Jazz Backstory

We end Season 5 as we began, with a variety of jazz life stories. From piano nightmares to surviving on potatoes and onions, these cats have seen it all. See you on the flip side.

Your host, Monk Rowe, directs the spotlight on himself and speaks about licks, riffs, bumper music, inspiration and the creative process.

Find a gathering of jazz musicians and you’ll hear laughter and humorous stories galore. Lou Marini, Dave Pell, Jake Hanna, Bill Watrous and Joe Wilder make Episode 38 one to smile about.

The celebrated jazz masters all had a distinctive sound. Ernie Watts, Phil Woods, Holly Hofmann, Sweets Edison and others offer their thoughts on how to develop your own audio trademark.

The term “backing up a soloist” does not do justice to the distinct skill of making an artist sound their best. Norman Simmons, Mike Longo, Howard Alden, Al Grey, Gregory Caputo and Michael Moore enlighten us on the art of accompanying.

What makes a singer a “jazz” vocalist? Joe Williams, Janis Siegel, Giacomo Gates and Dianne Reeves address this question and offer advice for those aspiring to that label.

The role of women in jazz has come a long way from the days when big bands featured their “chirper” or “chickadees” on a few brief songs per night. Vi Redd, Sherri Maricle, Ann Rabson, Marian McPartland and others share their experiences in what was traditionally a man’s world.

Season 5 kicks off with a sampler of memorable anecdotes that cover a range of topics from Basie to barracudas. We hear from Skitch Henderson, Benny Powell, Joe Wilder, Chubby Jackson, Ruth Brown, Iola Brubeck.

The jazz life is not an easy one and the life skills learned along the path can be relevant to anyone, in any field of endeavor. Season 4 ends with profound statements from Charles McPherson, Stefon Harris, Karolina Strassmayer, Maria Schneider, Denis DiBlasio, Joe Williams, Harold Ousley and Gregory Caputo.

Veteran jazz musicians share their wisdom in the form of advice to those who wish to follow in their footsteps. Phil Woods, Jerry Bergonzi, Dan Barrett, Wayne Bergeron, Tom “Bones” Malone, Teri Lynne Carrington and Rick Montalbano offer practical guidance, gained from decades of gigs.

Music played a positive, even lifesaving role for soldiers during the Korean and Vietnam War years. In this episode, we hear from Jake Hanna, Frank Foster, Onaje Allan Gumbs, Junior Mance and Hal Espinosa.

Jazz musicians were not exempt from service in the U.S. military. Jay McShann, John Bunch, Louis Bellson, Terry Gibbs, Clark Terry, Orrin Keepnews, George Wein, Joe Bushkin and Bobby Johnson speak about their experiences during WWII.

A band leader sampler. Veteran sidemen Eddie Bert, Peter Erskine, Don Menza and Marshall Allen provide inside stories about Glenn Miller, Stan Kenton, Buddy Rich, Sun Ra and Joe Zawinul. Maria Schneider weighs in on the role and responsibility of a leader.

Benny Goodman played a marvelous clarinet and his bands sold a ton of records while packing audiences into dance halls and Carnegie style halls. He was also enigmatic and frequently oblivious of his surroundings. Jerry Jerome, Sonny Igoe, Bucky Pizzarelli, Flip Phillips and Skitch Henderson share their memories of working with The King of Swing.

For pure swing, the bands lead by William “Count” Basie will never be equaled. Harry “Sweets” Edison, Ed Shaughnessey, Snooky Young, Gerald Wilson and Joe Williams offer personal anecdotes and insights that help us understand the man who personified big band swing.

Our first four episodes look at iconic big band leaders, beginning with Edward “Duke “ Ellington. Former sidemen and associates including Clark Terry, Phoebe Jacobs, Bill Berry, Buster Cooper, Grover Mitchell, Louis Bellson and John Lamb offer inside stories that illuminate the Duke’s unique talent and personality.

Season 3 wraps up with powerful stories of aspiring jazz players who were willing to follow their passion even if it meant leaving their homeland. Joe Temperley, James Moody, Pierre Boussaguett, Ada Rovatti , Arturo Sandoval and Rossano Sportiello help us understand the jazz calling.

Jazz was the first American music to be embraced and copied around the world. Its infectious swing and message of democracy between musicians rang a bell from Scotand to Japan. Steve Allen, Dave Brubeck, Alan Raph, Ignacio Berroa, Eiji Kitamura and Toshiko Akiyoshi speak to the magnetic attraction of American jazz.

For many black musicians, jazz was more than a gig and a way to make bread. Cecil McBee, Jon Hendricks, Rashied Ali, Doug Carn and Vincent Pelote speak about the importance of this music in their lives and its role in bridging the distance between races, on and off the bandstand.

Jazz is one of America’s most original art forms. Its origins are well documented but controversy regarding ownership and race vs. skill persist. The opinions that matter most are offered by the practitioners. Jon Hendricks, Frank Foster, Lionel Hampton, Clark Terry and Louis Bellson weigh in on the topic of jazz and race.

Current arrangers including Oliver Nelson Jr., Steve Turre, Maria Schneider, Dave Rivello, and Lisa Parrott share their philosophies about music software, deadlines and enabling other musicians to sound good.

In the early days of jazz, musicians engaged in group improvisations, creating arrangements on the fly. As bands became larger, the writing down of parts for individual players became a requirement. Present and past jazz arrangers including Stefon Harris, Mike Abene, Ray Conniff, Bill Holman and Frank Foster speak about their craft.

Los Angeles eventually rivaled New York as a center for recording with an emphasis on pop music and film scores. Jazz players were the go to hires once again. Paul Smith, Ernie Watts, Bobby Shew, Wayne Bergeron and Tom Scott take us inside the L.A. recording studios.

After the big band era played itself out, the most versatile jazz musicians found plentiful work in the studios, recording every genre of music imaginable. Episode 19 focuses on the East Coast recording scene, specifically New York City. Dick Hyman, Bucky Pizzarelli, Alan Raph and Manny Albam share their studio stories.

Helen Dance, George Avakian, Orrin Keepnews and Joel Dorn do their best to describe the role of a jazz producer, the person “behind the glass.”