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Don DixonFor the last few years, KCSM JAZZ 91 has collaborated with the Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble as part of the BHS Honors Project initiated by director Sarah Cline. The premise of the project is to allow these young jazz musicians to explore other facets of the jazz world other than playing their instruments. One of the options was to produce a radio program about their instrument or a particular aspect of jazz. Jesse “Chuy” Varela, welcomes Hani Khayatei Houssaini, a young trombonist and bassist with the Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble, to share his insights into the world of Arabic jazz with a curated playlist and commentary. -
Frans Schellekens/RedfernsJoe Zawinul and 50 Years of Weather Report. Hear an electric fusion set from keyboardist Joe Zawinul and The Zawinul Syndicate in concert from 2006. Plus, we celebrate 50 years of Weather Report with co-founder Wayne Shorter and other alumni.
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Jon Batiste: Late Show Farewell. On May 21st, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airs its final episode after 11 seasons. To mark the occasion, Jazz Night in America looks back at a 2020 portrait of Jon Batiste — the show's music director for seven seasons, who went on to win five Grammy Awards including Album of the Year. Featuring a live concert recorded in New York City on Jon's 33rd birthday, plus the deep history of jazz in late night television. -
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Pianist Dennis Luxion and vocalist Petra van Nuis are a fascinating pairing of two very different personalities with a shared purpose in the music they choose to make, and the message they want to impart with it. For the last six years, Petra and Dennis have had a weekly gig at Chicago’s Le Piano, an artsy club with a romantic vibe which perfectly suits what Dennis and Petra call the “Afterglow” set they play from 11:00pm to 1am. This time together has given them the chance to deepen their musical collaboration and broaden the repertoire they feel matches the late-night atmosphere, where listeners sometimes lay on the plush carpet under the piano, giving a whole other spin on getting into the music. -
Reclamation Band. Founded in Chicago and Led by Bassist Kevin Robert Martinez, Reclamation Band is modern jazz with an open rural backdrop. Its unique combination of composed and improvised elements evokes an array of moods and styles such as Americana, Avante-Garde and Blues. A number of things make this group’s sound unique. The first is the equal division between a guitar and two saxophone leads versus a rhythm section that includes Bass and Bass Clarinet along with drums. I’m a sucker for the Bass Clarinet sound and Kevin really understands how to leverage that sound in a way few other composers do. The second is that the group functions more as a versatile collective than as a fixed unit. Some configurations exchange a saxophone for a trumpet while others exclude guitar. Kevin took eight months off from the band before regrouping for a tour in support of their recent release These Roads, and the new material shines as a result. Featuring Kevin Martinez on Bass, Anthony Tadeo on Percussion, Dan Bruce on Guitar, Tony Spicer on Bass Clarinet, Chris Coles on Alto Saxophone and Tim McDonald on Tenor Saxophone, and from a July 19th, 2025 performance, Daniel Peck is your host for the Reclamation Band…Live at the Bop Stop. -
Jazz Fest in America. Summer is just around the corner, and with it comes sunshine, fresh air, and the music festival. This week, Jazz Night in America becomes Jazz Fest in America, with sets from Gabrielle Cavassa at Exit Zero, Cory Wong at the Newport Jazz Festival, and some of the greatest performances in the Montreal Jazz Festival's history, including Ella Fitzgerald, Pat Metheny and more.
