Happy Birthday, Duke Ellington

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was born on April 29, 1899, in Washington, D.C.  Jazz critic Bob Blumenthal of The Boston Globe put it best when he said that "In the century since his birth, there has been no greater composer, American or otherwise, than Edward Kennedy Ellington."

Ellington, who won 12 Grammy Awards, was not only a great composer and a great bandleader; he merged the two talents. As jazz critic William Ruhlmann notes, "Ellington used his band as a musical laboratory for his new compositions and shaped his writing specifically to showcase the talents of his bandmembers."

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Lyons recommends five of Ellington's albums:

• Rockin' in Rhythm, Duke Ellington and the Jungle Band, Vol. 3, 1929-1931 (MCA>, available on vinyl only.
• Duke Ellington - 1940 (Smithsonian), available on vinyl only.
• The Duke Ellington Carnegie Hall Concerts: January 1943 (Prestige), available on CD from Amazon.com.
• The Golden Duke (Prestige), available on vinyl only.
• Pure Gold (RCA), available on vinyl only.

Because so many of these recommended albums are available on vinyl only, Jim Determan has recommended the following alternatives on CD:

• The Original Decca Recordings (The Complete Brunswick and Vocalion Recordings of Duke Ellington, 1926-1931) (Decca/GRP), available on CD from Amazon.com.
• The Okey Ellington (Columbia Jazz Masterpieces), available on CD from Amazon.com.
• The Blanton-Webster Band (RCA Bluebird), available on CD from Amazon.com.
• Great Times! (Original Jazz Classics), available on CD from Amazon.com.
• Happy Go Lucky Local (Discovery), available on CD from Amazon.com.
• The Popular Duke Ellington (RCA Victor Europe), available on CD from Amazon.com.

Ellington's "Jungle Band" plays "Rockin'in Rhythm," recorded in 1931, here:

Robert
Facebook page

Recent Links :: 27 April 2013

• Louis Armstrong: Ricky Riccardi discusses Louis Armstrong's recording of "Mississippi Basin" from the 1933 Victor sessions at The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong. (Purchase the album, The Complete RCA Victor Recordings, from Amazon.com.)
• Louis Armstrong: Ricky Riccardi discusses Louis Armstrong's recording of "Laughin' Louie" from the 1933 Victor sessions at The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong. (Purchase the album, The Complete RCA Victor Recordings, from Amazon.com.)
• Louis Armstrong: At The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong, Ricky Riccardi outlines the International Jazz Day activities at the Louis Armstrong House Museum.
• Ella Fitzgerald: On April 25, her birthday, Ella Fitzgerald was the Jazz Musician of the Day at All About Jazz.
• Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter: Devon Wendell reviews the Miles Davis tribute concert, featuring Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Marcus Miller, Vinnie Colaiuta, and Sean Jones, at Disney Hall at The International Review of Music.
• Sonny Rollins: Marc Myers discusses his interview with Sonny Rollins at JazzWax. The interview itself is at The Wall Street Journal.

Robert
Facebook page

RIP, Count Basie (1904-1984)

Jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer William "Count" Basie died of pancreatic cancer on April 26, 1984, at the age of 79 in Hollywood, Florida. He is buried next to his wife Catherine in the Pinelaw Memorial Park in Suffolk County, New York.

Basie was one of the best known bandleaders of the swing era. As jazz critic William Ruhlmann notes, Basie's bands were "characterized by a light, swinging rhythm section that he led from the piano, lively ensemble work, and generous soloing. [Basie's] instrument was his band, which was considered the epitome of swing and became broadly influential on jazz."

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends two recordings of Count Basie:

• The Best of Count Basie (MCA MCA2-4050, 2 LPs)
• 16 Men Swinging (Verve V-2-2517, 2 LPs)

Unfortunately, these are only available in vinyl. Jim Determan, who has updated Lyons's list of albums for CD, recommends instead the following titles:

• Count Basie: The Complete Decca Recordings (Buy at Barnes & Noble)
• Count Basie: April in Paris (Buy at Barnes & Noble)
• Count Basie: Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings (Buy at Barnes & Noble)

Here is the Count Basie band playing "April in Paris":

