George Wein

Born: October 3, 1925

George Wein was the man who is arguably the father of the jazz festivals movement. Though he is known first and foremost for his long career as a jazz producer and impresario, George Wein is also a jazz musician. Though his far-flung activities have not afforded him a full-fledged career as a performer and recording artist, he has long been an active pianist in a swing/proto-bebop mode, making tours with his own all star bands. But it is as festival pioneer, producer, and all-around impresario that George Wein has made his principle mark. His company, Festival Productions Inc., has produced jazz festivals and concerts around the globe. Wein first studied music with the noted Margaret Chaloff in Boston, later falling under the tutelage of Teddy Wilson at Julliard

James Moody: 80 Years Young - Live at the Blue Note, March 26, 2005

by Todd Coolman
May 21, 2025

It's an absolute thrill to share the memories of an unforgettable night--James Moody's 80th birthday celebration at the legendary Blue Note in New York City in 2005. This was the grand finale of a weeklong celebration that had already featured amazing performances from jazz giants like Jimmy Heath, Ray Barretto, Mike Longo, and George Wein. This ...

Military Music: Part 1

by Monk Rowe
October 14, 2024

Remembering Dan Morgenstern

by Sanford Josephson
October 1, 2024

This article previously appeared in Jersey Jazz Magazine. In 1938 when Dan Morgenstern was eight years old, he and his mother fled Nazi-controlled Austria for Copenhagen. Nine years later, they arrived in New York, and Morgenstern was not interested in seeing the Statute of Liberty or the Empire State Building. He just wanted to ...

Celebrating The Third Story at 10 with Will Lee and Amanda Sidran

by Leo Sidran
February 4, 2024

Ten years ago, on a bit of a whim, I invited bassist Will Lee to come over to my home studio in Brooklyn to do an interview with me for a new project I was starting: a podcast. A year or two earlier, my friend had turned me on to Marc Maron's WTF podcast, and I ...

Leo Sidran: Conversation Artist

by Ludovico Granvassu
September 5, 2023

For music lovers, listening to music is often not only about the music. An album is much more than a vessel of beautiful chords, notes and lyrics. It offers mission statements, “how to" manuals, and blueprints for life strategies. Each song a trap-door it is impossible not to sneak into, in search for insights on how ...

Ahmad Jamal: Forward Momentum

by Ian Patterson
April 17, 2023

In memory of the venerable Ahmad Jamal. This article was first published on All About Jazz on July 6, 2010. Ahmad Jamal, possibly the most influential of living jazz pianists, turned 80 years young on July 2, 2010. It is however, business as usual and instead of celebrating at home in his slippers, Jamal ...

Meet Clifford Bass

by Tessa Souter and Andrea Wolper
March 24, 2023

Our newest super fan's first jazz record was The Best of Nat King Cole, which he chose at just ten years old! The bug bit him so hard that, by age 14, he was listening obsessively to A Love Supreme. He is now such a fan of improvisational, in-the-moment performance that he rarely listens to recordings, ...

Joe Lovano: Cleveland's Ultimate Jazz Titan

by Matthew Alec
December 20, 2022

Friday, June 24th, 2022, saxophonist Joe Lovano's group Sound Prints (alongside trumpeter and co-leader Dave Douglas) delivered a tour de force performance to spellbound audience members at the historic Mimi Ohio Theatre in Playhouse Square as a part of Cleveland's annual Tri-C JazzFest. Seasoned group interplay between drummer Rudy Royston, bassist Matt Penman, and pianist Leo ...

2021: The Year in Jazz

by Ken Franckling
December 31, 2021

The jazz world continued grappling and adjusting in year two of the COVID-19 pandemic. International Jazz Day again went virtual for the most part. Singer Tony Bennett put the final stamp on his touring--and likely recording--career after his Alzheimer's disclosure. Trumpeter Irvin Mayfield was headed to federal prison. The National Endowment for the Arts welcomed four ...