Looking to expand your knowledge of the contemporary music scene? Here’s our pick of some of the most famous modern jazz guitarists you should check out… From the very origins of the music firstly the banjo and then the guitar have been a feature in jazz. More portable than piano for travelling bands, and easier … Read more
The big band era of the 1930s and 1940s heralded the interest in jazz as a popular music to dance to as well as listen to. With a wide variety of swing and dance bands, and the widespread use of radio broadcasts form venues around America, jazz had never been so popular. The big band … Read more
Of course, every fan loves to dive deep into the history of the music and check out the most famous jazz musicians of all time, but what about the current scene? Here’s our pick of some of the best modern jazz trumpet players. From the very beginnings of jazz, the trumpet, or its close relative … Read more
Nothing beats a great jazz ballad. No jazz performance is complete without at least one, and such is the appeal of ballads there are many artists who have made a complete album of just ballad material. With many song writers and composers writing jazz ballads for albums, stage shows or films many have entered the … Read more
The antithesis of bebop, cool jazz eschewed the fast tempos and jagged phrasing in favour of a lighter tone and tempos that were slower and more relaxed. In this article we highlight some of the most famous cool jazz albums and musicians… The term ‘cool jazz’ came into popular use around 1953 but had previously … Read more
It is irrefutable that Frank Sinatra was one of the greatest singers of the twentieth century. He covered many different styles in a career that spanned sixty years and is reported to have sold 150 million records worldwide.
As part of our deep dive into the best jazz songs of all time, we take a look at some of the most famous compositions of Duke Ellington – aka the most famous jazz composer of the 20th Century. Edward Kennedy Ellington was born and raised in Washington D.C. on April 29, 1899, and acquired … Read more
The topic of best Miles Davis albums is a highly personal one, given the volume of releases in his discography, and the number of styles of jazz he was involved with. In this article we round up some of the most famous that every fan should be aware of…. Miles Davis was a jazz trumpeter, … Read more
Widely regarded as one of the most idiosyncratic talents of the 21st century, pianist Thelonious Monk was responsible for some of the most famous jazz recordings and performances of all time. In this article, we round up some of the most essential Thelonious Monk albums that make up his iconic discography. Thelonious Sphere Monk was … Read more
An undisputed giant of the music, American saxophonist John Coltrane recorded at a regular and steady rate charting his progress with a string of classic records along the way. Here of just five of the most important and influential John Coltrane albums. Blue Train An early classic, and Coltrane’s only album for Blue Note, Blue … Read more