Artist Spotlight
Gary Burton
One of the greatest vibraphonists to emerge in the 1960s, Gary Burton's remarkable four-mallet technique can make him sound like two or three players at once. This pianistic approach allowed him to play chords or melody lines or a mixture of both and caused him to be heralded as an innovator whose sound and technique were widely imitated. He also is known for pioneering fusion jazz and popularizing the duet format in jazz. He has recorded in a wide variety of settings and always sounds distinctive.
Charlie Byrd
Charlie Byrd (1925-1999) was
born just outside of Suffolk, Virginia. His father was a guitarist,
and began teaching his son the fundamentals of guitar when he was seven.
The rest of the Byrd family was also musical—Charlie’s two brothers
also worked with his groups. He continued playing in high school, and
according to Guitar Player magazine editor Jim Crockett, “added trumpet
so he could get into football games free.”
Ray Charles
They call Ray Charles the "genius" and the "father of soul." With perfect pitch and an expressive voice, he combined worlds as diverse as jazz, country, rhythm and blues, and gospel. Charles was the musician most responsible for developing soul music.
Eliane Elias
Pianist / singer / songwriter
Eliane Elias is known for her distinctive and immediately recognizable
musical style which blends her Brazilian roots and her sensuous,
alluring voice with her impressive instrumental jazz, classical and
compositional skills. Details.
Milt Jackson
Artist Spotlight: Milt Jackson
Milt "Bags" Jackson was born on New Year’s Day, 1923, in Detroit. Growing up, he sang and played a variety of instruments, including drums and piano (on which he recorded several times) before settling on a relatively new instrument, the vibraphone, a somewhat unusual choice given that he had perfect pitch.
