Jun 10, 2025 4:13 PM
Theo Croker’s Dream … Manifested!
Partway through his early set at Smoke Jazz Club, Theo Croker blinks the room back into focus. He leans over the piano.…
The voice of Billie Holiday croons a new rendition of “Good Morning Heartache” as Tony Scott joins in with clarinet and jazz critic Leonard Feather accompanies on piano. The 1956 recording is one of numerous unreleased jazz recordings and documents recently digitized and now available to the public through the University of Idaho’s International Jazz Collections (IJC).
The IJC, through Safe Sound Archive in Philadelphia, has completed digitization of the audio portion of the Leonard Feather collection of jazz memorabilia. Last year, the Grammy Foundation gave the university a $36,000 grant to preserve and digitize Feather’s audio tapes and recordings.
In addition to the numerous audio files, Feather’s collection includes scrapbooks from 1933 to 1994, his personal library and music collections, and autographed photos of musicians including Ray Charles, Holiday, Henry Mancini, the King Cole Trio, Quincy Jones and Dizzy Gillespie.
The International Jazz Collections will be open to the public during the Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival, Feb. 20-23, 2008. More info: ijc.uidaho.edu
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…
James Brandon Lewis earned honors for Artist of the Year and Tenor Saxophonist of the Year. Three of his recordings placed in the Albums of the Year category.
Jul 17, 2025 12:44 PM
You see before you what we believe is the largest and most comprehensive Critics Poll in the history of jazz. DownBeat…
Galper was often regarded as an underrated master of his craft.
Jul 22, 2025 10:58 AM
Hal Galper, a pianist, composer and arranger who enjoyed a substantial performing career but made perhaps a deeper…
Chuck Mangione on the cover of the May 8, 1975, edition of DownBeat.
Jul 29, 2025 1:00 PM
Chuck Mangione, one of the most popular trumpeters in jazz history, passed away on July 24 at home in Rochester, New…
