American country star Ricky Skaggs is "elated" after hearing he will receive an honorary doctorate from a top Boston, Massachusetts music college.

The "Country Boy" singer will be honored by Berklee College of Music on Tuesday during a performance at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee - putting the 53-year-old in the company of luminaries such as Duke Ellington, Sting, B.B. King, Dizzy Gillespie, Loretta Lynn and Paul Simon.

He says, "I was elated. It's a really, really amazing honor because many great musicians have come out of Berklee."

(This news article provided b...

Baritone saxophonist Cecil Payne has died at the age of 84. Payne, who is credited as a prime mover in mastering the bebop style of jazz, passed away at a nursing home in Stratford, New Jersey on November 27th. The cause of death has not been announced.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Payne made his name when he joined Dizzy Gillespie's bebop band in 1946. He remained with Gillespie for three years and performed on many of the group's best-known recordings.

Payne went on to play with stars including Coleman Hawkins, Illinois Jacquet, Count Basie and Woody Herman.

In recent yea...

Happy Birthday to Detroit Lions quarterback Joey Harrington (1978), Star Wars Princess Carrie Fisher (1956), Christian artist Rich Mullins (1955; d. 1997), blues guitarist Elvin Bishop (1942), rock musician Manfred Mann (1940), New York Yankees pitcher Whitey Ford (1928), Cuban jazz songstress Celia Cruz (1924; d. 2003), jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie (1917; d. 1993), the chemist who discovered dynamite Alfred Nobel (1833; d. 1896) and"Rime of the Ancient Mariner" poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772; d. 1834).

Say the name "Chaka" and most folks in the know instantly think of a woman who has made an indelible and lasting impression on the music scene of the past three decades. First, as the lead singer of the massively successful R&B, funk and pop band Rufus, then as a solo artist in her own right who has influenced an entire generation of female vocalists (think Mary J. Blige, Erykah Badu, Ledisi, Maysa among others). Like Aretha, like Joni, like Tina, a first name will do. For there's only one Chaka, woman of fire, possessed of a powerhouse, unforgettably distinctive trademark vocal style who ...

The eagerly anticipated release of the second series of Jazz Icons(TM) DVDs is here. Reelin' In The Years Productions and Naxos are proud to announce the September 4, 2007 release of the next seven titles in the illustrious DVD series featuring performances by John Coltrane, Dave Brubeck, Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan, Dexter Gordon, Wes Montgomery, and Charles Mingus.

Filmed in Europe between 1958 and 1966, this set of Jazz Icons(TM) DVDs features concerts by seven of the most influential jazz artists of the 20th century captured in their prime and accompanied by some of the most leg...

Happy Birthday to Detroit Lions quarterback Joey Harrington (1978), Star Wars Princess Carrie Fisher (1956), Christian artist Rich Mullins (1955; d. 1997), blues guitarist Elvin Bishop (1942), rock musician Manfred Mann (1940), New York Yankees pitcher Whitey Ford (1928), Cuban jazz songstress Celia Cruz (1924; d. 2003), jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie (1917; d. 1993), the chemist who discovered dynamite Alfred Nobel (1833; d. 1896) and"Rime of the Ancient Mariner" poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772; d. 1834).

"One of the most brilliant pianists in the history of jazz, [his] prodigious technique and unparalleled swing makes him a master in every style… from boogie and stride to bebop and beyond." - BBC Radio 3

Universally acclaimed musician jazz pianist Oscar Peterson returns to the UK to play a series of three rare concerts - London Royal Albert Hall on Thursday June 29, Liverpool Big Top Arena on Saturday July 1, and Birmingham Symphony Hall on Monday July 3.

All three UK concerts will be performed as a quartet featuring Ulf Wakenius (guitar), David Young (bass) and Alvin Queen (drums...

Jazz percussionist Ray Barretto died today after suffering from pneumonia. He was 76. Barretto had also undergone heart bypass surgery last month. He died at Hackensack University Medical Center with his wife and two sons by his side.

Credited for introducing the conga drum into popular use, Barretto was awarded a Grammy for best Tropical Latin performance in 1989 for the hit "Ritmo En El Corazon" with Celia Cruz. The gifted New Yorker was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame in 1990, and last month he was honored by the National Endowment for the Arts' Jazz Master...

Happy Birthday to Detroit Lions quarterback Joey Harrington (1978), Star Wars Princess Carrie Fisher (1956), Christian artist Rich Mullins (1955; d. 1997), blues guitarist Elvin Bishop (1942), rock musician Manfred Mann (1940), New York Yankees pitcher Whitey Ford (1928), Cuban jazz songstress Celia Cruz (1924; d. 2003), jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie (1917; d. 1993), the chemist who discovered dynamite Alfred Nobel (1833; d. 1896) and"Rime of the Ancient Mariner" poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772; d. 1834).