The Legend of John Henry is an iconic myth of American railroad history, a battle between man and steam drill. One of the intriguing things about the legend is that no one knows for sure if John Henry existed. At least part of the myth is based on historical events from the mid-1800’s; some say […]
JazzSet celebrates the 70th birthday of NEA Jazz Master Kenny Barron with new duets featuring bassist Dave Holland at the Kennedy Center’s Family Theater. Plus, hear a solo Barron set from the Caramoor Jazz Festival.
By Abe Beeson and Justin Steyer During this performance interview with The Greyboy Allstars, Jazz24/KPLU jazz host, Abe Beeson, called their latest CD (Inland Emperor) ‘the party album of 2013.’ The Greyboy Allstars’ reputation as a party/dance band is well-earned. They’ve been playing terrific jazz/funk all over the world for almost 20 years, staying […]
A musician who served under Art Blakey, Betty Carter and with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Miller can be heard on more than 500 albums, including several with his own bands. Beloved by multiple generations of fellow musicians for his commanding, supple style and generous mentorship, he was 57.
Four years after it was recorded live in Lucerne, Switzerland, an album of six standards called Somewhere is finally getting a proper release.
Musically speaking, it’s hard to discern much of a connection to The Rite Of Spring in saxophonist Phil Woods’ Rights Of Swing suite. But in the final “Presto” section, he and his French horn player leave a little Easter egg for us — like many jazz recordings before and after it.
A 100-year-old ballet, composed by a Russian for a French audience, has become something of a standard in an idiom which didn’t exist when it premiered. Whether covered, quoted or praised, Stravinsky’s masterwork has inspired multiple generations of improvisers.
Salvant discusses her journey to discover jazz, and Jon Weber accompanies her in “I Can’t Dance.”
Sonny Boy Williamson was a blues originator who helped shape the sound of modern blues. In his life, he knew the first generation of Delta bluesmen, and would go on to see the birth of modern rock music. He played with Robert Johnson in the 1930’s, and with Eric Clapton in the 1960’s.
The great composer and bandleader was distraught over the 1967 death of Billy Strayhorn, his songwriting and arranging partner of 28 years. But Ellington took Strayhorn’s passing as an impetus, born of necessity, to increase his own productivity. Here are five examples.
At the Village Vanguard, one flight down from the hubbub of New York City, in a tight space packed with people, we’re about to embark on a musical odyssey by sea. Our captain is saxophonist Chris Potter, who’s launching his Odyssey-inspired album The Sirens.
The two artists are known opposites in the world of instrumental music. On Metheny’s latest, the jazz guitarist wrings an unexpectedly visual listening experience from Zorn’s knotty compositions.
Based on actual conversations: WHY WE NEED THIS MOVIE #1 Me: I’m going to watch this movie, “The Girls In The Band.” And hopefully write a review. Hip Old Jazz Radio Dude: Oh, yeah? What’s it about, chick singers? Me: Um, no. It’s about the great female instrumentalists who couldn’t get hired by the big bands, […]
Divine: The Jazz Albums, 1954-1958 packs four CDs with Vaughan’s music, recorded live or in the studio with bands big and small. Two live albums from Chicago nightclubs are standouts, partly when a performance threatens to slide off the rails.
Mahanthappa brings an explosive blend of jazz and South Indian classical music to the studio.
Charley Patton is considered by many to be the father of Delta Blues. What does that actually mean? A combination of location, timing and talent, put him at the leading edge of the new musical direction of the 1920’s. He was one of, if not the first, to play what we might recognize as blues. […]
Vocalist, pianist and composer, Ann Hampton Callaway has had success in the worlds of jazz, Broadway and cabaret. She’s also one of our favorite KPLU Studio Session guests. We invite her to perform every time she passes through Seattle because, from one visit to the next, we never know what kind of surprises she’ll treat […]
Hear passionate improvisation across borders on Colombian harp, Argentinian bandoneón, Venezuelan cuatro and vibes from the U.S. In a passionate set with Castañeda, his trio and special guests perform at the Americas Society in New York.
He was a soulful reedman, an amazing talent scout for decades and a bandleader of one of the country’s most popular acts. Born in 1913, Herman led “Thundering Herds” that were both big draws and well-respected by the likes of Igor Stravinsky. Here are five recordings which still sound fresh today.
In the arts mecca of New York City, subway buskers are often overqualified. But they’re not usually world-class jazz singers with the lungs and charisma of old-school soul stars. Accompanied only by a pianist, Porter performs “Be Good (Lion’s Song)” on a vintage subway car in downtown Brooklyn.
