Jimmy McGriff, the jazz musician most associated, after his childhood friend Jimmy Smith, with the classic swinging sound of the Hammond organ, died at the weekend aged 72. A pianist first of all, and also a bassist, he was a military policeman during the Korean war and later a cop in civilian life in his home city of Philadelphia where he also began to take the Hammond B3 seriously in the late-1950s. 27.05.08

Vincent Herring and Earth Jazz Agents play Ronnie Scott’s in London next week from Monday 18-Wednesday 20 February, following their three night residency in Frith street last March. The EJA – pianist/keyboardist Anthony Wonsey, bassist Richie Goods and drummer Joris Dudli – join the alto saxophonist best known for his successful tenure in the cornetist Nat Adderley’s band. Born in 1964, Herring’s appearances on disc date back to the 1980s with sessions on the Evidence, Metropolitan and High Note labels as a leader with bands that included leading players such as Jack DeJohnette and rising stars such as trumpeter Jeremy Pelt and drummer EJ Strickland. 15.02.08

timg style="float:left;padding:5px;" alt="Hard Bop Heavy Hitters Take The Stage at Ronnie Scott’s For Three Night Residency" src="http://www.jazzwise.com/p2/jazzmag/images/stories/thumbs/eja_group-2008-01.jpg">Trumpeter Harry Beckett has a number of special UK dates this autumn and early next year with saxophonist Chris Biscoe. The gigs, supported by a grant from the Jazz Services Support Scheme, will also feature Steve Lodder on piano, Fred Baker on bass and Tony Marsh on drums. Beckett, whose contribution to UK jazz has been extensive over the last two decades, has played with many elite jazz musicians from Stan Tracey, Mike Osborne, John Surman, Ronnie Scott, John Taylor and more. 07.08.06

The Coventry Jazz Festival begins tomorrow and runs right through the bank holiday weekend with a finely honed programme that has become a characteristic of this forward looking festival over the last few years particularly since it moved from its former August slot on the festival calendar. 23.05.07

25.06.08

River: The Joni Letters by Herbie Hancock won album of the year at last night's Grammys. Produced by Herbie Hancock and Larry Klein the Verve album has 10 tracks featuring songs by Joni Mitchell, Duke Ellington and Wayne Shorter. 11.02.08

This was Hiromi's second appearance at Ronnie Scott's. Since the last, in July 2005, her third album Spiral has brought her international accolades such as the 2006 Boston Music Award for Best Jazz Act and the Rising Star Award at Cork Jazz Festival, to list just the most recent ones, as well as the Japan Jazz Award of the 39th Jazz Disc Grand Prize, for the best Jazz album by Japanese artists in 2005. 02.11.06

One of South Africa’s most iconic musicians and his country’s best known jazz musician, trumpeter Hugh Masekela will play a very special concert in collaboration with the LSO on Wednesday 28 November at 7.30pm. Adding to the uniqueness of this concert is the score by saxophonist, composer and producer (notably of Gwilym Simcock’s debut album) Jason Yarde. Entitled All Souls Seek Joy the piece will receive its world premiere representing Yarde’s most high profile work to date. 02.11.07

Trumpeter, raconteur, broadcaster, champion of all things jazz, Humphrey Lyttelton died at Barnet hospital in north London on Friday aged 86. He had been admitted to the hospital nine days earlier for heart surgery. Only the month before had he retired from his long running BBC jazz show, The Best of Jazz, in a clearly telegraphed way that he was scaling back his workload. But until fairly recently he had been touring with his band up and down the country.

A pillar of the establishment, an old Etonian and former Grenadier Guardsman, he nonetheless possessed the ability to communicate directly to his hundreds of thousands of fans over the years gained through extensive touring and his broadcasting work, particularly I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue on Radio 4. The tributes, front page news stories, and appreciations that appeared in the weekend papers also emphasised his gift for comedy as much as his music. 28.04.08