[AN UPDATE: There are now about 250 essays on this site, all presenting information, audio or video never before available!| Playback with Lewis Porter!
On February 9, 1998, Elvin Jones (September 9, 1927 – May 18, 2004), then 70 years old, was a guest artist before a group of students and faculty at the Manhattan School of Music.| Playback with Lewis Porter!
As we discussed last time (see the Index), Coleman Hawkins was the first to record solo saxophone improvisations without piano accompaniment.| Playback with Lewis Porter!
(Paying subscribers, at the bottom you’ll find several bonuses: a recording by Smock, and several articles about her, one of which also includes 1952 news about Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday and Hazel Scott.)| lewisporter.substack.com
Please use the Index to find Part One of this exploration of the solo saxophone recordings of Coleman Hawkins.| Playback with Lewis Porter!
(For Paying Subscribers, in this essay I mention home recordings of Serge Chaloff and Gene Sedric.| lewisporter.substack.com
(Paying Subscribers, at the bottom you can hear five very rare Detroit jazz recordings from about 1947-1950, two of which feature young Yusef Lateef.)| Playback with Lewis Porter!
Norman Granz’s first Jazz at the Philharmonic (J.A.T.P.) concerts took place in 1944, and by the early 1950s, whenever he brought his famous stars to town, it was a big deal.| lewisporter.substack.com
On February 9, 1998, Elvin Jones (September 9, 1927 – May 18, 2004), then 70 years old, was a guest artist at the Manhattan School of Music.| lewisporter.substack.com
(Dear Paying Subscribers, at the bottom you’ll find a short film clip of Page on trumpet that has never before been available, plus rare audio.)| Playback with Lewis Porter!
Soon after my biography of John Coltrane was published early in 1998, I received emails from people who were inspired to conduct their own Coltrane research.| Playback with Lewis Porter!
Jubilee was a series on what became known as the Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS) that featured popular Black performers, with a heavy focus on jazz artists.| Playback with Lewis Porter!
On February 9, 1998, Elvin Jones (September 9, 1927 – May 18, 2004), then 70 years old, was a guest artist at the Manhattan School of Music.| lewisporter.substack.com
[I love Stuff Smith’s high energy and highly original jazz violin playing.| Playback with Lewis Porter!
(For my many previous posts with new information on Coltrane, see the index.)| Playback with Lewis Porter!
I’m sure you’ve heard that Brian Wilson just passed away (June 20, 1942-June 11, 2025).| lewisporter.substack.com
Last time, I presented new discoveries about Webster’s biography. Probably most important is that all the books and websites give the wrong birthdate and birthplace: I showed that Freddie Webster was born in Selma, Alabama, on September 3, 1917 and that his birth name was Morris Frederick Webster.| Playback with Lewis Porter!
(Paying Subscribers: The two pieces featured on this concert tape were recorded again in a studio shortly afterward.| Playback with Lewis Porter!
(Paying Subscribers: A complete book of Morton’s piano music is below for you!)| lewisporter.substack.com
(Paying Subscribers, below you’ll find the complete Teagarden book from 1939 about how to improvise on trombone, which applies to any instrument.| Playback with Lewis Porter!
(Paying Subscribers, there’s more music from the 1971 Eastman concert for you at the bottom, with my sincere thanks.)| Playback with Lewis Porter!