Oct 28, 2025 10:47 AM
In Memoriam: Jack DeJohnette, 1942–2025
Jack DeJohnette, a bold and resourceful drummer and NEA Jazz Master who forged a unique vocabulary on the kit over his…
Bob Dorough (1923–2018)
(Photo: Courtesy bobdorough.com)Bob Dorough, the jazz singer, pianist and arranger who reached generations of fans with his compositions for the Schoolhouse Rock! educational video series, has died. He was 94. NPR reported that he passed away on April 23 in Mt. Bethel, Pennsylvania, according to his wife, Sally Shanley Dorough.
A native of Arkansas, Dorough played in a U.S. Army band during the early 1940s and later earned a bachelor of music degree from what now is the University of North Texas.
His debut album, Devil May Care, was released on the Bethlehem label in 1956. The title track became a widely recorded jazz standard. Other leader albums in his discography include Just About Everything (1966); Multiplication Rock (1973); Skabadabba (1987); a collaboration with Dave Frishberg released by Blue Note, Who’s On First? (2000); and But For Now, a Bob Dorough Trio album featuring Michael Hornstein, released by Enja in 2015.
Dorough famously provided the vocals for the version of “Nothing Like You” on Miles Davis’ 1967 album Sorcerer.
Among Dorough’s composition that were used in the Schoolhouse Rock! educational cartoons are “Conjunction Junction,” “Three Is A Magic Number,” “Electricity, Electricity” and “Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, Get Your Adverbs Here.”
Dorough continued performing concerts until shortly before his death.
DownBeat contributor Allen Morrison reviewed the singer’s Aug. 16, 2014, concert at Kitano in New York. To read this archival story, click here. DB
Jack DeJohnette boasted a musical resume that was as long as it was fearsome.
Oct 28, 2025 10:47 AM
Jack DeJohnette, a bold and resourceful drummer and NEA Jazz Master who forged a unique vocabulary on the kit over his…
D’Angelo achieved commercial and critical success experimenting with a fusion of jazz, funk, soul, R&B and hip-hop.
Oct 14, 2025 1:47 PM
D’Angelo, a Grammy-winning R&B and neo-soul singer, guitarist and pianist who exerted a profound influence on 21st…
To see the complete list of nominations for the 2026 Grammy Awards, go to grammy.com.
Nov 11, 2025 12:35 PM
The nominations for the 2026 Grammy Awards are in, with plenty to smile about for the worlds of jazz, blues and beyond.…
Jim McNeely’s singular body of work had a profound and lasting influence on many of today’s top jazz composers in the U.S. and in Europe.
Oct 7, 2025 3:40 PM
Pianist Jim McNeely, one of the most distinguished large ensemble jazz composers of his generation, died Sept. 26 at…
Drummond was cherished by generations of mainstream jazz listeners and bandleaders for his authoritative tonal presence, a defining quality of his style most apparent when he played his instrument unamplified.
Nov 4, 2025 11:39 AM
Ray Drummond, a first-call bassist who appeared on hundreds of albums as a sideman for some of the top names in jazz…
