Tag Archives: The Duke Ellington Legacy

Pianist Norman Simmons is an excellent arranger and great accompanist most well-known for providing the strike agreement of “Wade in water” for the Ramsey Lewis group. Simmons proved helpful in the ’50s and ’60s for many vocalists, included in this Dakota Staton, Ernestine Anderson, and Carmen McRae. He proved helpful …

Vocalist Nancy Reed offers good music genes. Her dad was a jazz pianist and her mom an opera vocalist. Her initial professional gig was at age 19 recording on the A& R studios in N.Con.C.. Over time, she’s performed at jazz celebrations and concerts with such luminaries as Phil Woods, …

On her behalf Chiaroscuro CD of 1996, Virginia Mayhew displays mature sounds on each of her reeds and a solid improvising design that builds from your tradition but has a lot of spontaneity and chance-taking; she also displays strong talent like a composer. Mayhew began on clarinet when she was …