Robert
Facebook page

Recent Links :: 25 April 2013

• Louis Armstrong: At the Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong, Ricky Riccardi begins an 11-part look at Louis Armstrong's April 1933 Victor sessions with "Honey, Don't You Love Me Anymore." (The song is available on the album, The Complete RCA Victor Recordings, which can be purchased from Amazon.com.)
• George Benson: According to Elements of Jazz, George Benson has released a tribute album entitled Inspiration: A Tribute to Nat King Cole. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• Ornette Coleman: New Jazz United shares a video of Ornette Coleman playing "All My Life." (The song is available on the album, The Complete Science Fiction Sessions, which can be purchased from Amazon.com.)
• Duke Ellington: Chris Mosey reviews the Duke Ellington album, The Duke At Fargo 1940 Special 60th Anniversary Edition, at All About Jazz. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• Charles Mingus: New Jazz United shares a clip of Charles Mingus playing "Love Chant." (The song is available on the album, Pithecanthropus Erectus, which can be purchased from Amazon.com.)
• Charles Mingus: On his birthday, April 22, Charles Mingus was Jazz Musician of the Day at All About Jazz.
• Wayne Shorter: JazzTimes shares Joe Lovano's video interview with Wayne Shorter.

Robert
Facebook page

Happy Birthday, Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald, arguably the greatest female jazz singer ever, was born on April 25, 1917, in Newport News, Virginia. In her 59-year recording career, she won 13 Grammy Awards and received both the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

As jazz critic Scott Janow notes, Fitzgerald was "blessed with a beautiful voice and a wide range, … could outswing anyone, was a brilliant scat singer, and had near-perfect elocution." Len Lyons speaks of her "full-blown dynamic style," "rhythmic punch," "verve and imagination," and "energy and consistency."

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Lyons recommends Ella's album, Mack the Knife (Verve), which is available on vinyl only. Jim Determan, who updated the Lyons book for CDs, recommends as an alternative Mack the Knife — The Complete Ella in Berlin (Verve), noting that "Some additional cuts, mostly standards of Ella's concert repertoire (not all actually from the Berlin concert), round out this set to make it an even better collection than it was." The CD is available from Amazon.com.

Fitzgerald sings "Mack the Knife" here:

Robert
Facebook page

RIP Earl Hines (1903-1983)

Jazz pianist Earl Hines died on April 22, 1983, in Oakland, California, from a heart attack. He was 79 years old.

Hines, who was once called "the first modern jazz pianist," had a long and influential history that began with his collaborations with Louis Armstrong and lasted through his last concert, which he played just a few days before his death. Pianist Lennie Tristano said of Hines's recordings, "Earl Hines is the ONLY one of us capable of creating real jazz and real swing when playing all alone." Pianist Erroll Garner said, "When you talk about greatness, you talk about Art Tatum and Earl Hines". To Count Basie, Hines was "The greatest piano player in the world."

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends three albums that feature Hines:

• Earl "Fatha" Hines: Another Monday Date (Prestige). Available in CD from Amazon.com.
• Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines: The Genius of Louis Armstrong, Vol. 1 1923-1933 (Columbia). Available in vinyl only from Amazon.com.
• Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines: Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines, 1928 (Smithsonian Collection). Available in vinyl only from Amazon.com.

Because only one of these is available on CD, Jim Determan recommends an alternative, Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines: Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines, Volume IV (Columbia), which is available from Barnes & Noble.

Hines plays "A Monday Date" here:

Robert
Facebook page

Happy Birthday, Charles Mingus

Jazz bassist Charles Mingus was born on April 22, 1922, in Nogales, Arizona. Jazz critic Richard S. Ginell says that Mingus was "irascible, demanding, bullying, and probably a genius" and that "As a bassist, he knew few peers, blessed with a powerful tone and pulsating sense of rhythm, capable of elevating the instrument into the front line of a band." In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons calls Mingus a "crucial" transitional figure between modern jazz and free jazz and attributes the power of his music "to his mastery of a wide range of emotions."

In that book, Lyons recommends two of Mingus's albums:

• The Charlie Mingus Jazz Workshop/Stormy Weather (Barnaby). Unfortunately, this album is not available on CD, and so Jim Determan recommends instead Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus (Candid), which contains about half of the Barnaby album. Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus is available on CD from Amazon.com.
• Passions of a Man (Atlantic). Available on CD from Amazon.com.

