Music Interviews: Celebrating Jazz Pianist Dave Brubeck’s 90th Birthday
The jazz icon turns 90 on Monday. Fresh Air marks the occasion by rebroadcasting a 1999 interview spanning Brubeck’s entire remarkable career.
JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater: Hot Pepper, Hot Club Of Detroit On JazzSet
Pepper Adams carved out a strong, edgy sound on the baritone sax — centered, fast, accurate, swinging. From the Detroit Jazz Fest, hear Gary Smulyan pay tribute to Adams with a quartet. Hot Club of Detroit closes the show with Django Reinhardt-inspired jazz.
Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz: Nellie McKay On Piano Jazz
The eccentric young singer-songwriter and pianist joins guest host Michael Feinstein as they flip through a few pages of The Great American Songbook on this episode of Piano Jazz.
Holiday Music: A Holiday Gift Guide For The Jazz Lover
Fresh Air jazz critic Kevin Whitehead picks CDs, books and a DVD for the jazz lover on your list this holiday season. His selections include a book of Sonny Rollins photographs and music from the first season of the HBO series Treme.
A Blog Supreme: Several Jazz Surprises In The 2011 Grammy Award Nominations
The Grammy nomination announcement last night unveiled some unexpected nods in the jazz world, including bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding for Best New Artist. See a breakdown of all the jazz categories, complete with picks and predictions.
One of the top jazz bassists of all time, especially during 1955-1965, Paul Chambers was among the first in jazz to take creative bowed solos (other than Slam Stewart, who hummed along with his bowing). He grew up in Detroit, where he was part of the fertile local jazz scene. After touring with Paul Quinichette, Chambers went to New York, where he played with the J.J. Johnson-Kai Winding quintet and George Wallington.