Tonight's Jazz Feature is a style known as "Mainstream Jazz". It really represents a concept where young and older musicians share a common ground. Some players are adaptable and some are not . This session called "The Jo Jones Special" represents some of the old and some of the new. It was recorded in August of 1955 with the leader Jonathan "Jo" Jones on drums. A master drummer was Jo. He assembled a fine group here with Emmett Berry on trumpet, Bennie Green on trombone and Eli "Lucky" Thompson...
Jun 17, 2025•3 hr 26 min
Tonight's Jazz Feature is Part 2 of the major stylistic changes that Miles Davis explored. Trumpeter Miles Davis needs no introduction here but over the years he altered his style and musical context several times. Some of the changes caused him to lose some of his audience but alternately he gained new followers. Miles always followed his own artistic muse. We'll hear these stylistic changes from some selected recordings beginning with two from his iconic and classic "Kind of Blue" from 1959 an...
Jun 10, 2025•3 hr 31 min
Tonight's Jazz Feature is different from the usual as it will present a selective groups of performances by trumpeter, band leader and Jazz icon Miles Davis over his career and his various changes throughout the years from his early days in the 1940's through the 50's.. Miles Davis was born on May 26,1926 and passed away at age 65 on September 26, 1991. These performances will reveal some of the stylistic changes that Miles Davis went through and pioneered. He is arguably one of the most importa...
Jun 03, 2025•3 hr 27 min
Tonight's Jazz Feature is a fine album that never saw the light of day until the early 80's despite being recorded in August 1963. It was the first album by trumpeter Richard "Blue" Mitchell for Blue Note Records. It was given a catalogue number and advertised in the Blue Note brochure but never released. It's a fine date with Blue on trumpet, Joe Henderson on tenor saxophone. Joe also did most of the arrangements on this date as well. Leo Wright is here on alto saxophone, Herbie Hancock is on p...
May 27, 2025•3 hr 31 min
Tonight's Jazz Feature is a belated Birthday tribute to one of the the most unique and individual voices of the alto saxophone John Lenwood "Jackie" McLean. Jackie was born in Harlem, New York City on May 17,1931 and passed away at age 74 on March 31, 2006 after a long illness. Jackie made his first recording at age 19 with Miles Davis as a disciple of Charlie Parker and with his own sound. It wasn't long before Jackie developed his own ideas and phrasing. The Jazz Feature is a rare and previous...
May 20, 2025•3 hr 32 min
Tonight's Jazz Feature spotlights a unique talent who explored various styles of Jazz throughout a long career. Jimmy Giuffre played all the saxophones and most famously, the clarinet. In his early years his clarinet style in which he focused on the lower register of the clarinet (the chalumeau register) was his unique achievement and hallmark. He later explored the clarinet's full register when he turned to more free form Jazz. Of the many styles he performed, tonight's Jazz Feature focuses on ...
May 13, 2025•3 hr 33 min
Tonight's Jazz Feature is by one of trumpet master and Jazz pioneer John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie's finest groups. It's both fun and serious and an off the wall tribute to some music from the Caribbean, hence the title: Jambo Caribe. The music is by Dizzy's long standing Quintet with James Moody on tenor saxophone and flute, Kenny Barron on piano, Christopher White on bass and vocal, Rudy Collins on drums and added on some tunes Kansas Fields on percussion and surdo drum. Dizzy of course on trump...
May 06, 2025•3 hr 34 min
Tonight's Jazz Feature is a very fine album by boss trumpeter Blue Mitchell. Mitchell was a mainstay in pianist Horace Silver's Quintet for 4 1/2 years and grew to maturity in that band. His style is devoid of showy pyrotechnics but with a sharp precise tones and a lyrical melodic concept. He's one of the few trumpeters who could sustain interest for a whole album without another horn like a saxophone. Blue is ideally paired here with piano great Wynton Kelly and they are perfect for one another...
Apr 29, 2025•3 hr 30 min
Tonight's Jazz Feature should need no introduction to Jazz people as it is an essential classic and arguably one of bassist/composer Charles Mingus' finest albums. It was done for Columbia Records and it was Mingus' first album for a major label which guaranteed wide distribution and a quality product. It became a best seller for Mingus and Columbia. It was critically acclaimed and literally brought Mingus out of the Jazz underground to the Jazz fore forefront.. It featured Mingus' basic Jazz Wo...
Apr 22, 2025•3 hr 38 min
Tonight's Jazz Feature is an early version of the Charles Mingus Jazz Workshop recorded on his independent record label: Debut Records. Mingus and drummer Max Roach owned the label during it's short existence (1952 to 1957). Mingus in 1955 had begun a new concept for his bands. No written music. Mingus taught the players from the piano as Mingus was a more than competent pianist. The players memorized the compositions, background riffs and everything without written music and it gave Mingus' ban...
