The perfect reminder of how only 2 decades separate Louis Armstrong’s Hot Fives from Charlie Parker’s best recordings, and 3 decades from the first experiments in free jazz. That’s roughly how long I e been a professional musician. What an incredible period in this incredible art form!

Get your woolly jumper and sandals on because my top ten of British trad jazz albums is coming soon on the Lion & Unicorn... #jazzsky #musicsky

"Nelson's playing is like his writing: thoughtful, unhackneyed, and well constructed. Hubbard steals the solo honors with some of his best playing on record... " - Downbeat, Dec '61 The classic 'The Blues and the Abstract Truth' by Oliver Nelson was recorded OTD 1961 at Van Gelder Studios. #jazzsky

OTD 1961, Stanley Turrentine - with Grant Green, Horace Parlan, George Tucker, and Al Harewood - were recorded in performance at Minton's Playhouse in New York City. The recordings were immortalised on 'Up at "Minton's", Vols. 1 & 2', which were released later that year. Superb. #jazzsky #musicsky

#nowplaying 'Glass Bead Games' by the Clifford Jordan Quartet (1974) An underrated gem, absolutely 10/10. #jazzsky #musicsky

#nowplaying 'Groovin' with Buddy Tate' Buddy Tate was born OTD 1913 in Sherman, Texas. A wonderful saxophonist with a beautifully rich tone. #jazzsky #musicsky

Remembering Dave Bailey, born OTD 1926 in Portsmouth, Virginia, a great drummer who played with Lou Donaldson, Gerry Mulligan, Clark Terry, Kenny Dorham, Grant Green and Lee Konitz among many others. #jazzsky #musicsky

#nowplaying One of the great live jazz albums, The Dave Brubeck Quartet at Carnegie Hall, recorded OTD in 1963. Dave Brubeck — piano Paul Desmond — alto saxophone Eugene Wright — double bass Joe Morello — drums #jazzsky #musicsky

Sunday mornin'... #nowplaying The Bill Evans Trio 'Moon Beams' (1962) An absolutely beautiful album of standards, bookended by two Evans originals - 'Re: Person I Knew' & 'Very Early'. Evans is joined by Chuck Israels (bass) & Paul Motian (drums). The cover features a young Nico. #jazzsky #musicsky

'Come Back Sweet Papa' was recorded in Chicago by Louis Armstrong & His Hot Five exactly one hundred years ago (22 Feb 1926), yet still sounds vital, innovative and joyous today. Armstrong's work with the Hot Five had an inestimable influence on the evolution of jazz. #jazzsky #musicsky

Jazz OTD: On February 21, 1954, the spectacular Art Blakey Quintet - with Clifford Brown (tp), Lou Donaldson (as), Horace Silver (p), Curly Russell (b) - performed at Birdland, leading to what might be 𝘁𝗵𝗲 seminal hard bop album. Historically important, and brilliantly enjoyable to boot. #jazzsky

Perfect for a Saturday morning: #nowplaying 'Swing's the Thing' (1961) by Al Sears, tenor saxophonist, bandleader and member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra from 1944 - 49. Sears was born OTD 1910 in Macomb, Illinois. #jazzsky #musicsky

“‘I taught Tadd, you know. You can tell that his writing was very much influenced by my harmony, by what I had worked out on the piano by myself.”- Dizzy Gillespie Remembering Tadd Dameron. pianist, composer, bandleader and arranger for Dizzy, Count Basie, Sarah Vaughn & others. #jazzsky #musicsky

"We never talked about men or clothes. It was always Marx, Lenin and revolution – real girls’ talk." Remembering Nina Simone, born OTD 1933 in Tryon, North Carolina... #jazzsky #musicsky

Friday night blues: The Oscar Peterson Trio 'Night Train' One of my favourite albums ever. Sublime. #jazzsky #musicsky #classicalbums

Released #OTD in 1971, Alice Coltrane's fourth album, 'Journey In Satchidananda' #jazzsky #musicsky

Remembering Walter Becker of Steely Dan, born OTD 1950 in Queens. Coincidentally, 'Pretzel Logic', Steely Dan's third album, was released #OTD in 1974. #musicsky #steelydan #vinylcommunity #classicalbums #jazzsky

#nowplaying 'Afro-Disiac' by the great soul-jazz organist Charles Kynard who was born OTD 1933 St Louis, Missouri. This is one of best recordings, and features Grant Green on guitar. www.youtube.com/playlist?lis... #jazzsky #musicsky #soul

Remembering the great Argentine jazz multi instrumentalist, guitarist and vocalist Oscar Aleman, born #OTD 1909. 'Russian Lullaby': www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qtr... #jazzsky #musicsky #guitar

Remembering the great Jimmy Yancey, one of the pioneers of boogie-woogie piano, born #OTD in possibly 1895 (sources vary) in Chicago. #nowplaying 'In the Beginning', a superb collection of some of Yancey's recordings. #jazzsky #bluessky #musicsky

Afternoon mood- #nowplaying Grant Green "Feelin' the Spirit" (1963), a wonderful albums of traditional spirituals. Features a young Herbie Hancock on piano. #jazzsky #musicsky

"Kizzy catches pneumonia, is threatened with being put into care, is bullied and physically attacked, and sees her beloved horse die of old age..." @benfinlay74.bsky.social on 1970s children’s television that evokes "the weird, old Albion"👇 thelionandunicorn.com/2026/02/04/3...

