Oct 28, 2025 10:47 AM
In Memoriam: Jack DeJohnette, 1942–2025
Jack DeJohnette, a bold and resourceful drummer and NEA Jazz Master who forged a unique vocabulary on the kit over his…
Legendary R&B singer Ruth Brown died on Friday in Las Vegas. She was 78. The cause of her death was attributed to complications from a heart attack and stroke.
Brown is best known for the hits she recorded for Atlantic Records in the 1950s, including “So Long” and “(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean.” Not only did her tough delivery set the standard for a legion of r&b and rock singers, but the records’ commercial success was invaluable to building the label. In later years, Brown turned to acting and portrayed DJ Motormouth Maybelle in the 1988 film, Hairspray .
While the Virginia-born singer’s best known musical performances were those Atlantic R&B hits, she also worked in jazz. In the 1940s, Brown briefly sang with Lucky Millender’s big band. Twenty years later, she recorded with the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Big Band. Her 1989 recording, Blues On Broadway won the Grammy for best jazz vocal performance, female.
Jack DeJohnette boasted a musical resume that was as long as it was fearsome.
Oct 28, 2025 10:47 AM
Jack DeJohnette, a bold and resourceful drummer and NEA Jazz Master who forged a unique vocabulary on the kit over his…
D’Angelo achieved commercial and critical success experimenting with a fusion of jazz, funk, soul, R&B and hip-hop.
Oct 14, 2025 1:47 PM
D’Angelo, a Grammy-winning R&B and neo-soul singer, guitarist and pianist who exerted a profound influence on 21st…
Kandace Springs channeled Shirley Horn’s deliberate phrasing and sublime self-accompaniment during her set at this year’s Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival.
Sep 30, 2025 12:28 PM
Janis Burley, the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival’s founder and artistic director, did not, as might be…
Jim McNeely’s singular body of work had a profound and lasting influence on many of today’s top jazz composers in the U.S. and in Europe.
Oct 7, 2025 3:40 PM
Pianist Jim McNeely, one of the most distinguished large ensemble jazz composers of his generation, died Sept. 26 at…
Drummond was cherished by generations of mainstream jazz listeners and bandleaders for his authoritative tonal presence, a defining quality of his style most apparent when he played his instrument unamplified.
Nov 4, 2025 11:39 AM
Ray Drummond, a first-call bassist who appeared on hundreds of albums as a sideman for some of the top names in jazz…
