by Scott Yanow,
While jazz, as with other genres of music and show business, generally puts the spotlight on the young and up-and-coming talents, one should go out on their way to celebrate the greats of the past who are still with us. Jazz is always evolving and there are literally hundreds (if not thousands) of brilliant young musicians active today who will make their mark in future years. But at the same time, we should not wait until the older jazz survivors pass on before acknowledging their lifelong contributions to jazz.
Listed below with brief summaries are 51 significant jazz artists who, as of March 1, 2026, will be at least 90. Their ages and birth dates are included. None of these artists recorded before 1940 (the 1920s and ‘30s are completely gone) unless one counts a surviving radio broadcast of Terry Gibbs playing classical music in the 1930s as a kid. The youngest ones were in their mid-twenties by 1960. There are only a handful of greats left from the 1940s, and the ranks of those from the 1950s, ‘60s and even the ‘70s are quickly thinning out. These veterans deserve to hear our applause and thanks for what they have accomplished while they can still enjoy our praise.
My apologies to anyone who I have missed.
Ray Anthony – trumpeter-bandleader (104 – Jan. 20, 1922) Anthony is not only the last living member of the original Glenn Miller Orchestra but the only significant survivor left from the swing era, and the only performer on this list who recorded before 1945, Anthony (who made his recording debut in 1940) headed his own big bands from 1946 on. While he arrived too late to be the Harry James of his time, he did his best to keep swing popular in the 1950s and appeared in several movies.
Annette Warren – singer (103 – July 11, 1922) An influential vocal coach and a versatile singer who “ghosted” for many Hollywood actresses in movies of the 1940s and ‘50s, Warren (who was married to pianist Paul Smith for 54 years) sang swing standards on an occasional basis and last year sang a song at her 103rd birthday party at the Hollywood jazz club Catalina Bar & Grill.
Marshall Allen – alto-saxophonist (101 – May 25, 1924) Although he started out playing bop, Allen has been an avant-gardist throughout much of his career, the Johnny Hodges of free jazz. He was a key member of Sun Ra’s Arkestra during 1958-93 and has been its leader since 1995, recording recently and still playing music at the age of 101.
Terry Gibbs – vibraphonist (101 – Oct. 13, 1924) One of the greatest vibraphonists of all time, Gibbs retired in recent years but he loves to talk about his many musical experiences, often online. An exciting bebopper, Gibbs became famous as a member of Woody Herman’s Second Herd, worked with Benny Goodman, led his Dream Band in the late 1950s, was an integral part of Steve Allen’s television shows, and had a great musical partnership with clarinetist Buddy DeFranco. His memoirs Good Vibes are filled with hilarious stories.
Joe Negri – guitar (99 – June 10, 1926) A member of the Shep Fields Orchestra during 1943-44, a fixture on the Pittsburgh jazz scene for many decades, an important educator, and a skilled guitarist who was in his seventies when he led his first record date, he acted as Handyman Negri on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood for nearly 40 years.
Dick Hyman – pianist (98 – Mar. 8, 1927) Able to play in virtually every jazz style and a writer of some of Woody Allen’s film scores, Hyman has been one of the giants of stride and swing piano since the 1950s. Fortunately he made many recordings.
Doc Severinsen –trumpeter, bandleader (98 – July 7, 1927) A technically dazzling trumpeter and a busy studio musician before he became famous for his nightly appearances as the bandleader on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show, Severinsen played with Charlie Barnet in 1949 and only retired from playing three years ago.
Lloyd Arntzen – clarinetist (98 – Sept. 19, 1927) Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Arntzen (the grandfather of clarinetist Evan Arntzen and banjoist/guitarist Arnt Arntzen) played New Orleans jazz for many decades including with Sweet Papa Lowdown, his own group Blackstick, and on records with Chris Barber.
Ted Brown – tenor-saxophonist (98 – Dec. 1, 1927) The cool-toned tenor-saxophonist worked with Lennie Tristano, Warne Marsh, Art Pepper, and Lee Konitz, leading at least 13 albums of his own.
