Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
In Memoriam: John Hammond Jr., 1942–2026
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
Acid Jazz pioneer Melvin Sparks performed for one night at The Jazz Standard in New York on July 1 to celebrate his new album and to provide relief after a recent robbery of his house.
Joining Sparks at the Standard were organists Reuben Wilson and Ron Levy, guitarists Randy Johnson, Rodney Jones, Doug Munro, and Dave Stryker, saxophonists Ed Pazant and Bill Saxton, pianist Danny Mixon, and drummer Mike Clark.
In the wake of recent collaborations with DJ Logic and Soulive, Sparks’ new album What You Hear Is What You Get features Reuben Wilson and saxophonist Topaz in a mix of old and new school jazz and funk.
Part of the proceeds from the show helped buy Sparks a new guitar and other equipment that was stolen from his home earlier this year.
For more information, go to www.nybluesandjazz.com
Hammond came to the blues through the folk boom of the late 1950s and early 1960s, which he experienced firsthand in New York’s Greenwich Village.
Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
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