barnet, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Charlie Ventura, and George Hudson. From 1948-51, Terry was a member of Basie's big band and octet. Terry's reputation grew with Ellington's band, with whom he worked from 1951-59, often featured as a soloist on trumpet and Qugelhoin. He also led his own recording dates during this time. After working with Quincy Jones in 1959-60, he found steady work as a Freelance studio artist, eventualh becoming a stafl musii ian at NBC. As a member of I be Tonight Show orchestra — one (jtB D DISCOo^ •4/* Duke with a Difference, Original Jazz Classics, 1957 In Orbit, Original Jazz Classics, 1958 Mellow Moods, Prestige, 1961-62 The Clark Terry Spacemen, Chiaroscuro, 1976 One-on-One, Chesky Jazz, 2000 then co-led a quintet with Bob Brookmeyer. Thereafter he led his own small and large bands, including his Big Bad Band, begin- ning in 1972. He also became part of Norman Granz's traveling all-stars, Jazz at the Philharmonic. As a jazz educator he was one of the earliest active practitioners to take time off from the road to enter the classroom, conducting numerous clinics and jazz camps. This work culminated in his own music school at Teikyo Westmar University in Le Mars, Iowa. A distinctive stylist on his horns, he is also a consummate entertainer, often alternating trumpet and flugelhom in a solo duel with himself in concerts. He continues to play in both the U.S. and Europe, recording and performing in a wide variety of settings, such as the One-on-One recording of duels with 14 different pianists. NEA Jazz Ma-stei-s 87 McCoy Tyner Born December 11, 1938 in Philadelphia, PA PIANIST COMPOSER & McCoy Tyner's powerful, propulsive style of piano playing was an integral part of the John Coltrane Quartet in the early 1960s and influenced count- less musicians that followed him. His rich chord clusters continue to be copied by many young jazz pianists. Growing up in Philadelphia, Tyner's neighbors were jazz musicians Richie and Bud Powell, who were very influential to his piano playing. Studying music at the West Philadelphia Music School and later at the Granoff School of Music, Tyner began playing gigs in his teens, and first met Coltrane while per- forming at a local club called the Red Rooster at age 17. His first important professional gig was with the Benny Golson - Art Farmer band Jazztet in 1959. with whom he made his recording debut. Soon he began working with Coltrane, a relationship that produced some of the most influential music in jazz. From 1960-65, Tvner played a major role in the success of the Coltrane irtel (which included Elvin Jones on drums and jimmy Garrison on bass), using rich-textured harmonies as rhythmic devices against Coltrane's "sheets of sound" saxophone playing. ^DDISCOG^ *1 > John Coltrane, My Favorite Things, Atlantic, 1960 The Real McCoy. Blue Note, 1 967 Sahara. Original Jazz Classics, 1972 Remembering John, Enja, 1991 Land of Giants Je\m. 2002 After leaving the quartet, Tyner demonstrated his tremendous melodic and rhythmic flair for composition on such albums as The Real McCoy, which featured "Passion Dance," "Contemplation," and "Blues on the Corner," and Sahara, which featured "Ebony Queen" and the title track. Tyner has continued to experiment with his sound, push- ing rhythms and tonalities to the limit, his flutter- ing right hand creating a cascade of notes. In particular, he has explored the trio form, recording with a series of different bassists and drummers, such as Ron Carter. Art Davis, Stanley Clarke. Elvin Jones. Tony Williams, and Al Foster. In the 1980s, he recorded with a singer for the first time. Phylis Hyman. In Uie 1990s, he led a big band in new arrangements of previously recorded songs, used Latin American rhythms and forms, and revealed the romantic side of his playing with a surprising album of Burt Bacharach songs. While experimenting with his sound. Tyner has eschewed the use of electric pianos, preferring the warm sound of an acoustic piano, and earned four Grammy Awards for his recordings. A dynamic performer in live settings. Tyner has continued to tour steadily with his excellent, longtime trio: Avery Sharpe on bass and Aaron Scott on drums. 