Mingus and his band play "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" here:

Robert
Facebook page

Recent Links :: 20 April 2013

• Louis Armstrong: Groove Notes discusses how the Louis Armstrong House Museum is celebrating International Jazz Day on April 30.
• John Coltrane: Tim Niland reviews the new Impulse release, John Coltrane's Sun Ship: The Complete Sessions , at Music and More. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• Miles Davis: According to JazzTimes, Miles Davis’s art will be exhibited at the Napa Valley Musuem between June 8 and July 28.
• Bill Evans: New Jazz United shares a video of Bill Evans playing "I Do It for Your Love." (The song is available on the album, Bill Evans: The Paris Concert, Edition 1, which can be purchased from Amazon.com.)
• Bill Evans: At JazzWax, Marc Myers explores the connections between baritone saxophonist Sahib Shihab and Bill Evans.
• Erroll Garner: Doug Ramsey shares a video of Erroll Garner playing "Honeysuckle Rose" at Rifftides.
• Earl Hines: NPR's Listen Now discusses the new Mosaic box set, Classic Earl Hines Sessions 1928-1945. (Purchase the album from Mosaic Records.)

Robert
Facebook page

Happy Birthday, Lionel Hampton

Jazz vibraphonist Lionel Hampton was born on April 20, 1908, in Louisville, Kentucky.

Hampton was the first jazz vibraphonist and a long-lived talent, who played with jazz giants from Louis Armstrong to Benny Goodman to Charles Mingus. Len Lyons said that Hampton "was the master of a rhythmic vitality that enlivened every ban he played in.

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Lyons recommends Hampton's album, The Complete Lionel Hampton, 1937-1941 (RCA AXM6-5536, 6 LPs). The album is available on CD from Amazon.com.

In addition to that album, Jim Determan recommends the following, commenting that "These three volumes contain much of material from the all star sessions that made up the LP boxed set. The first volume is Hampton's pick of his favorites from these sessions.":

• Lionel Hampton: Vol. 1 Hot Mallets! The All-Star Groups (RCA), available from Amazon.com.
• Lionel Hampton: Vol. 2 The Jumpin' Jive: The All-Star Groups: 1937-1939 (RCA), available from Amazon.com.
• Lionel Hampton: Vol. 3 Tempo and Swing: The All-Star Groups: 1939-1940 (RCA), available from Amazon.com.

Hampton plays "Flying Home" from 1957 here:

Robert
Facebook page

RIP, Willie "The Lion" Smith (1893-1973)

One of the great stride pianists, Willie "The Lion" Smith, died on April 18, 1973, in New York City. Few details about his death and burial are known.

Duke Ellington (who wrote two pieces in memory of Smith) once said that "Willie The Lion was the greatest influence of all the great jazz piano players who have come along. He has a beat that stays in the mind."

Smith earned his nickname for his bravery during World War I. Known for his flamboyant behavior, his derby hat, and his cigar, he played up until his death.

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends the album by Willie "The Lion" Smith and Luckey Roberts, Luckey and the Lion/Harlem Piano (Good Time Jazz S10035). The CD is available at Barnes & Noble.

Smith plays "Tea for Two" here:

Robert
Facebook page

Recent Links :: 15 April 2013

• Chick Corea: Michael Katz reviews a performance of the Chick Corea/Stanley Clarke Trio with Hubert Laws at the Catalina Bar & Grill at The International Review of Music.
• Duke Ellington: New Jazz United shares a video of Duke Ellington and His Orchestra performing "Jam with Sam." (The song is available in MP3 format from Amazon.com.)
• Herbie Hancock: On April 12, his birthday, Herbie Hancock was the Jazz Musician of the Day at All About Jazz.
• Woody Herman: Edward Blanco reviews the DVD, "Woody Herman: Blue Flame — Portrait of a Jazz Legend," at All About Jazz. (Purchase the DVD from Amazon.com.)
• John McLaughlin: Larry Appelbaum shares the last half of his interview with John McLaughlin at Let's Cool One.
• Bessie Smith: On April 15, her birthday, Bessie Smith was the Jazz Musician of the Day at All About Jazz.

Robert
Facebook page

Happy Birthday, Bessie Smith

Blues singer Bessie Smith was born on April 15, 1894, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. (There is some uncertainty about this date. The 1900 census indicates that she was born in July 1892, but the 1910 census recorded her birthday as April 15, 1894, and this date appears on all subsequent documents and was observed by her entire family.)

Smith was known as the Empress of the Blues, but she was also the first major jazz singer and can be said to have used the blues in jazz. Her phrasing, in particular, allowed her to transcend the rigid framework of the blues. Three of her recordings — "Downhearted Blues," "St. Louis Blues," and "Empty Bed Blues" — have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends Bessie Smith's album, Nobody's Blues But Mine (Columbia CG 31093, 2 LPs). Unfortunately, the album is only available in vinyl. (There is a CD with the same title but without the same tracks.) Jim Determan, who updated the Lyons list, recommends instead the following:

• Bessie Smith: The Essential Bessie Smith (Purchase at Barnes & Noble.)
  
