Jazz with George Thomas

Edmond Hall, Ellis Larkins, Grace Kelly

Tue, 15 May 2012 21:00:00 -0400

Tonight's birthdays include clarinet player Edmond Hall, who recorded some deep blues in 1941 featuring the acoustic guitar of an electric guitar pioneer, Charlie Christian; pianist Ellis Larkins, known for his solos, duets and his excellent backing of various vocalists including Ella Fitzgerald and alto sax prodigy Grace Kelly.

Sidney Bechet

Mon, 14 May 2012 21:00:00 -0400

Sidney Bechet, the first jazz soloist (recorded ahead of Louis Armstrong by a few months), was born in New Orleans on May 14, 1897 and died May 14, 1959 in Paris. In between he recorded some of the finest early jazz with his soprano sax or clarinet soaring above ensembles. Check out Phillip Larkin's poem "For Sidney Bechet"

Mother's Day, Gil Evans, Carla Bley

Fri, 11 May 2012 21:00:00 -0400

Tonight we share music in honor of Mother's Day, including gospel mother songs from Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Mahalia Jackson. We also celebrate the birthdays of two of the best big bandleaders in jazz, pianists Gil Evans and Carla Bley.

Fred Astaire, Jimmy Ponder

Thu, 10 May 2012 21:00:00 -0400

Tonight we celebrate the birthdays of tap-dancer & vocalist Fred Astaire and guitarist, bandleader Jimmy Ponder. We also hear new releases by Hailey Niswanger, a young alto sax player, vocalist Marianne Solivan and vocalist Virginia Schenck.

Anthony Wilson,

Wed, 09 May 2012 21:00:00 -0400

We celebrate the birthday of the young guitarist Anthony Wilson, on record with Diana Krall and Al Jarreau, in addition to his own recordings with his trio and ensemble. We start tonight's program with Lynne Arriale's Trio version of Lennon/McCartney's "Come Together."

Mary Lou Williams, Keith Jarrett - Part 2

Tue, 08 May 2012 21:00:00 -0400

Tonight we celebrate Part 2 of the birthdays of pianist, composer, arranger Mary Lou Williams and pianist & supreme improvisor Keith Jarrett. We hear Mary Lou Williams' piano, compositions and arrangements with Benny Goodman, Dizzy Gillespie and Andy Kirk.

Mary Lou Williams, Keith Jarrett

Mon, 07 May 2012 21:00:00 -0400

We're celebrating a day early the birthdays of pianist & composer Mary Lou Williams, widely regarded as the foremost woman in jazz and pianist, composer & band leader Keith Jarrett, famous for long, freely improvised lines and melodies on the piano. More from both artists tomorrow.

Don Friedman, Richard Williams, Rudresh Mahanthappa

Fri, 04 May 2012 21:00:00 -0400

We celebrate the jazz birthdays of pianist & composer Don Friedman; trumpeter Richard Williams, who recorded only one album under his own name but recorded extensively with Charles Mingus and alto saxophonist & composer Rudresh Mahanthappa.

Betty Comden, John Lewis, Jymie Merritt, James Brown

Thu, 03 May 2012 21:00:00 -0400

We celebrate the birthdays of lyricist Betty Comden, famous for her work with Leonard Bernstein; pianist, composer and band leader John Lewis, best known for his work with The Modern Jazz Quartet; bassist Jymie Merritt, who played with Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers and vocalist James Brown.

Lorentz Hart, J. Fred Coots, Frank Signorelli

Wed, 02 May 2012 21:00:00 -0400

We celebrate the birthdays of three songwriters whose tunes are used extensively by jazz musicians: Lorentz Hart (lyrics to My Funny Valentine, Dancing On The Ceiling, Thou Swell and many others); J. Fred Coots (music to For All We Know, You Go To My Head) and Frank Signorelli ( music to Stairway To The Stars, I'll Never Be The Same).

Shirley Horn, Willie Nelson, Little Walter, Ambrose Akinmusire

Tue, 01 May 2012 21:00:00 -0400

We celebrate the birthdays of Vocalist & pianist Shirley Horn, who's languid readings of jazz standards greatly influenced Miles Davis; composer, vocalist & guitarist Willie Nelson; the premier blues harmonica player & vocalist Little Walter, and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire.

International Jazz Day

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 21:00:00 -0400

We celebrate the first International Jazz Day today (April 30th) coming at the end of the month of April which is Jazz Appreciation Month. For more information, go to: http://jazzday.com New albums featured tonight include John Pizzarelli, Joel Harrison, Nicole Henry and more.