88 NEA Jazz Masters VOCALIST PIANIST The power, range, and flexibility of her voice made Sarah Vaughan, known as "Sassy" or "The Divine One," one of the great singers in jazz. With her rich, controlled tone and vibrato, she could create astounding performances on jazz standards, often adding bop-oriented phrasing. Along with Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, Vaughan helped popularize the art of jazz singing, influenc- ing generations of vocalists following her. Vaughan began singing at the Mt. Zion Baptist Church in her native Newark, and started extensive piano lessons at age seven. Winner of the amateur contest at the Apollo Theatre, Vaughan was hired by Earl Hines for his big band as a second pianist and singer on the recommendation of Billy Eckstine in 1943. She joined Eckstine's band in 1944-45, and made the first recording under her own name in December 1944. After leaving Eckstine, Sarah worked briefly in the John Kirby band, and thereafter was primarily a vocal soloist. Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie often sang her praises, assisting her in gaining recognition, particu- larly in musicians' circles. They worked with her on a May 25, 1945 session as well, which was highlighted by her vocal version of Gillespie's "A Night in Tunisia," called "Interlude" on the album. Her first husband, trumpeter- Vaughan Born March 27, 1924 in Newark, NJ Died April 3, 1990 bandleader George Treadwell, helped re-make her "look" and she began to work and record more regularly, starting in 1949 with Columbia Records. In the 1960s, Vaughan made records with bandleaders such as Count Basie. Benny Carter, Frank Foster, and Quincy Jones on the Mercury and Roulette labels among others. It was during this time that her level of international recognition began to grow as she toured widely, generally accompanied by a trio, and on occasion doing orchestra dates. These large ensemble dates ranged from the Boston Pops to the Cleveland Orchestra as her voice became recognized as # ^DISCOO, 1944-46, Classics. 1944-46 In Hi-Fi, Columbia/Legacy, 1949-53 The Complete Sarah Vaughan on Mercury, Vol /, Mercury, 1954-56 Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown, Verve, 1955 The Duke Ellington Songbook, Vol. 7, Pablo, 1979 one of the most beautiful and versatile in all of jazz, blessed with a range that literally went from bari- tone to soprano. In the 1970s and 1980s, her voice darkened, providing a deeper and all the more alluring tone. NEA Jazz Masters 89 em PRODUCER PIANIST Born October 3, 1925 in Boston, MA ^PBISCOC^ Jazz impresario George Wein is renowned for his work in organizing and booking music festivals, and in particular for creating the Newport Jazz Festival, event that in the words of the late jazz critic Leonard Feather started the "festival era." A professional pianist from his early teens, George Wein went on to lead his own band in and around his native Boston, fre- quently accompanying visiting jazz musicians. In 1950, he opened his own club in Boston, formed the Storyville record label, and launched his career as a jazz entrepreneur. In 1954, he was invited to organize the first & Wein, Women & Song, Atlantic, 1955 George Wein & the Newport All-Stars, Impulse!, 1962 George Wein's Newport All-Stars, Atlantic, 1969 European Tour, Concord Jazz, 1 987 Swing That Music, Columbia, 1993 Newport Jazz Festival. He subsequently played an important role in establishing numerous other international festivals, including the annual Grande Parade du Jazz in Nice, located in the south of France. In 1969. George Wein established Festival Productions. Inc., which has offices in six cities and produces hundreds of musical events internationally, each year. Still active in producing his festivals at age 80, George Wein serves on the executive board of Jazz at Lincoln Center, and is an Honorary Trustee of Carnegie Hall. In addition to carrying on this work, he is an author, whose autobiog- raphy Myself Among Others was recognized by the Jazz Journalists Association as 2004 's best book about jazz, and continues to perform as a pianist with his group, the Newport All-Stars. 