Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'jazz'

Boz Scaggs 'Speaks Low' With Jazz Standards

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:58:00 EST

For Speak Low, blue-eyed-soul legend Boz Scaggs had a sound in mind long before recording his interpretation of jazz standards. But the concept was blurry until he pinpointed the instrumentation: a combination of strings, horns and vibes.

Mimi Fox On Piano Jazz

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:46:00 EST

Guitarist Mimi Fox is a rising star, invigorating the jazz guitar tradition. With an amazing set of chops and a crystal pure tone, Fox cooks whether playing bebop or ballads. She plays an original and tears it up on a Cole Porter tune with McPartland and bassist Gary Mazzaroppi.

Duke Ellington: The Composer, Pt. 1

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:16:00 EST

Duke Ellington composed some of the most enduring music of the 20th century, producing more than one thousand lasting works. With groundbreaking hits such as "Sophisticated Lady" and "Mood Indigo," Ellington vividly communicated universal ideas, while inventing musical concepts that helped elevate jazz to a sophisticated art form.

Feeling The Vibes: The Short History Of A Long Instrument

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:16:00 EST

Jazz is the only genre of music that uses the vibes as a lead or improvisational instrument. It's been a process in helping to save this beautiful-sounding and versatile instrument from extinction. Leading off with Lionel Hampton, here are five examples of that beauty and versatility.

Ravi Coltrane: Live At The Village Vanguard

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:40:00 EST

He's descended from jazz royalty, and he wears it with pride. But the saxophonist has engineered his own modern and thoroughly personal approach to improvisation. Hear Ravi Coltrane's working quartet perform live at the Vanguard.

Hendrix Drummer Mitch Mitchell Remembered

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 17:21:00 EST

There were great rock drummers before Mitch Mitchell, and there were even better drummers after him. But Mitchell's jazz-influenced drumming was just as indispensable as Hendrix's guitar in The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Mitchell was found dead in his hotel room early Wednesday. He was 61.

Tardo Hammer On Piano Jazz

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:57:00 EST

Pianist Tardo Hammer is a marvelous bebop player and a sought-after sideman. When he's not playing festivals and club dates around the world, he's active as a jazz educator. An expert interpreter of the music of Tad Dameron, Hammer plays his tunes and joins McPartland on "Good Bait."

Concha Buika's African-Inspired Flamenco

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:30:00 EST

Concha Buika's sultry voice and varied musical influences have earned her worldwide acclaim. Her latest album, La Nina de Fuego, fuses the musical traditions of Africa and Spain with jazz, soul and dance and has been nominated for the Latin Grammy Album of the Year.

Milt Hinton: The Ultimate Timekeeper

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:55:00 EST

Bassist Milt Hinton, known as the "Judge," was considered to be the ultimate timekeeper. With his buoyant tempos and fat, booming sound, Hinton provided the rhythmic foundation for many jazz greats.

Q-Tip's 'Renaissance' Worth The Wait

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:04:00 EST

As leader of the 1990s hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest, Q-Tip rose to fame on the strength of their jazz-influenced production and his smooth, unruffled rapping. After problems plagued his solo career, Q-Tip disappeared from the music scene. He has now resurfaced with an entirely new CD, The Renaissance.

Prince Of Kunqu: Jazz Meets Chinese Opera

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:11:00 EST

Jeffrey Zhang is known for mixing the traditional Chinese opera form with pop music and kabuki dancers. But now he's begun to incorporate free-form jazz piano in a culture clash that's turning heads and winning over new fans.

'Worlds Of Sound' A Tribute To Folkways

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:15:00 EST

Sixty years ago, Moses Asch set out to record "all the sound of the world." He established Folkways Records — "the little label that could" — and in the decades that followed, recorded everything from folk singers, to jazz greats, to sounds of the natural world.

Composer Douglas Cuomo And His Musical 'Dilemma'

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST

The composer of the Sex and the City theme music is tackling his most ambitious project yet. Arjuna's Dilemma tells the story of a warrior prince from the Bhagavad Gita through a blend of classical Indian music, classical Western music and jazz.

