On November 24, 2025, James Chambers (aka Jimmy Cliff) died aged 81. He was singer, musician (guitar, piano, keyboards, congas) and actor, one of the most important figures in worldwide promotion of the Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae music. He was the only living reggae musician to hold the “Order of Merit”, the highest honor that can be granted by the Jamaican government for achievements in the arts and sciences. In 2010, Jimmy Cliff was inducted in the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”.
Tag Archives: piano
Young Fathers: Heavy, Heavy
On February 3, 2023, “Ninja Tune” label released “Heavy Heavy”, the fourth Young Fathers studio album. It was recorded in 2022, at “Out of the Blue” in Leith, Scotland, “Narcissus Studio” in London, “Northwind” in Durban, South Africa, and was produced by Graham “G” Hastings At the 2023 “Mercury Prize”, the album won the “Scottish Album of the Year Award”.
Personnel:
- Alloysious Massaquoi – vocals, toms, percussion
- Graham “G” Hastings – vocals, percussion, piano, organ, Vox Continental, Transcendent, Jasper, Korg Minipops, Boss PC-2, Mellotron, Syntrx, ER-1 drum machine
- Kayus Bankole – vocals, percussion
- Liam Hutton – drums, percussion, talking drum, timpani, bin with chains
- Iain Berryman – guitar, bazouki, piano, percussion
- Richard Adlam – drums, programming
- Hal Ritson – keyboards, programming
- Raven Bush – strings
- Tapiwa Mambo – vocals
- Toyiz Mchunu – vocals
- Nomasonto Mthembu – vocals
- Anele Mthembu – vocals
- Nonhlanhla Mhlongo – vocals
- Graham “G” Hastings – engineer
- Iain Berryman – engineer, mixing, additional production
- Drew Dungate-Smith – additional engineering
- Kristian Donaldson – additional engineering
- Niklas Fairclough – additional engineering
- Andrea Cozzaglio – engineer assistant
- Sophie Ellis – engineer assistant
- Ben Baptie – mixing
- Matt Colton – mastering
- Hingston Studio – design, art direction
Track listing:
All tracks by Kayus Bankole, Graham “G” Hastings and Alloysious Massaquoi, except where noted.
- Rice
- I Saw
- Drum
- Tell Somebody
- Geronimo
- Shoot Me Down
- Ululation – Kayus Bankole, Graham “G” Hastings, Alloysious Massaquoi, Tapiwa Mambo
- Sink or Swim
- Holy Moly
- Be Your Lady
Carla Bley
On October 17, 2023, Lovella May Borg, aka Carla Bley died aged 87. She was composer, musician (piano, organ) and bandleader, one of the most important figures in the free jazz movement of the 1960s. Bley started the record label “JCOA “, who recorded over two dozen important albums between 1966 and 2019, and became a pioneer in the development of independent artist-owned record labels. As leader, she released 29 albums, including her magnum opus, the jazz opera “Escalator over the Hill”.
Ahmad Jamal
On April 16, 2023, Ahmad Jamal died aged 92. He was musician (piano), composer, bandleader, and educator, one of the most successful small-group leaders and one of the most important artists in jazz history. For his work Jamal received many awards including:
- 1959: Entertainment Award, Pittsburgh Junior Chamber of Commerce
- 1980: Distinguished Service Award, City of Washington D.C., Anacostia Neighborhood Museum
- 1986: Mellon Jazz Festival Salutes Ahmad Jamal, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- 1987: Honorary Membership, Philippines Jazz Foundation
- 1994: American Jazz Masters award, National Endowment for the Arts
- 2001: Arts & Culture Recognition Award, National Coalition of 100 Black Women
- 2001: Kelly-Strayhorn Gallery of Stars, for Achievements as Pianist and Composer, East Liberty Quarter Chamber of Commerce
- 2003: American Jazz Hall of Fame, New Jersey Jazz Society
- 2003: Gold Medallion, Steinway & Sons 150 Years Celebration
- 2007: Living Jazz Legend, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
- 2007: Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, French government
- 2011: Down Beat Hall of Fame, 76th Readers Poll
- 2015: Honorary Doctorate of Music, The New England Conservatory
- 2017: Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, The Recording Academy
- 2018: Leopolis Jazz Music Awards Leopolis Jazz Fest, Lviv
As leader, Jamal released 69 albums.
Jerry Lee Lewis
On October 28, 2022, Jerry Lee Lewis died aged 87. He was musician (piano), singer and songwriter, nicknamed “the Killer”, He was a pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, described as “Rock and roll’s first great wild man and one of the most influential pianists of the 20th century. Lewis won four “Grammy Awards”, including a “Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award” and two “Grammy Hall of Fame Awards”. He was inducted into the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”, the “Rockabilly Hall of Fame”, “Memphis Music Hall of Fame” and “Country Music Hall of Fame”. In 2003, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked his box set “All Killer, No Filler: The Anthology”, at number 242 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”, in 2004, the same magazine ranked him at number 24 of its list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time”. A movie about his life, “Great Balls of Fire”, was released in 1989, starring Dennis Quaid. As leader, Lewis released 40 studio and 8 live albums.
Taylor Hawkins
On March 25, 2022, Oliver Taylor Hawkins died aged 50. He was musician (drums, percussion, guitar, piano), singer and songwriter, worked with Sass Jordan, Alanis Morissette and band Sylvia. In 2004, Hawkins formed his project Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders, but was best known as drummer of Foo Fighters. In 2005, magazine ”Rhythm” voted him “Best Rock Drummer”.
Brian Locking
On October 8, 2020, Brian Locking died aged 81. He was musician (bass guitar double bass, piano, harmonica, clarinet) and songwriter, worked as session musician with Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, Joe Brown, Conway Twitty, Vince Taylor & His Playboys, and Brenda Lee, but was best known as bass player of The Wildcast and The Shadows.
Conway Savage
On September 2, 2018, Conway Victor Savage died aged 58. He was musician (piano, organ) and singer, member of the bands Happy Orphans, The Feral Dinosaurs, and Dave Last and The Legendary Boy Kings, but was best known as piano and organ player in Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds (1990 – 1993). As leader he released three albums.
Jeffrey Philip LaBar
On July 14, 2012, Jeffrey Philip LaBar died aged 58. He was musician (guitar, piano, keyboards, cello) and singer, member of the band Naked Beggars, but best known as guitarist of Cinderella. As leader, LaBar released one album.
Paul Griffin
On June 14, 2000, Paul Griffin died aged 62. He was musician (piano, keyboards), performed and recorded with hundreds of musicians including: King Curtis, Bob Dylan, Steely Dan, Don McLean, the Isley Brothers, Van Morrison, the Shirelles, Dionne Warwick. Dion DiMucci, George Benson, Tom Rush, Wilson Pickett, Michael Franks, John Denver, Peter, Paul and Mary, David Clayton-Thomas, Gloria Loring, Melba Moore, LaVern Baker, Janis Siegel, Solomon Burke, Jackie Lomax, Marlena Shaw, Roberta Flack, Donny Hathaway, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Don Mclean, Carly Simon, Juddy Collins, Cheryl Lynn, Gloria Gaynor, Stephanie Mills, Donald Fagen, Van Morrison, Paul Simon, Garland Jeffreys, Aretha Franklin, Bonnie Raitt and Laura Nyro.
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