From the slightly Wayback Machine, my video of the Heath Brothers

On Halloween, I was lucky enough to catch the Heath Brothers performing as part of the Legends of Jazz series at Onondaga Community College. Great show by 89-year-old saxophonist Jimmy Heath, his 80-year-old drummer brother Tootie and their younger mates Michael Karn on upright bass and Jeb Patton on piano. I wrote about it here.…

Christiane Page’ mixes folk, Quebecois for all that jazz

Christiane Page’, “The Road” Hondo Mesa Records Christiane Page’ splits time between New York and New Mexico, according to the liner notes to her debut CD just released by the Hondo Mesa label of Syracuse, N.Y. A bit of research reveals that Page’ was a scholar and educator at Syracuse University, a natural discovery considering…

Yeah, I’ve seen that talented young singer on the flat screen

Sitting around talking to the kind and happy family of four in the Syracuse suburb of Baldwinsville on one of the final days of 2014, they all were quite excited about a TV program that was coming on New Year’s Eve. I agreed to put it on my must-watch list. It fits right in with…

For Jimmy and Tootie Heath, the brotherly love of music started in Philadelphia

In 1975, three siblings who grew up in Philadephia thought they’d pool their vast talents in jazz as the Heath Brothers. The eldest, Percy Heath, played double bass. Middle man Jimmy Heath was a star of alto sax. Kid brother Albert “Tootie” was the drummer. They’d been in the bands of Dizzie Gillespie and John…

How’d you like to see B.B. King play guitar for free?

Every time this gentleman walks to a stage to perform, he’s introduced the same way. He’s played a lot of shows and heard a lot of introductions. And, really, he’s a man whose recognizable face, ringing guitar sound and gritty vocals need no introduction. That’s “Mister B.B. King” to you and me. There’s been a…