by Britt Ryan | Aug 26, 2020 | Today in Music History
A musical Marsalis was born in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, on this day in 1960. His parents — Dolores and Ellis Marsalis — named him Branford, and he would grow up to play saxophone alongside Art Blakey, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and many other...
by Britt Ryan | Aug 25, 2020 | Today in Music History
Jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter’s musical resume is long. Born in Newark, N.J. on this day in 1933, he was a member and musical director of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, also played with Miles Davis’ Second Great Quintet and co-founded the jazz fusion band Weather...
by Britt Ryan | Aug 24, 2020 | Today in Music History
Here’s a special Jimmy’s birthday salute to a fellow Jimmy — James Kent “Jim” Fox, founder of The James Gang, was born in Cleveland on this day in 1947. Here’s The Gang doing “Walk Away” on “Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert” in...
by Britt Ryan | Aug 23, 2020 | Today in Music History
Better known for his tragic death than his birth, if things had turned out differently for Keith Moon, the mad drummer of The Who would be 74 today. Instead, he was just 32 when he died of an overdose of self-destructiveness on Sept. 7, 1978. Remember the time in 1967...
by Britt Ryan | Aug 22, 2020 | Today in Music History
Can I get “Boom Boom”? Happy Delta blues birthday to John Lee Hooker. They say he was born on this day in 1917 (or maybe 1912 or even 1920) in the town of Tutwiler in Tallahatchie County, Mississippi. He wrote “Boom Boom” in 1961 and famously performed his signature...
by Britt Ryan | Aug 21, 2020 | Today in Music History
William James Basie, better known to the musical world as Count, was born on this day in 1904 in Red Bank, N.J. Fondly remembered as one of jazz’s all-time greats, the bandleader/pianist had a profound influence over the big-band sound of the mid-20th century; he died...