Rudresh Mahanthappa’s work always seems to be filed under jazz, but it’s hard to find a style he doesn’t touch: hip-hop, country, metal and soul fused with traditional sounds from India, Africa and Indonesia. And he makes it rock.
“Women in Jazz Day” officially hits New York City Friday, complete with a new documentary on the subject. While the celebration is deserving, it remains incomplete, commentator Lara Pellegrinelli says. She lists many more resources on the subject — on film, print and wax.
Marian McPartland accompanies the vocalist on music from the Gershwins, Duke Ellington and more.
The tenor saxophonist plays “Take the ‘A’ Train” and “All the Things You Are” with host Jon Weber.
Written by John Kessler In 1942, Alan Lomax discovered a community of musicians in North Mississippi, who played their own hybrid music that was unmistakably African-sounding. Called “Fife & Drum” music because of its military background, it hearkens back to post Civil War days, when this special and local tradition originated. Although drumming is a […]
The quartet specializes in a distinct strain of deconstructionist improvised music: jazz that aims at fun by bouncing off the walls. Led by slide trumpeter Steven Bernstein, the band parties to the themes of spaghetti western film composer Nino Rota.
Palmieri plays the whole piano, and he’s not shy about throwing an elbow or forearm to get the effect he needs. As a 2013 National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, the piano original plays The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Want a good recipe for soul music? Here’s what you do: Start with vocalist, Joan Osborne, who has had pop music hits, performed on The Grand Old Oprey, toured with members of The Grateful Dead and yet never strayed from her roots in rhythm ‘n blues music. Now add a good, solid dose of […]
At the 2013 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, every sort of performer was welcome. But the festival grounds were at the center of a much wider celebration of Louisiana music that continued during, around and after the last two weekends.
In 2010, actress/singer, Molly Ringwald wrote her first book, Getting The Pretty Back. The “pretty” in the title is a reference to what is perhaps Molly’s most famous movie, “Pretty In Pink” (1986), directed by John Hughes. She also worked with Hughes in “Sixteen Candles” and “The Breakfast Club.” But before Molly Ringwald became one […]
Written by Nick Morrison Originally posted on September 6, 2011 In the jazz fusion era of the 1970s, a new breed of jazz superstar was born: the electric bassist. Although electric bass wasn’t unheard-of in jazz before jazz-rock fusion, it quickly became an important component in fusion bands, and the bassists themselves became more prominent […]
Saxophonist Phil Woods is a true master of all things bop. He’s been one of the top alto players since his debut in the mid-1950s, and he’s been called the musical heir to Charlie Parker. In this session from 2003, Woods joins host Marian McPartland, bassist Steve Gilmore and drummer Bill Goodwin in “How About You” and “Fine and Dandy.”
“You Don’t Love Me” is a classic blues song that has roots in the 50′s and is still being recorded and re-invented. Willie Cobbs, an Arkansas rice farmer, made his way to Chicago in the late 1940′s, playing his blues on Maxwell Street, eventually releasing “You Don’t Love Me” in 1961. He never became a […]
On opening night at San Francisco’s newly constructed, free-standing building designed for and dedicated to jazz, fans filled the stunning Robert N. Miner Auditorium at the SFJAZZ Center for a maiden voyage and festive concert.
The trumpeter Steven Bernstein picks up the slide trumpet with the quartet Sexmob and conjures a repertoire that ranges from James Bond themes to the Macarena. They’re preceded by drummer Allison Miller, whose jaunty tunes set the stage. Watch a live concert from New York.
Ever since he started becoming one of the best alto saxophone players in the world, Zenón has drawn influence from his upbringing in Puerto Rico. But, like many Puerto Ricans, Zenón lives in New York — and his stunning quartet has finally been invited to play a home date at the Vanguard.
Pianist and composer John Beasley isn’t exactly a household name. But he’s now been tapped twice to direct many of them during the star-studded International Jazz Day concert. So is it difficult to play “jazz police” in an ancient church in Istanbul?
Brash, zany, brainy, scary and danceable, the New York quintet’s music mixes rock and jazz like King Crimson at its fiercest. From the moment the band squeaks its first squawk at the NPR Music offices, it’s clear that it’s about to conjure up an adventure.
The vocalist performs a set of standards, including a few tunes from her tribute to Peggy Lee.
The ever-evolving Pat Metheny constantly experiments with new technology, honing his improvisational skills and refining his unique style. On this episode of Piano Jazz, Pat Metheny performs with bassist Christian McBride and drummer Antonio Sanche.