90 NEA Jazz Masters . -<^^i . s. L 1 P ** -2 ^ , 1 Randy PIANIST COMPOSER eston Born April 6, 1926 in Brooklyn, NY Randy Weston has spent most of his career com bining the rich music of the African conti- nent with the African American tradition of jazz, mixing rhythms and melodies into a hybrid musical stew. Weston received his earliest training from private teachers in a household that nurtured his budding musicianship. Growing up in Brooklyn, Weston was influenced by such peers as saxophonist Cecil Payne and trum- peter Ray Copeland as well as the steady influx of great jazz musicians who frequented Brooklyn clubs and jam sessions on a regular basis. Such musicians as Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington would have a lasting influence on Weston's music, both in terms of his piano playing and composition. After a 1945 stint in the Army, Weston began playing piano with such rhythm and blues bands as Bull Moose Jackson and Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson. At the Music Inn educational retreat in Lenox, Massachusetts in 1954, he took work as a cook during the summer, while playing the piano at night. The head of Riverside Records heard him and signed Weston to do a record of Cole Porter standards. Weston's recording sessions frequently included contri- butions from his Brooklyn neighborhood buddies Copeland, Payne, and bassist Ahmed Abdul-Malik. It was at this early juncture that he also began his long and fruitful musical partnership with trombonist-arranger Melba Liston (a listing of some of the albums on which they collaborated can be *j > Uhuru Africa/Highlife, Roulette, 1960-63 Blues to Africa, Arista/Freedom, 1974 Portraits of Monk, Verve, 1989 The Spirit of Our Ancestors, Verve, 1991 Spirit! The Power of Music, Sunnyside, 2000 found in the Liston Selected Discography), a relationship that would continue until her death in 1999, forming some of Weston's best recordings. Weston's interest in the African continent was sparked at an early age, and he lectured and performed in Africa in the early 1960s. He toured 14 African coun- tries with his ensemble in 1967 on a State Department tour, eventually set- tling in Rabat, Morocco. He later moved to Tangier, opening the African Rhvthms Club in 1969. It was in Morocco that Weston first forged unique collaborations with Berber and Gnawan musicians, infusing his jazz with African music and rhythms. Since returning to the U.S. in 1972, he has lived in Brooklyn, traveling extensively overseas with bands that generally include trombonist Benny Powell and longtime! musical director, saxophonist Talib Kibvve (aka T.K. Blue). In recent years, a number of Weston's U.S. concert appear- ances have been true events, including 1998 and 1999 Brooklyn and Kennedy Center collaborations with the Master Musicians of Gnawa, and a triumphant 1998 recre- ation of his masterwork suite "I Ihuru Africa" in Brooklyn, Main ol Weston's compositions, such as "Hi Fly" and "Berkshire nines," have become jazz standards, INTEA Jazz Masters 91 lams VOCALIST Born December 12, 1918 in Cordele, GA Died March 29, 1999 # J"oe Williams' versatile baritone voice made him one of the signature male vocalists in jazz annals, responsible for some of the Count Basie band's main hits in the 1950s. Though born in Georgia, Williams was raised in that great haven of the blues, Chicago, Illinois. His first professional job came with clarinetist Jimmie Noone in 1937. In the 1940s, in addition to singing in Chicago area groups, he worked with tire big bands of Coleman Hawkins, Lionel Hampton, and Andy Kirk. Later he sang with two of Cafe Society's renowned pianists, Albert Amnions and Pete Johnson. From 1950-53, he worked mostly with the Red Saunders band. What came after would be a job he would cherish and return to frequently through- out his career: fronting the Coimt Basie band. Often referred to jokingly as "Count Basic's #1 son," he stepped right into the band upon the departure of Jimmy Rushing. Williams was 1 1 m perfect replacement in that he did not just duplicate »> Rushing's vocal style, but offered a new range of opportuni- ties for Basie to use. Williams' sound was smoother, strong on ballads and blues, while Rushing was a more aggressive singer, best on the up-tempo numbers. Williams' hits with the Basie band included "Alright, Okay, You Win," "The