CiTR -- The Jazz Show

We are continuing this month of March with one-off and rare recordings and tonight's Jazz feature is just that. Not too much is known about the leader, tenor saxophonist Joe Alexander except he was originally from Birmingham, Alabama but spent most of his playing career in Cleveland, Ohio where he found steady work. His only other recorded appearance is on Tadd Dameron's album "Fontainebleau" from...

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 w...

Tonight for the month of March, The Jazz Show's Jazz Features will be albums that are one of a kind. Mostly albums by fine musicians that only had one recording issued in their lifetime. This was in no way that these players were second rate but simply circumstance and the vagaries of the Jazz recording business. Ron Jefferson is a case in point. He was a fine and in demand drummer who really incr...

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 Mi...

Oliver Edward Nelson was not only a formidable saxophonist (alto/tenor/soprano) but a prolific composer/arranger and band leader. In his short life, he accomplished much in his 43 years on the planet. He died it is said from overwork from a premature heart attack. Tonight's Jazz Feature is The Jazz Show's continuing tribute to Black History Month. "Afro-American Sketches" is a large orchestra work...

This remarkable album is The Jazz Show's further tribute to Black History Month. It is reflective of the changing social mores of African-Americans during a volatile period of American History. It was recorded in 1969 and the climate in the USA was shaken by the assassinations of President John Kennedy and later his brother Bobby, Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King coupled with the Vietnam War....

Tonight's Jazz Feature honours Black History Month and throughout February we'll spotlight music that has social significance. We'll open with a piece by drummer Max Roach's band from 1980 first. The piece is a composition by Mr. Roach, and it's called "The Dream/ It's Time". It features the Roach Quartet interspersed by sections of Dr. Martin Luther King's Famous "I have a dream" speech. The band...

This is a very fine look at a short-lived band co-led by the great Art Pepper on alto saxophone and Jack Montrose on tenor saxophone. This band displayed amazing chemistry and intuition between the two co-leaders. The rhythm section was also the cream of the crop on L.A. based musicians. Claude Williamson on piano, the ever reliable Monty Budwig on bass and the multi talented Larry Bunker on drums...

This is an important album in the recorded legacy of Miles Davis. It is the first studio recording of what was referred to as Miles Davis' Second Great Quintet. It was recorded in Los Angeles in January of 1965. The band with Miles Davis on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass and Tony Williams on drums was on a west coast tour and Miles agreed to...

Today our Jazz Feature celebrates the Birthday of one of the pioneers of Modern Jazz and it's leading drummer, Maxwell Lemuel Roach. Max Roach was born in North Carolina on Jan 10, 1924 and raised in New York. He lived to 83, passing away on August 16,2007. Max had formed one of the leading bands of the 1950's with trumpeter Clifford Brown. They toured and recorded some iconic records but tragedy...

This recording by Miles Davis and the Gil Evans Orchestra is one of the great iconic recordings in Jazz. Recorded and issued in 1957 It marked the first of a trio of recordings by Miles Davis and Gil Evans. "Porgy and Bess" followed then the famous "Sketches of Spain". This was however the first and it put arranger/composer Gil Evans in the spotlight. This recording is a little different as it con...

Serge Chaloff was only on the planet for 33 years and led a chaotic life blighted by drugs but left an important legacy. He was considered albeit arguably the first important Modern Jazz voice of the baritone saxophone. Perhaps Leo Parker might share the honors but Chaloff was more prominent. He emerged in the mid 1940's and rose to Jazz stardom in the famous Woody Herman Band known as "The Second...

Tonight's Jazz Feature is by one of the finest Jazz pianists who was so good and consistent during the brief 39 years on the planet that he was taken for granted and dismissed with terms like "pleasant", "aimiable" etc. He was a unique stylist and was sought after for many classic recording dates. He worked with Miles Davis for 4 1/2 years. During his tenure with Davis from 1959 to 1963 he recorde...

The MJT+3 was a band put together in Chicago by Chicagoans, Walter Perkins, a fine drummer and bassist Bob Cranshaw. They worked a lot together in the Windy City and backed many a visiting Jazz star and great locals too. They called themselves the MJT and that stood for "The Modern Jazz Two". They decided to form a band, a quintet and they called it The MJT+3. After some shifting in personnel the...

