When drummer Tony Allen passed away in April 2020, he left behind a musical legacy both pronounced and subtle. As the longtime main drummer for Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat ensemble, including a truly searing album where he played stick-to-stick with UK (ex-Cream) drummer Ginger Baker, Allen introduced a jazz-funk style of playing that pointed back to Africa while also directing contemporary …
Kassa Overall | Tiny Desk Concert
Kassa Overall is no stranger to NPR. Back in 2020 he was a featured vocalist and percussionist on the Terri Lyne Carrington + Social Science Tiny Desk concert and in the same year he scored the original music for the first season of NPR Music’s Louder Than A Riot podcast. (His catchy theme song has been remixed by producer Suzi …
Jacksonville Jazz Artist Ulysses Owens Jr. Takes Home Third Grammy Win with the Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra
There’s an often-quoted joke amongst musicians : “How do you make a million dollars playing jazz? Start with two million dollars.” While jazz is routinely considered to be a true American art form, from jazz artists’ current fame to total albums sold, its recognition by the overall larger audience can still seem shortsighted. Thankfully, this is not the case for …
Hamish Kilgour, founding member of New Zealand’s The Clean, has died at 65
Hamish Kilgour, co-founder of influential New Zealand indie-rock band The Clean, was found dead Tuesday in Christchurch after being reported missing on Nov. 27. Merge Records, which released and reissued much of The Clean’s catalog, confirmed the reports of Kilgour’s death in a public statement posted on social media, but no cause of death has been announced. He was 65. …
Rolling Stones Drummer Charlie Watts Dies At 80
Charlie Watts, the unshakeable drummer for The Rolling Stones, died this morning. According to a publicist, he died in a hospital in London, surrounded by family. No cause of death was given. He was 80 years old. Where most rock bands take their cues from the drummer, Watts was the type to hang back. He told NPR in 2012 that …