Jazz Break at Noon - September 2025

September 1 - 5 

West Coast Cool: Bebop to Bossa Nova Hosted by JJ Lopez
This week on The Jazz Break at Noon, we’re taking a deep dive into the relaxed and lyrical sounds of West Coast Jazz. We'll journey from the East Coast bebop origins of the music, following the recordings of key musicians and arrangers, including Miles Davis, Gil Evans, and baritone saxophonist, Gerry Mulligan, who migrated to California in the 1950s. Their combined efforts on Miles Davis’s landmark 1949 recording, Birth of the Cool, inspired several generations of musicians to explore a cooler, more arranged, and harmonically rich approach to chamber and orchestral jazz, borrowing heavily from classical and 20th-century music. Countering the intensity of bebop, this new sound incorporated instruments like the French horn, tuba, and baritone saxophone, expanding the ensemble and borrowing the best from the Big Band era and bebop.

We'll explore how these artists, along with West Coast pioneers such as Chet Baker, Lee Konitz, Dave Brubeck, Paul Desmond, Stan Getz, Bob Brookmeyer, and Art Pepper, developed a sound that would crossover into the world of popular music and film. This week’s Jazz Break will also highlight how this "cool" sound eventually found common ground with the sophisticated rhythms of bossa nova in the mid-1960s, further illuminating a relaxed vibe that defined an era and a style known as West Coast Jazz. Join us!

September 8-12 

Eloquent Clarinets: From New Orleans to Now Hosted by JJ Lopez
This week on The Jazz Break at Noon, we're celebrating Jazz Clarinet with a special feature highlighting some of the most notable clarinet virtuosos from throughout jazz history. While the clarinet's popularity has ebbed and flowed, its soft tone has remained a constant with several leading figures since the turn of the 20th century. Peaking during the Jazz Age and Swing Era, the instrument found its voice with masters like Johnny Dodds and Sidney Bechet and later with bandleaders Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw. Our journey continues as we explore the clarinet's expanded potential in the world of bebop with innovators like Buddy Defranco and its venture into abstraction and avant-garde with Eric Dolphy in the 1960s. We'll conclude our listening session with a spotlight on some of today's leading voices in clarinetistry, including bandleader and composer Anat Cohen, who keep the instrument in the foreground of modern jazz. Join us!

September 15-19

Remembering Jim Cullum Jr. and Riverwalk Jazz   Jim Cullum Jr. (Sept. 20, 1941 – Aug. 11, 2019)
This week on The Jazz Break at Noon, we pay tribute to a San Antonio legend and a cornerstone of traditional and classic jazz, cornetist Jim Cullum Jr.. Born on September 20, 1941, Cullum was a musical historian and crusader who, along with his iconic band, The Jim Cullum Jazz Band, brought the sounds of classic jazz to national and international audiences for decades with his internationally recognized radio broadcast, Riverwalk Jazz (1989-2012). His highly personal style combined the driving force of King Oliver with the lyrical sensitivity of Bix Beiderbecke, leaving a lasting impression on the music and the community that loved him.

In partnership with the Cullum family and the Stanford Archive of Recorded Sound, we are honored to present five special, historic episodes from the vast archives of Riverwalk Jazz. We invite you to jump back in time to those unforgettable evenings at The Landing on the San Antonio Riverwalk, listening to stories about jazz’s most celebrated artists and the band's unforgettable performances of timeless classics. From a vast archive of over 350 programs, we present:

• Program #6: Super Satch: An American Hero, the Music of Louis Armstrong
• Program #28: All In a Texas Family: The Jazz Legacy of Emilio and Ernie Caceres
• Program #54: Swing That Music: A Family Portrait of the Jim Cullum Jazz Band
• Program #66: Texas Roots in Jazz & Blues: Lone Star Boogie Woogie & Swing
• Program #376: The Jim Cullum Jazz Band Celebrates 50 Years On Stage

Join us as we celebrate the enduring legacy of a local treasure and a giant of classic jazz, Jim Cullum Jr..

About Riverwalk Jazz: For over two decades, the Riverwalk Jazz radio series educated and entertained public radio listeners, telling the story of early jazz and blues as it evolved in the first half of the 20th century. Recorded live at The Landing on the San Antonio Riverwalk, the program featured The Jim Cullum Jazz Band and host Jim Cullum Jr. who, along with special guests, shared timeless stories and live music. The show's commitment to preserving and presenting the sounds of a bygone era has been solidified by its 2012 donation to the Stanford Archive of Recorded Sound, where its more than 350 programs are now preserved for future generations.

September 22-26

Jazz'SAlive: Meet the artists for the 42nd Annual Festival
San Antonio’s annual jazz festival, Jazz’SAlive, returns to Civic Park at Hemisfair this Friday and Saturday, September 26th and 27th. Spanning back to 1984, Jazz’SAlive has set the stage for performances by Grammy award-winning Poncho Sanchez and saxophone icon Kirk Whalum, amongst other legendary artists like Freddie Hubbard, Tito Puente, Nancy Wilson and Arturo Sandoval.

The 2025 lineup features local artists including MiChelle Garibay-Carey, and The St. Mary’s University Jazz Combo. Attendees will also see up and coming talent like Jason Charos and Lucìa Gutiérrez Rebolloso. This year’s festival brings two distinguished headliners to the stage, Endea Owens and The Cookout and Afro-Cuban percussionist Pedrito Martinez.The diverse lineup is packed full of culture and community, setting the tone for what has continued to be a vibrant festival.

This week on The Jazz Break at Noon, the playlist will feature music from some of this year’s featured artists and select recordings from legendary artists who have taken the stage in years past. Join host Bria Woods each weekday from 12pm to 1pm CST as she also shares stories behind the festival’s storied history. We'll also feature interviews with some of the 2025 artists.

Join us this week, on-air, and at the Civic Park, as we celebrate the legacy and explore the future of San Antonio's Jazz’SAlive festival.

September 29 - October 3

Pulse of the Present: A Survey of New Releases
The 2025 contemporary jazz scene is exploding with creativity, blending tradition and innovation. This week on The Jazz Break at Noon, we survey the freshest releases, showcasing the full spectrum of current jazz: from the sophisticated modernism of pianists Paul Cornish and Brad Mehldau to genre-blending visionaries like Nicholas Payton, Etienne Charles, Trio of Bloom, and vibraphonist Patricia Brennan. We'll also highlight albums honoring Detroit's soul tradition with Don Was and the Pan-Detroit Ensemble, new socially conscious compositions from drummer Johnathan Blake, and rising vocal stars Lucía and Tyreek McDole. Get ready to discover your next favorite album as we explore the pulse of the present jazz scene. Join us! Hosted by JJ Lopez.