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Kenny Drew was born in New York City on August 28, 1928. He started studying classical piano when he was 5. He was introduced to jazz at 12. His influences include Bud Powell, Art Tatum, Fats Waller and Teddy Wilson. Drew attended the High Schools of Music and Art in New York.
Drew’s first professional job [...]

Dexter Gordon is considered to be the first be-bop tenor player. Born in Los Angeles in 1923, he started playing the clarinet at 13, the alto sax at 15 and the tenor at 17.
Dexter Gordon would sometimes recite the lyrics of a tune before playing it. In an interview at the end of the [...]

Sonny Rollins was born in Harlem in 1930. Growing up in Harlem, had the fortune of living in the epacenter of black American culture at the time. He was influenced by many musician early on and has said that even as a child he loved to practice the saxophone.
Sonny Rollins has taken several sabbaticals from [...]