Bill Crow – bassist (98 – Dec. 27, 1927) The prolific bassist worked with Gerry Mulligan, Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, Bob Brookmeyer, Clark Terry, Benny Goodman and many others and is still active today. Crow is also an author who wrote his memoirs From Birdland To Broadway and collected together many of the funniest stories in jazz history (Jazz Anecdotes).
Dick Nash – trombonist (98 – Jan. 26, 1928) The brother and uncle of two major saxophonists both named Ted Nash, he appeared on a countless number of studio and jazz dates through the years, was on many of Henry Mancini’s soundtracks, and still occasionally sits in with bands.
Marilyn Maye – singer (97 – Apr. 10, 1928) The jazz and cabaret singer and actress, Marilyn Maye appeared on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show 76 times. She continues to perform fairly regularly.
Gene DiNovi – pianist (97 – May 26, 1928) Equally comfortable playing with swing and bop musicians, DiNovi (long based in Canada) worked with Benny Goodman, Chubby Jackson, Boyd Raeburn, Artie Shaw, Lester Young, Peggy Lee, Sonny Rollins and Ruby Braff among many others.
Eph Resnick – trombonist (97 – July 1928) He started on records in 1947 with the Stuyvesant Stompers and the Washboard Wonders, and recorded as a trombonist with the Dixieland Rhythm Kings, Ruby Braff, Pee Wee Russell, and Bob Greene, plus a duet album with guitarist Marty Grosz in 1982. Resnick has mostly played piano during the past 25 years.
Frank Tiberi – tenor and alto-saxophonist (97 – Dec. 4, 1928) A member of the Woody Herman Orchestra during much of 1970-87, after Herman’s death Tiberi became its leader; he also recorded some fine bop-oriented albums of his own.
Eiji Kitamura – clarinetist (96 – Apr. 8, 1929) An excellent swing clarinetist from Japan, Kitamura recorded for Concord, held his own on sessions with Buddy DeFranco, and was a regular at the Monterey Jazz Festival for years.
Ronnie Lang – alto-saxophonist (96 – July 24, 1929) Lang started his career with Hoagy Carmichael’s Teenagers in the mid-1940s, worked with Earle Spencer, was a busy studio musicians for many years, and is best known for his playing with Les Brown (1949-50, 1953-56) and the Dave Pell Octet.
Betty Bryant – pianist-singer (96 – Nov. 7, 1929) A delightful singer and a swinging pianist, Betty Bryant has come into her own during the past 25 years and is still active in the Los Angeles area.
Toshiko Akiyoshi – pianist, arranger, composer, bandleader (96 – Dec. 12, 1929) Born in China, Akiyoshi began playing piano in Japan, was inspired most by Bud Powell, was discovered by Oscar Peterson, moved to the U.S. in the mid-1950s where she recorded some excellent albums for Norman Granz and the Verve label, and in 1973 formed a big band with her husband Lew Tabackin that was a perfect outlet for her composing and arranging talents for decades.
Johnny Varro – pianist (96 – Jan. 11, 1930) A superior swing pianist inspired by Teddy Wilson, Varro worked with Phil Napoleon, Pee Wee Erwin, Eddie Condon, Eddie Miller, and Ed Polcer, recording several very good albums for the Arbors label as both a leader and a sideman, and was a regular at jazz parties.
Pinky Winters – singer (96 – Feb. 1, 1930) A fixture in the Los Angeles jazz scene since the mid-1950s, the warm singer worked with such notables as Lou Levy, Hampton Hawes, Zoot Sims, and Gerald Wiggins in addition to leading 11 albums of her own.
Marty Grosz – guitarist, singer (96 – Feb. 28, 1930) A triple threat as a chordal acoustic guitarist inspired by Carl Kress and Dick McDonough, a singer inspired by Fats Waller, and as an always-humorous ad-libber, Grosz consistently performed highly enjoyable sets of superior obscurities from the 1930s.
