Sep 3, 2026 10:44 AM
In Memoriam: Cassandra Wilson, 1955–2026
Cassandra Wilson, a singer, songwriter and producer who was one of the most acclaimed and successful jazz vocalists of…
Drummer and jazz educator Charli Persip (1931–2020)
(Photo: GoFundMe)Drummer Charli Persip, who enjoyed a long career as a drummer and jazz educator, died Aug. 23 at the age of 91, according to WBGO.
Persip worked frequently in bop ensembles helmed by folks like Dizzy Gillespie and Lee Morgan, while also contributing to recordings by Ron Carter, Gil Evans, Benny Golson and Quincy Jones, among others. The drummer also led a big band, Supersound, and taught at The New School in New York City. He authored How Not to Play the Drums: Not for Drummers Only.
In July 2018, friends and supports set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for Persip’s medical expenses. Among those who contributed was drummer Eliot Zigmund, who wrote in a 2019 post: “Charlie’s a national hero and an important link to the golden age of jazz in America.”
Charles Lawrence Persip was born in Morristown, New Jersey, on July 26, 1929. On many albums, his first name is spelled Charlie, but he later changed the spelling to Charli. DB
Wilson’s ability to connect to audiences helped her to win two Grammy awards and multiple other accolades. She was named an NEA Jazz Master in 2022.
Sep 3, 2026 10:44 AM
Cassandra Wilson, a singer, songwriter and producer who was one of the most acclaimed and successful jazz vocalists of…
“The love from the jazz and music community restored my faith in humanity,” Walia wrote in an online post upon his release from detention at an ICE facility.
Aug 18, 2026 2:15 PM
Indian jazz guitarist and composer Pritesh Walia has been released after being unexpectedly detained by ICE and taken…
Bertoncini was a specialist and advocate for the nylon-string acoustic guitar, turning down high-profile opportunities that were unsuited to the sound and techniques that he used with that instrument.
Sep 1, 2026 11:06 AM
Gene Bertoncini, an esteemed jazz guitarist, composer, arranger and educator, died Aug. 29 at the Lillian Booth Actors…
A solo concert by saxophonist Joshua Redman will close the first night of the Hyde Park Jazz Festival on Sept. 26.
Sep 22, 2026 12:26 PM
The Hyde Park Jazz Festival will take place for the 20th time on the final weekend of September 2026. Beginning half…
“It was just that suddenly … I could hear it,” Ravi Coltrane said of an epiphany he experienced during his late teens regarding his father’s music. “And it was almost like a calling, like something saying, ‘Hey, man, come on. It’s time to get serious.’ And the first time you really tune in and dial in and focus like that, it can be very life-changing.”
Sep 22, 2026 1:39 PM
Editor’s Note: Tomorrow, Sept. 23, is the 100th anniversary of John Coltrane’s birth. In honor of the tenor and…
