Jazz Greats Big Black and Randy Weston

Jazz giants Big Black (L) and Randy Weston (R) at the Watts Towers Day of The Drums Festival. Big Black, born Daniel Ray featured in Dizzy Gillespies "Havana Bop" and "When We Were Kings," at the Zaire Music Festival prior to Mohammad Ali's fight in 1974. Randy Weston, pianist, who owned his piano style to Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk, ran a restaurant frequented by many be-bop musicians of the day. Among them: Count Basie, Nat King Cole, Art Tatum, Bullmoose Jackson, Frank Culley including his cousin Wynton Kelly and several others. The 86-years-old Weston also covered Bobby Benson's "Niger Mambo" while on his numerous travels to Africa with the United States Cultural delegation. Date: September 25, 2010. Image: Ehirim Files Images