Written by John Kessler Bo Diddley may not have had the commercial success of some other performers, but his contributions to American musical culture are huge. Besides his trademark “Bo Diddley beat,” he had a brash sense of style, dressing in outlandish outfits, playing custom-made square guitars and generally having a lot of fun on […]
Bremen may be best known for its love of soccer and Beck’s beer. But in April, more than 20,000 jazz fans and industry professionals descend upon the German port city for a festival designed specifically to showcase new acts from across Europe.
In 1982, Jaki Byard and Tommy Flanagan played a duet date in San Francisco. Both pianists were of equal stature, among the best-respected in jazz history. But a newly released recording of that event illustrates why their differences are plenty interesting, too.
Velvet-voiced singer, guitarist and composer Allan Harris joins host Jon Weber for a set of standards and a few tunes from the Harris-penned musical, Cross That River.
Fresu’s work on trumpet and flugelhorn provides a perfect foil for Sosa’s introspective intersection of jazz, Afro-Cuban sounds and a chamber-music mentality. In this concert at NPR Music’s offices, the duo’s quietly energetic performance hangs over the crowd like a soft mist.
Canadian vocalist, Holly Cole, is one of greatest song interpreters alive. She can take a song you think you know and bring something out of it that you’ve never heard before. For example, her latest CD, Night, contains Holly’s inventive re-imagining of a James Bond theme (You Only Live Twice), as well as songs by […]
Written by Robin Lloyd. Charles Mingus was a virtuoso bass player, accomplished pianist, bandleader and composer. Influenced both by church choirs and Duke Ellington, he studied double bass and composition with classical masters. Mingus played and recorded with the leading musicians of the 1950′s– Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Bud Powell, Art Tatum and Duke Ellington […]
The saxophonist infuses his solo records with an unsettling rumble, while still making room for alternately grandiose and guttural moments that awe and unnerve. His new album features vocal contributions from Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon.
The composer’s second album accompanies an animated work: the tale of a future metropolis where professional aims and neighborhood loyalty square off. It looks like both early-20th-century New York and a bordering-on-dystopian future. Perfect for a ultramodern big band like this one.
From 1948 until 1966, the Palladium Ballroom, at the corner of 53rd and Broadway, was the city’s Mecca for Afro-Caribbean dance music. And for a lot of that time, Puente was one of the main attractions. A new box set compiles the Latin music legend’s RCA recordings of this crucial period.
Bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding has taken the jazz world by storm with her grooving bass lines and her neo-soul vocals. Here, she shows off her talent on Lionel Hampton’s “Midnight Sun” and sings a song that seems to sum up her approach: “Jazz Ain’t Nothing but Soul.”
From Louis Jordan to Hawaiian music to Destiny’s Child, the Divine Miss M opens up her record collection.
Written by John Kessler Repression of African Americans didn’t stop at the end of the Civil War, and prisons and chain gangs were full of black people arrested for minor violations. This song, “Another Man Done Gone”, tells of the death of a man on one of those chain gangs. Folklorist Alan Lomax recorded Vera […]
JazzSet is in Boston for Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue, a release concert for the album created by Carrington, professor of percussion at Berklee College of Music. It’s a trio album with ensemble touches, and in this concert from Berklee Performance Center, Carrington’s students are in the mix.
The advent of bebop added a fresh sound to American music. It also added new voices to some metropolitan radio stations: the late-night jazz DJs who specialized in presenting this new music to their fellow hipster nightflies. Appreciative musicians often wrote them tributes like these.
South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela is one of the giants of African music. Over his long career, he pioneered jazz fusion, and even managed to bump the Rolling Stones from the U.S. charts. Host Michel Martin sits down with Masekela to discuss his life and work.
Written by Robin Lloyd Bassist Buster Williams is a living legend of jazz,who has worked with Miles Davis, Count Basie, Herbie Hancock, Art Blakey, Chet Baker, McCoy Tyner, Woody Shaw, Benny Golson, and Kenny Baron, Sarah Vaughan, and Nancy Wilson. Williams has been making music on stage for over 50 years. He learned acoustic bass and drums from […]
As NPR’s employees file their federal returns and take up shop in a new building, we look back at an interesting historical moment in the 1940s. A cabaret tax led to more jazz being performed in smaller venues that couldn’t accommodate dancing. Of course, that’s not the only reason why bebop sounds the way it does.
Written by Robin Lloyd Herbie Mann was among the first jazz musicians to specialize on the flute and was jazz music’s preeminent flautist during the 1960s, an early pioneer of the fusion of jazz and world music. When Mann began playing flute in 1940s, there weren’t many jazz flautists to learn from, no pioneers of jazz flute to idolize. He […]
Kurt Elling’s pianist and arranger joins host Jon Weber for Dave Brubeck’s “In Your Own Sweet Way.”