Apr 15, 2025•3 hr 32 min
Tonight's Jazz Feature is a true classic and an essential recording for anyone interested in Jazz music. Tenor and alto saxophonist/composer/arranger Oliver Nelson is the leader and his hand picked sideman include the innovative Eric Dolphy on alto saxophone and flute and a young Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, baritone saxophonist George Barrow anchors the horn section in a non-soloing role. The great Bill Evans is on piano with Paul Chambers on bass and "Mr. Snap Crackle", Roy Haynes on drums. The...
Apr 08, 2025•3 hr 41 min
Tonight's Jazz Feature is one of the first great soloists on the vibraphone: the amazing Lionel Hampton. This was his first session after he signed up with Jazz producer Norman Granz. Granz wished to present the artistic side of Lionel and this recording does the job in a big way. Lionel, who's style works in so many contexts is joined here for the first time by the great Canadian pianist Oscar Peterson, bassist Ray Brown and master drummer Buddy Rich. The band selected the 6 tunes and delivered...
Apr 01, 2025•3 hr 31 min
Tonight's Jazz Feature had one of the most widely recorded trumpeters from the 50's and 60's who eventually went into other fields after being a big part of Jazz for so many years. Donald Byrd was one of the many young trumpeters who reflected in their own way the influence of the late Clifford Brown, who died at age 25 in a car crash. Byrd along with Lee Morgan were the young heralds of the trumpet in the 50's and in the 60's Freddie Hubbard was added to that list. Byrd recorded a lot and this ...
Mar 25, 2025•3 hr 35 min
Tonight's Jazz Feature is a round about tribute to St. Patrick's Day in that our Jazz Feature tonight is the initial album by master guitarist Grant Green entitled "Green Street". It was recorded by Blue Note Records on April 1,1961 but despite the date, Mr. Green was no fool! It put Grant Green who grew up in St. Louis, Missouri on the national Jazz map.as one of the two foremost guitarists to emerge in the 1960's along with Wes Montgomery. Green played the guitar like a saxophone and emphasize...
Mar 18, 2025•3 hr 34 min
Tonight's Jazz Feature is a tribute to the late vibraphonist Roy Ayers. Roy passed away recently on March 4,2025 at age 84. Although he was more famous for a style called Neo Jazz/Funk Fusion and had many hit recordings we're going to return to his more than promising debut album called "West Coast Vibes". It was done before Roy moved to that other area which he gained the most fame. Roy proved on this debut album that he was a new fresh voice of the vibraphone. It was recorded in July of 1963 i...
Mar 11, 2025•3 hr 28 min
Tonight's Jazz Feature is one of the most individual and passionate voices of the alto saxophone William "Sonny" Criss. The album is his second for Prestige Records called "Portrait of Sonny Criss". He recorded for Prestige from 1966 to 1969 and these albums remain his best known. Sonny here is accompanied by the great under rated Walter Davis Jr. on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Alan Dawson on drums and was done on March 23, 1967 at Rudy Van Gelder's Studio. The album mixes standard tunes an...
Mar 04, 2025•3 hr 30 min
Tonight's Jazz Feature is a tribute to Canada and all things Canadian. It's been heard on The Jazz Show before but in these unsettled times I think it's time to hear it again. It's The Canadiana Suite played by and composed by the great Canadian pianist Oscar Peterson. Oscar performs the suite with his working trio of the time with Ray Brown on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums. It was recorded on Sept.9,1964 in New York. The 8 movement suite takes us across Canada from East to West in a series of mu...
Feb 18, 2025•3 hr 31 min
Tonight's Jazz Feature celebrates the 92nd Birthday on February 3rd of John Handy one of the great living masters of music and the alto and tenor saxophones on a fine rather obscure album entitled "Excursion in Blue". It was recorded in Menlo Park California in August 9, 10,1988. Handy plays alto on three tracks backed by Jim McNeeley on piano, Rufus Reid on bass and the great Billy Hart on drums. The remaining four tunes Handy switches to tenor saxophone and is backed by the late Buddy Montgome...
Feb 11, 2025•3 hr 35 min
Tonight's Jazz Feature is a brand new recording by seasoned musicians that are an important part of today's Jazz scene. This date newly issued on the Cellar/Live label is by drummer Carl Allen leading a bare bones trio with the incredible tenor and soprano saxophonist Chris Potter, who also is heard on bass clarinet. The equally accomplished Christian McBride on bass plus a cameo appearance on piano by Vancouver's John Lee. The repertoire is varied with compositions by Carl Allen, drummer Lenny ...
Jan 28, 2025•3 hr 33 min
Tonight's Jazz Feature is an aptly named album by the great tenor saxophonist Stan Getz. Getz has had a long career marked by the ups and downs of changing styles and musical tastes but he always managed to prevail and remain at the top of the list of great saxophone players. This album finds Getz in inspired form bolstered by a stellar rhythm section. Getz performs here with the late Albert Dailey on piano, virtuoso bassist Clint Houston and the still living Billy Hart on drums. It was recorded...
