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…
Louis Prima (left) and Keely Smith
(Photo: DownBeat Archives)Keely Smith, a vocalist who recorded throughout the 1950s and 1960s alongside Louis Prima and Frank Sinatra, died of heart failure Dec. 16 in Palm Springs, California, according to a news release.
Smith, whose birthday has been reported as being March 19, 1928 or 1932, first began performing with Prima’s ensemble in 1948 after an audition. The pair wed in 1953. The duo’s rendition of “That Old Black Magic” earned them a Grammy in the category Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group for 1958.
“When I was a kid in Norfolk, [Virginia], … I fell madly in love with Louis’ music, particularly with his record of Civilization,” Smith told DownBeat in a cover story that ran in the Feb. 19, 1959, edition. “Hearin’ that set me to thinkin’ how it’d be to work with his band.”
By 1961, though, the couple had split and Smith pursued a solo career.
Smith received a 2002 Grammy nomination for her album Keely Sings Sinatra.
She would sing in public for the final time during a performance at the Cerritos Performing Arts Center in Southern California in February 2011.
She is survived by two children, Toni Prima and Luanne Prima. Services for the singer currently are in the works.
To read a DownBeat review of the reissue of The Intimate Keely Smith, click here. DB
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…
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…
To record Dream Manifest (Dom Recs), Croker convened artists from his current and recent past ensembles, plus special guests.
Jun 10, 2025 4:13 PM
Partway through his early set at Smoke Jazz Club, Theo Croker blinks the room back into focus. He leans over the piano.…
“There’s nothing quite like it,” Springs says of working with an orchestra. “It’s 60 people working in harmony in the moment. Singing with them is kind of empowering but also humbling at the same time.”
Jun 17, 2025 11:12 AM
When it came time to pose for the cover of her new album, Lady In Satin — a tribute to Billie Holiday’s 1958…