Sam Noto – trumpeter (95 – Apr. 17, 1930) The bop-oriented soloist first became known as a soloist with the Stan Kenton Orchestra of the mid-1950s. He also worked with Count Basie, Rob McConnell, and in many all-star combos including in the 1980s on several albums for the Xanadu label.
Ruth Price – singer (95 – Apr. 27, 1930) An excellent jazz singer who worked with Philly Joe Jones, Charlie Ventura, Billy Taylor, Charles Mingus, and Harry James, she started running the Jazz Bakery (one of Southern California’s top jazz clubs) in 1991. After the club lost its lease, Ruth Price turned the Jazz Bakery into a “movable feast” and has continued to book top jazz talent at a variety of venues.
Bob Havens – trombonist (95 – May 3, 1930) While he was a longtime member of the Lawrence Welk Show’s band (1960-82), Havens is best known in jazz for being a very talented Dixieland trombonist, one who worked with George Girard, Al Hirt, and Pete Fountain and appeared at many classic jazz festivals.
Helen Merrill – singer (95 – July 21, 1930) Virtually every recording by this creative jazz singer has had a purpose and many memorable moments including sets with Clifford Brown, Gil Evans, Bill Evans, Thad Jones, Teddy Wilson, Ron Carter (a duet album), and Stan Getz, plus many albums made in Japan.
Sonny Rollins – tenor-saxophonist (95 – Sept. 7, 1930) Rollins is one of the greatest jazz soloists of all time whether it is his 1950s classics for Prestige, Riverside, Contemporary and Blue Note, his adventurous 1960s recordings for RCA and Impulse, or his later work for Milestone. Forced to retire from playing after 2012 due to respiratory problems, Sonny Rollins’ presence on the jazz scene is still missed.
Nancy Harrow – singer (95 – Oct. 3, 1930) Although she made two excellent albums during 1960-62, Harrow left the jazz world for a long time to raise a family. Returning in 1975, she has since recorded many underrated gems including standards, her own originals, and tunes taken from unusual sources.
David Amram – French horn, pianist, pennywhistle, flutist (95 – Nov. 17, 1930) A true Renaissance man, throughout his career Amram has given one the impression that he could enthusiastically jam with musicians from any culture. He recorded with Lionel Hampton, Bobby Jaspar, Oscar Pettiford, Kenny Dorham, Mary Lou Williams, and Dizzy Gillespie, wrote film scores, was involved in the Jazz & Poetry movement, composed classical works, and led a wide variety of fascinating recordings, often teaming up with unusual groups of musicians.
Dizzy Reece – trumpeter (95 – Jan. 5, 1931) One of the top trumpeters based in England during the 1950s, Reece was less prominent after moving to the U.S. but virtually all of his recordings are worthy.
Dick Garcia – guitar (94 – May 1, 1931) Primarily active in the 1950s, the guitarist was a member of the George Shearing Quintet during 1952 and 1959-61, performed with Charlie Parker in 1953, and worked with Tony Scott, Milt Buckner, Aaron Sachs and Kai Winding. While he led two albums of his own, Garcia made his last recordings in 1963, 63 years ago.
Plas Johnson – tenor-saxophonist (94 – July 21, 1931) A busy studio musician in both New Orleans and Los Angeles and most famous for playing Henry Mancini’s “Pink Panther Theme,” Johnson was always a top-notch and soulful straight ahead jazz soloist.
Kenny Burrell – guitarist (94 – July 31, 1931) Burrell recorded with Dizzy Gillespie in 1951, was part of the 1950s Detroit jazz scene, spent 20 years working steadily in New York, and was a longtime educator at UCLA. The always in-demand guitarist made some of his finest recordings with Jimmy Smith and Stanley Turrentine.