The pianist plays raucous original tunes with an Afro-Caribbean flavor with host Marian McPartland.
For centuries, the country turned its back on black musicians — including the jazz artists whose creations embodied freedom and empowerment. Today, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival is one of Africa’s largest musical gatherings. Here are five musicians who played the festival this year.
Written by John Kessler Lonnie Johnson was one of the first American guitar masters, with a style that bridged jazz and blues, as well as country styles. Though often labeled as a “blues” player, he was versatile and accomplished enough to be a guest artist with Louis Armstong’s Hot Five in 1927, and with […]
Onstage in Orvieto, Italy, the trombonist, composer and fabulist Mauro Ottolini and his Sousaphonix play music for his science-fiction tale Bix Factor. Then, in Perugia, J.P. Jofre plays the tango with a string orchestra in an opera house from the 1700s. Hear them on JazzSet.
Mosaic Records has released Classic Earl Hines Sessions 1928-1945, a seven-disc showcase for the jazz pianist and bandleader. Hines’ right hand played lines in bright, clear octaves — and his left hand had a mind of its own.
The Smithsonian Museum of American History kickstarted its annual campaign with a day of performances and discussions. In a morning ceremony, drummer Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez and pianist Randy Weston officially donated artifacts from their personal collections.
In this studio session singer, Jackie Ryan, gives us three of her favorites: a gospel-tinged version of Accentuate The Positive, a beautiful reading of I Loves You, Porgy and the Spanish-language song, La Puerta, dedicated to her mother. As you’ll hear Jackie say in this interview, she grew up singing. After years as a touring R&B singer, Jackie discovered jazz […]
The country’s jazz scene is young, but it’s hit the world stage quickly thanks in large part to public funding. For Norwegian musicians, it literally pays to dream big — and to write lots of grant applications.
Influential vocalist and pianist Mose Allison joins Piano Jazz host Marian McPartland for a set of originals and a few favorite tunes by Duke Ellington, Hoagy Carmichael and more.
Written by John Kessler Willie Dixon didn’t make his career writing songs about people who behaved themselves, and “Back Door Man” is no exception — it’s about a guy who cheats and then brags about it. Songs like this were well suited to the larger-than-life Howlin’ Wolf, who was already a well-established, middle-aged bluesman when […]
Fast hands, cymbals that shimmer, drop-kicks on the bass drum; these two drummers appreciate each other. Albert “Tootie” Heath performs in a trio with Ethan Iverson (The Bad Plus) and Ben Street (Danilo Perez Trio), followed by Wilson’s Arts & Crafts quartet, in Surround Sound on JazzSet.
Written by Kevin Kniestedt This list, which took the better part of four years, was inspired by those who said that jazz was limited to a certain style or type of performer. The idea behind this list was not to create a “best” albums list, but rather a extensive list of albums that covered as […]
Corea’s “Spain” has an epic quality to it, as it draws from Joaquin Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez and joyous flamenco hoedowns to weave an extended narrative. At the opening night of the SFJAZZ Center, he guest solos in a new arrangement of the piece with a house band made up of all-stars.
Classically trained Lebanese trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf has played with everyone from Sting to Salif Keita. While most trumpets have three valves, his has four, allowing him to play the quarter-tones that characterize Middle Eastern music and the “blue notes” of jazz.
Musicians like Lil Hardin Armstrong, Carla Bley and Mary Lou Williams didn’t just make it in the historically male-dominated field of jazz: They were the driving forces behind their own bands. Hear five pioneering examples of women who composed for and directed their own groups.
The Queen of the Organ solos on “Skylark” and joins host Marian McPartland on “In a Mellow Tone.”
What is a mistake? By going through examples with his improvisational jazz quartet, Stefon Harris gets to a profound truth: many actions are perceived as mistakes only because we don’t react to them appropriately.
Written by John Kessler Sleepy John Estes was a master of country blues with a “down-home” feeling. A little rough around the edges, but loaded with emotion. Though his music wasn’t complex, his songs have lasted through the years, and have been sung by Led Zeppelin and Bob Dylan. In his 1935 recording of “Someday […]
The Monterey Jazz Festival is celebrating 55 years of swinging with a coastal California vibe. An all-star sextet is crossing the country, advancing the festival’s mission: to create and support jazz education and performance programs. JazzSet has highlights from the Kennedy Center.
