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Graphics: Jackie Lay for NPRMorgan Guerin (NEW!). There are multi-instrumentalists and then there is Morgan Guerin. On this episode of Jazz Night, we dive into the multi-dimensional mind of saxophonist, bassist, drummer, keyboardist, producer, composer, and engineer whose solo work and collaborations with the likes of Esperanza Spalding, Terri Lyne Carrington, and Julius Rodriguez have put him in a class of his own. Plus, we visit his home studio to hear tracks from his archives and session breakdowns from his forthcoming record Tales of The Facade. -
CLAP HANDS, HERE COMES CHARLIE. On this edition of the Annals of Jazz, Richard Hadlock acquaints listeners to a dozen or more Charlie’s, who had impact on Jazz. It begins with Charlie Barnet’s “Clap Hands, Here comes Charlie,” the theme that served as inspiration for this program.
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We're ending out Spring Fund Drive with a weekend of Miles Davis. All of your favorite on air announcers will spin their favorite tunes from the great Miles Davis. -
Vocalist, pianist, songwriter and positive spirit, Betty Bryant at ninety-four is an inspiration on so many levels that her age, which would be the first thing one would mention with anyone else, seems almost beside the point. Betty’s latest CD, Lotta Livin’ produced by her longtime friend and collaborator Robert Kyle, showcases Betty’s blues roots, soulful sound, and cheeky sense of humor. -
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We’re proud to salute Sister Rosetta Tharpe, one of the most important and influential musical figures of the 20th Century. Tharpe, who was born Rosetta Nubin, was popular immediately after her first Decca Recordings in 1938. She gained even more exposure while singing in-front of Lucky Millinder's big band during World War II. In 1944, she crossed musical barriers when her "Strange Things Happening Every Day" single crossed over to #2 on the national R&B lists, marking the first time a Gospel record had charted so high on a secular chart. Looking back, it's not that surprising when you consider that Rhythm & Blues Music is basically secular content, sung in a Gospel style with rhythm accompaniment. Not only did Sister Rosetta have an inspired, near-acrobatic vibrato voice, but she was also a virtuoso of the guitar. The novelty of a spiritual woman singing and playing the guitar soon gave way to her immense talents at doing both. This week, Matt The Cat presents Rosetta Tharpe's charting singles as well as her most influential Gospel sides, which become some of the bricks in the foundation of both R&B and Rock n' Roll. We'll hear her recordings with Lucky Millinder, Sammy Price, Marie Knight, The Dependable Boys and the Rosette Singers as well as a few of her V-Discs. Hallelujah, this is going to be an inspired show. Can I get an AMEN! -
Youngbloods: Brass [ENCORE]. Jazz Night in America presents Youngbloods, a mini-series featuring new and rising jazz geniuses who are shaping the future of the genre. This episode, we put the spotlight on three up-and-coming brass artists on the scene today: Giveton Gelin, Kalia Vandever, and Summer Camargo. -
THE FIG BOP WAR. When bebop came along in the mid-1940s with its creators like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and others, a lot of traditionalists who were into New Orleans jazz or early swing thought it was freakish music and began to criticize it. The pro-modernists struck back and called the critics “out of date” and the term “moldy fig” came to be used to describe these older jazz fans opposed to the beboppers. In this program Richard Hadlock details the ideological jazz battles of the “Fig Bop War.”