The great Pat Martino passed away on November 1, 2021, he was 77. Tonight's Jazz feature is a lengthy tribute to this incredible guitarist. It is from a live concert at Oakland's "Yoshi's", one of the leading Jazz clubs in the Bay area. It features Pat with the great master of the organ, Joey DeFrancesco and ace drummer Billy Hart. It is a fine showcase for Pat Martino's range and musicality. It w...

This album came about as a result of a gig Stan Getz had in Los Angeles at a high-end club called "Zardi's" in July 1955. Getz put together this ad hoc band of some of his favorite players living in L.A. and fortunately they were available of this long gig. The people were trumpeter Conte Candoli, pianist Lou Levy, bassist Leroy Vinnegar and drum great Shelly Manne. The band gelled on the first ni...

This Jazz Feature is a fun date full of energy and swing. Vibes master Terry Gibbs is still with us at age 97 performs here with his usual drive and energy. He also wrote the 9 original tunes and although they are simple frameworks they work well. The co-star is tenor saxophone heavy Sal Nistico who impressed Terry so much when he sat in with the 1963 edition of the Woody Herman Band in 1963. Terr...

This Jazz Feature album is a rather rare one and it's the debut recording as a leader of drum master Louis Hayes. Louis Hayes was just 21 when he recorded this date on April 26,1960. He was by then working steadily with Julian "Cannonball" Adderley and he chose musicians that he enjoyed playing with and of course 3 of them were also working with Adderley. Louis chose Nat Adderley on cornet, Barry...

A seminal album recorded in June of 1957 by Thelonious Monk and an all-star septet. It stands as one of Monk's greatest and most significant recordings. Creativity and intense playing abounds and despite a few minor flaws has many fine moments rarely captured in any recording studio. The four horns are Monk choices: Trumpeter Ray Copeland, a Monk favorite. Alto saxophonist Gigi Gryce had worked in...

There is really no argument that Wes Montgomery was one of the most important guitar stylists to emerge from relative obscurity in the early 1960's. His rise to Jazz stardom began with his signing with Riverside Records and eventually moving on to the larger Verve Records. His working band of 1964/65 is tonight's Jazz Feature recorded in Paris at Le Theatre Des Champs-Elysees on March 27,1965 a fe...

The late Hugh Fraser was one of the most prominent Canadian musicians who was recognized throughout the world. Hugh was a teacher, composer, bandleader, a master trombonist and pianist. He led two bands and made his mark. One was V.E.J.I. (Vancouver Ensemble of Jazz Improvisation) and the other was his fabulous Quintet. It is the Quintet we hear tonight on The Jazz Feature. All of the musicians li...

This is The Jazz Show's second traditional Jazz Feature. As we welcome the coming of Fall and back to school, work and business, we present a Jazz Feature that is both entertaining and educational. Cannonball Adderley was one of the foremost voices of the alto saxophone, band leader and erudite speaker. This recording gives one a simple picture of how Jazz music evolved along with recorded example...

Maestro Leonard Bernstein narrates "What Is Jazz". Tonight's Jazz Feature is a Jazz Show tradition as it honors this time of year when school starts and the Fall season commences. Bernstein's classic recording with musical examples by some of Jazz music's great stars demonstrates to the non musically educated listener what Jazz is and what it isn't. It's education and entertainment rolled into one...

Teddy Edwards was a major star of the tenor saxophone. A long time resident of L.A. and not New York lessened his reputation but not his musicality. Teddy possessed a deep smoky tone on the horn and had a unique way of phrasing. By the time of this recording Teddy had fully matured as a stylist and was instantly recognizable by only hearing a few notes. Teddy was also a very consistent performer a...

Jack Wilson is sadly not a household name but should be better known. He was a very fine pianist who reflected the influences of Hank jones and Tommy Flanagan...in other words a pianist with a light lyrical touch. He was also a fine composer. He was born in Chicago on Aug. 3,1936 and died at age 71 on Oct.5,2007. He recorded for Atlantic records and then did 3 albums for Blue Note and tonight's Ja...