OUT TODAY on Cleveland Time! "Wanton Imbibement" from saxophonist Matthew Alec feat. pianist C.J. Briggs! A Thelonious Monk-fueled spoken word odyssey on the perils of alcohol abuse. A MUST LISTEN for hard bop and stride piano fans! Stream or purchase: distrokid.com/hyperfollow/ma…

Celebrated vocalist Dianne Reeves turns 70 today, born on this day in 1956 in Detroit, MI 🎙️🎈🎶 #diannereeves #singer #vocalist #jazz #happybirthday

Happy birthday to jazz and popular music saxophonist Ernie Watts who turns 81 today, born October 23, 1945 in Norfolk, VA 🎷🎂 #erniewatts #saxophone #jazz #happybirthday

Trumpeter and bandleader John Birks “Dizzy” Gillespie (October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) set a new standard for virtuosity on the trumpet and became the leading figure in popularizing the bebop movement in jazz #dizzygillespie #trumpet #jazz

Happy birthday to pianist and prolific Grammy Award nominee Fred Hersch who turns 71 today, born October 21, 1955 in Cincinnati, OH 🎹🎈 #fredhersch #piano #jazz #happybirthday

Happy birthday to saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi who celebrates his 79th birthday today, born October 21, 1947 in Boston, MA 🎷🎂 #jerrybergonzi #saxophone #happybirthday

Happy birthday to Grammy Award winning bassist Esperanza Spalding who turned 42 yesterday, born October 18, 1984 in Portland, OR 🎸🎈🎵 #esperanzaspalding #bassist #bass #Jazz #happybirthday

Happy birthday to world famous virtuoso trumpeter Wynton Marsalis who celebrated his 65th birthday yesterday, born October 18, 1961 in New Orleans, LA 🎺⚜️🎂 📸Piper Ferguson #wyntonmarsalis #jazz #happybirthday

Politically outspoken Nigerian saxophonist Fela Kuti (10.15.38 -8.2.97) and his group the Africa 70 innovated the musical genre called Afrobeat; the complex fusion music that blends the traditional Nigerian sounds of Yoruba and Igbo music with American funk and jazz #jazz

Happy birthday to pianist Bill Charlap who turns 60 today, born October 15, 1966 in New York, NY 🎹🎂 #billcharlap #piano #jazz #happybirthday

Virtuoso drummer and fiery personality Buddy Rich (9.30.17 – 4.2.87) was known as one of the top drummers in jazz through multiple generations working for Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, Count Basie, and Charlie Parker before leading multiple iterations of his own successful big band

Inspired by Impressionist composers Debussy and Ravel, Toledo, Ohio born virtuoso pianist Art Tatum (October 13, 1909 – November 5, 1956) was one of the very first jazz musicians to incorporate upper chord extensions and substitutions, doing so on record as early as the mid-1930s

Despite Charlie Parker’s massive influence among saxophonists at the time, iconic alto saxophonist Lee Konitz (October 13, 1927 – April 15, 2020) exhibited his own unique, understated style and rhythmic approach to the cool jazz and bebop movements #leekonitz #saxophone #jazz

Jazz giant Thelonious Sphere Monk (10.10.17 – 2.17.82) brought unorthodox technique, jarring harmonic complexity, and a characteristically angular rhythmic approach to the art of bebop piano and the many notable compositions he contributed to the Great American Songbook #jazz

Saxophonist/flautist/multi-instrumentalist Yusef Lateef (b. William Huddleston, 10.9.20 – 12.23.13) released more than 60 albums as a leader and notably collaborated with Dizzy Gillespie and Cannonball Adderley. Lateef was one of the first artists to blend Eastern music with jazz

Happy birthday to trumpeter Cecil Bridgewater who turned 84 this past Saturday, born October 10, 1942 in Urbana, IL 🎺🎂🎶 #cecilbridgewater #trumpet #jazz #HappyBirthday

Happy birthday to multi-Grammy Award winning NEA Jazz Master pianist Chucho Valdés who turns 85 today, born October 9, 1941 in Quivicán, Mayabeque, Cuba 🎂🎹🇨🇺 #chuchovaldes #piano #jazz #happybirthday

Happy birthday to Detroit-born alto saxophone master Kenny Garrett @KennyTGarrett who celebrates his 66th birthday today, born October 9, 1960 🎷🎈 📸Joseph Allen #kennygarrett #saxophone #jazz #happybirthday