Rapp on Jazz

Vinyl records are back in a big way, and nowhere is their revival more celebrated than in jazz.  Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

In 1963, the nation was shaken by the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. John Coltrane responded not with words, but with music.  Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

Few figures in jazz history embody both power and poetry quite like Charles Mingus.  Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

In the 1980s and 1990s, jazz experienced a powerful revival. After decades of fusion, funk, and experimentation, a new generation of musicians returned to acoustic traditions while pushing the music forward.  Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

The 1970s marked a fascinating revival in jazz. After the free jazz explorations of the ’60s, many artists returned to earlier roots while still pushing boundaries.  Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

The vocal artistry of Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald continues to shape modern jazz singing. Armstrong’s expressive phrasing, gravelly tone, and rhythmic inventiveness set a standard for emotional storytelling in music, inspiring countless vocalists to blend instrumental phrasing with singing. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong were groundbreaking solo artists long before their collaborations. Ella, the “First Lady of Song,” mastered impeccable phrasing, extraordinary range, and virtuosic scat singing, transforming the Great American Songbook into her personal canvas. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong shared one of jazz’s most iconic musical partnerships. Though their voices were very different—Ella's pure, agile tone and flawless phrasing, and Louis’ gravelly, expressive voice and virtuosic trumpet—they blended seamlessly, creating a chemistry that delighted audiences worldwide. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

After his formative work with Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane embarked on a journey that would redefine jazz. Monk’s angular melodies, unexpected harmonies, and rhythmic daring pushed Coltrane to experiment with “sheets of sound,” complex chord substitutions, and modal improvisation. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk share one of the most influential collaborations in jazz history. In the late 1950s, Coltrane joined Monk’s quartet at New York’s Five Spot, immersing himself in Monk’s angular melodies, unconventional harmonies, and rhythmic inventiveness.  Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn's collaboration was not just about music—it was about storytelling through jazz. Together, they transformed the big band into a narrative instrument, where every arrangement and solo contributed to a larger emotional journey.  Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

Billy Strayhorn was more than Duke Ellington’s collaborator—he was a singular musical voice.  Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington shared one of jazz’s most legendary musical partnerships. Strayhorn, a brilliant composer and arranger, joined Ellington’s orchestra in the late 1930s and became Ellington’s right-hand collaborator.  Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

Blending jazz and rock styles showed that rock could be smart and sophisticated while remaining fun, energetic, and popular. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

Steely Dan is a perfect example of how jazz shapes rock music. From the 1970s onward, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker infused their rock songs with complex jazz harmonies, sophisticated chord progressions, and tight, syncopated rhythms.  Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

Jazz and rock are always borrowing and always inspiring each other. Here are a few rock songs shaped by jazz, where improvisation, rhythm, and harmony push the music beyond boundaries. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

Jazz left an indelible mark on rock music. Take The Beatles’ “Something.” George Harrison’s use of rich jazz chords and a melodic, walking-style bassline shows how jazz progressions can inform songwriting.  Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

Jazz has left its fingerprints all over popular music. From the swing era forward, jazz rhythms, harmonies, and improvisation have shaped the sound of pop. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

During the Civil Rights Movement, jazz was a voice for freedom. Musicians like Nina Simone, with her searing anthem "Four Women," spoke directly to the struggle for justice.  Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

Jazz has had a profound influence on the Broadway stage. In the 1920s and ’30s, jazz rhythms and harmonies began to reshape the sound of the American musical, giving it a freshness and vitality audiences hadn’t heard before. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

Lily Pearl Woodard, better known as Pearl Woods, was born in Saint Matthews, South Carolina, in 1933. She later moved to New York, drawn by Harlem's vibrant music scene, where she began singing on street corners and with local groups.  Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

Webster Young was born in Columbia, South Carolina, on December 3, 1932. Though he left South Carolina as a toddler, the musical seeds planted there would flourish elsewhere.  Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

Composer, singer, and percussionist Nick Ashford was born in 1941 in South Carolina. As an infant, he moved north to Michigan, eventually settling in New York City, where he dreamed of becoming a dancer. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

Mac Arnold, born in 1942 in Ware Place, South Carolina, is a powerhouse in jazz and blues whose career spans decades and coasts.  Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

Ken Burns’ "Jazz" documentary, first aired on PBS in 2001, is more than a history lesson—it’s a celebration of an American art form.  Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.