Lecture
Alyn Shipton
Wednesday 20.05.2026
Alyn Shipton
Jazz, Rock and Fusion, Part 2
Wednesday 20.05.2026
How to watch
This lecture starts on 20 May at 5:00pm (UK).
Summary
Alyn traces the story of later Miles Davis bands and groups associated with ex-Miles players, such as Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters, Weather Report, and Tony Williams Lifetime. The Brecker Brothers and their circle are covered too. Also appreciated are British bands like Colosseum, Barbara Thompson’ Paraphernalia, and Soft Machine. European musicians will be included, notably violinist Jean-Luc Ponty.
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.