Jan 13, 2026 2:09 PM
More Trump-Kennedy Center Cancellations
The fallout from the renaming of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to include President Donald…
Art Davis, a genre-hopping double bassist who played both classical and jazz music, has died at age 73. Davis died of a heart attack Sunday at his home in Long Beach, Calif., his son Kimaili Davis said.
Davis is best known for his collaboration with saxophonist John Coltrane, performing on the albums Ascension, The Africa/Brass Sessions Vol. 1 and 2 and Ole Coltrane.
Coltrane considered Davis his favorite bassist. Jazz critic Nat Hentoff described Davis as “an astonishing player” and “beyond category.”
Davis played with with a long and varied list of artists, including Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Louis Armstrong, Judy Garland, John Denver, the trio Peter, Paul and Mary and Bob Dylan.
In the world of classical music, he was known for speaking up about racism, and for launching a legal case that led to increased use of the so-called blind audition, in which musicians are heard but not seen by those evaluating them for jobs.
Belá Fleck during an interview with Fredrika Whitfield on CNN.
Jan 13, 2026 2:09 PM
The fallout from the renaming of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to include President Donald…
Peplowski first came to prominence in legacy swing bands, including the final iteration of the Benny Goodman Orchestra, before beginning a solo career in the late 1980s.
Feb 3, 2026 12:10 AM
Ken Peplowski, a clarinetist and tenor saxophonist who straddled the worlds of traditional and modern jazz, died Feb. 2…
The success of Oregon’s first album, 1971’s Music Of Another Present Era, allowed Towner to establish a solo career.
Jan 19, 2026 5:02 PM
Ralph Towner, a guitarist and composer who blended multiple genres, including jazz — and throughout them all remained…
Rico’s Anti-Microbial Instrument Swab
Jan 19, 2026 2:48 PM
With this year’s NAMM Show right around the corner, we can look forward to plenty of new and innovative instruments…
Richie Beirach was particularly renowned for his approach to chromatic harmony, which he used to improvise reharmonizations of originals and standards.
Jan 27, 2026 11:19 AM
Richie Beirach, a pianist and composer who channeled a knowledge of modern classical music into his jazz practice,…