Comeback," and what would c -£E£> DISCogg become one of his most requested tunes, "Every Day." Starting in the 1960s, he was a vocal soloist, fronting trios led by such pianists as Norman Simmons and Junior Mance. Simmons would later become his longest tenured musical director-pianist. He also toured with fellow Basie alumnus Harry "Sweets" Edison. He continued to expand his range, becoming a supe- rior crooner and exhibiting a real depth of feeling on ballads. Among his many awards and citations were a number of jazz poll commendations and honors. Late in life, he had a recurring role on the Cosby Show television program as the star's father-in-law. Every Day — The Best of the Verve Years, Verve, 1955-90 Count Basie, Count Basie Swings/ Joe Williams Sings, Verve, 1 955-56 Count Basie, Count on the Coast, Vol. 7 & 2, Phontastic. 1 958 Me and the Blues, BCA, 1963 Here's to Life, Telarc, 1993 92 NEA Jazz Masters TRUMPETER COMPOSER ARRANGER BANDLEADER QBlMlti, son Born September 4, 1918 in Shelby, MS Gerald Wilson's use of multiple harmonies is a hall- mark of his big bands, earning him a reputation as a leading composer and arranger. His band was one of the greats in jazz, leaning heavily on the blues but integrat- ing other styles. His arrangements influenced many musi- cians that came after him, including multi-instrumentalist Eric Dolphy, who dedicated the song "G.W." to Wilson on his 1960 release Outward Bound. Wilson started out on the piano, learning from his mother, then taking formal lessons and classes in high school in Memphis, Tennessee. The family moved to Detroit in 1934, enabling him to study in the noted music program at Cass Tech High School. As a professional trumpeter, his first jobs were with the Plantation Club Orchestra. He took Sy Oliver's place in the Jimmie Lunceford band in 1939, remaining in the seat until 1942, when he moved to Los Angeles. In California, he gained work in the bands of Benny Carter, Les Hite, and Phil Moore. When the Navy sent him to its Great Lakes Naval Training Station in Chicago, lie found work in Willie Smith's S» gfQD DISCOq^ 1945-46, Classics, 1945-46 Love You Madly, Discovery, 1982 State Street Sweet, Mama, 1995 Theme For Monterey, Mama, 1 998 band. He put together his own band in late 1944, which included Melba Liston, and replaced the Duke Ellington band at the Apollo Theatre when they hit New York. Wilson's work as a composer-arranger enabled him to work for the Count Basie and Dizzy Gillespie bands. Wilson then accompanied Billie Holiday on her tour of the South in 1949. In the early 1960s, he again led his own big bands. His series of Pacific Jazz recordings established his unique harmonic voice, and Mexican culture — especially the bull- fight tradition — influenced his work. His appearance at the 1963 Monterey Jazz Festival increased his popularity. He has contributed his skill as an arranger and composer to artists ranging from Duke Ellington, Stan Kenton, and Ella Fitzgerald to the Los Angeles Philharmonic to his guitarist-son Anthony. Additionally he has been a radio broadcaster at KBCA and a frequent jazz educator. Among his more noted commissions was one for the 40th anniversary of the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1998. M '', > New York, New Sound, Mack Avenue, 2003 NEA Jazz Masters 93 Nancy / Wilson Born February 20, 1937 in Chillicothe, OH VOCALIST BROADCASTER Nancy Wilson first found her voice singing in church choirs, but found her love of jazz in her father's record collec- tion. It included albums by Little Jimmy Scott, Nat "King" Cole, Billy Eckstine, Dinah Washington, and Ruth Brown; this generation of vocalists had a pro- found influence on Wilson's singing style. She began performing on the Columbus, Ohio club circuit while still in high school, and in 1956 she became a member of Rusty Bryant's Carolyn Club Band. She also sat in with various performers, such as Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, who sug- gested that she come to New York. When Wilson took his advice, her distinctive voice enchanted a representative from Capitol Records and she was signed in 1959. In the years that followed, Wilson recorded 37 original albums for the label. Her first hit, "Cuess Who I Saw Today." came in 1961. One year Later, a collaborative album with Adderley solidified her standing in the jazz community and provided the foundation for her growing fame and career. During her years with ( lapitol, she was second in sales only to the Nancy Wilson and Cannonball Adderley, Capitol, 1962 Yesterdays Love Songs — Today's Blues. Capitol 1963 But Beautiful, Blue Note, 1969 Ramsey Lewis & Nancy Wilson, Meant To Be. Narada, 2002 B.