A to Z - A
Our alphabetical exploration of some of the great musicians, performers, albums, record labels and artists who we love
Last updated 29th Jun 2020
Welcome to our brand new feature - A to Z, as heard on Afternoons with Jamie Crick. On-air and online, we are alphabetically exploring and paying homage to some of the great musicians, performers, albums, record labels and artists we love.
Kicking off the series with A, we're taking a look at Aretha Franklin, Azymuth and Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers.
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin - "The Queen of Soul" - was a trailblazer. Aretha is one of the most decorated artists in Grammy history, the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1981 and was rated by Rolling Stone as the top spot in their 2010 list of "100 Greatest Singers of All Time".
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers
Born in 1919, drummer Art Blakey is an indisputable titan within the jazz world. Having played with the likes of Miles Davis, Dexter Gordon, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker and Sarah Vaughan (among others), Blakey became arguably one of the great jazz influencers in history forming his Jazz Messengers with Horace Silver in the 1950s.
Azymuth
The Brazilian trio Azymuth (not to be confused with the similarly named British jazz trio Azimiuth) epitomises the jazz-funk movement. The group are still going strong since their beginnings in the 1970s, with the original members consisting of Jose Roberto Bertamin (keys), Alex Malheiros (bass and guitar) and Ivan "Mamo" Conti (drums).
If you enjoyed A to Z, have a look at our previous features:
A to Z: B / A to Z: C / A to Z: D / A to Z: F