CiTR -- The Jazz Show

This show is a special edition and features all artists who perform at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival for 2019. The music will be picked by one of the founding fathers of the Jazz Festival, Mr. John Orysik. He will discuss the music with some interjections from me, Gavin Walker, your regular host. This is an important show featuring one of the cultural highlights of the year......The Va...

"The Teddy Charles Tentet" is a seminal recording by a short-lived group led by vibist/composer Teddy Charles. This band stole the show at the 1955 Newport Jazz Festival and went onto several gigs and concerts in the Fall of 1955. Teddy Charles signed with Atlantic Records and took the band into the studio to make this recording in January 1956. The idea of the band was to combine writing and impr...

"Tenor Conclave" is an apt title for tonight's Jazz Feature. Four major tenor saxophonists performing on this date backed by a superb rhythm section. Zoot Sims and Al Cohn were established by the time of this date and John Coltrane and Hank Mobley were then up and coming stars. The great rhythm section was Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Arthur Taylor on drums. Two originals by Han...

Tonight is our final Feature with drummer/leaders for the month of May. Our Feature artist tonight is one of the most widely recorded drummers in Jazz, Arthur Taylor. After a long career playing and recording with just about every Jazz musician of importance. Arthur Taylor headed for Europe for many years and continued to play with many American ex-pats. Upon his return home he formed a band of yo...

The third drummer/leader in this month's series is the redoubtable Elvin Jones. Elvin was one of the most unorthodox and innovative drummers in Modern Jazz History and he really became well known after spending the years 1960 through 1965 as an important part of John Coltrane's "classic quartet". After Coltrane and a short stint with Duke Ellington, Elvin led his own bands of various sizes but one...

Anthony Williams was nothing short of a musical phenomenon. Anthony or Tony came to New York when he was 17 and was heard by Miles Davis and joined the Davis group which was known as "The Second Great Miles Davis Quintet". Tony revitalized Miles and impressed all who heard him. Refreshing, innovative, strong were just a few of the adjectives describing this young man's work. He did two edgy and in...

This is a special edition of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers as it is the only recording of the two most famous Marsalis Brothers playing together in the great drummer's band. This was recorded live at the legendary Keystone Korner in San Francisco in January 1982. Bobby Watson. who was Blakey's alto saxophonist had just left and Blakey was looking for a replacement and Wynton suggested his brother B...

Tonight TWO (count 'em) TWO Jazz Features. One is the celebration of Duke Ellington's Birthday Anniversary today (April 29) with his epic "Far East Suite". A suite of 9 movements celebrating Duke's tour of the Middle and Far East. Recorded in December of 1966. Most of the key members of the Ellington Orchestra are here and playing at their peak: Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Cootie Williams, Jimm...

Herbie Hancock is tonight's Jazz Feature Artist and this is one of his pivotal recordings done during a very fertile period in Herbie's career. Herbie had signed with Blue Note Records and was playing with Miles Davis in his "second great quintet". The album is called "Empyrean Isles" and features four varied Hancock tunes. The people involved are Freddie Hubbard on cornet in magnificent form. Bas...

This is a wonderful concert by The Miles Davis Quintet done in Paris on March 21, 1960. This was a special night as not only was the band on fire but John Coltrane was pulling out all the stops on his solo spots. The usually vociferous French audience didn't seem to know how to react to Coltrane. Their applause is a mixture of joy and derision. Coltrane at first refused to do this tour as he was a...

This was the startling debut recording by Eric Dolphy. It was his first under his name. Today is the 59th anniversary of the date as it was recorded on April 1,1960. Eric was from L.A. and had settled in New York and was soon playing a variety of gigs and had joined Charles Mingus' Jazz Workshop. Prestige (New Jazz) was on the search for new talent at this time and Eric was introduced to the label...

This album by guitar giant Grant Green is rather special. Green, of course recorded many albums for Blue Note in the early part of his short career. They varied from guitar trios, to organ dates that were more funky and some straight ahead modern Jazz with horns.. This album was a bit different with a fine group comprising of the then new voice of the tenor saxophone Joe Henderson, and newcomer to...

Composer/theorist and bandleader George Russell is an important figure in the development of Modern Jazz. Russell remains more of a background figure but he did lead his own groups from 1960 through 1964. The groups had personnel changes but all reflected Mr. Russell's concepts and of course Mr. Russell played piano more than competently in these bands. His groups recorded for Riverside and Decca...

