Lecture
Alyn Shipton
Wednesday 6.05.2026
Alyn Shipton
Jazz, Rock and Fusion, Part 1
Wednesday 6.05.2026
How to watch
This lecture starts on 6 May at 5:00pm (UK).
Summary
A look at the dawn of the jazz, rock, and fusion movement, focusing our ears on US bands like Gary Burton, Miles Davis, and Carla Bley, as well as the significant influence of UK musicians, including members of Nucleus, Graham Bond’s Organisation, and individuals such as John McLaughlin and Jack Bruce.
Alyn Shipton
Alyn Shipton has worked in music for many years as a writer, editor, and player. He was the publisher of the New Grove Dictionary series in the 1980s. His own books include numerous biographies, mainly of jazz musicians, including Fats Waller, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Ian Carr, and Cab Calloway. His other books include the award-winning life of singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson, and a study of the relationship between visual arts and jazz. His New History of Jazz (2001, revised 2007) won awards on both sides of the Atlantic and is now well established as one of the standard works on the subject. Since 1989 he has presented and produced programs on music and history for BBC Radio. As a double bassist, he has played with many leading British jazz groups, and he currently co-leads the Buck Clayton Legacy Band.