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.
January 11-15:
Decades of Influence from Keyboardists on Blue Note Records
On January 6, 1939, Blue Note Records founder Alfred Lion brought blues pianists Albert Ammons and Meade "Lux" Lewis to a New York City studio for the label's very first session. Since, pianists and keyboardists featured on Blue Note have defined significant movements in jazz through the decades. Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Horace Silver, Jimmy Smith, and Herbie Hancock to Cecil Taylor, Andrew Hill, Jason Moran, and Robert Glasper are among artists who lead recording dates on the label that contributed to milestones in jazz and improvised music. This week, we'll listen to works from these pioneers along with other Blue Note pianists like Sonny Clark, Jutta Hipp, Renee Rosnes, Don Pullen, and more.
January 18-22:
Freedom, Civil Rights, and Protest in Jazz
Monday January 18, 2021, is the 26th anniversary of the day of service celebrating Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.'s life and legacy. This week, we honor Dr. King with recordings in jazz and their critical role in the Civil Rights movement. Protest works from Billie Holiday, Charles Mingus, Nina Simone, Duke Ellington, and John Coltrane represent some of the early examples and set the tone for emerging artists in jazz to follow through with the message of hope and freedom in their music.
January 25-29:
Deviations and Creations from Vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson
Percussionist and vibraphone master Bobby Hutcherson provided us with a multi-faceted, advanced, and challenging selection of compositions and recordings from the early sixties to his final recording in 2014. Although often listed among top vibraphonists in jazz like Lionel Hampton and Milt Jackson, Hutcherson brought a more speculative and impressionistic version of the instrument to his many recordings we'll hear this week.
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