Paul Winter On Piano Jazz

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:44:00 EST

Saxophonist and bandleader Paul Winter has created his own unique style of environmentally conscious music. The natural world is not only an inspiration, but it has also been a collaborator in his music. Winter talks about playing with humpback whales, as well as his legendary recording expeditions to the Grand Canyon.

Radio Legend Studs Terkel On Piano Jazz

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 09:49:00 EST

One of the true legends of public radio and a longtime friend of host Marian McPartland, Studs Terkel appeared on Piano Jazz in 1992 for a special fundraising edition. The two quizzed each other about radio, shared memories of jazz personalities and improvised music and conversation.

Herbie Hancock Lights It Up At Newport

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 13:56:00 EST

Fifty-five years ago, a young jazz presenter named George Wein discovered that the people sailing yachts around Narragansett Bay loved jazz. With their support, Wein founded the Newport Jazz Festival, the first of its kind, and it's still going strong now with highlight from Herbie Hancock and Dave Holland.

Free Your Guitar, Free Your Mind

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:08:00 EST

Rock music may give the electric guitar fire, but avant-garde jazz musicians often re-think the instrument beyond its basic, melody- and rhythm-based functions. Here are five musicians who eschew standard conventions and instead approach the guitar as a device of pure sound.

Jazz Vocalist Sheila Jordan Honored In Concert

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 10:35:00 EDT

With a stage adorned in roses, the Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival honors Sheila Jordan for a Lifetime of Service. The innovative vocalist shares songs and stories from the Kennedy Center with the young Russian-born singer Sophie Milman offering her talents on stage.

Jay 'Hootie' McShann: Kansas City Swingman

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 11:18:00 EDT

"Hootie" to his friends, bluesman supreme Jay McShann served as the living legacy to Kansas City jazz. As bandleader, pianist, singer and composer, McShann was an unsung yet influential figure. During the '40s, his orchestra became an important launching pad for prominent soloists including Charlie Parker.

Trick Or Treat With A Beat: Halloween Jazz

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:19:00 EDT

As a kid, Halloween means dressing up with friends, looking for the spots with the best candy, and stopping for pranks along the way. As you get older, you're stuck handing out rather than filling up. Halloween may have a different sense of rhythm now, but some of the best Halloween ear candy hasn't changed.

Jenny Scheinman: Live At The Village Vanguard

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:51:00 EDT

The violinist, composer and occasional country singer has long been developing a rich, earthy take on American music, filtered through adventurous jazz sensibilities. Hear Scheinman's quartet reveal another facet of her sound at this performance, live from the Vanguard.

Eliane Elias On Piano Jazz

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 16:52:00 EDT

Widely recognized as one of the preeminent interpreters of Antonio Carlos Jobim, vocalist Eliane Elias has lately begun exploring the works of Bill Evans. She plays and sings a previously unreleased Evans tune, "Here Is Something for You," for which she has written a lyric, and McPartland gives her own Evans tribute on "B Minor Waltz."

Jazz Imports: Anat Cohen And Mayuko Katakura

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:49:00 EDT

At the Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival, Anat Cohen leads a small group at the Kennedy Center. The award-winning reed player's flowing performances make her one of the best reasons to see jazz. Japanese pianist Mayuko Katakura opens the concert on JazzSet.

Jazz Guitarist Earl Klugh Stays Humble

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:40:00 EDT

Starting out in saxophonist George Benson's band as a teenager, guitarist Earl Klugh has found nothing but success since then. With just a nylon-string guitar, the Grammy-winning Klugh treated Jazz24 to solo guitar treatments of two jazz standards and an original.

A Quintet Of Great Modern Piano Trios

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:25:00 EDT

In the piano trio, only three instruments are involved, so the thoughts and actions of musicians must be absolutely in sync with one another. Pianists like Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett have led legendary trios, but here are five piano-trio leaders who keep the acoustic jazz tradition alive in fresh ways.