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Don DixonJesse “Chuy” Varela welcomes jazz vocalist, Allan Harris, one of the preeminent jazz singers of his generation to the KCSM studio. Allan Harris, is a transcendent figure who not only sings on stage but performs musical theater as well. His latest album is titled, The Poetry of Jazz, which he will perform live at the SFJAZZ Center, April 25 & 26. Details at SFJAZZ.org -
Part 2. Clarinetist/saxophonist, Ken Peplowski had his first professional gig when still in elementary school and went on to play with everyone from Marianne Faithfull and Leon Redbone to Peggy Lee and Charlie Byrd. Ken was only sixty-six when he passed away February 1, 2026 after a five-year battle with multiple myeloma. Ken was a joyful, generous spirit and one of the first musicians I played with when I came to New York when we were paired in a jazz festival in front of thousands. I was nervous and he was cool, and his lovely attitude carried me along musically and otherwise, so no one knew I was shaking in my boots except me.This is the second-half of my 2016 conversation with Ken, recorded in 2016 in Manhattan.
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We revisit my 2000 conversation (one of my first for Jazz Inspired) with author, film critic and film historian Leonard Maltin. We discuss Leonard’s favorite jazz, growing up in a musical family, his own piano playing and his four-hand duet with me on Entertainment Tonight early in my career. Yup, Leonard did a five-minute feature on me for ET. In TV terms that’s VERY long. These days even Taylor wouldn’t get five minutes on ET, so this was a career changing moment for me that I owe to Leonard. -
Nathan Paul: Life’s Notes. Nathan-Paul grew up a pastor’s son in Cleveland, and knows how to deliver sound medicine to the people. His velvety lo-fi sounds are a vibe-heavy soul party, fusing modern trap, 70s funk, and fiery southern gospel. And Fusion is an apt word for this performance, which he terms Life’s Notes. This show is steeped in improvisation, borders on free jazz but really is best described as an hour of experimental Fusion. Featuring Garret Folger on Trumpet, Zaire Darden on Drums, Kip Reed on Bass, Chris Anderson on Trombone, Howard Alexander on Piano and Nathan Paul on Saxophones and from a September 27th, 2025 performance, Daniel Peck is your host for Nathan Paul: Life’s Notes…Live at the Bop Stop. -
Ponta Lopud Jazz festival. On a picturesque island off the coast of Dubrovnik, the Ponta Lopud Jazz Festival creates a rare space for artists to connect and create. Co-founder and Croatian American singer Thana Alexa is at the heart of it. Hear how a quaint festival becomes a larger-than-life experience, with performances by Sofía Rei and more.