Duke Ellington, George Adams, Toots Theilemans

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 21:00:00 -0400

Tonight we celebrate the greatest jazz man of them all, Duke Ellington, composer, bandleader and pianist. We also take note of the birthdays of tenor sax and vocalist George Adams and the guitarist, whistler & harmonica player Toots Theilemans.

Ma Rainey, Jimmy Giuffre, Teddy Edwards, Edward Eliscu

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 21:00:00 -0400

Tonight we celebrate several birthdays including: blue singer Ma Rainey; saxophonist Jimmy Giuffre; tenor saxophonist Teddy Edwards, who recorded a early 1947 "battle of the tenors" with Dexter Gordon and the lyrics of Edward Eliscu, who composed "More Than You Know" and "Something To Live For."

Ella Fitzgerald, Bob Russell, Carl Allen

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 21:00:00 -0400

Tonight we celebrate the birthdays of: one of the most famous voices of jazz, Ella Fitzgerald; Bob Russell, who wrote lyrics for several Duke Ellington songs and Carl Allen, in demand drummer and leader of several ensembles.

Joe Henderson, Rube Bloom, Johnny Griffin

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 21:00:00 -0400

Tonight we celebrate the birthdays of composer, bandleader & tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson; the songwriter Rube Bloom, who composed the music to "Truckin'" "Day In Day Out" "Fools Rush In" and others; and bandleader and tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin.

Jimmie Noone, Alan Broadbent, Kendra Shank, Virgil Jones

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 21:00:00 -0400

We celebrate the birthdays of: New Orleans clarinetist & bandleader Jimmie Noone; pianist Alan Broadbent; vocalist Kendra Shank, who sings the Abbey Lincoln catalog. We also note the passing of trumpeter Virgil Jones who worked with Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Dee Dee Bridgewater.

Charles Mingus, Tito Puente, 4:20

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 21:00:00 -0400

We celebrate the birthdays of pianist, bassist, bandleader and composer Charles Mingus, the most important jazz musician next to Duke Ellington and Latin jazz giant Tito Puente, a virtuoso timbales player who doubles on many percussion instruments including vibes. We also hear some early jazz in honor of 4:20.

Kay Swift, Mary Louise Knutson, Levon Helm's sideman

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 21:00:00 -0400

We feature the birthdays of two women, one Kay Swift, as a composer ("Fine And Dandy," "Can This Be Love?" and "Can't We Be Friends") and Mary Louise Knutson, pianist, arranger and composer. We also acknowledge the passing of Levon Helm with music of his sideman: Howard Johnson, Steven Bernstein & Erik Lawrence.

The Death of Dick Clark - My Place Host Joel Najman Joins George on Jazz

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 21:00:00 -0400

Joel Najman of VPR's "My Place" is my special guest tonight as we discuss the role of Dick Clark, who died earlier today, in Rock music. The second hour of Jazz features groups like Count Basie, T-Bone Walker, The Cats And The Fiddle, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Louis Jordan who influenced Rock & Roll.

Jazz For A Tuesday Night

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 21:00:00 -0400

We hear a couple of classic Sonny Rollins sides, "I'm An Old Cowhand" and "Moritat" and Eric Dolphy's "Last Date" with Han Bennink (today is his birthday) on drums. We also sample recent releases including albums by vocalist Susie Arioli and pianist Lynne Arriale.

Herbie Mann, Henry Mancini, Bennie Green

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 21:00:00 -0400

We celebrate the birthdays of flute player/composer/band leader Herbie Mann; composer Henry Mancini, whose songs include "Moon River," The Days Of Wine And Roses," "Mr. Lucky," and "Peter Gunn" and trombonist Bennie Green.

Friday The 13th

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 21:00:00 -0400

Well it's Friday The 13th and time to play the Thelonious Monk tune by the same name. We hear the 1953 classic with Sonny Rollins on tenor sax, Julius Watkins on french horn and Monk on piano. We also hear a John Coltrane classic "Naima" with Alice Coltrane on piano and Pharoah Sanders on 2nd tenor sax.

Tommy Turrentine, Lionel Hampton, Helen Forrest, Herbie Hancock

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 21:00:00 -0400

We celebrate several jazz birthdays tonight: trumpeter Tommy Turrentine, brother to Stanley Turrentine; Lionel Hampton, vibraphonist, bandleader; vocalist Helen Forrest who sang with Benny Goodman in the 1940's; and Herbie Hancock, pianist, composer & bandleader.

Jazz New Releases & Classics

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 21:00:00 -0400

Tonight we taste some of the new jazz releases including, the Spanish pianist Chano Dominguez and his tribute to Miles Davis titled "Flamenco Sketches," Kenny Garrett's alto sax is featured on "Seeds From The Underground" and the Japanese pianist Masabumi Kikuchi leads his trio through a new ECM release "Sunrise."