Sadao Watanabe – alto-saxophonist (93 – Feb. 1, 1933) The Japanese jazz saxophonist had a dual career as a Charlie Parker-inspired bebop altoist and a pop/jazz recording artist, somehow sounding like himself in both settings.
John Handy – alto-saxophonist (93 – Feb. 3, 1933) Handy became known due to his work with Charles Mingus in the 1950s, was the hit of the 1965 Monterey Jazz Festival (a set that was recorded), had a hit with “Hard Work,” and was always able to hit stratospheric notes on the alto with ease.
Joe Licari – clarinet (92 – Jan. 10, 1934) A skilled swing and New Orleans jazz clarinetist, Licari worked with Roy Eldridge, Wild Bill Davison, Bob Haggart, Vic Dickenson, Doc Cheatham and more recently Jon-Erik Kellso, He led three albums of his own and performed each Monday night at Arthur’s Tavern in Greenwich Village for decades.
Lanny Morgan – alto (92 – Mar. 30, 1934) The bop-oriented altoist worked with Maynard Ferguson, Supersax, Bill Berry, Bob Florence and Bill Holman, led several albums of his own, and played “Cherokee” with as much fire as anyone.
Warren Chiasson – vibes (91 – Apr. 17, 1934) – The Canadian vibraphonist worked with the George Shearing Quintet (1959-61 and 1972), Chet Baker, Tal Farlow, and in a duo with guitarist Chuck Wayne in addition to leading four albums of his own.
Warren Smith – percussion (91 – May 14, 1934) – The versatile percussionist worked with Gil Evans, Sam Rivers, Janis Joplin, Tony Williams, Max Roach’s M-Boom, Julius Hemphill, Muhal Richard Abrams, Count Basie, Anthony Braxton, Charles Mingus, Henry Threadgill, Joe Zawinul and countless others.
John Picard – trombone (91 – May 17, 1934) – The British trombonist, one of the last major figures left from English’s trad jazz movement of the 1950s and ‘60s, worked with Humphrey Lyttelton, Tony Coe, and the Charlie Watts Big Band.
Dave Grusin – piano, arranger, composer (91 – June 26, 1934) – Among Grusin’s countless number of accomplishments are close to 100 film scores and quite a few for television, co-founding and running the GRP label with Larry Rosen, leading the GRP All-Star Big Band, and playing jazz piano on many sessions over the past 65 years.
Bobby Bradford – trumpet (91 – July 19, 1934) – The last surviving member of Ornette Coleman’s groups of the 1960s, Bradford has an adventurous style that is made fairly accessible by his mellow tone. He had a longtime musical association with clarinetist John Carter and taught jazz at Pomona College for 44 years.
Oliver Jones – piano (91, Sept. 11, 1934) – He studied piano extensively with Oscar Peterson’s sister Daisy, worked with Jamaican calypso singer Kenny Hamilton during 1964-80, and in the 1980s emerged as a brilliant pianist from Canada, recording a long series of rewarding albums for the Justin Time label.
Abdullah Ibrahim – piano, composer (91 – Oct. 9, 1934) – After working with the Jazz Epistles in his native South Africa, Ibrahim (whose original name was Dollar Brand) fled the apartheid regime, moving to Europe in 1962 (where he recorded an album sponsored by Duke Ellington) and the U.S. in 1965. His picturesque music, inspired by Ellington and Thelonious Monk, always looks back to his early life in South Africa. He has led many versions of his group Ekapa since the 1980s.
Jan Allan – trumpet (91 – Nov. 7, 1934) – The cool-toned and boppish Swedish trumpeter not only worked with the top musicians in his native country but with Benny Carter, Dorothy Donegan, Thad Jones, Lee Konitz, and Roger Kellaway.
Houston Person – tenor (91 – Nov. 10, 1934) – The big-toned tenor is always soulful, caresses melodies with warmth, enjoys working with singers (he had a long-time association with Etta Jones that included 16 albums), swings with a smile in his sound, and has led at least 70 albums of his own through the years.
