Jun 3, 2025 11:25 AM
In Memoriam: Al Foster, 1943–2025
Al Foster, a drummer regarded for his fluency across the bebop, post-bop and funk/fusion lineages of jazz, died May 28…
Frank Sinatra Jr. (1944–2016) performs at the Seminole Casino in Coconut Creek, Florida, in 2012.
(Photo: Stephanie Shacter)Frank Sinatra Jr., who helped extend his father’s legacy into the 21st century while carving out his own distinct voice as a singer, songwriter and conductor, died on Wednesday of a massive heart attack while on tour in Daytona Beach, Florida. He was 72.
Sinatra Jr. was the middle child of his father, Frank Sr., and Nancy Barbato Sinatra. He began performing in his mid-teens for the Sam Donahue band, and later spent time in ensembles led by Duke Ellington and Nelson Riddle.
In 1963, when Sinatra Jr. was 19, he was kidnapped from a Lake Tahoe hotel by three men who demanded a ransom for his release. He was returned to his family two days later after his father agreed to pay the kidnappers $240,000.
Foster was truly a drummer to the stars, including Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson.
Jun 3, 2025 11:25 AM
Al Foster, a drummer regarded for his fluency across the bebop, post-bop and funk/fusion lineages of jazz, died May 28…
“Branford’s playing has steadily improved,” says younger brother Wynton Marsalis. “He’s just gotten more and more serious.”
May 20, 2025 11:58 AM
Branford Marsalis was on the road again. Coffee cup in hand, the saxophonist — sporting a gray hoodie and a look of…
“What did I want more of when I was this age?” Sasha Berliner asks when she’s in her teaching mode.
May 13, 2025 12:39 PM
Part of the jazz vibraphone conversation since her late teens, Sasha Berliner has long come across as a fully formed…
Roscoe Mitchell will receive a Lifetime Achievement award at this year’s Vision Festival.
May 27, 2025 6:21 PM
Arts for Art has announced the full lineup for the 2025 Vision Festival, which will run June 2–7 at Roulette…
Benny Benack III and his quartet took the Midwest Jazz Collective’s route for a test run this spring.
Jun 3, 2025 10:31 AM
The time and labor required to tour is, for many musicians, daunting at best and prohibitive at worst. It’s hardly…