Walter Bishop, Jr., George Freeman, Joey DeFrancesco, Denny Zeitlin

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 21:00:00 -0400

We celebrate the jazz keyboards tonight with birthdays of: pianist Walter Bishop, Jr., who worked with Charlie Parker; guitarist George Freeman; Hammond B3 organ master Joey DeFrancesco and the compositions of pianist Denny Zeitlin.

Yip Harburg, Billie Holiday, Carmen McRae

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 21:00:00 -0400

We celebrate the birthday of one of my favorite lyricist, Yip Harburg, author of "April In Paris," "Happiness Is Just A Thing Called Joe," "It's Only A Paper Moon," "Over The Rainbow," "Brother, Can You Spare A Dime" and many others. We also celebrate the birthdays of the vocalists, Billie Holiday and Carmen McRae.

Billie Holiday, Freddie Hubbard, Randy Weston, Connie Kay, Leo Robin

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 21:00:00 -0400

We celebrate several jazz birthdays tonight, including: vocalist Billie Holiday; composer & trumpeter Freddie Hubbard; composer, bandleader & pianist Randy Weston; drummer Connie Kay, best known for his work with The Modern Jazz Quartet and Leo Robin, lyricist for "My Ideal," "Easy Living" and many others.

Michel Camilo, Muddy Waters, Gary Smulyan, George Landry

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 21:00:00 -0400

Tonight we celebrate the birthdays of pianist/composer Michel Camilo; the blues great guitarist & vocalist Muddy Waters; baritone sax player and composer Gary Smulyan and George Landry (Big Chief Jolly), vocalist and leader of the black New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian tribe The Wild Tchoupitoulas.

Scott LaFaro, Jimmy McGriff

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 21:00:00 -0400

We celebrate the birthday of Scott LaFaro, a bass player who died too young but he did leave us with the Bill Evans Trio recordings of the early 1960's that define the piano trio genre. We also celebrate the birthday of the Hammond B3 organist Jimmy McGriff.

Booker Little, Larry Coryell

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 21:00:00 -0400

We celebrate the birthdays of: the composer, arranger & trumpeter Booker Little, who died young but left some distinctive early 1960's jazz classics; and guitarist Larry Coryell, bandleader and composer who was in Gary Burton's band for years.

Astrud Gilberto, Nora Jones, Marilyn Crispell, Eric Clapton

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 21:00:00 -0400

We celebrate the birthdays of the Brazilian vocalist Astrud Gilberto; the pianist, vocalist Nora Jones; the composer, bandleader and pianist Marilyn Crispell and the guitarist Eric Clapto, heard live with Taj Mahal and Wynton Marsalis.

Michael Brecker

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 21:00:00 -0400

In honor of his birthday, we hear the tenor sax of Michael Brecker in a variety of settings: with pianist McCoy Tyner, with pianist Herbie Hancock and trumpeter Roy Hargrove and under his own name with vocalist James Taylor.

Donald Brown, Thad Jones, Tete Montoliu, Orrin Evans

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 21:00:00 -0400

Tonight we celebrate the birthdays of some strong piano players, including: composer, pianist & bandleader Donald Brown; trumpeter Thad Jones; Spanish pianist Tete Montoli; pianist/composer Orrin Evans and boogie-woogie pianist Cripple Clarence Lofton.

Pee Wee Russell, Ben Webster, Sarah Vaughan

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 21:00:00 -0400

Tonight we celebrate the birthdays of three jazz giants: clarinet player Pee Wee Russell, with his unique sound and a reach from Dixieland to Monk; the master of the tenor sax Ben Webster, with his rich throaty sound and vocalist extraordinare Sarah Vaughan.

Terry Adams Talks With George Thomas

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 21:00:00 -0400

Terry Adams is the longtime keyboard player with the rock group NRBQ and has worked with Thelonious Monk's music for years as a curator & a player. Join George Thomas Monday @ 9pm as we discuss his upcoming show, "Terry Plays Monk and...." a performance at the Flynn Space on Thursday, April 5, 2012.

Dave Frishberg, Stefon Harris, King Pleasure, Aretha Franklin

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 21:00:00 -0400

We celebrate four birthdays tonight including the humorist, lyricist, pianist & vocalist Dave Frishberg; composer & vibes player Stefon Harris; King Pleasure, famous for setting lyrics to existing jazz solos and vocalist Aretha Franklin.

