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Tonight's Jazz Feature is an ad-hoc session that Miles Davis did just before he formed his first great quintet. in the Fall of 1955. Miles selected some players that he knew and liked. Milt Jackson, the premier vibist in Modern Jazz was one of them, Jackie McLean was invited and brought along two new compositions to record at Miles' request. Ray Bryant was selected on piano. He was new to New York and beginning to make waves. Bassist Percy Heath was a long standing associate of Miles as was drummer Arthur Taylor. Two Jackie McLean compositions ("Dr.Jackle" & "Minor March...

Tonight's Jazz Feature is a continuation of this month's tribute to Mr. Mingus. "Charles Mingus Month" is celebrating his 100th Birthday Anniversary. The Feature album is "East Coasting" done in August of 1957 during the time when Mingus was still an "underground" musician and composer. This was a period when the Charles Mingus Jazz Workshop (the name he called his bands) had a relatively stable personnel. The same band existed from late 1956 until the end of 1958. The only revolving door was the different pianists. The horns consisted of Jimmy Knepper on trombone...

This is the last installment this month of one-offs and rare recordings by obscure but fine players and tonight's Jazz Feature is no exception. We will do this again some other month this year as there are many more. The rather mysterious figure is a fine, original and swinging pianist named Roosevelt Wardell and this recording entitled "The Revelation" is the one and only date under his name. Roosevelt entered the musical world as an R&B singer but on the side he was learning the piano and aspired to be part of the Jazz world. R&B was a way of staying in music and m...

Mose Allison was a man of many parts....a pianist, vocalist and composer of songs that touched upon life, fun, politics and down-home wisdom. He was a very popular artist and had a very long career in his 89 years on the planet. His music had very broad appeal but he came from a solid Jazz background. As we are featuring rare recordings this month, this one qualifies as it was Mose's first album with arrangements and horns. Mose most always performed with just himself and bass and drums. Here he is heard both vocally and instrumentally with his arrangements and compositions with horns. Mose wr...

This band was born out of the social awareness that Gary Bartz possessed. Gary of course in one of the leading voices of the alto and soprano saxophones and at 81 is still very active as a player and teacher. Bartz rose to prominence with Art Blakey's Jazz messengers, Max Roach's Quintet, McCoy Tyner's Ensembles and most significantly with Miles Davis all by the early 70's. During his time with Miles Davis , Gary Bartz formed his NTU Troop and the music of the Troop reflected the times in America, the assassinations of prominent figures, the Kennedy's, Malcolm X, Dr. M.L.King and the ongoing V...