CiTR -- The Jazz Show

Tonight we are beginning the month of October with a whole series of very obscure but near great players. Some of these names not even the most devoted fans know about. There are 5 Mondays in October so tune in and hear some fine music from these unsung greats. Our first is John Erskine "Rocky" Boyd who was born in Boston in 1936. Rocky came to New York in 1958 and made an impression on the scene...

This was a pivotal album by Miles Davis' "second great quintet". Miles Davis with Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass and Tony Williams on drums. The band worked a lot in 1966 and Miles, who had a health scare and a car accident in 1965 came back in force with his health restored and his energy intact for this amazing recording done in October 1966. This a...

This is Part 2 of The Jazz Show's traditional homage to the idea of "back to school". We do this every year at this time and tonight it's the historic, informative and entertaining narration delivered by Maestro Leonard Bernstein on "What is Jazz". Bernstein was a most influential musician, conductor and communicator of the 20th Century and really needs no introduction. He loved and respected Jazz...

This Jazz Feature recording is a bit of a Jazz Show tradition in that we welcome September with a "back to school" feature. This week we present a wonderful recording done in 1960 narrated by the great alto saxophonist/bandleader Julian "Cannonball" Adderley in which he traces a historical overview of Jazz music from it's beginnings until 1960, when this was recorded. Despite the fact that it ends...

This great band was and has been somewhat overlooked when one reassesses the long career of vibist Bobby Hutcherson. This group was a working band made up of four core members: Bobby Hutcherson on vibes and marimba, Manny Boyd on soprano and tenor saxophone and flute, James Leary III on bass and Eddie Marshall on drums. The band as you might have gathered was based in SanFrancisco. For special gig...

This was one of the finest tenor saxophone tag-team bands in Jazz. The two contrasting tenor saxophone masters stayed together for almost three years (1960-63) before Lockjaw Davis rejoined Count Basie's band and Johnny Griffin headed for greener pastures in Europe. Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Johnny Griffin recorded many albums for both Prestige records of which Davis was under contract and Riversi...

Jutta Hipp was from Leipzig, Germany and came to America in 1955. She had a very short recording career and sadly for a variety of complex reasons left music entirely by the end of the 50s. She recorded three fine albums for Blue Note Records. Tonight's Jazz feature draws from her first two. They were live albums with her Trio with British bassist Peter Ind and the great Ed Thigpen on drums. These...

The Basie Band of the 1950s was sometimes called "The Atomic Band" as one of their hit records had a photo of an atomic bomb blast on it. It was recorded in 1957 and called "Basie Plays Hefti" (Count Basie plays the arrangements of Neal Hefti). This album heard tonight is basically the same band with a few minor personnel changes. It was recorded on May 31,1959 during a one-nighter at the American...

Our Jazz feature album is Cannonball Adderley's "Fiddler On The Roof". It is an overlooked gem in the vast discography of master alto saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley. Not only is his band not playing their usual repertoire they are playing music from an iconic Broadway hit play about life in the Jewish ghetto in early 20th Century Russia. The music and the story are so well known and it's...

Wynton Kelly was an extraordinary pianist by any standard. He exhibited a wonderful touch and command of the instrument. His musical concept expressed a dancing quality and a great lyricism plus the absolute joy of making his music. All of this translated to the listener. Wynton only lived for 39 years but his recorded legacy is long both as a sideman and as a leader. Many people have said that to...

This classic album was recorded in February of 1956 in Los Angeles and is a masterpiece of elegant understated Jazz music. "2 Degrees East" refer to the nominal leader, pianist John Lewis and bassist Percy Heath both based in New York.. "3 Degrees West" refer to the lyrical Lester Young influenced tenor saxophonist Bill Perkins, guitarist Jim Hall and brush master, drummer Chico Hamilton all based...

Vibraphonist Milt Jackson is an acknowledged pioneer of Modern Jazz. Jackson s brought the vibes into the modern era. He was inspired mostly by Lionel Hampton but forged his own concept and sound on that instrument and gave birth and inspiration to people of his era like Terry Gibbs, Joe Roland, Cal Tjader and others and of course influenced the younger players like Gary Burton, Dave Pike and espe...

