Episode 267: How They Lived and How They Died, Part 2

Discovering Jazz

05-03-2024 • 1 hr 1 min

Lots of old recordings today. From 1927 to 2023. But they’re all by great jazz artists who we wish had been around a lot longer than they were. Some of them, like Lee Morgan, King Curtis, and James Reese Europe, and Evan Thomas (who never recorded) died violent deaths at the hands of others. Others, like Albert Ayler and Claude Ranger were very mysterious deaths or disappearances. Trumpeter Jimmy Noone died at home of a sudden heart attack at age 48.. Alcoholism or other addictions claimed Bix Beiderbecke, Jaimie Branch, and Billie Holiday. And the lifestyle of ‘life on the road’ led to the deaths of two Charlies, Christian & Parker. But most important is the great music these artists made….and that’s what you’ll hear on this podcast.