CiTR -- The Jazz Show

Richard Williams (1931-1985) was an incredible trumpeter and a powerful voice in his chosen horn. Richard recorded with John Handy, Booker Ervin, Yusef Lateef, Oliver Nelson and was a member of the hottest Jazz cauldron of the time: The Charles Mingus Jazz Workshop. He played in numerous big bands, symphony orchestras and Broadway pit bands and did studio work but he only made one album under his...

William "Sonny" Criss had a career that seemed to go in fits and starts. Sonny emerged early on the 1940's L.A. Jazz scene with his full-bodied sound and passionate approach and played with all the important players then went on to play with Norman Granz' Jazz At The Philharmonic travelling jam session and shared the stage with Charlie Parker, Fats Navarro, Hank Jones, Shelley Manne and others. He...

This five movement creation by composer extraordinaire George Russell is his tribute to New York City. It was written and recorded in late 1958 and 1959 and played by an all-star orchestra with many many great Jazz stars as soloists. People such as John Coltrane, Benny Golson, Bob Brookmeyer, Phil Woods, Art Farmer, Bill Evans, Max Roach are all heard extensively. Mr, Russell incorporates several...

This is an historic record date with Thelonious Monk joining Art Blakey's 1957 edition of The Jazz Messengers. Monk had one important request when he agreed to do this date and that was it must include mostly Monk tunes. Monk and Blakey were best of friends and their Birthdays were one day apart Oct.10(Monk) and Oct 11(Blakey) so it was a fun date for all concerned. Blakey's Messengers included Cl...

Elvin Jones was one of the most compelling and inventive drummers in the history of Jazz. In 1965 he left the John Coltrane "Classic Quartet" and struck out on his own leading his bands that he dubbed "The Elvin Jones Jazz Machine". These were groups of various sizes that he led until his passing in May of 2004.This was one of his first records post-Coltrane and Elvin put together a fine band for...

Phillip Wells Woods is still to this day one of the foremost exponents of the alto saxophone and a Jazz Master. Woods was born in Springfield Mass. on November 2,1931 and moved to New York to attend The Julliard School of Music in 1948. By 1954 he had began recording for Prestige/New Jazz under his own name and he also made sideman appearances but tonight's Jazz Feature recording made in November...

William "Red" Garland was one of the finest and most distinctive pianists of his generation. He rose to fame with Miles Davis from 1955 through 1958 with a few short layoffs. Garland through being employed by Davis got a recording contract with Prestige Records and made a whole series of good selling trio albums that established his sound away from Davis. Garland was also a frequent sideman on man...

Leonard Bernstein was a musician, composer, conductor and a world ambassador for quality music and understood Jazz music. He understood it's inner workings and respected Jazz players as much as his fellow classical players. In this recording that was done in 1956, Bernstein explains what Jazz is and what it isn't. He plays examples himself and uses many great players such as Duke Ellington, Louis...

This capsule history of Jazz with recorded examples is narrated by the erudite and lucid alto saxophone master Julian "Cannonball" Adderley. It was recorded in 1960 but is still entertaining and relevant as a historical document. It is Part 1 of our "back to school" idea that we do on The Jazz Show every September. Mr Adderley was well qualified to do a recording like this as he was not only a goo...

Master tenor saxophonist Stan Getz in one of his great artistic and innovative triumphs. Seven compositions for strings were written by the great Eddie Sauter and Mr. Getz improvises over them. Seems simple doesn't it? However when you combine the genius of Getz with the fine craftsmanship of Mr. Sauter then you have an unbeatable combination. This album has entered the realm of "Jazz classics" an...

This is a rather rare Prestige album recorded in January of 1966. Bobby Timmons was a very distinctive pianist who had many sides, one being that he could generate a lot of heat and exciteement with some very bluesy gospel flavoured playing but he also could be just as distinctive playing in a more straight ahead Bud Powell oriented style and yet preserving his identity. It's the latter style and...

This was the first album under his name of composer/arranger/tenor saxophonist Bill Holman. He first got recognition as a saxophonist and arranger/composer for Stan Kenton then went on to occasionally form his own big band for a few dates and a possible recording session. By dint of his residence in Los Angeles, Holman was able to recruit many of the finest studio/Jazz players in L.A.This he did o...

This album was the first domestically released album by Miles Davis' "Second Great Quintet" which included tenor saxophonist/composer Wayne Shorter, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams. This album indicated a new change for Miles Davis in that a lot of his old standard repertoire was being replaced by compositions by himself and the band including works by Shorter,...

