Jan 2 - Jan 6
Birthday Broadcasts
Milt Jackson: Born January 1, 1923, Detroit, MI. Early recordings from the lead vibraphonist and be-bop pioneer. Herbie Nichols: Born January 3, 1919, in San Juan Hill, NY. The sublime and innovative pianist's Blue Note trio recordings. Frank Wess: Born January 4, 1922, in Kansas City, MO. A long and fruitful career as a saxophonist and flutist offers plenty of recordings to choose from, beginning with Wess and Count Basie. Myra Melford: Born January 5, 1957, in Evanston, IL. Guggenheim fellow Melford's experimental and diverse sounds on the piano are heard on select record labels with numerous, sympathetic collaborations. Barry Altschul: Born January 6, 1943, in New York City, NY. Expressive drummer Altschul's bop excursions and free playing appears on recordings with Sam Rivers, Oliver Lake, Jon Irabagon, and Dave Holland.
Jan 9 - Jan 13
Max Roach on Soul Note, 1979-1986
Monumental be bop master Max Roach began recording for the Italian record label Soul Note during the company's first year in 1979. Albums like In the Light, Scott Free, Pictures in a Frame, and Survivors are among the Roach titles that present an intimate, musical portrait of the drummer as soloist and creator of form and free space in composition. Solo pieces in-and-out of time and biting horn lines from Cecil Bridgewater and Odean Pope complement string-laden orchestral tracks on the final recording dates.
Jan 16 - Jan 20
Blues, Be Bop, and Beyond with Don Pullen
Born on Christmas Day in 1941, percussive pianist Don Pullen uses rhythm and harmony from the church, traditional jazz, blues, be bop, and the avant-garde, often all in one improvised chorus. His expressive approach sometimes involves the use of his arms and elbows for a less traditional splash of thunderous note clusters on the piano. Pullen supported Charles Mingus on the bass giant's final recordings and collaborated with saxophonist George Adams for a series of brilliant albums. Don Pullen in the 1970's, to recordings made before his untimely death in the mid 1990's, all this week on the Jazz Break at Noon.
Jan 23 - Jan 27
British Jazz and the UK Explosion
Jazz artists born in the United Kingdom, including England, Scotland, and Wales, have performed and recorded their own unique approach to improvised music since the Original Dixieland Jazz Band's British tour in 1919. A long list of musicians including Ronnie Scott, John Dankworth, Tubby Hayes, and Stan Tracey led the pack throughout the '50's and '60's, with today's artists Moses Boyd, Soweto Kinch, Shabaka Hutchings, and a host of others evolving out of the tradition throughout the UK.
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