Noal Cohen's Jazz History Website

Jazz History and Discography

Noal Cohen

Consider Adding these Jazz Compositions to Your Repertoire

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This is primarily for musicians, teachers and students although collectors and casual listeners might find it of interest also. I have always felt that the substantial body of jazz compositions that began to accumulate in the 1950s has been underutilized. While the hard bop period gave us a wealth of tunes that have become “jazz… Read more

Chris Byars at Smalls and Mezzrow

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Smalls Jazz Club located in the basement of 183 West 10th Street, New York City has, for several years, recorded performances taking place there and archived the recorded videos. With a subscription, the videos can be viewed on demand. Many musicians have participated in thousands of shows and the list continues to grow. Mezzrow is… Read more

Interview with Daryl Thompson

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The following edited transcript contains excerpts from a telephone interview of Daryl (or Darryl) Adonis Thompson, the son of Eli “Lucky” Thompson, by Noal Cohen, on February 11, 2008. Daryl Thompson was the middle child of Lucky Thompson and an accomplished guitarist and jewelry maker. He died in 2014. NC: Did you know your grandparents?… Read more

Lucky Thompson Timeline

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First published June 19, 2023. This timeline will be modified as comments are received. Please use the contact form to submit additions or corrections. See also Lucky Thompson Discography: 1943-1950, 1951-1956, 1957-1974. Latest update September 21, 2026 1923   Born in Columbia, SC on June 16 to Levi (Eli) Thompson, Sr. and Azalee Dawkins Thompson. Family… Read more

Bird and Duke

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The following essay was written in the summer of 2020 to recognize the centennial of Charlie Parker, and was published in the November-December 2020 issue of The Duke Ellington Society (NY) Newsletter. The Charlie Parker Centennial – August 29, 2020 In late summer 2020, as we confront the health and economic consequences of a frightening… Read more