This marvelous album is tonight's Jazz Feature and as it is the first night of The Jazz Show's new policy, The Jazz Feature will be heard right after our theme and initial intro....right after 9pm instead of the old time of after 11pm. The Jazz feature is Montreal based Christine Jensen and her Jazz Orchestra. This album called "Habitat" won the 2014 Juno Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble. The ba...

This album which is one of Lee Morgan's finest ironically was recorded in 1964 and never released until 1981 when the Blue Note vaults were researched. It was more than a pleasant surprise when it was finally put out. Lee Morgan had made an astonishing comeback with his recording "The Sidewinder" and had overcome his personal problems to emerge a greater more mature musician. He was still only 26...

This album is a creative step-up for pianist McCoy Tyner who had signed with Blue Note Records after his tenure with John Coltrane. McCoy chose an all-star group for this date that took place in 1968.Woody Shaw is on trumpet, Gary Bartz on alto saxophone and the great Wayne Shorter is on tenor saxophone. Ron Carter who is best known as a bassist plays his first instrument here: the cello. He is he...

Stan Kenton's Orchestra over the years covered just about every style of music imaginable. From simple dance music to the most complex semi-classical scores. This album called "Contemporary Concepts" is Kenton at his most swinging. It is serious Jazz and features a range of exciting soloists like alto saxophonists Lennie Niehaus and Charlie Mariano, to tenor saxophonist Bill Perkins, trombonists C...

This date was recorded live at a small club in Watts called the Black Orchid on August 15,1961. It is a recording of a one-night stand by the great voice of the tenor saxophone: Gene Ammons..... backed by the the club's house band led by organ master Richard "Groove" Holmes with guitarist Gene Edwards and drummer Leroy Henderson. These small neighborhood clubs dotted the Afican-American inner-citi...

This legendary date by a legendary pianist/composer is considered by many to be his masterpiece. Elmo Hope was a friend and contemporary of Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk and grew up with them. Hope's career was spotty and his recordings few and his life was blighted by drug addiction and ill health but his musical legacy is firm. During his four years in Los Angeles from 1956 to 1959 he had a few...

Dexter Gordon was a pioneer of Modern Jazz and influenced a whole school of saxophone players including John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins. This live set recorded in Copenhagen at that city's most famous Jazz club The Montmartre during Gordon's happy and productive European sojourn. Dexter is accompanied by the finest rhythm section in Europe with two American ex-pats: pianist Kenny Drew and drummer...

A most unique ensemble...a real "living room band". The Jimmy Giuffre 3. Mr Giuffre on clarinet and tenor and baritone saxophones, Bob Brookmeyer on valve trombone and Jim Hall on guitar. This unit only made one recording and this is it. Giuffre was a wonderful musician/composer/arranger who explored every type of music from straight-ahead Jazz to the outer reaches of the avant-guard and free-form...

One of the finest recordings by one of the most popular and critically overlooked tenor saxophonists in Jazz: Illinois Jacquet. Often dismissed as a screamer and a showboater, Jacquet remains a misunderstood major voice of the tenor saxophone. The truth is Mr. Jacquet was an outgoing player and was always out to please his audience but was always musical and harmonically sophisticated. Possessing...

The whole show tonight is dedicated to the 2014 edition of the T.D. Vancouver International Jazz Festival. Guest host and one of the founding fathers of the Jazz Festival is John Orysik, the festival's Media Director. John will discuss the festival and pick the music to be heard while Gavin Walker will be here to interject a few words as well. The Jazz Show's annual tribute to Vancouver's most rec...

Andrew Hill was a unique and wonderful composer/pianist. Andrew attracted the ear of Blue Note head honcho, Alfred Lion when Hill moved to New York in 1963. Hill appeared as a sideman on Hank Mobley's classic "No Room For Squares" date and Mr. Lion immediately signed Andrew to a contract and produced Andrew's first album for Blue Note the now classic "Black Fire". Hill made many records for the la...

Guitarist Grant Green seemed to suddenly appear on the national Jazz scene from out of nowhere appearing on Blue Note Records as a leader and as a sideman in the early 60s. He had honed his skills in his hometown of St. Louis MO and was asked to come to New York by alto saxophone master Lou Donaldson who recommended him to Blue Note's honcho Alfred Lion. Green became a favourite and recorded frequ...