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal), MCG Jazz, 2004 Beatles, surpassing Frank Sinatra, the Beach Boys, and even Nat King Cole. Wilson also has worked in television, where in 1968 she won an Emmy Award for her NBC series, The Nancy Wilson Show. She has performed on The Andy Williams Show and The Carol Burnett Show and has appeared in series such as Hawaii Five-O, The Cosby Show, Moesha, and The Parkers. Although she often has crossed over to pop and rhvthm-and-blues recordings, she still is best known for her jazz performances. In the 1980s, she returned to jazz with a series of performances with such jazz greats as Art Farmer, Benny Golson. and Hank Jones. And to start the new century, Wilson teamed with pianist Ramsey Lewis for a pair of highly regarded recordings. She has been the recipient of numerous awards and accolades, including honorary degrees from Berklee School of Music and Central State University in Ohio. Wilson can be heard on National Public Radio as the host of Jazz Profiles, a weekly documentary series. 94 NEA Jazz Masters PIANIST ARRANGER EDUCATOR uson Born November 24, 1912 in Austin, TX Died July 31, 1986 Teddy Wilson was one of the swing era's finest pianists, a follower of Earl Hines' distinctive "trumpet-style" piano playing. Wilson forged his own unique approach from Hines' influence, as well as from the styles of Art Tatum and Fats Waller. He was a truly orchestral pianist who engaged the complete range of his instrument, and he did it all in a slightly restrained, wholly dignified manner at the keyboard. Raised in Tuskegee, Alabama, Wilson studied piano at nearby Talladega College for a short time. Among his first professional experi- ences were Chicago stints in the bands of Jimmie Noone and Louis Armstrong. In 1933, he moved to New York to join Benny Carter's band known as the Chocolate Dandies, and made records with the Willie Bryant band during 1934-35. In 1936, he became a member of Benny Goodman's regular trio, which included drummer Gene Krupa, and remained until 1939, participating on a number of Goodman's small group recordings. Wilson was the first African American musician to work with Goodman, one of the first to integrate a jazz band. Wilson later appeared as him- self in the cinematic: treatment of The Benny Goodman Story. c ^DDISCO G ^ '/. > 1934-35, Classics, 1934-35 Benny Goodman, The Complete Small Group Recordings, RCA, 1 935-39 Masters of Jazz, Vol 11, Storyville, 1968- With Billie in Mind, Chiaroscuro, 1972 Runnin' Wild, Black Lion, 1973 During his time with Goodman, Wilson made some of his first recordings as a leader. These records featured such greats as Lester Young, Billie Holiday, Lena Home, and Ella Fitzgerald. Wilson's arrangements with Holiday in particu- lar constitutes some of the singer's finest work, mostly due to Wilson's ability to find the right sound to complement Holiday's voice and singing style. Following his Goodman days, he led his own big band for a short time, but most of his work came with his own small groups, particu- larly a sextet that played regularly at the famous Cafe Society in New York. In 1946, he was a staff musician at CBS Radio, and also conducted his own music school. During the early 1950s, he taught at the (uilliard School, one of the first jazz musicians to do so. Wilson's relationship with Goodman was his most noted, and was an ongoing factor in his work. He was part of Goodman's storied Soviet tour in 1962. and continued to work occasional festival gigs with the enigmatic clarinetist. NEA Jazz Masters 95 96 NEA Jazz Masters 1982-2006 1982 Roy Eldridge* Dizzy Gillespie* SunRa* 1983 Count Base* Kenny Clarke* Sonny Rollins 1984 Ornette Coleman Miles Davis* Max Roach 1985 Gil Evans* Ella Fitzgerald* Jo Jones* 1986 Benny Carter* Dexter