Jazz Backstory

A second spin on the recording business with stories from James Moody, Alicia Olatuja, Bela Fleck and Steve Allen.

One nighters, life on a bus and minimal salaries may seem worth it when jazz musicians finally find themselves in a recording studio. Doc Cheatham, Toshiko Akiyoshi, John Best and others speak about memorable records and recording sessions.

Sonny Igoe, Al Grey, Ruth Brown and Joe Wilder offer more road tales both poignant and humorous. Racial discrimination plays a role in these road travails.

Musicians need gigs and they need to go anywhere they can find them. The “romance” of the road becomes realistic with tales from Bucky Pizzarelli, Kenny Davern, Carmen Leggio and Jimmy Lewis.

Swing is inseparable from jazz, yet remains an elusive quality. Episode 11 takes a deep dive in what makes music swing and calls on Ed Shaughnessey, Steve Allen, Bernard Purdie and Gerald Wilson for expert input.

The “rich jazz musician” oxymoron is the focus of Part 2. Billy Bauer, Ellis Marsalis, Marshall Allen and others address the issue of money, or lack thereof, that is an ever present concern in the jazz life.

What possesses young musicians to start down the jazz path and keep following it, simply liking the music isn’t nearly enough. Artists including Sheila Jordan, Don Alias, Ron Carter and Flip Phillips attempt to describe the devotion to the music.

We wrap up Season 1 with a second slice. Stories from Benny Powell, Bill Watrous, Charles Davis, Ronnie Zito and Glenn Zottola make it clear that the jazz life itself is an improvisation.

The life of a jazz musician is never boring. George Shearing, Marian McPartland, Terry Gibbs and Milt Hinton regale us with behind-the-scenes scenarios, both poignant and absurd.

The task of defining the undefinable falls to a second group of improvisors. Bill Watrous, Jane Ira Bloom, Dr. Denny Zeitlin and Michael Weiss add their personal perspectives.

Improvisation is at the core of a jazz performance and we called on Joe Wilder, Dianne Reeves, Bill Charlap and Charles McPherson to describe what it is and how it is done.

Dr. Billy Taylor, Phil Woods, Holly Hofmann and Jerry Jerome continue the tales of entering the jazz life before the music was accepted by academia.

Inspiration set the path to jazz, the subsequent learning process required mentors, trial and error and “dues paying." Sweets Edison, Clark Terry, Eddie Locke and John Pizzarelli share their memories.

A second set of engaging “a-ha” anecdotes from Kenny Davern, Nat Adderley, Annie Ross and Junior Mance.

It all starts somewhere, and often early on. Jazz Backstory begins with tales of childhood inspiration, moments that in retrospect, launched careers. Interviewees include Jon Hendricks. Sherrie Maricle, Dave Valentin and Ed Shaughnessey.