Jazz Writing & Research
Hank Hehmsoth is a regular contributor to All About Jazz, writing on jazz history, archival research, cultural memory, and the intersection of music and visual art.
This page gathers selected authored features and research essays (with canonical links to the original publications).
Songs for Nica: How Jazz Fell in Love with a Baroness
A deep-dive into Pannonica de Koenigswarter’s legacy through the compositions written in her honor—where patronage, friendship, and jazz repertoire intersect.
Eddie Durham: The Jazz Innovator a City Refuses to Forget
A portrait of Eddie Durham’s lasting impact—innovation, community memory, and how a local legacy becomes a national story.
Charles Rangel: Harlem’s Congressman, Jazz’s Quiet Witness
Harlem memory, lived jazz history, and civic life—through Rangel’s firsthand reflections and the cultural ecosystem around the music.
Unearthed & Unforgettable: The Lost Tapes of Just Jazz
Archival rediscovery and restoration—bringing “Just Jazz” performances back into view for scholars, students, and listeners.
The History of Jazz Drums: An Archival Treasure Rediscovered
A research-driven overview of a major drumming archive—why it matters for scholarship, teaching, and the wider listening public.
The Visual Language of Jazz
How improvisation translates into image: album art, performance visuals, and abstract painting as a parallel jazz language.
Dan Morgenstern, jazz journalist, turns 90
A celebratory profile recognizing Dan Morgenstern’s impact on jazz journalism, scholarship, and the preservation of jazz history.