This is the grave of Bill Evans. Born in 1929 in Plainfield, New Jersey, Evans grew up in a tough household, with an awful abusive drunkard father. But he found solace in music. He started taking piano lessons about the time he entered school. He...
jazz
This is the grave of Kidd Jordan. Born in 1935 in Crowley, Louisiana, Jordan grew up in the rice farms of southwestern Louisiana. This was zydeco country musically. Clifton Chenier.
This is the grave of Ella Fitzgerald. Born in 1917 in Newport News, Virginia, Fitzgerald mostly grew up in New York. Her parents, both light-skinned African Americans, broke up, but.
This is the grave of Jelly Roll Morton. Perhaps born in 1890 in New Orleans, Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe grew up in the mixed race community of that city, which was still quite large and different than the rest of the South in so many ways,...
This is the grave of Woody Herman. Born in 1913 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Herman was brought up in a family that welcomed show business. His father was a big fan.
This is the grave of Buddy Rich. Born in Brooklyn in 1917, Bernard Rich began drumming at a young age. He was one of the second wave of Jewish musicians.
This is the grave of J.J. Johnson. Born in 1924 in Indianapolis, James Louis Johnson, or J.J. as he would be known throughout his life, started playing music as a child. He picked up the piano when he was 9, started messing around with other...
I have had trouble finishing my Music Notes posts lately. The problem is that they take a lot of time and I am trying to finish a book manuscript here..
This is the grave of Zoot Sims. Born in 1923 in Inglewood, California, John Sims grew up in a performing family. Both of his parents were vaudeville performers. His older.
This is the grave of Lee Konitz. Born in 1927 in Chicago, Konitz grew up in a Jewish family. His parents had immigrated from Austria and Russia. The family still spoke Yiddish at home when he grew up. From a very early age, Konitz was...
This is the grave of Henry Grimes. Born in 1935 in Philadelphia, Grimes grew up in a musical family. Both his parents played various instruments and their son would prove.
One of the most fun shows I've seen in awhile was Rhett Miller of Old 97s play a solo show at the Askew in Providence about two weeks ago. I.