Wynton Kelly was in the studio OTD in 1959 to record the first of two sessions for 'Kelly Blue'. I bought my lovely copy of this wonderful album back in the mid 90s from Ray's Jazz in Shaftesbury Avenue. Much recommended. #jazzsky #musicsky #vinylcommunity #nowplaying

#nowplaying Rainy Wednesday afternoon mood: 'Clifford Brown With Strings' (1955) What a beauty. #jazzsky #musicsky

Recorded #OTD 1969 at CBS 30th Street Studio in New York City. #jazzsky #musicsky #miles @milestones-archive.bsky.social

"I say, play your own way. Don't play what the public want - you play what you want and let the public pick up on what you doing - even if it does take them fifteen, twenty years." Remembering Thelonious Monk who checked out #OTD in 1982 #jazzsky #musicsky

Happy Mardi Gras #jazzsky #neworleans #mardigras

Farewell Robert Duvall

#OTD in 1965, Archie Shepp was at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs to record the first of two sessions for the free jazz classic 'Fire Music', which was released on Impulse! in September of that year. #jazzsky #musicsky

Released #OTD in 1967, 'Miles Smiles' - the second album recorded with Miles' 'second great quintet' which featured Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, & Tony Williams. Shorter's 'Footprints' is sublime. A brilliant record I've loved for years. #jazzsky @milestones-archive.bsky.social

Sunday afternoon mood: Ray Charles & Milt Jackson Soul Brothers/Soul Meeting (1957/58) Atlantic Records #jazzsky #musicsky

First bought this years ago, but unfortunately lost my copy. Luckily picked it up yesterday for just a £1 in a charity shop. Ry Cooder & Vishna Mohan Bhatt 'Meeting By the River' (1993), a wonderful impromptu recording and a classic of 'World' music. #musicsky #worldmusic

#OTD in 1964, Lee Morgan recorded 'Search For the New Land' at Van Gelder Studio with Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Grant Green, Reggie Workman and Billy Higgins. The title track is powerful and meditative. My favourite Lee Morgan album. #jazzsky #musicsky #bluenote #vinylcommunity

Superb show with excellent choices, love it.

Remembering the great bluesman Magic Sam, born OTD 1937 in Grenada County, Mississippi, and gone far too soon. #blues #musicsky

Miles on the cover of the new MOJO! Out on Tuesday I believe; can't wait! @mojomagazine.bsky.social #jazzsky #musicsky @milestones-archive.bsky.social

Lunchtime listening: #OTD in 1969 Phineas Newborn Jr. completed the second of two sessions for 'Harlem Blues' at Contemporary Records Studio, Hollywood (although the album would not be released until 1975). Wonderful trio album, featuring Elvin Jones and Ray Brown. #jazzsky #musicsky

"Wardell was one of the nicest people I ever have known. I can't think of anything about this man as a man or as a musician to find fault with. It's just too bad that he didn't live long enough for the rest of the world to hear him." - Art Farmer Happy Birthday Wardell Gray born February 13, 1921

Released fifty years ago today, 'Shamal' by Gong. #musicsky #prog #fusion

Morning mood - The Art Farmer Quartet, 'Sing Me Softly of the Blues', Atlantic Records, 1965. #jazzsky #musicsky

A little night music after a long day... 'Night Dreamer', Wayne Shorter (1964) #jazzsky #musicsky

Here's a link to my articles on topics such as British music, television, literature and culture should you wish to have a read: thelionandunicorn.com/author/under...

Afternoon mood. #nowplaying Duke Pearson 'Prairie Dog' (1966). A superb album that I heartily recommend. Features Johnny Coles and George Coleman. #jazzsky #musicsky

"The stories are free of predictable narrative, engaging with the past and encouraging the viewer to make up their own mind." Bagpuss first aired today in 1974. I wrote a bit about it for my article on weird kids' tv:

#nowplaying 'My Funny Valentine: Miles Davis in Concert', recorded #otd 1964 at the Philharmonic Hall of Lincoln Centre, New York City. Exquisite. #jazzsky #musicsky @milestones-archive.bsky.social #milesdavis #vinylcommunity

Happy birthday to Steve Hackett, former Genesis guitarist, who turns 76 today. 'Wind & Wuthering', his final album with the band, is featured in my personal top ten of progressive rock: #musicsky #progrock @lionunicorn.bsky.social

#nowplaying The wonderful 'Child of Gemini', by The Roland Hanna Trio (Roland Hanna: piano, Dave Holland: bass and Daniel Humair on drums), Recorded OTD 1971 at MPS Tonstudio, Villagen, Black Forest, Germany. #jazzsky #musicsky #vinylcommunity

"It’s hard to imagine such an involved drama being so popular in the present day. Viewers’ expectations have changed; it would also be considered too slow, too wordy, too un-diverse for a contemporary audience" As lauded by our @benfinlay74.bsky.social👇 thelionandunicorn.com/2025/11/22/l...