George Coleman – tenor (90 – Mar. 8, 1935) – The veteran tenor-saxophonist, famous for being a member of the Miles Davis Quintet during 1963-64, has had a very viable solo career ever since, leading around 20 albums and still working regularly as part of the New York jazz scene.
Ran Blake – piano (90 – Apr. 20, 1935) – Blake was always a very original pianist whose avant-garde explorations could be quite emotional while displaying his affection for film noir, third stream music, and for the singing of a variety of female jazz vocalists. He recorded classic duets with singer Jeanne Lee in the early 1960s, made a series of unique albums through the years, and taught for more than four decades at the New England Conservatory Of Music.
Cecil McBee – bass (90 – May 19, 1935) – A superb bassist with a big tone and a versatile style, McBee has worked with a long list of greats including Andrew Hill, Sam Rivers, Jackie McLean, Wayne Shorter, Charles Lloyd, Keith Jarrett, Woody Shaw and many others. He is currently a member of The Cookers.
Julian Priester – trombone (90 – June 29, 1935) – A top trombonist since the 1960s, Priester worked with Sun Ra when he was still a teenager in the 1950s, Max Roach, Booker Little, Freddie Hubbard, Art Blakey, six months with Duke Ellington in 1969, Herbie Hancock’s sextet (1970-73), and the Dave Holland Quintetj, teaching at the Cornish College of the Arts for 32 years
Sonny Greenwich – guitar (90 – Jan. 1, 1936) – The inventive guitarist worked with John Handy, recorded with Hank Mobley, developed his own adventurous style, and has long been considered one of Canada’s top jazz musicians.
Turning 90 this year (hopefully) will be tenor-saxophonist Don Menza, altoist Gary Foster, bassist Chuck Israels, pianist Bertha Hope, drummer Roy McCurdy, and (on Jan. 1, 2027) pianist Neville Dickie.
Five major jazz concerts took place at the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (better-known as The Soraya) in Northridge, comprising the Jazz At Naz Festival. Actually there was a sixth concert, a slightly earlier performance by Gerald Clayton of music reimagined from Duke Ellington’s Spirituals concerts but that one I unfortunately missed.
The festival began with three performances that took place on different nights at the “Jazz Club” which actually had both a podium for the musicians and seating for the audience on the stage of the “Great Hall.” Pianist Arturo O’Farrill and his trio (with his son Zack O’Farrill on drums and bassist Raul Reyes Bueno) performed creative post-bop jazz. The pianist was quite virtuosic, taking the music a bit outside at times although usually with subtle Latin rhythms. His sidemen were quite alert and reacted to his often-spontaneous musical directions. Among the pieces that they explored were “In Whom I Am Well Pleased,” “Secret Name,” “The Color Of The Soul,” “Not Now Right Now (Stop Ice),” the uptempo “Red State Blue State Blues,” and a moody number by the late Richie Beirach. The powerful piano playing and the interplay between the musicians made this a memorable evening.
The next concert featured the always-brilliant singer Cecile McLorin Salvant who was joined by pianist Sullivan Fortner, bassist Yasushi Nakamura, and drummer Kyle Poole. To say that the music covered a wide area would be a major understatement. The first number found Salvant repeating “Destroying Everything” numerous times, as if she were talking about the current administration in Washington DC. She next sang “Is This Really the Way Men Live” in French, displaying a powerful voice even if few in the audience knew exactly what she was singing about. Then she went back to the 1920s classic blues/vaudeville tradition with “Changeable Daddy Of Mine” which found the rhythm section, particularly the two-beat playing of Nakamura, sounding perfect for the vintage style.
