We Jazz June...

John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967)

John William Coltrane, born in Hamlet, NC , was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes and was at the forefront of free jazz. 

He led at least fifty recording sessions and appeared on many albums by other musicians, including trumpeter Miles Davis and pianist Thelonious Monk. 

Over the course of his career, Coltrane's music took on an increasingly spiritual dimension. He remains one of the most influential saxophonists in music history. He received numerous posthumous awards, including a Pulitzer Prize in 2007, and was canonized by the African Orthodox Church.

 Thelonious Sphere Monk (October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982)

Thelonious Sphere Monk - Born in Rocky Mount, NC.  An American jazz pianist and composer with a unique improvisational style who made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including "'Round Midnight", "Blue Monk", "Straight, No Chaser", "Ruby, My Dear", "In Walked Bud", and "Well, You Needn't". Monk is the second-most-recorded jazz composer after Duke Ellington.

Monk is one of five jazz musicians to have been featured on the cover of Time magazine (the others being Louis Armstrong, Dave Brubeck, Duke Ellington and Wynton Marsalis).

 Nina Simone  (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003)

Nina Simone, born in Tryon, NC as Eunice Kathleen Waymon, was an American singer, songwriter, musician, arranger, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned a broad range of musical styles including classical, jazz, blues, folk, R&B, gospel, and pop.

She recorded more than 40 albums between 1958 and 1974, making her debut with Little Girl Blue. Her musical style fused gospel and pop with classical music, in particular Johann Sebastian Bach, and accompanied expressive, jazz-like singing in her contralto voice.

Lou Donaldson (born November 1, 1926)

Lou Donaldson, born in Badin, NC is a retired American jazz alto saxophonist. He is best known for his soulful, bluesy approach to playing the alto saxophone, although in his formative years he was, as many were of the bebop era, heavily influenced by Charlie Parker.

Photo Credit: https://northcarolinamusichalloffame.org/

Grady Tate (January 14, 1932 – October 8, 2017) 


Grady Bernard Tate, born in Hayti, Durham, North Carolina, was an American jazz and soul-jazz drummer and baritone vocalist. His drumming helped to define a particular hard bop, soul jazz and organ trio sound during the mid-1960s and beyond. The Grady Tate sound can be heard prominently on many of the classic Jimmy Smith and Wes Montgomery albums recorded on the Verve label in the 1960s.

Roberta Flack (born February 10, 1937) 

Roberta Flack, born in Black Mountain, North Carolina,  is an American singer. She is known for her No. 1 singles "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", "Killing Me Softly with His Song", "Feel Like Makin' Love"; and "Where Is the Love" and "The Closer I Get to You", two of her many duets with Donny Hathaway. (Wikipedia)

Other Legends

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