By Chris Wiley Fred Beckett was born in 1917, the same year as Dizzy Gillespie. He grew up in Tupelo, Mississippi, but did not begin to develop his musical skills on trombone until becoming a member of his high school’s band. He must have developed quickly, because it was not long before Beckett began to More…
Out of the randomness that makes up YouTube content these days, real surprises occasionally surface that don’t have to do with dogs riding skateboards or cats playing the piano. One such find is the “Aurex Jazz Special” that aired on Japanese television in the 80s, apparently concurrent with the Aurex Jazz Festival. In the clip More…
This YouTube post by Zemry features a host of be-bop greats: J.J. Johnson, Sonny Stitt, Howard McGhee, Walter Bishop, Tommy Potter, and Kenny Clarke. It’s apparently a video transfer of a kinescope made for British TV in 1964. When I first saw and heard the YouTube clip, I thought the performance sounded familiar. Sure enough, More…
J. J. Johnson’s Exercises and Etudes for the Jazz Instrumentalist is probably not as celebrated an etude book as it should be. On the cover, the publisher Hal Leonard promotes it as “Easy to advanced,” and “Great for sight reading.” Certainly true, but J.J., after dedicating the book to Fred Beckett inside, makes this better More…