Other selections included her original “Anything But Now” (a humorous piece about procrastinating), the folk song “Take This Stone” which found Fortner harmonizing vocally with her, the passionate “What Does Blue Mean To You,” a satire about the junk that she hears on the radio (“Second Guessing”), a slow rendition of “Tea For Two” with the singer emphasizing the original odd lyrics, a swinging “Let’s Face The Music And Dance,” and a touching version of the Johnny Mandel/Dave Frishberg ballad “You Are There” which was taken as a duet with Fortner. Salvant then sat at the electric keyboard, hit a few notes (asking the audience humorously “How do you like that?”) and accompanied herself on “Before I Had You.” She closed with an uptempo version of “The Trolley Song” and “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was.”
Cecille McLorin Salvant certainly kept the audience guessing as to what was coming up next! All one was certain of in advance was that it was going to be very good.
Clarinetist Anat Cohen brought her Quartetinho to the festival. The group, which included Victor Goncalves on piano and accordion, bassist Tal Mashiach (who also played the seven-string acoustic guitar) and James Shipp on percussion and vibraphone, performed Brazilian-inspired originals. With the constant switching of instruments (Cohen played bass clarinet on part of one number but left her tenor-sax at home), there was plenty of variety in textures and color. While none of the songs (which included “The Night Owl,” “Koko la Koko,” “Friends In Every Manner Of Conveyance,” “Super Heroes In The Gig Economy,” “Goodnight People” and a delightful choro titled “The Codfish Spine”) were familiar to the audience, the episodic music was well received and continually held one’s interest. Shipp’s vibes playing was always an asset and Mashiach’s guitar feature on “Paco” stole the show. Each of the musicians displayed strong personalities no matter what instrument they played. While it would have been nice to include a Brazilian standard (perhaps a Jobim tune) or more choros like “The Codfish Spine,” the music was a consistent joy and Anat Cohen was heard in prime form.
Veronica Swift is one of the greatest singers around today and she is certainly heading towards the top of her field. At Catalina Bar & Grill a couple of years ago, she performed a memorable set of boppish jazz. She has also occasionally performed high-caliber rock, certainly being the top scat-singer in that idiom. At the Great Hall for the first time in her career, she was joined by a large orchestra. The Pacific Jazz Orchestra (conducted and arranged by Chris Walden) is a 40-piece ensemble that includes a full big band plus a large string section. The Valentine’s Day show was titled “Love Inside Out” and dedicated to the many types of love that exist.
The Pacific Jazz Orchestra began with the night’s lone instrumental, Walden’s “No Bounds.” Veronica Swift’s first set could have been a tribute to Barbara Streisand because she interpreted the songs as one might hear from a top-notch Broadway singer. Among the numbers were “Don’t Rain On My Parade” (which had a solo from pianist Josh Nelson), a high-powered “Luck Be A Lady,” “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” (which she dedicated to her late father pianist Hod O’Brien), Randy Newman’s “You’ve Got A Friend In Me,” a straight ballad version of “The Man I Love,” a spirited “Fever” (which found the singer going out into the audience), and “As Long As He Needs Me.” There was not much jazz, but Ms. Swift’s outstanding voice and sincere interpretations made it worthwhile.
The second set began with one of the night’s highpoints. Veronica Swift’s mother, the superb jazz singer Stephanie Nakasian, joined her for an exciting version of “There Is No Greater Love” that was filled with passionate scatting and inventive ideas; it is a pity that it was over much too soon. They also sang the pop ballad “Wind Beneath My Wings” together. On Veronica Swift’s “Pedestal,” guitarist Brian Viglione of the Dresden Dolls guested. It was nice to hear the singer revive George Gershwin’s “Home Blues” which featured a tenor solo by Bob Sheppard. On the closer, “Sing,” Stephanie Nakasian and Brian Viglione had cameos. For an encore, Veronica Swift finally had an opportunity to sing jazz with just the rhythm section (which included drummer Gregg Field) and Chris Walden on flugelhorn. Their version of “Undecided” gave the audience a sampling of the singer’s formidable jazz chops.
