John Coltrane

An appreciation: Phil Ramone's golden ear for the hits

2013-03-31 17:45:00

That Phil Ramone was a musical force in the recording studio is undeniable, and the evidence lies in the range of his accomplishments. For example, within one three-year period in the early 1960s, Ramone mixed Lesley Gore's smash hit "It's My Party,"...

Playboy Jazz Festival sets June 15-16 lineup

2013-03-01 06:00:00

The lineup for the 35th annual Playboy Jazz Festival has been announced, and in addition to the weekend-long concert's signature mix of jazz, funk and R&B, the festival also revealed that comic and former late-night host George Lopez will take over for...

SFJAZZ plays another bold riff

2013-01-05 07:00:00

SAN FRANCISCO — "This is one of my favorite rooms," said SFJAZZ founder and Executive Artistic Director Randall Kline, smiling as he stepped over exposed pipes and dusty planks in the SFJAZZ Center. "Then again, they're all my favorite rooms," he...

Donald Byrd dies at 80; jazz trumpeter was a funk-fusion experimenter

2013-02-12 06:00:00

Jazz trumpeter and band leader Donald Byrd, whose clean, elegant phrasing made his reputation in the 1950s and '60s before he began experimenting in the '70s and '80s with jazz-funk-R&B fusions on discs such as "Black Byrd" and "Thank You ... for F.U.M.L....

Donald Byrd dies at 80; jazz musician and educator

2013-02-11 15:16:00

Jazz musician Donald Byrd, a leading hard-bop trumpeter of the 1950s who collaborated on dozens of albums with top artists of his time and later enjoyed commercial success with hit jazz-funk fusion records such as "Black Byrd," has died. He was 80. He...

The Times' NBA rankings

2013-02-02 21:55:00

AND THE GOLDEN GLOBE GOES TO … 1. OKLAHOMA CITY (35-12)�Westbrook blames Sefolosha for five-second violation, global warming. (2) 2. MIAMI (29-14)�Ray Allen (scoreless on 0-for-9 shooting) doesn’t have game vs. Pacers. (1) 3. SAN ANTONIO...

Ravi Shankar dies at 92; sitar master

2012-12-11 22:22:00

Ravi Shankar was already revered as a master of the sitar in 1966 when he met George Harrison, the Beatle who became his most famous disciple and gave the Indian musician-composer unexpected pop-culture cachet. Suddenly the classically trained Shankar...

Critic's Notebook: Vince Guaraldi's 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' score is a gift

2012-11-24 07:00:00

It's here. The holiday season. And with it, an ever-creeping onslaught of music stuffed with enough synthetic cheer to weave a polyester overcoat for Dodger Stadium. Hearing such tidings of great joy seems innocent enough, but repeated exposure could...

PASSINGS: Lois Smith, John Tchicai

2012-10-09 00:00:00

Lois Smith Longtime celebrity publicist Lois Smith, 85, a longtime New York City publicist who worked with celebrities including Marilyn Monroe, Robert Redford and Martin Scorsese, died Sunday from a brain hemorrhage after taking a fall during a trip to...

Review: Michael Chabon joyfully sets down on 'Telegraph Avenue'

2012-09-09 00:00:00

Telegraph Avenue A Novel Michael Chabon Harper: 480 pp, $27.99 "Telegraph Avenue" is so exuberant, it's as if Michael Chabon has pulled joy from the air and squeezed it into the shape of words. A vibrant affection for a place, time and culture —...

Von Freeman dies at 88; jazz tenor saxophonist with singular sound

2012-08-17 00:00:00

Von Freeman was revered as a tenor saxophonist but was never a major star, worshiped by critics but perpetually strapped for cash. He seemed to purposely avoid commercial success. When trumpeter Miles Davis phoned Freeman in the 1950s looking for a...

Review: A fascinating education in 'The Jazz Standards'

2012-07-22 00:00:00

-------------------- The Jazz Standards A Guide to the Repertoire Ted Gioia Oxford University Press: 528 pp., $39.95 -------------------- I like jazz but I don't know much about it. Or perhaps I should say that I know what I like. Duke Ellington,...

A meeting of generations in 72-year-old drummer and onetime Miles Davis sideman Hart, the Bad Plus' Ethan Iverson and understated saxophonist Mark Turner, this album connects beautifully with lush, thoughtful interplay and nods toward John Coltrane and Paul Bley.

2012-12-14 15:33:00

Coltrane's home is where he wrote "A Love Supreme," has deteriorated due to a lack of funds, the trust said. A local group hopes to restore the site as an education center but needs additional support.

2011-06-15 10:14:46

Developed his concept of "Sheets of Sound." His solos were flurries of notes, so he coined the concept. Listen to his "Giant Steps."

2009-04-22 19:29:57