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Gary Giddins on Eddie Condon - A New Introduction
© -Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.“Why I Write” - Gary Giddins (December 2012)The short answer as to why I write is to share what I know and love about jazz, to shine a little...
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The Singers Unlimited - Parts 1-4 Complete
© -Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.“... when … [The Singers Unlimited] came into being [in 1967], it numbered four singers, Bonnie Herman at the top of the harmony, Len Dresslar...
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Miles Davis and Modal Jazz [From the Archives]
© -Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.“When Gil [Evans] wrote the arrangement of "I Loves You, Porgy," he only wrote a scale for me. No chords. And that... gives you a lot more...
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A Chuckle from Clark As Told By Crow [From the Archives]
© -Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.One of the great things about hanging out with Jazz musicians is that you’re never far from a laugh.Whether it’s a play-on-words in a song...
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Clark Terry - Parts 1-3 Complete
© - Steven A. Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.Clark Terry died on February 21st. He was ninety-four [94] years old [born: December 14, 1920].With the following introductory caveat by...
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"Concerto for Billy The Kid"
© -Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.“One of the musical tracks I often use in lectures is the 1956 recording “Concerto for Billy the Kid” by the composer and orchestra leader...
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Joris Roelofs: “The Kids Are Fine” [From the Archives]
© - Steven A. Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.“All around they see not rivals but mentors. Gravitating to living masters and young gurus, they talk not of themselves but of the...
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"Lullaby of Birdland" - George Shearing
© -Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.The following is excerpted from George’s aptly-titled autobiography Lullaby of Birdland [New York: Continuum Books, 2004].Jazz clubs were...
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Good Morning Blues: The Autobiography of Count Basie
© -Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.“Regardless of any preferences as to style or performer, if you are a Jazz fan, then you are a fan of Count Basie’s music. It really is as...
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George Shearing on Erroll Garner
© -Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.- “Young Garner's father was a singer who played several instruments, as did his older brother, Linton. Erroll was an entirely self-taught...
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Rudy Van Gelder - The Well-Tempered Engineer by Burt Korall
© -Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.Rudy van Gelder died on August 25, 2016. He was 91 years old. The Jazz World owes him an enormous debt of gratitude not only for what he did in...
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Bud Shank - Burning Brighter
© -Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.One of the more enjoyable dividends of writing this blog is searching through the Jazz literature for content, especially material that...
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Manne on Gunn [From the Archives]
© - Steven A. Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.“Manne’s men do the Peter Gunn music with a kind of tough-guy cartoon expression, but this was a great combo anyway and Candoli and Geller...
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Benny Carter, 1907 – 2003: A Tribute [From the Archives]
© -Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.One bright, sunny day “when the world was young,” a business luncheon found me in Pasadena, CA.Located a few miles northeast of Los Angeles,...
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Mark Lewis: The New York Session
© -Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.In a perfect world Mark Lewis would need no introduction to jazz fans. A well-traveled alto saxophonist and flutist who has created a vast and...
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"Testimony" by HOJO - Howard Johnson and Gravity
© -Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.I must admit to not being a close follower of what Christopher Washburne labels Miscellaneous Instruments in Jazz in his chapter by the same...
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Elvin Jones : 1927-2004 - Poly, Multi and Counter Rhythmic Drummer
© -Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.Elvin Jones is one of the most important drummers in the history of Modern Jazz.Elvin Ray Jones was born September 9, 1927 in Pontiac,...
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The Wonder of Philly Joe Jones [From The Archives]
Of all the drummers I've ever listened to, and trust me, I've listened to a lot of drummers over the past half century, the one with the most distinctive "voice" was "Philly" Joe Jones. Two bars and I...
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Nippon Soul - Nihon no Tamashi: The Cannonball Adderley Sextet in Japan
© -Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.Cannonball Adderley was enormously popular in Japan. That's no surprise; he was enormously popular everywhere. But there is a special quality...
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Chris Rogers - "Voyage Home"
© -Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.“This highly anticipated CD by Chris Rogers has finally hit the shelves! I've known Chris since he was 6 years old. His father, the great...
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