• Bessie Smith: Bessie Smith - The Collection (Purchase at Barnes & Noble.)
  
• Bessie Smith: The Complete Recordings, Vol. 1 (Purchase at Barnes & Noble.)
  
• Bessie Smith: The Complete Recordings, Vol. 2 (Purchase at Amazon.com.)
  
• Bessie Smith: The Complete Recordings, Vol. 3 (Purchase at Barnes & Noble.)
  
• Bessie Smith: The Complete Recordings, Vol. 4 (Purchase at Amazon.com.)
  
• Bessie Smith: The Complete Recordings, Vol. 5 (Purchase at Amazon.com.)
  

Smith's "Downhearted Blues" was included by the National Recording Preservation Board in the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry in 2002, was listed as one of the Songs of the Century by the Recording Industry of America and the National Endowment for the Arts in 2001, and is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the 500 songs that shaped rock 'n' roll.

Robert Facebook page

Happy Birthday, Herbie Hancock

Jazz pianist Herbie Hancock turns 73 today. He was born on April 12, 1940, in Chicago, Illinois.

Len Lyons called Hancock "one of the most versatile musicians in jazz, the creator of modally based modern jazz, a funky brand of fusion … and experimental, electronically garnished free jazz …" Hancock was part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet" and one of the primary creators of the "post-bop" sound in jazz. He currently serves as the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for the promotion of Intercultural Dialogue.

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Lyons recommends three of Hancock's albums:

• Maiden Voyage (Blue Note), which is available on CD from Amazon.com.
  
• Speak Like a Child (Blue Note), which is available on CD from Amazon.com.
  
• Head Hunters (Columbia), the first gold album in jazz history and available on CD from Amazon.com.
  

Hancock plays "Watermelon Man," from his album Head Hunters, here:

Robert
Facebook page

Recent Links :: 10 April 2013

• Clifford Brown: Christian Scott discusses the Clifford Brown album, The Beginning and the End, as part of William Ellis's "One LP" column at All About Jazz. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• John Coltrane: Open Culture shares the 1990 documentary, "The World According to John Coltrane."
• Miles Davis: Tim Niland reviews the 1969 Miles Davis album, In a Silent Way, at Music and More. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• Billie Holiday: New Jazz United shares a video of Billie Holiday singing "I’m a Fool To Want You" with Ray Ellis and his orchestra. (The song is available on the album, Lady in Satin, which can be purchased from Amazon.com.)
• Billie Holiday: On April 7, her birthday, Billie Holiday was named Jazz Musician of the Day at All About Jazz.
• Carmen McRae: On April 8, her birthday, Carmen McRae was name Jazz Musician of the Day at All About Jazz.
• McCoy Tyner: Bill Beuttler reviews the April 2013 concert by the McCoy Tyner Quartet at JazzTimes.

Robert
Facebook page

RIP, King Oliver (1885-1938)

Joe "King" Oliver died on April 10, 1938, in Savannah, Georgia. The mentor and teacher of Louis Armstrong died in poverty at the age of 52, having lost his life savings in the Great Depression. Oliver spent his last years working as a janitor and managing a pool hall. He was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York.

Oliver played cornet in New Orleans brass bands and dance bands before forming his own group, which included talents like Kid Ory, Baby Dodds, Johnny Dodds, Lil Hardin, and Louis Armstrong, who once said that "if it had not been for Joe Oliver, jazz would not be what it is today."

In his 101 Best Jazz Albums, Lyons recommends the album, King Oliver's Jazz Band, 1923 (Smithsonian). Unfortunately, that album is not available in CD or MP3 format.

Jim Determan recommends the following alternatives on CD. He calls the Retrieval CD "the definitive reissue." He also lists the Milestone CD below, although he adds that the "only reason to pick up this set is for the seven interesting tracks by The Red Onion Jazz Babies, featuring Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, and Alberta Hunter; or if you can't find the Retrieval set."

• King Oliver: King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band: The Complete Set (Retrieval), available from Amazon.com.
  
• King Oliver: Louis Armstrong with King Oliver (Milestone), available from Amazon.com.
  

