Issue 34 - The Jazz Issue

Issue 34—the landmark “Jazz Issue”—features the iconic uncropped Blue Train photo of John Coltrane on the cover, and Freddie Hubbard on the back, celebrating two towering figures in jazz. Deep profiles explore the groundbreaking work of producer Creed Taylor, whose visionary imprint shaped Impulse!, Verve, and later CTI Records. Additional in‑depth stories spotlight pianist‑composer Horace Tapscott and his Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, soul‑jazz icon Richard Evans at Cadet Records, guitarist Melvin Sparks, and Atlantic Records’ groovy powerhouse producer Joel Dorn.

Also included are Wax Poetics’ signature “re:Discovery” features on lesser‑known gems—like Dorothy Ashby’s Afro, the Al Williams Quintet, Stonephace, and Slipstream—along with memorable “In Memoriam” tributes to Lyman Woodard, Hank Crawford, David “Fathead” Newman, and Joe Cuba.

A deep-dive celebration of jazz’s influential voices—both legendary and obscure—connecting past innovators to contemporary culture.