CLIFFORD ADAMS: FORMER BANDMATE OF KOOL & THE GANG SUCCUMBS TO CANCER


CLIFFORD ADAMS (62)  has died from liver cancer. The Trenton, New Jersey-native was perhaps most widely appreciated as a longstanding member of Kool & The Gang Band (playing the now classic solo on their 1983 crossover hit, “Joanna”). Adams was also a seasoned jazz player who began his recording career with organist Charles Earland and…

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JAZZ SAXOPHONIST AZAR LAWRENCE TRIUMPHANT RETURN TO SEA BIRD LOUNGE


story  posted by Robert J. Carmack In the almost 40 years plus of playing music, producing and writing about music especially Jazz, I have seen many triumphant returns. In the last  40 years , there have been only three major triumphant returns to greatness in Jazz, early 1970s, Jug Gene Ammons, the mid 70s return…

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KENNY DORHAM: RE-VIEWING HIM THROUGH DIFFERENT LENSES


repost from the JAZZ  DADDY  Blog  by Justin Scoville November 11, 2014 | The Jazz Daddy | Leave a comment To loosely paraphrase Jazz critic Gary Giddins, Kenny Dorham (1924-1972) has become synonymous with anything starting with “under”–underrated, understated, under-appreciated, etc. Dorham was a phenomenal bop trumpet player who was game enough to record with…

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HIPSTER SANCTUARY RETRO-JAZZ REVIEW:CAL MASSEY – BLACK LIBERATOR??


posted by Justin Scoville-musician,composer, educator,blogger CAL MASSEY   1928-1972   Introduction   Imagine the mid-1960’s in Brooklyn. You are strolling down New York Avenue to St. Gregory’s Church, where a benefit concert is being held to raise funds for a neighborhood playground. You are surprised to see John Coltrane’s Quartet playing A Love Supreme, with the…

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WORLD STAGE HONORS BILLY HIGGINS WITH HEAVENLY LEGACY CONCERT


posted by music journalist Robert J. Carmack   photos credits: Robert Carmack and Sol Washington You know, one of the benefits of living in Los Angeles or Southern California period, is the weather. This particular Sunday was no different than the 54 Summers past I have lived in California.But this one was very special though….

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Sonny Criss – Talented But Tragic


Originally posted on Geezer Music Club:
We haven’t featured a jazz musician for a while and today’s spotlight falls on one of the best, alto saxophonist Sonny Criss. A contemporary of Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker — in fact, he played alongside him in the early years — Criss was an early bloomer musically, but his career…