jazz – News Stories About jazz - Page 3

Apr 26, 2008 6:26 AM CDT

Jazzman Giuffre Dead at 86

Adventurous instrumentalist and composer Jimmy Giuffre was a '50s jazz hero

(Newser) - The iconoclastic clarinetist and composer Jimmy Giuffre died Thursday, two days before what would have been his 87th birthday, the New York Times reports. The Texas-born jazz legend's 50-year career took him from big-band hits with Woody Herman to minimalist trios, with a stint playing in mess halls as a...

Corinne Bailey Rae's Husband Found Dead

Mar 24, 2008 7:54 AM CDT

Corinne Bailey Rae's Husband Found Dead

Saxophone player died from suspected drug overdose at 31

(Newser) - The husband of British soul singer Corinne Bailey Rae has been found dead from a suspected drug overdose at his home in the UK. Jason Rae, 31, a saxophone player, is said to have struggled with drug abuse for years, according to Britain's Daily Mail. His band, the Haggis Horns,...

Oscar Peterson Dies at 82

Dec 24, 2007 2:10 PM CST

Oscar Peterson Dies at 82

Jazz virtuoso known for quickness at the keyboard

(Newser) - Legendary jazz pianist Oscar Peterson died last night at his home near Toronto from kidney failure, CBC News reports. He was 82. The Canadian musician made hundreds of recordings, won seven Grammys, and played alongside greats like Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, and Ella Fitzgerald. "The world has lost the...

Jazz Giant Zawinul Dead at 75

Sep 11, 2007 7:28 PM CDT

Jazz Giant Zawinul Dead at 75

Keyboardist defended 'electric jazz' against purists

(Newser) - Joe Zawinul, the keyboardist who plugged America into "Electric Jazz" in the 1970s, has died at age 75. Best known for playing jazz-rock fusion with Miles Davis and starting up Weather Report with Wayne Shorter, Zawinul defended his electric sound against jazz purists. "There is no difference between...

Musicians March Silently Through New Orleans

Aug 27, 2007 1:29 PM CDT

Musicians March Silently Through New Orleans

Post-Katrina hard times in the Big Easy threaten legendary jazz scene

(Newser) - The battered post-Katrina economy drove jazz musicians into the streets of New Orleans yesterday, holding instruments silent at their sides in what they termed a “solidarity march.” Ninety percent of city musicians were living at or below the poverty line even before the hurricane, the Times-Picayune reports, and...

Max Roach Dies at 83

Aug 16, 2007 3:18 PM CDT

Max Roach Dies at 83

Star percussionist redefined the genre - more than once

(Newser) - Max Roach, a drummer who moved to his own beat and became a seminal figure in modern jazz, died today at 83. Roach renovated his genre's traditional instrumentation, and pioneered a layered, contrapuntal style that became the trademark of contemporary percussion. Even his recent albums defied the conventions he helped...