This fine album was Booker Ervin's first for the Prestige label under his name. This fine beginning was obviously well planned by Booker and he picked his sidemen well. Booker Ervin during his short ten year time on the national Jazz scene proved himself to be one of the most identifiable and strongest voices of the tenor saxophone. A big walloping sound and a great blues-based concept made him a...

Charles Earland was one of the leading Jazzmasters of the mighty Hammond Organ and he organized and arranged this great set with a full brass section and some superb soloists to augment this date. The soloists aside from Earland himself were tenor saxophonist Billy Harper, flutist Hubert Laws and most importantly the master trumpeter Lee Morgan. Sadly this was Lee Morgan's last date as he was shot...

Our final show and presentation dedicated to Jazz Festival Month (June 2017). For the Jazz Feature, we've been presenting a series of great live performances done at clubs, concerts and arenas all over the globe. Tonight you can expect to hear guitarists Charlie Christian jamming in a Harlem after-hours club in 1941, Wes Montgomery and Grant Green. You'll also hear Sonny Rollins, Ornette Coleman,...

As this is Jazz Festival month, The Jazz Show is presenting some classic live performances by the greats in concert or in clubs and we'll continue this until the end of the month. Expect to hear tonight: Charles Mingus, Tadd Dameron and His Band with Fats Navarro, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk with a Big Band, Art Blakey with Clifford Brown and much more. Live music is best and some of the best w...

Gavin Walker, your host and guest John Orysik, a founding member of the Vancouver International Jazz Festival takes over The Jazz Show and presents music that will be at this year's Jazz Festival. This is a show not to be missed as it only happens once a year. Tune in!

For the month of June it's Jazz Festival Month in Vancouver so to honour that, the Jazz Show will be presenting as The Jazz Feature for June 5, 19, 26 some great live performances done in concerts, clubs and other venues. These performances will be randomly picked every week for the month of June so you may expect to hear, Benny Goodman, Charles Mingus, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Lionel Hampton a...

This great band comprising a groups of living veterans of Jazz music is one of the great working bands of today. Working bands are rare in this day and age but this band tours the world playing in clubs and doing concerts. They play a great repertoire that comes from the members of the band and they have a wonderful collective spirit much like Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers from yesteryear. The orga...

Trombonist Locksley Wellington Hampton was nicknamed "Slide" as he mastered the trombone. Slide mastered other horns as well but also writing and arranging. He formed a hip working band in the early 60s called "The Slide Hampton Octet". Eight strong pieces but when budgets and circumstances allowed, Slide would augment the Octet for a bigger sound. It is thus with this album called "Sister Salvati...

Tonight's Jazz Feature is all about some of the "keepers of the Jazz flame". These five talented gentlemen are some of the busiest and most active people on the New York Jazz scene. They are all internationally known and all of them are leaders on their individual instruments. They play in other bands but they all come together as they do on this disc and make some significant music. This album re...

This beautifully introspective and reflective album features two great music masters. Gary Peacock, one of the premier bassists in the history of Jazz and improvised music and classical and 12-string guitarist Ralph Towner. The music here is also quietly intense and belies the fact that only two people are playing and acoustically at that! This wonderful album was recorded in Oslo for ECM Records...

Charles Mingus looms large as one of the true greats of American Jazz. Composer, virtuoso bassist and pianist and a man who like Duke Ellington created his own brand of music. Two different recording sessions are represented here. The first is from January 1963 with an 11 piece ensemble. Two updates of Mingus compositions featuring the passionate alto saxophone work of the late Charlie Mariano. "I...

These recordings were made for two small related labels when pianist/composer Elmo Hope returned to his native New York in 1961 after four up and down years in Los Angeles. These labels called "Beacon" and "Celebrity" were poorly distributed and sadly for Elmo Hope, received scant attention and yet they were some of his finest compositions and playing. They are fortunately more available today and...

Saxophonist Oliver Nelson was a man for all musical seasons. He played all of the saxophones specializing in alto, tenor and later soprano saxophone. He was a masterful composer and arranger. Even though he recorded prolifically and was responsible for a few real classics, this session is a little bit overlooked. It is a well organized session as all Nelson's records are but with less emphasis on...