Gordon* Teddy Wilson* 1987 Cleo Brown* Melba Liston* Jay McShann 1988 Art Blakey* Lionel Hampton* Billy Taylor 1989 Barry Harris Hank Jones Sarah Vaughan* 1990 George Russell Cecil Taylor Gerald Wilson i i 1991 Danny Barker* Buck Clayton* Andy Kirk* Clark Terry 1992 Betty Carter* Dorothy Donegan* Sweets Edison* 1993 Jon Hendricks Milt Htnton* Joe Williams* 1994 Loute Bellson Ahmad Jamal Carmen McRae* 1995 Ray Brown* Roy Haynes Horace Silver 1996 Tommy Flanagan* Benny Golson J.J. Johnson* 1997 Billy Higgins* Milt Jackson* Anita O'Day 1998 Ron Carter James Moody Wayne Shorter 1999 Dave Brubeck Art Farmer* Joe Henderson* 2000 David Baker Donald Byrd Marian McPartland 2001 John Lewis* Jackie McLean Randy Weston 2002 Frank Foster Percy Heath* McCoy Tyner 2003 Jimmy Heath Elvin Jones* Abbey Lincoln 2004 Jim Hall Chico Hamilton Herbie Hancock Luther Henderson* Nat HENroFF Nancy Wilson 2005 Kenny Burrell Paquito D 'Rivera Slide Hampton Shirley Horn* Jimmy Smith* Artie Shaw* George Wein 2006 Ray Barretto Tony Bennett Bob Brookmeyer Chick Corea Buddy DkFkanco Freddie Hubbard foHN Lew NEA Jazz Masters 97 Credits This publication is published by: National Endowment for the Arts Office of Communications Felicia Knight. Director Don Ball. Publications Manager 3rd Edition: 2006 Designed by: Fletcher Design, Washington DC Cover Photo of NEA Jazz Masters Dizzy Gillespie and Ornette Coleman at the Jazz Gallery in New York City, December 5, I960 by Bob Parent Special Thanks: Ray Avery (and Cynthia Sesso of CTS1MAGES), Vance Jacobs, Dale Parent (on behalf of Bob Parent), Tom Pich, Lee Tanner, and Michael Wilderman for the use of their photographs, A.B. Spellman for his introduction, and Wayne Brown, Jan Stunkard, Gail Syphax, Stuart Klawans, Willard Jenkins, and the International Association for Jazz Education for their contributions to the text. The following reference texts were used in researching biographical information of the NEA Jazz Masters: All Music Guide to Jazz by Vladimir Bogdanov. Chris Woodstra, and Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Backbeat Books, 2002 American Musicians II by Whitney Balliett, Oxford University Press, 1996 Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz by Leonard Feather and Ira Gitler, Oxford University Press, 1999 Four Lives in the Bebop Business by A.B. Spellman, Limelight Editions, 1994 Jazz: The Rough Guide by Ian Carr, Digby Fairweather, and Brian Priestley, Rough Guides, 1995 Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD, 4th Edition by Richard Cook and Brian Morton, Penguin. 1998 Talking Jazz: An Oral History by Ben Sidran, Da Capo Press, 1995 Voice/TTY: (202) 682-5496 For individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Iinli\ iduals who do not use conventional print mav contact the Arts Endowment's Office for AccessAbility to obtain this publication in an alternate format. Telephone: (202) 682-5532 National Endowment for the Arts I LOO Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20506-0001 (202) 682-5400 Additional i opies oi this publication can be obtained free of charge on the NEA Web site: www.arts.gov. Additional information about the jazz artists noted in this publii ation can In; accessed at the International Assoi iation For |;i/.z Education Web site: www.iaje.org. (*) printed on m w led p 98 NEA Jazz Masters y:T+A~r it *> 4 $) t> A Great Day f Some of the greatest jazz musicians the world has ever known- all NEA Jazz Masters — were brought together by the National Endowment for the Arts for a historic reunion luncheon in New York City on January 23, 2004. NEA Jazz Masters, left to right from back row: George Russell, Dave Brubeck; second row: David Baker, Percy Heath, Billy Taylor; third row: Nat Hentoff, Jim Hall, James Moody; fourth row: Jackie McLean, Chico Hamilton, Gerald Wilson, Jimmy Heath; fifth row: Ron Carter, Anita O'Day; sixth row: Randy Weston, Horace Silver; standing next to or in front of balustrade: Benny Golson, Hank Jones, Frank Foster (seated), Cecil Taylor, Roy Haynes, Clark Terry (seated) Louie Bellson, NEA Chairman Dana Gioia. A Great Nation Deserves Great Art. National Endowment for the Arts 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20506-0001 202.682.5400 www.arts.gov