The last of the five concerts featured the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Founded in 1961 by Allan Jaffe (who played bass and tuba with the group), the project originally gave a variety of veteran New Orleans musicians an opportunity to perform in the Crescent City and tour the world. By the 1970s and ‘80s the earlier musicians had gotten pretty old and were declining in their playing but they always conveyed the joy and spirit of traditional New Orleans jazz. Since then, Allan Jaffe’s son Ben Jaffe (who also doubles on bass and tuba) has taken over the leadership and kept the group’s heritage alive. There have been a lot of personnel changes through the decades with the current organization utilizing a rotating roster of mostly middle-aged players.
The band had played at the Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans the day before but they did not appear to be tired or worn out when they performed at the Saroyan. With Ben Jaffe as leader and spokesman, the group consisted of trumpeter Brandon Lewis, trombonist Revon Andrews, Clint Maedgen on tenor, pianist Kyle Roussel, and drummer Jafet Perez. It was unfortunate that there was no clarinetist. The spirited band often featured all three horn players singing with two (plus Jaffe) providing backup singing behind the lead voice. Perez worked hard throughout the night, providing stirring parade rhythms to most of the songs. Lewis contributed a solid lead and some consistently exciting solos, Andrews played well, and Maedgen on tenor hinted at r&b and was particularly colorful in the way that he always seemed to reach the microphone just a moment before he took his solo.
The Preservation Hall Jazz Band performed such numbers as “Lawd Lawd Lawd, You’ve Sure Been Good To Me,” “Basin Street Blues,” a particularly exciting “Shake It And Break It,” a medley of “Just A Closer Walk With Thee” and “Oh Didn’t He Ramble,” and a two-part “St. James Infirmary.” The latter featured Andrews’ trombone during the low-down first half and Maedgen’s heated vocal when the tempo sped up. Kyle Roussel had an adventurous and at times humorous solo piano feature that showed that he was quite aware (as were the other musicians) of more modern styles of jazz The night concluded with a long and joyful version of “When The Saints Go Marching In” which had the horns parading through the auditorium.
Everyone involved in organizing and presenting Jazz At Naz deserves congratulations for their contributions to the great jazz festival.
Every recording deserves informative liner notes (I have written 1,005) and every jazz musician needs a well-written press biography along with press releases that announce important events. I write all of these and more at reasonable rates. Please contact me at 661-678-3542 or at scottyanowjazz@yahoo.com for further information about my services. My latest book, Jazz Through The Eyes Of A Jazz Journalist (My Jazz Memoirs) is available at www.amazon.com.
My latest book, Jazz Through The Eyes Of A Jazz Journalist (My Jazz Memoirs) is available at www.amazon.com.
I have a new book that is available from amazon.com. Life Through The Eyes Of A Jazz Journalist. It is subtitled My Jazz Memoirs and is my 12th book and first in a few years. I discuss in an often-humorous fashion my early days and discovery of jazz, my period as the jazz editor of Record Review, the story behind my involvement with the All Music Guide, and I reminisce about some of my adventures as an amateur musician. Included are vintage interviews with Freddie Hubbard, Chick Corea, and Maynard Ferguson, encounters with Clint Eastwood, summaries of the Monterey and Playboy Jazz Festivals (including a full-length review of the 1985 Playboy Festival), memories of other events (such as the IAJE Conventions), and brief snapshots of many memorable club and concert performances. There is also background information about my other books, evaluations of the jazz critics who inspired me early on, and my thoughts on jazz criticism which includes advice to up-and-coming jazz journalists. Rounding out the book is a chapter on how the jazz writing business has changed over the past 50 years, and appendixes that include the jazz greats of the past, 86 jazz giants of today, 21 young performers to look for in the future, jazz books and DVDs that everyone should own, and a dozen enjoyable Hollywood jazz films.
Life Through The Eyes Of A Jazz Journalist, a paperback book, sells for $26 through Amazon.com Signed copies (which will take 2-3 weeks) are also available for $30 (which includes free postage) by sending the money via Pay Pal to scottyanowjazz@yahoo.com and by sending your mailing address to that E-mail.