The Jazz Break at Noon is KRTU’s weekly, mid-day program. Hosted by Music Director Kory Cook, the program is an educational listening session highlighting major artists, styles, and themes from jazz music’s rich history. From rare recordings of the 1930s to today’s most progressive sounds, the Jazz Break at Noon takes you on an educational sonic journey through jazz history.
June 7 - June 11
A Week of Recorded Gems in Jazz History
This week on the Jazz Break at Noon we'll hear complete recordings and select tracks from a handful of important jazz documents recorded during the week of June 7-June 11 during select years throughout history. John Coltrane's Africa/Brass, Miles Davis's Nefertiti, Wes Montgomery's A Day in the Life, Lennie Tristano's Tristano, and The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album are all included among the highlights.
June 14 - June 18
The Humor, Wit, and Wisdom of Pianist Jaki Byard
Born June 25, 1922, in Worcester, Massachusetts, pianist, bandleader, and educator Jaki Byard stressed the importance of the music's history through ragtime and stride piano while simultaneously pushing the sound forward as a practitioner of free jazz piano and the avant garde. Byard's unpredictable approach can be heard on collaborations with Charles Mingus, Booker Ervin, Roland Kirk, and from his own masterful solo and trio recordings.
June 21 - June 25
The Vivid Percussion of Joe Chambers
Drummer/percussionist and bandleader Joe Chambers just released Samba De Maracatu on the Blue Note label. His distinct sound and articulate mastery of the drum kit can be heard on collaborations with Bobby Hutcherson, Joe Henderson, Andrew Hill, Max Roach's MBoom ensemble, and many more. We'll celebrate the birthday of Chambers this week on the Jazz Break at Noon while listening to selections from his comprehensive body of work from the early 1960's to today.
June 28 - June 30
The Harp in Jazz: A Rarity of Beauty
Origins of the harp as a musical instrument can be traced back to 3000 BCE in Asia and Africa, and eventually to Europe's Middle Ages and Renaissance. Today, the harp maintains a fragile relationship to jazz and American popular music while remaining on the fringe of instrumentation heard in modern improvisation. Mid-century artists like Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane introduced the harp to jazz listeners, and today's players Brandee Younger, Carol Robbins, and Colombia's Edmar Castaneda illuminate the instrument's rare but relevant place in jazz. This week, we'll celebrate Younger's birthday and hear from a wide variety of recordings featuring the harp in jazz and improvised music.
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