Christian McBride: The Bass Boss
In the first generation of bebop musicians, Ray Brown was king of the jazz bass. Today, the "go-to" jazz bassist is Christian McBride , so we were delighted to have McBride stop by the KPLU studios for...
View ArticleAhmad Jamal: Still Fearless And Innovative At 82
Today jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal celebrates his 82nd birthday, presumably near Montauban, France, where he will play a gig tomorrow. In fact, he'll spend most of the month in France, The Netherlands,...
View ArticleThe Cookers: A Bebop Supergroup
If we were to make a list of all the recording and composing credits of the members of The Cookers, it would go on for many pages. The band is an amazing collection of veteran jazz musicians: Billy...
View ArticleJazz Goes Honky-Tonkin': The Songs Of Hank Williams
Hank Williams was a great singer-songwriter who forged his own brand of honky-tonk music from a variety of influences: country, folk, blues, gospel and jazz. Yes, jazz . If you haven't listened to his...
View ArticleKarrin Allyson: Swinging Jazz Standards
Over the past 20 years, vocalist Karrin Allyson has recorded 13 albums that cover vast musical territory. She's explored The Great American Songbook, the musical styles of Brazil and France, the blues...
View ArticleCyrus Chestnut: Nobody Like 'The Nutman'
Pianist Cyrus Chestnut took his time making a name for himself on the jazz scene: For a decade starting in the mid-1980s, he apprenticed as pianist for Jon Hendricks, Betty Carter, Donald Harrison and...
View ArticleDjango's Legacy: 21st-Century Gypsy Jazz
Django Reinhardt has achieved an almost godlike status among those who love jazz guitar. When he and violinist Stephane Grappelli formed the Quintet of the Hot Club of France in 1934, they created a...
View ArticleBill Charlap: The American Songbook, Handled With Care
It's no wonder that pianist Bill Charlap loves the music that has come to be called The Great American Songbook — the songs of great Tin Pan Alley composers such as Jerome Kern, George Gershwin and...
View ArticleColeman Hawkins: Tenor Saxophone, Front And Center
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8kQzLbIEu8 When tenor saxophonist John Coltrane recorded his composition "Giant Steps" in 1959, he created something that changed the way musicians thought about...
View ArticleGraham Dechter: Youth, Steeped In Tradition
Graham Dechter is a 26-year-old jazz guitarist who's been living his dream. Dechter was invited to join the world-famous Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra at 19, and now, seven years later, he's leading...
View Article5 Blues Songs That Feel Your Midwinter Chill
In the Northern Hemisphere, January is typically the coldest month of the year. If we can somehow drag ourselves through the month, things will begin to turn around and we'll be on the road to...
View ArticleA List Of 5 Songs About ... Lists
Over the past few years, Take Five's theme-based jazz lists have covered a wide variety of subjects. We've covered the careers of legends, the cutting-edge work of up-and-coming artists, styles,...
View ArticleJuan De Marcos And The Afro-Cuban All Stars: Dig That 'Dundunbanza'
Many music lovers know Juan de Marcos González as the man who teamed up with guitarist Ry Cooder to create Buena Vista Social Club . But González was busy celebrating the history of Cuban music long...
View ArticleJazz Salutes Its Disc Jockeys
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...
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