Page 2 - Jazz Feature News Today

Tonights Jazz Feature has been an important part of tonights Christmas Jazz Show for many years and tradition will continue with the famous and lasting Christmas Eve (1954) recording session with the Miles Davis All-Stars. Its sometimes known as the "Bags Groove Session" as that tune written by Milt Jackson is the opener. The All-Stars are of course, Miles Davis on trumpet, Milt Jackson on vibes, Thelonious Monk on piano, Percy Heath on bass and Kenny Clarke on drums. Four tunes were r...

Tonights Jazz Feature is an obscure by excellent album by a group of fine players based in Los Angeles. The leader is the great Harold Land on tenor saxophone along with a fine lesser known trumpeter named Martin Banks. Amos trice is on piano, Clarence Jones on bass and Leon Pettis on drums. Save for Land, none of these players are well known but their music is world class. The album was recorded in 1960 and not ever issued until 1980, undeservedly delayed. The tunes are by Land(2) Amos Trice(1)...

Tonights Jazz Feature is a one time meeting of two great Jazz stars. They knew one another but never played together and were brought together by the producing genius of Norman Granz. Granz was one of the great entrepreneurs of Jazz. Tenor saxophonist Stan Getz was one of the major voices of that instrument and vibraphonist Lionel Hampton was one of the pioneers of that instrument and had been prominent since the early 1930s. Creative sparks flew on this session and the combination of Getz and H...

Tonights Jazz Feature is a suite in 6 movements written by the late Gary McFarland and its titled "America The Beautiful: An Account of Its Disappearance". McFarland wrote this music in 1968 over deep concerns about his beloved America which was in that year in turmoil...race riots, assassinations, the Vietnam War plus the wanton destruction of the environment manifested by endless shopping malls, tract housing, garbage strewn everywhere and unmitigated greed. This suite is McFarlands ...

Tonoghts Jazz Show celebrates the Birthday Anniversary of a trumpet player who gave a whole generation of younger players the basis for their style and approach to the trumpet/ Even though Clifford Brown died in a car crash at age 25 on June 26, 1956, his trumpet work is still the standard for most young players to strive to attain. Tonights Jazz Feature spotlights the Clifford Brown/Max Roach Quintet at its best that was done in the optimum conditions of the recording studio during the time th...

Carla Bley passed away on Oct 17, 2023 at age 87 but her music and her compositions occupy an important segment of modern music and Jazz. Her great legacy of compositions and her orchestra represented her broad and eclectic talent over many years and tonights Jazz Feature is very fine representation of her music and orchestra. The album was recorded with her band full of incredible musicians from all over the world and is called "Big Band Theory". It features some very prominent player...

Tonights Jazz Feature is an important album by pianist/composer Thelonious Monk called "Monks Music". It is a series of older Monk compositions with one new piece played by a larger group than Monk usually recorded with at that time. It was done in one evening on June 26,1957. Monk selected the band and it included Ray Copeland on trumpet, Gigi Gryce on alto saxophone, John Coltrane and Coleman Hawkins on tenor saxophones, Wilbur Ware on bass and Art Blakey on drums and of course Monk...

Tonights Jazz Feature is pianist/composer Sharon Minemoto who has been a long standing star on the Vancouver Jazz scene. This is her latest album just released on the Cellar Live label. Its called "Dark Nights, Bright Stars" and it features her long standing group of her favorite musicians. Jon Bentley on tenor and soprano saxophones, Darren Radke on bass, and Bernie Arai on drums. These musicians all met when they were students at Capilano University and enrolled in the music program...

Tonights Jazz Feature celebrates the 97th Birthday Anniversary of John William Coltrane. Coltrane needless to say was one of the most iconic and influential saxophonists in contemporary Jazz and despite his short life which ended at age 40, he accomplished so much and left and enormous legacy. Tonights Jazz Feature is the first official recording of Coltranes "Classic Quartet" called "Coltrane". It was done over several sessions in April, June and November of 1962 and produce...

Tonights Jazz Feature is Part 2 of a regular annual tradition on The Jazz Show and highlights Septembers "back to school, back to work tradition". Basically a little enjoyable and fun music education with Maestro Bernstein explaining "What is Jazz". This is an easy and sometimes humorous explanation of what Jazz is and what Jazz isnt in terms that one doesnt need a music education to understand. Leonard Bernstein made it a life long effort to bring music to the people and to ...