2-5-1

Send us a text Here is a bit more about Ray Smith of Rays Jazz Shop fame This is our website This is our Instagram This is our Facebook group

Send us a text Rays Jazz Shop Rays Jazz shop was originally Collets Jazz and Folk Records  " The shop moved to Shaftesbury Ave in 1974 and the following year Ray came to an agreement with Chris Barber to store and sell a vast number of mint condition 78s which Chris had picked up from a warehouse in New Jersey. They were on the Savoy, DeeGee and Bop labels, still boxed in original packaging f...

But is it Jazz We discuss another philosophical question and throw up a few questions for each other as to what we consider jazz This episode could have gone on for much longer! If you have any questions or thoughts about this topic please get in touch via our website. This is our website   This is our Instagram This is our Facebook group

Can an AI Learn Jazz? In this episode we discuss the above question. Neither of us are developers, but we both teach and so, in many ways the episode is more about what is required to learn jazz and whether Artificial Intelligence  could achieve this  What do you think? This is our website   This is our Instagram This is our Facebook group

What is comping? Who does it? What is it meant to achieve? We discuss this and more in this episode. Find a playlist on Apple Music that consists of multiple versions of the same tune with different comping styles here. This is our website   This is our Instagram This is our Facebook group

ECM records have a place in jazz rivaled only by the classic American labels like Blue Note and Prestige.  There are clear comparisons with Blue Note, A unique look A particular sound A roster of important musicians You can see a Pinterest collection of ECM covers here. In this episode we discuss these and other points. This is our website   This is our Instagram This is our Facebook gro...

A picture that is well known to those in jazz and beyond was taken on August 12th 1958 for Esquire magazine by Art Kane. We discuss it in this episode. The documentary is available here This is our website   This is our Instagram This is our Facebook group

Send us a text The fame of Andy Warhol has lasted a lot longer than fifteen minutes but perhaps his jazz album cover artwork is less well known than his soup tins, Marilyn Monroes or his Velvet underground Banana Cover. We discuss these in this episode  many are collected  in this blog by The Music Aficionado here with some thoughtful insights,  more can be found on the discos site here This is ou...

Pat Moran was active as a jazz pianist in the 1950s-1960s and played with many notable artists particularly on the West Coast.  Her trio album with Scott La Faro 1957 is a real gem in our opinion. Her classical training has furnished her with a great facility at the piano and her fast runs are crisp and well phrased.  The complete trio album released by  Fresh Sounds combines t...

Nick and Simon talk about the artist Romare Bearden who was connected to the jazz scene in more than one way. His most well known works are collages, and often depict jazz subjects. He went to School with Billy Eckstine, and wrote Sea Breeze with him which featured on the Branford Marsalis album Romare Bearden Revealed  A cultural figure whose foundation  supports his legacy and the...

Simon and Nick talk about the long running radio show hosted by Marion McPartland. Episodes are still available to stream from NPR, like this one with Gene Harris   This is our website   This is our Instagram This is our Facebook group

This episode is based around the book " Blue Rhythm Fantasy" which is concerned , primarily,  with the work of arranger Chappie Willet. A freelancer, he set up an office in the Times Square district calling it The Broadway Music clinic. He was a successful African American entrepreneur and worked for some of the top acts of his day including Louis Armstrong.   This is our website  ...

Nick and Simon discuss the short lived but influential London jazz club "Club Eleven", (named after the number of founder members) It began life just before Christmas 1948 and was a co-operative arrangement designed to bring bebop to the attention of the jazz public at large. The musicians involved were Ronnie Scott, Hank Shaw, Leon Calvert, Johnny Rogers, Bernie Fenton, Tommy Pollard, Lennie Bush...

Send us a text Nick And Simon talk about the Jazz Novel Blow up a storm published in 1959 [ a seminal year in Jazz history] This is a first novel by the director, producer and dramatist, Garson Kanin, whose short stories have appeared in Esquire, Vogue and the Atlantic Monthly. Written in the first person and told in flashback this is a dramatist's recollections of his early days in jazz -- d...

Simon & Nick discuss the score to Mr Benn by Don Warren an alias for Duncan Lamont. Lamont worked for several decades as a freelance musician (on flute and clarinet as well as saxophone), based around Archer Street in Soho, playing in the surrounding jazz clubs. He often performed with British bands accompanying American vocalists, including Fred Astaire , Tony Bennett , Bing Crosby , Sammy Da...

Nick and Simon talk about the film Born to Be Blue   a 2015  drama film directed, produced and written by Robert Budreau . The film stars Ethan Hawke and Carmen Ejogo . The film is about American jazz musician Chet Baker , portrayed by Hawke. Directed by | Robert Budreau Written by | Robert Budreau Produced by | Jennifer JonasRobert Budreau Leonard Farlinger Jake Seal [1] Starring | Etha...

Inspired by a post on Instagram, and the  standard stereotypical responses to the question " Dear 'people who don't like jazz' what don't you like about it?" posed by Kira C Garcia  (follow her here )   Nick and Simon pondered the question. Look out for a blog on this from Simon. This is our website   This is our Instagram This is our Facebook group

Jam sessions have been, and continue to be at the heart of the jazz scene.  In this episode Simon and Nick briefly  discuss the history, culture and function of jam sessions in jazz. You can get more information about our podcasts here Thanks for listening

In this episode Nick leads the discussion on the subject of jazz and its connection to civil rights.

In this episode we discuss Spike Lee's Mo Better Blues.  Wikipedia says: Mo' Better Blues is a 1990 American musical comedy-drama film starring Denzel Washington , Wesley Snipes , and Spike Lee , who also wrote, produced, and directed. [1] It follows a period in the life of fictional jazz trumpeter Bleek Gilliam (played by Washington) as a series of bad decisions result in his jeopardizing bo...

Any student of jazz will be well aware of the Aebersold series - over 100 play along records with accompanying books. There are even supplements with transcriptions of the voicings the pianist played if that's your sort of thing!.  Nick and Simon discuss the origin and impact of the series. His website is here It has an interesting page for further reading

In this episode Simon & Nick discuss jazz and meditation. There are elements of meditation that improvisers may well relate to : flow state, acceptance, being in the moment, completely absorbed in the process yet fully aware of what is happening around you.  We mention  Kenny Werners Effortless Mastery  Tony Scott Music For Zen Meditation Jerry Begonzi Developing a jazz language...

This episode is about the "under-the-radar" pianist Jimmy Jones.  An arranger/pianist for some of the great singers, here is an Apple Music link to the album Nick mentions in the episode : Sarah Vaughan - The Divine One. "The Divine One"   

Send us a text In this episode, Nick and Simon discuss what it means to practice jazz piano.

Two pianists walk into a bar looking confused. It was an 11/8 bar. What role does humour play in jazz.