It’s one of the defining songs of the Blues, written by one of its formative figures, Son House. The opening lyric “Woke up this morning…” would be considered trite today, but its 1930 recording date makes it more iconic than anything. With its simple but insistent guitar rhythm and mournful lyrics, “Walkin’ Blues” is a […]
The pianist and composer/arranger was a prime mover in the international musical exchange that was Havana in the middle of the 20th Century. Late in his career, he enjoyed a new wave of fame as his accomplishments came to light anew. The father of Chucho Valdés, he was 94.
The jazz trumpeter is 66 now, but he’s not slowing down any: His current band has released five excellent albums since 2007 alone. His new piano-less project is further testament to his prolific composing. Harrell presents new music live at the venerable New York jazz institution.
Munisteri and Michael Feinstein share tunes that, while forsaken by the past, are easy to remember.
When this episode of Piano Jazz was recorded in 2006, Krall was seven and a half months pregnant with twins. Hear the pianist and vocalist play “P.S. I Love You” and “Little Girl Blue.”
From Little Italy in the Bronx to the Village Vanguard in Greenwich Village to the gardens in Fort Tryon Park, the rhythm of the city drives a suite by Chris Lightcap and his band Bigmouth. Here, they perform at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz, Calif.
Apart from his globetrotting with the Vijay Iyer Trio and others, bassist Stephan Crump is also a composer, both for film and his own bands. His Rosetta Trio, with two guitars, strives for quieter sophistication. He presents his late-afternoon, back-porch ditties for interlocking strings.
Bassists Todd Sickafoose and Stephan Crump play with leading jazz artists and singer-songwriters. As bandleaders, they’ve each written richly-textured instrumental music for bands with dueling guitars. Those bands play back to back in this live broadcast.
The Memphis-bred, New-York-honed and coastal California resident developed a reputation as an earthy, sincere voice — one one the world’s most popular jazz musicians. Hear five tunes spanning the saxophonist’s career, from ’60s mysticism to modern spirituals.
Through a career that’s encompassed folk, rock, country and operetta, the singer has even recorded with minimalist composer Philip Glass. In this session recorded live at Mechanics Hall in Worcester, Mass., Ronstadt sticks to jazz standards like “Lush Life.”
Hear “Mood Indigo” as a bluesy duet between the jazz singer and host Michael Feinstein.
Lloyd led a jazz quartet into The Fillmore, San Francisco’s legendary rock venue, in the 1960s. He backed Howlin’ Wolf and B.B. King and hit the road with The Beach Boys. The charismatic musician is 75 this week.
Louis Jordan is one of the pioneers of American music, and an important force in the transition from the Jazz Era to Rock and Roll. He was one of the first to down-size the big band format to a combo of five or six players, pounding out high energy jump, swing and rhythm and blues […]
It’s another one of those mysteries — who actually wrote “One Way Out”? Elmore James recorded it in 1961, but didn’t release it until ’65. Sonny Boy Williamson released a version in 1961 and 1965 and G.L. Crockett had a 1965 hit with the same song under a different name. Elmore James’ 1961 recording is […]
Muddy Waters was born in rural Mississippi, and learned his blues at the feet of Son House and Robert Johnson. By the 1940’s he took that delta blues to Chicago and led the gradual transition to electrified urban blues. He then recorded “Honey Bee” in 1951 with just bass and guitar accompaniment. The sound was […]
By Nick Morrison During his 84 years on the planet, Yip Harburg contributed brilliant lyrics to some of the finest melodies of the American popular song canon. Most of his songs were originally written for Broadway shows or Hollywood musicals. Finian’s Rainbow is probably his most popular stage work, but he’s best known for working with composer […]
It’s one of the most iconic songs from New Orleans, and like the city, it’s origin and meaning are a product of may different influences. Its meaning is still being debated by scholars and linguists, but “Iko Iko” was first recorded in 1953 by James “Sugar Boy” Crawford, who wrote the pop song “Jock-A-Mo” based […]
The Japanese pianist’s latest album begins with a tribute to a sound she’s never liked: the chime of an alarm clock.
Dameron was a composer and pianist who fused the sophisticated arrangements of the Big Band era with bebop’s complex harmonies. A new biography shines a light on the too-brief life of the man known as “The Architect of Bop.”
Trumpeter, flugelhorn player and vocalist Stacy Rowles was a fixture on the L.A. jazz scene, and played regularly in all-female jazz groups the Jazzbirds and Maiden Voyage. This program from 2001 is presented as a tribute to Rowles, who died in 2009.
By John Kessler Most blues started in the country before becoming urbanized, and Bukka White brought his brand of Mississippi blues to Chicago in the 1930’s and 40’s. It is likely that he met and learned from elemental bluesman Charley Patton, and he was known for playing a National steel guitar with a slide. He […]
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