Liner Notes

“My life is music, and in some vague, mysterious and subconscious way, I have always been driven by a taut inner spring which has propelled me to almost…

Hank Mobley was a self-taught hard bop and soul jazz tenor saxophone player whose sound was situated between that of John Coltrane and Stan Getz. As a…

Jazz singer, actress, dancer and activist Lena Horne began performing at the Cotton Club in her teens before moving to Hollywood where she worked as an…

Milt Hinton, known as “The Judge”, was the most recorded jazz musician in history. Over his extensive career he played on more than 1,100 sessions as a…

Horace Silver’s powerful and transcendent music pushed him beyond the label of jazz pianist. The composing and instrumentation of his quintet created a…

Singer, dancer, and bandleader Cab Calloway is often referred to as the “hi-di-hi-di-ho” man. His nonsensical sounds and improvised melodies made him one…

Ella Fitzgerald found solace in music and song. Discovered at age 17 in a talent competition, she went on to become the world's top female jazz singer for…

With his revolutionary harmonics and driving tempos, Dizzy Gillespie was an architect of modern sound. His virtuosity and creativity helped to define a…

Jazz trumpeter Clifford Brown is known for his precise and captivatingly smooth technique. He recorded most notably with drummer Max Roach and saxophonist…

Billie Holiday once said, “No two people on earth are alike, and it’s got to be that way in music or it isn’t music.” As we look back on her life and…