Jazz
Hal Blaine was perhaps the most recorded drummer from the California recording studios of the 1950s-'70s. His influential style can be heard on more than 170 number one hit songs and 450 tunes that made the top 40 on the charts during those decades. His beat can be heard on hundreds of albums by...
Jimmy Cheatham was one of the coolest jazz cats in the industry. Having worked with many of the top jazz players such as Duke Ellington and Ornette Coleman, Jimmy brought the sounds of traditional jazz to film scores and television programs over several decades. Jimmy’s warm personality was only...
Jeannie Cheatham played roots music before anyone was calling it that. She grew up on church music, and progressed to the blues in a time and place where black women were encouraged to express their emotions through music. Jeannie was there when rhythm and blues became popular and played her own...
James Moody and his saxophone graced many NAMM Shows over the decades and was a good friend to many within the industry. He was often seen strolling the show floor and encountering friends with a smile at nearly every step. It is easy to see why he was one of the most beloved jazz musicians in...
Mundell Lowe is deservedly listed in just about every jazz encyclopedia. With a powerful, yet relaxed, approach to his playing, Mundell helped revolutionize the jazz guitar sound in bebop and modern jazz. Pioneering the concept of playing solo on the instrument rather then using the guitar merely...
Sammy Nestico revolutionized the band and orchestra repertoire by composing and arranging top jazz charts for all levels of bands. As a result, this arranger of Count Basie’s band in the 1950s is as well known to music fans as he is to beginning music students in school bands. Along the way Sammy...
Floyd Levin was a promoter of traditional jazz, an author, and music historian. Beginning on radio in the 1940s and then on to writing a music column, Floyd captured some of the greatest stories and characters in the world of jazz. A close friend of many performers such as Louis Armstrong, Floyd...
Tony Schmidt was the very first volunteer of the NAMM Foundation’s Museum of Making Music (located in the NAMM building) to provide 1,000 hours of service. As a kid, he saw Duke Ellington perform in his hometown of Chicago and was hooked, not only on Ellington (for which he was a noted expert), but...
Carol Kaye can be heard on such landmark recordings as “La Bamba,” the Mission Impossible theme, and scores of hits produced by Phil Spector. She started playing jazz guitar in a big band during the early 1950s. Within the decade, she gained employment at the studio where she would later meet...
Jack LeMaire took guitar lessons from the legendary Eddy Lang. Jack played on radio broadcasts and recordings with a number of top artists during the 1940s and 50s. He all but gave up the guitar due to suffering from an early onset of arthritis. He then turned towards acting and appeared in...