Great Moments in Jazz History

Great Moments in Jazz History

1. Dexter Gordon's homecoming - After 15 years as an expat in Europe, Dexter Gordon returned in 1976 to give a triumphant performance at New York City's Village Vanguard.

2. Ornette Coleman at the 5 Spot - On November 17, 1959, after the release of the audaciously titled "The Shape of Jazz to Come", Ornette Coleman and his band (which included Charlie Haden on Bass) began an extended stint at the 5 Spot club in NYC. Among the notables that came to witness these innovative performances, were Leonard Bernstein, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane.

3. Duke Ellington & Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue - During the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival, while performing Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue, Duke Ellington gave free reign to tenor saxophonist Paul Gonsalves who obliged with 27 legendary choruses that drove the crowd to heights of ecstatic frenzy.

4. Jazz at Massey Hall - On May 15, 1953, Bud Powell, Max Roach, Charles Mingus, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker gave a onetime performance at Toronto's Massey Hall that has attained mythical status.

5. Thelonious Monk loses his cabaret card - On August 1951, Thelonious Monk took the fall for Bud Powell in a narcotics bust and as a result, lost his cabaret card. Without a cabaret card, Monk could not play in any club in NYC that served alcohol. He spent a majority of his "lost" time composing geometric music that still resounds today with genius and inventiveness.

6. Minton's Playhouse and the birth of Bebop - In the early 1940's musicians would meet at Minton's Playhouse, an after hours joint in NYC, after their regular paying gigs were through. There, such titans as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Christian, Kenny Clarke, & Thelonious Monk would create something wholly new that would shake jazz to it's foundations - it was called Bebop. Ralph Ellison bore witness and wrote about it in his book "Living With Music".

7. Sonny Rollins & the bridge - In 1959, at the pinnacle of fame, Sonny Rollins experienced a crisis of faith in his abilities. He dropped out of the jazz scene altogether and began to practice on the Williamsburg Bridge for 15-16 hours a day Spring/Summer/Fall & Winter. Eventually he returned and began recording and touring again. In fact he is still actively performing today.

Be sure to check out the following albums:

1. Dexter Gordon - Homecoming - Live At The Village Vanguard
2. Ornette Coleman - The Shape of Jazz to Come
3. Duke Ellington - Ellington At Newport 1956 (Complete)
4. The Quintet - Jazz at Massey Hall
5. Thelonious Monk - Monk's Dream
6. Charlie Christian - After Hours
7. Sonny Rollins - The Bridge