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The Art of the Story

Don't put the late drummer and composer Jack DeJohnette into a jazz category

By Doug Doyle,
Sheila Anderson
Published October 28, 2025 at 9:11 AM EDT
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Jack DeJohnette at the 2019 Summerstage
Jonathan Chimene
Jack DeJohnette at the 2019 Summerstage

On this edition of The Art of the Story, WBGO's Sheila Anderson chats with Jack DeJohnette just weeks before the passing of the NEA Jazz Master and legendary drummer, keyboardist and composer.

Jack DeJohnette at 2012 Newport Jazz Festival
Jonathan Chimene
Jack DeJohnette at 2012 Newport Jazz Festival

Jack DeJohnette, a recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master Fellowship in 2012, the nation’s highest honor for jazz artists, died peacefully at Kingston Hospital in New York on Monday, October 27, surrounded by his wife, family, and close friends, according to a post on his official Facebook page.

Jack DeJohnette on the piano at the 2019 Summerstage
Jonathan Chimene
Jack DeJohnette on the piano at the 2019 Summerstage

DeJohnette, who told Sheila Anderson in their recent interview that he didn't want to be placed into any jazz category, loved playing at the various festivals….including the Newport and Saratoga Jazz festivals.

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The Art of the Story Jack DeJohnetteSheila AndersonThe Art of the Story
Doug Doyle
Doug Doyle has been News Director at WBGO since 1998. Since then, Doug and his news staff have received more than 300 awards from organizations like PRNDI (now PMJA), AP, New York Association of Black Journalists, Garden State Association of Black Journalists and the New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists.
See stories by Doug Doyle
Sheila Anderson
Sheila E. Anderson—affectionately known as the "Queen of Hang"—is a respected broadcaster, author, producer, moderator, emcee, and cultural advocate whose decades of work have helped shape and sustain the jazz community. While much attention is deservedly focused on the artists themselves, Anderson has dedicated her career to creating platforms that celebrate their stories, preserve jazz history, and connect audiences with the music. A visionary who has consistently created opportunities beyond traditional media, she has become one of jazz's most influential communicators.
See stories by Sheila Anderson