Jimmy Heath at 92 is one of the living Jazz Masters and still going strong playing, composing, touring and band leading. Jimmy was from the illustrious Heath Family which included the late bassist Percy and the still living youngest brother, drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath. Our Jazz Feature album is a fine example, more then fine, perhaps one of the best examples of Jimmy Heath's playing done in 197...

Tonight we are suspending the regular Jazz Feature to remind you of the annual CITR Fun Drive. Call 604-822-8648 (604-UBC UNIT) or donate online at citr.ca/donate. We are raising money to keep the unique programming and improve education opportunities for young people interested in producing the fine an unique programming to CITR. If you donate please mention The Jazz Show.....we would deeply appr...

As we honour Black History Month, we present another of drummer Max Roach's albums that reflect not only his concern with innovative music but his political stance on justice, equality and civil rights. Roach radically changed his approach to music in the volatile climate of the USA in the early 1960's. Has it really changed much? Mr. Roach and his Ensemble and 6 of his compositions grace this alb...

Two Jazz Features are happening tonight....Ladies and gentlemen A DOUBLE FEATURE! As we were unable to broadcast live last week due to bad weather we are here live tonight and last week's planned Jazz Feature is on tap tonight. Canadian trumpet virtuoso Ingrid Jensen has a new album out and it's a beautiful tribute to the late great composer Kenny Wheeler. Ingrid and tenor saxophonist Steve Tresel...

Drummer Max Roach was a Jazz great and one of the pioneers of Modern Jazz. His history is easily available on the internet but tonight's Jazz Feature is a tribute to Black History Month. This album was issued on a small independent label was a musical turning point for Mr. Roach. It reflected his musical philosophy that his music be socially relevant and express his concern for equality and civil...

This Jazz Feature is tonight's last one for January as we have looked back to the year 1959 and all the great Jazz classics that were recorded that year, 60 years ago. There will be two more months this year devoted to looking at 1959 but that's for later. Tonight it's pianist/composer Horace Silver and his Quintet and Trio. Silver had formed his first band in 1956 and began recording usually two...

As the third of The Jazz Show's features of classics recorded in 1959,, we present Charles Mingus and his breakthrough album, "Mingus Ah Um" done for Columbia Records. This was the remarkable recording that rose Mingus up from the underground of Jazz to national prominence. Not only was this a productive period in Mingus' career, he also had one of his finest working bands as the 1959 edition of h...

The Dave Brubeck Quartet had by 1958 a very stable personnel in Paul Desmond on alto saxophone who was there from the outset and Brubeck himself on piano. Many bassists and drummers passed through the Quartet but Eugene Wright (aka "The Senator") was the permanent bassist and the virtuoso drummer, Joe Morello was on board too. They remained together until the breakup of the Quartet in 1967. Brubec...

To begin the New Year we are going to look back 60 years to the year 1959 and as so many iconic and essential recordings were made in that productive year we will be exploring four hand-picked recordings for the four Mondays in January and later in the year we will return to 1959 a couple more times to explore more classic recordings from that golden year. We begin tonight with perhaps the most ic...

As this is the last Jazz Show for 2018 and for our annual Christmas Edition, we present the legendary and iconic Miles Davis date recorded on Christmas Eve in 1954. The music is not Christmas music per se but the spirit of Christmas is all pervasive here. Miles , vibes master Milt Jackson, pianist Thelonious Monk along with bassist Percy Heath and drummer Kenny Clarke all came together despite a f...

Tonight'd Jazz Feature beams the spotlight on Johnny Griffin, one of the foremost masters of the tenor saxophone. Hard hitting, fast, and passionate, Griffin was not one you fooled with as he could outplay just about anybody. This album is one of his best as it features a well-rehearsed sextet with fresh compositions by a colleague of Johnny's, pianist/composer/arranger Norman Simmons. They both w...

Joe Henderson was one of the two major saxophonists who emerged in the 1960s. The other was Wayne Shorter. Joe's style came from Stan Getz, Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane but was all his own. His facility and his original phrasing and ideas were all Joe. In 1962 Joe entered the New York scene after spending much time in Detroit and a few years in the US Army (playing music). Joe hooked up with tr...