Jul 22, 2026 12:37 PM
In Memoriam: Rodney Holmes, 1966–2026
Drummer Rodney Holmes, a powerful presence behind the kit who emerged as an in-demand player on the New York scene…
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
A drummer’s drummer, Rodney Holmes gigged with everyone from Joe Zawinul and Carlos Santana to Steve Kimock and the Brecker Brothers.
Jul 22, 2026 12:37 PM
Drummer Rodney Holmes, a powerful presence behind the kit who emerged as an in-demand player on the New York scene…
Clockwise from top left, Mary Halvorson, Patricia Brennan, Adam O’Farrill, Keith Jarrett’s At the Deer Head Inn: The Complete Recordings, Sheila Jordan and Jaki Byard.
Jul 16, 2026 1:34 PM
The DownBeat Critics Poll never ceases to amaze! And the 74th Edition offered plenty of accolades for poll veterans and…
“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…
Percussionist Poncho Sanchez was among the artists scheduled to perform at the now-canceled inaugural LA Jazz Festival.
Aug 11, 2026 12:53 PM
The inaugural LA Jazz Festival, originally scheduled to run Aug. 7–23 with dozens of events across Los Angeles’…
Joe Lovano’s Paramount Quartet will record live at New York’s Village Vanguard for ECM records on Aug. 26–27.
Jul 22, 2026 12:46 PM
One of Joe Lovano’s buzz terms is “the moment of now” and with seemingly infinite patience — despite a schedule…
