England has always been a breeding ground for exceptional musical talent, and the world of percussion is no exception. Famous drummers from England have ...
musicians as Lester Young, Buck Clayton and Freddie Green, Basie also helped to showcase the talents of legendary vocalists Billie Holiday, Jimmy Rushing and Joe Williams, and unlike many of his peers, managed to remain a key musical figure long after the big band sound's decline in ...
aArt Blakey was a famous American drummer and bandleader who revolutionized the way jazz drums were played. His unique approach to drumming incorporated bits of swing, blues, funk and hard bop; a style which is heard today in drummers everywhere. Along with Max Roach and Kenny Clarke, he ...
It's just music. It's trying to play clean and looking for the pretty notes. The beat in a bop band is with the music, against it, behind it. It pushes it. It helps it. Help is the big thing. It has no continuity of beat, no steady chug-chug. Jazz has, and that's why bo...
In 1956, according toThe Independent, big-band trumpeter Rocky Rockwell renamed himself "Rockin' Rocky Rockwell" and shattered an acoustic guitar over his knee at the end of a sarcastic cover ofElvis Presley's "Hound Dog" onThe Lawrence Welk Show. A clip of the same or a similar performanc...
The Duke Ellington Orchestra was one of the most celebrated and influential big bands in jazz history. The big band swing era was saturated with incredible talent, and Duke Ellington was able to stand apart from the competition. Duke Ellington’s Famous Orchestra went on to survive the big ban...
Leading his own bands since the late seventies, Pascoal’s reputation grew as he would on occasion lead a big band, and his talents as an arranger have been universally acknowledged. Now in his eighties, Pascoal continues to compose and perform ...
Actress Zoë Kravitz is best known for her work in TV series like “Big Little Lies” and films like “Divergent” and “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” but the seasoned actress is also a talented indie musician. She’s released two albums with her electropop band Lolawolf—”...
Joining Charlie Parker’s quintet in the mid 1940s was a huge break for the young trumpeter. Parker was already a big star, and Davis was replacing the great Dizzy Gillespie in the band. Miles could not compete with Gillespie’s high trumpet range, so he found his own cooler improvisationa...
Band, though one day early on Iommi told Osbourne it was terrible. "Every time I hear it, all I can picture is you, with your trousers around your ankles, taking a fucking dump," he said. "It's crap." His big idea was to rebrand themselves as Earth, though they soon discovered ...