Text by Dawoud Kringle
John Mayall was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire, UK on 29 November 1933, and grew up in Cheadle Hulme. His father, Murray Mayall, was a guitarist. He taught himself to play the piano, guitars, and harmonica after immersing himself in the music of American blues players such as Lead Belly, Albert Ammons, Eddie Lang, and Pinetop Smith.
Text by Dawoud Kringle
Saxophonist, bandleader of The Contortions and Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, and No Wave pioneer James Chance passed away.
Born James Alan Siegfried in Milwaukee, Chance began studying piano in elementary school and in his teens began playing the alto saxophone. He attended Michigan State University and Wisconsin Conservatory of Music in Milwaukee where he formed the James Siegfried Quintet and Death, a Stooges-influenced group. He would later study with jazz saxophonist David Murray.
He moved to New York in 1975 and began using the stage name James Chance. A year later he formed Teenage Jesus and the Jerks with singer Lydia Lunch. In 1977 he formed the first version of the Contortions.
Text by Dawoud Kringle
The world of music was saddened to learn of the passing of bassist Thomas Michael Stevens / T.M. Stevens (a.k.a. Shaka Zulu).
Born in New York City on July 28, 1951, Stevens studied biology in school, but at the suggestion of his professor decided to drop out to focus on music. He honed his skills by playing in after-hours clubs around the city. He soon became established on the scene and began working as a session musician who excelled in a wide range of genres.
Text by Daowud Kringle
Pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer Carla Bley’s death was confirmed by her longtime partner, collaborator, and MFM member, Steve Swallow.
Born Lovella May Borg in 1936 in Oakland, California, Bley was introduced to the piano at the age of three. She left school at 14 and began her musical journey playing piano in Bay Area jazz clubs. At 17, she moved to New York and worked for a short time at the iconic jazz club Birdland. She met pianist Paul Bley, who encouraged her to start composing. She toured with him under the name Karen Borg before changing her name in 1957 to Carla Borg. She married Bley and took his name the same year. They divorced in 1967, but she continued to use the surname in a professional capacity.
Bley would become known as a composer. Some of the musicians who’d recorded Bley’s compositions included George Russel, Jimmy Giuffre, and Paul Bley (whose album Barrage consisted entirely of her compositions).
By Dawoud Kringle
One of the most iconic and prolific songwriters, guitarists, producers, and rock journeymen, Robbie Robertson, passed on August 9th 2023. He was 80 years old.
Robertson was born on July 5th, 1943 and grew up on the Six Nations Reservation near Ontario Canada. He became interested in rock & roll music at a young age, and started playing guitar. He was mentored in playing guitar by his older cousin Herb Myke and other family members.
At the age of fourteen, he worked summer jobs in the travelling carnival circuit.
In 1956 Robertson, along with pianist/vocalist Bruce Morshead and guitarist Gene MacLellan formed their first band, Little Ceaser and the Consuls. In 1957 he formed Robbie and the Rhythm Chords. They changed the name to Robbie and the Robots after they watched the film Forbidden Planet (which featured the character Robbie the Robot).Later, Roberston and Pete Traynor (founder of Traynor amplifiers) joined with pianist Scott Cushnie and became The Suedes. They caught the attention of Ronnie Hawkins. Eventually, Hawkins recruited Roberston for his band Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks. Levon Helm was also in the band (and guitar virtuoso Roy Buchanan played with them briefly; and had an influence on Roberson’s style of guitar playing). In 1961, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, and Garth Hudson joined Hawkins. Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks cut sessions for Roulette Records throughout 1961–1963, all of which Robertson appeared on.