Oliver's band, including Armstrong (who plays the incredible solo intro), plays "West End Blues" here:

Robert
Facebook page

Happy Birthday, Carmen McRae

Jazz singer Carmen McRae was born on April 8, 1920, in New York City. She was known as "The Singer's Singer" and won seven Grammy Awards. As critic Scott Yanow notes, McRae was best known for "her behind-the-beat phrasing and her ironic interpretations of lyrics."

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends the album The Greatest of Carmen McRae (MCA). Unfortunately, the album is only available in vinyl, and Jim Determan, who updated the Lyons list, recommends the CD I'll Be Seeing You: A Tribute to Carmen McRae (GRC), which is  available from Barnes & Noble.

Lyons notes that McRae's "brilliance on 'You Took Advantage of Me'" helped earn her the 1954 Downbeat magazine award for Top New Singer. She sings that song here:

Robert
Facebook page

Happy Birthday, Freddie Hubbard

Jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard was born on April 7, 1938 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Len Lyons said that Hubbard was "the major trumpeter to emerge from the free and modal styles of the 1960s," and critic Scott Yanow called him "one of the great jazz trumpeters of all time."

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Lyons recommends the album, Breaking Point (Blue Note), which is available on CD from Amazon.com. Lyons calls the album "a challenging synthesis of modal, free, and chord-change-based playing [in which] Hubbard's confidence is high, his tone full, and his phrasing adventurous."

Hubbard plays "Breaking Point," the opening piece from the album, here:

Robert
Facebook page

Happy Birthday, Billie Holiday

Jazz singer Billie Holiday was born on April 7, 1915, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. "Lady Day," as she was known, was (according to critic John Bush) the "first popular jazz singer to move audiences with the intense, personal feeling of classic blues, [and she] changed the art of American pop vocals forever."

Len Lyons said that Holiday "could transform the most banal pop ballad into a painfully intense, subtle work of art." In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Lyons recommends the album, The Billie Holiday Story, Vol. 2 (Columbia). Unfortunately, this album is not available in CD or MP3 format.

Instead, Jim Determan recommends several alternatives, including the 10-CD set and the 2-CD set listed below:

• Billie Holiday: Lady Day: The Complete Billie Holiday on Columbia, 1933-1944 (Sony, 10 CDs), available from Amazon.com.
  
• Billie Holiday: Lady Day: The Best of Billie Holiday (Sony, 2 CDs), available from Amazon.com.

Holiday sings one of her best known songs, "God Bless the Child," here:

Robert
Facebook page

Recent Links :: 6 April 2013

• Louis Armstrong, King Oliver: Ricky Riccardi celebrates the 90th anniversary of Louis Armstrong's first records — with King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band — at The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong.
  
• Chick Corea: Tom Wilmeth reviews an April 2013 concert by Chick Corea and Béla Fleck at JazzTimes.
• Freddie Hubbard: David Brent Johnson explores Freddie Hubbard's years with the CTI label at Night Lights.
• John McLaughlin: Larry Appelbaum has part 1 of his interview with John McLaughlin at Let's Cool One.
• Cecil Taylor: New Jazz United shares a video of Cecil Taylor playing "Number One, Take 2," from 1960. (The song is available on the album, Air, which can be purchased from Amazon.com.)
• Sarah Vaughan: At Rifftides, Doug Ramsey discusses a photo of Sarah Vaughan and boxing champion Joe Louis.

Robert
Facebook page

Recent Links :: 3 April 2013

• John Coltrane: According to Elements of Jazz, Mosaic Records will release The Complete Sun Ship Session, which includes previously unissued alternate takes from one of the final studio sessions by the John Coltrane Quartet. (Purchase the album from Mosaic Records.)
• Miles Davis: Chris M. Slawecki reviews the Miles Davis album, Live in Europe, 1969: The Bootleg Series, Vol 2, at All About Jazz. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• Billie Holiday: Open Culture shares a 2009 documentary called "Billie Holiday: The Life and Artistry of Lady Day."
• Sun Ra: New Jazz United shares a clip of Sun Ra and His Intergalactic Infinity Arkestra performing "Love In Outer Space," from the album The Night Of The Purple Moon. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• Wayne Shorter: Tim Niland reviews the 1965 Wayne Shorter album, The Soothsayer, at Music and More. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

Robert
Facebook page

RIP, Sarah Vaughan (1924-1990)

Sarah Vaughan, "The Diving One," died on April 3, 1990, in Hidden Hills, California, of lung cancer. She was 66 years old. Vaughan's funeral was held at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey, the same congregation she grew up in, and following the ceremony, a horse-drawn carriage transported her body to its final resting place in Glendale Cemetery in Bloomfield, New Jersey.