George Benson, Melvin Sparks, Bob Mover, Fred Anderson

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 21:00:00 -0400

We celebrate the birthdays of guitarist George Benson; guitarist Melvin Sparks; composer & sax player Bob Mover and the late tenor saxophonist Fred Anderson, a composer, member of the AACM, who's Chicago club The Velvet Lounge was a contemporary Minton's, a fertile place for great jazz.

Otis Spann, Amina Claudine Myers, J.S. Bach

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 21:00:00 -0400

Tonight we celebrate three birthdays: Otis Spann, Muddy Waters' half brother and the best pianist & vocalist ever to come out of the blues tradition; the vocalist, pianist & organist Amina Claudine Myers, an avant garde musician deeply rooted in the blues and J.S. Bach.

Spring, Marian McPartland, Christian Pamerleau

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 21:00:00 -0400

We celebrate the first day of Spring, which, this year, feels like mid-Summer - confusing at best. We also celebrate the birthday of pianist & composer Marian McPartland, and Montreal drummer Christian Pamerleau of the group Vue d' Ensemble.

Eliane Elias, Bill Frisell, Nat King Cole, Jessica Williams

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 21:00:00 -0400

We celebrate several birthdays tonight, including the Brasilian pianist & vocalist Eliane Elias; multiple guitarist and effects wizard Bill Frisell; the classic swing of the 1940's vocalist & pianist Nat King Cole; and pianist & composer Jessica Williams.

Ruby Braff, Tommy Flanagan, Don Raye, Sammy Gallop

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 21:00:00 -0400

We celebrate birthdays tonight of cornet player Ruby Braff; of pianist & composer Tommy Flanagan, who we hear on classic jazz records by John Coltrane (Giant Steps) and Sonny Rollins (Saxophone Colossus) and lyricists Don Raye and Sammy Gallop.

Charles Lloyd, Cecil Taylor, Bob Wilber

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 21:00:00 -0400

We celebrate the birthdays of tenor saxophonist, composer & bandleader Charles Lloyd; pianist, composer & bandleader Cecil Taylor and alto sax player Bob Wilber. We hear the Charles Lloyd masterpiece, Forest Flower with solos from Keith Jarrett, Cecil McBee and Jack DeJohnette.

Quincy Jones, Mark Murphy, Shirley Scott, Edward Heyman

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 21:00:00 -0400

We celebrate the birthdays of composer/bandleader Quincy Jones, vocalist Mark Murphy, Shirley Scott on the Hammond B3 organ and Edward Heyman who wrote the lyrics to "Body And Soul," "I Cover The Waterfront," and "Blame It On My Youth" and more.

Roy Haynes, Blue Mitchell, Bob Haggart, Mike Stoller

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 21:00:00 -0400

We celebrate the birthdays of drummer/bandleader Roy Haynes, trumpeter Blue Mitchell, composer Bob Haggart, "What's New" and "Big Noise From Winnetka," and songwriter Mike Stoller"Is That All There Is," "Kansas City," and "On Broadway."

Jesse Fuller, Sir Charles Thompson

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 21:00:00 -0400

We celebrate the birthday of blues legend Jesse Fuller, a one man band, playing 12-string guitar, harmonica, kazoo & fotdella(a bass instrument of his own design). We also celebrate the birthday of bop pianist Sir Charles Thompson who worked with Charlie Parker.

Ornette & George Coleman

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 21:00:00 -0500

We celebrate the birthdays of two sax giants Ornette Coleman & George Coleman,no relation. Ornette arrived in NYC in 1959 and changed jazz going forward with his bluesy alto sax and slippery, rhythmic tunes. George Coleman played tenor sax with Miles Davis & led his own bands.

International Women's Day in Jazz

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 21:00:00 -0500

Tonight we celebrate International Women's Day with 2 hours of great jazz musicians, composers & bandleaders who happen to be women. From pioneers like Lil Hardin Armstrong, Mary Lou Williams, Mary Osborne and greats including Marian McPartland, Geri Allen, Anat Fort, Anat Cohen, Virginia Mayhew, Terri Lyne Carrington & more.

Full Moon

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 21:00:00 -0500

Well, we started with a few selections inspired by the Full Moon, and ended up with two hours dedicated to powerful orb: "How High The Moon," "What A Little Moonlight Can Do," "Moon," "Moon And Sand," "Winter Moon," "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress," "Moonglow" and many more titles.

Post Primary Dance

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 22:06:00 -0500

Tonight's Post Primary Jazz Dance features a birthday celebration of guitarist Wes Montgomery and the passing of tenor saxophonist Red Holloway. We also note the passing of Disney composer Robert Sherman who, with his brother Richard Sherman, composed tunes popular with jazz artists: "Chim Chim Cheree" & "Feed The Birds."