Jan 21, 2025 7:54 PM
Southern California Fires Hit the Jazz Community
Roy McCurdy and his wife had just finished eating dinner and were relaxing over coffee in their Altadena home, when he…
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
Gerald and John Clayton at the family home in Altadena during a photo shoot for the June 2022 cover of DownBeat. The house was lost during the Los Angeles fires.
Jan 21, 2025 7:54 PM
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