Critic Scott Yanow says that Vaughan possessed "one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century" and that she "ranked with Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday in the very top echelon of female jazz singers."

In his 101 Best Jazz Albums, Lyons recommends the album, Sarah Vaughan and Count Basie (Roulette). Unfortunately, that album is not available in CD or MP3 format, and Jim Determan recommends instead:

• Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown (Polygram), available at Amazon.com
  
• No Count Sarah (Mercury/Polygram), available at Amazon.com
  

Determan adds that the two albums "may be better first choices for Vaughan. ... [Lyons] mentions these as two of Vaughan's best albums, both were out of print at the time, but are available on CD now. The first is small group sessions and was Vaughan's personal favorite, the second is an earlier collaboration with a group from the Basie band (again without the Count). Either would make an excellent first purchase of Vaughan."

Vaughan's song, "If You Could See Me Now," was honored with a special Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1998. She sings that song here:

Robert
Facebook page

Recent Links :: 1 April 2013

• Betty Carter: Larry Appelbaum shares his 1982 interview with Betty Carter at Let's Cool One.
• John Coltrane: At All About Jazz, Christopher Mote has a long piece on the John Coltrane house in Philadelphia and efforts to restore it.
• Chick Corea: Chick Corea has been nominated for Musician of the Year and Pianist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association.
• Bud Powell: Peter Pullman's biography of Bud Powell, Wail: The Life of Bud Powell, has been nominated for Best Book About Jazz of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association.
• Sonny Rollins: Tim Niland reviews the Sonny Rollins album, Now's the Time, at Music and More. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• Sonny Rollins: Sonny Rollins has been nominated for Tenor Saxophonist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association.
• Sonny Rollins: Larry Appelbaum concludes his series of interviews with Sonny Rollins at Let's Cool One.
• Wayne Shorter: Wayne Shorter has been nominated for a Lifetime Achievement in Jazz award and for Soprano Saxophonist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association. The Wayne Shorter Quartet has also been nominated for Best Small Ensemble of the Year.
• McCoy Tyner: McCoy Tyner has been nominated for a Lifetime Achievement in Jazz award by the Jazz Journalists Association.
• Sarah Vaughan: On March 27, her birthday, Sarah Vaughan was the Jazz Musician of the Day at All About Jazz.

Robert
Facebook page

RIP, Scott Joplin (1868-1917)

Scott Joplin, "The King of Ragtime," died on April 1, 1917, in New York City. He suffered from tertiary syphilis and descended into dementia. He was admitted to a mental institution in January 1917, and died there three months later at the age of 49. Joplin was buried in a pauper's grave, which remained unmarked for 57 years. In 1974, his grave at Saint Michaels Cemetery in East Elmhurst, New York, was finally given a marker.

Joplin blended European classical styles and African American harmonies and rhythm to produce ragtime, a music that, as one critic put it, "expressed the intensity and energy of a modern urban America." While some of Joplin's music (particularly "Maple Leaf Rag") was popular during his lifetime, interest in ragtime waned until its revival in the 1970s, thanks to the efforts of Joshua Rifkin and the use of Joplin's music in the film, "The Sting."

In his 101 Best Jazz Albums, Lyons recommends Scott Joplin 1916 (Biograph). Unfortunately, that album is not available in CD or MP3 format.

Jim Determan recommends the following alternatives on CD:

• Scott Joplin: The Entertainer (Shout Factory), available from Barnes & Noble.
  
• Scott Joplin: Elite Syncopations (Shout Factory), available from Barnes & Noble.
  
• Dick Hyman and James Levine: Scott Joplin's Greatest Hits (RCA), available from Barnes & Noble.
  
• Richard Zimmerman: Scott Joplin — His Complete Works (Delta), available from Barnes & Noble.
  
• Richard Zimmerman: Scott Joplin — His Greatest Hits (Legacy International), available from Barnes & Noble.
  
• Joshua Rifkin: Scott Joplin Piano Rags (Nonesuch), available from Barnes & Noble.
  

The first two albums listed above contain the six piano rolls from Scott Joplin 1916 that are actually played by Joplin. The Entertainer contains "Maple Leaf Rag," "Something Doing," and "Weeping Willow Rag," while Elite Syncopations contains "Maple Leaf Rag," "Ole Miss Rag" [by W.C. Handy], and "Magnetic Rag." Joplin plays "Maple Leaf Rag" via piano roll here:

Robert
Facebook page