Jan 21, 2025•3 hr 34 min
Tonight's Jazz Feature is a previously unissued concert with an early version of Miles Davis' "Second Great Quintet" . This concert was part of the Paris Jazz Festival and recorded on Oct.1,1964 at the Salle Pleyal. It features Miles Davis on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass and the teenage genius on drums, Tony Williams. The repertoire is the same as Miles had been playing for several years but was being stretched in new ways. Eventually Mil...
Jan 14, 2025•3 hr 30 min
Tonight's Jazz Feature is the American debut album of Alphonso Son "Dizzy" Reece. Dizzy was a very distinctive and creative trumpeter/composer. He was born in Kingston Jamaica on January 5,1931 and has resided in New York since 1959. Although now inactive as a musician, he is still alive and well. This album although recorded in London was the the first American album by Reece and was on Blue Note Records and called "Blues In Trinity" Dizzy leads on trumpet with the great Tubby Hayes on tenor sa...
Jan 07, 2025•3 hr 32 min
Tonight's Jazz Feature is this show's usual tribute to The Season and a long standing tradition. It's known as the "Bags' Groove Session". The music is truly classic and always worth hearing. Miles Davis is the nominal leader on trumpet with Milt Jackson on vibes, Thelonious Monk on piano, Percy Heath on bass and Kenny Clarke on drums. A meeting of Jazz Masters indeed. All of this was recorded on December 24,1954 and the whole date has a Christmassy feel to it even though that certainly wasn't t...
Dec 17, 2024•3 hr 37 min
Tonight's Jazz Feature spotlights one of the great voices of the alto saxophone who happens to live in Canada and is a proud Canadian.; Mr P.J.Perry. P.J. is alive and well and performing a few nights a week in Edmonton, Alberta where he has resided with his family for many years. This album issued on the Canadian label Unity Records presents P.J. at his best with a stellar rhythm section with the late and wonderful Mulgrew Miller on piano, Neil Swainson on bass and the superb Victor Lewis on dr...
Dec 10, 2024•3 hr 43 min
Tonight's Jazz Feature is a pivotal album by Sonny Rollins called "Worktime". Sonny had just emerged from a year of renewal and rehab and was clean an healthy and just hired as the tenor saxophonist in the famous Max Roach/Clifford Brown Quintet replacing Harold Land, the original saxophonist who had left. This was Sonny's first recording under his own name since his rehab and he is at maximum strength. This album represents his first step to greatness and as it is the 69th anniversary of the da...
Dec 03, 2024•3 hr 33 min
Tonight's Jazz Feature is an iconic album by master drummer Roy Haynes with a hand picked quartet of amazing musicians. The album was issued on Impulse Records and recorded in May of 1962 and usually always makes the list of 100 best Jazz albums. The group that Roy picked was unique beginning with Roland (aka Rahsaan) Kirk on all of his horns: tenor saxophone, manzello, stritch, and flutes, pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Henry Grimes and of course Roy Haynes. The album consists of four well sel...
Nov 26, 2024•3 hr 38 min
This album called "The Griffith Park Collection" is an all-star date nominally led by drum master Lenny White. The others involved are Freddie Hubbard on trumpet and flugelhorn, Joe Henderson on tenor saxophone, Chick Corea on piano, Stanley Clarke on acoustic bass. They had completed an album in Los Angeles with the great singer Chaka Kahn and producer Bruce Lundvall got the bright idea to record an instrumental album with this stellar band. Lenny White was the nominal leader and this great alb...
Nov 19, 2024•3 hr 36 min
Tonight"s Jazz Feature is a tribute to the great arranger/composer/producer and music icon Quincy Delight Jones or simply "Q". Quincy passed away peacefully at his home in Los Angeles at age 91 on November 3, 2024. He was born in Chicago on March 14,1933. Quincy's incredible history is easily accessed on the internet. So we turn to the Jazz feature album and it's a big band recording of Quincy's distinctive arrangements and really put Quincy on the Jazz map. It was done in September of 1956 and ...
Nov 05, 2024•3 hr 34 min
Tonight's Jazz Feature is someone you might not have heard of but will be a more than pleasant surprise. Wilton "Bogey" Gaynair was born in Kingston, Jamaica on January 11,1927 and passed away in Cologne, Germany on February 13,1995 at age 68. He sadly made very few recordings under his own name but was really a major voice on the tenor saxophone with a big warm sound and solid inventiveness. Tonight's Jazz Feature is his best and first recording under his name and spotlights Bogey with an all-s...
Oct 29, 2024•3 hr 36 min
Tonight's Jazz Feature spotlights a great tenor saxophonist from Chicago: Eddie Harris. Harris celebrated on Oct 20, a Birthday Anniversary. Harris was born on Oct 20, 1934 and died of heart failure at 62 on Nov. 5, 1996. Harris was a pioneer of electronic attachments to his horn and was also a master of various styles of music: eg. funk, R & B, soul and of course Jazz. Harris was also a fine pianist. This album called "The In Sound" was his first for Atlantic Records. The band consists of C...
Oct 22, 2024•3 hr 35 min
