Rapp on Jazz

Pee Wee Ellis, born Alfred Ellis in Bradenton, Florida, was a saxophonist and composer who significantly influenced James Brown's sound.  Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

In 1962, James Brown made the leap from rising star to musical icon with a single performance at midnight in the Apollo Theater.  Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

Before he became known as the Godfather of Soul, James Brown was a musically talented child growing up near the South Carolina-Georgia border. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

Tommy Benford, born in 1905, was a remarkable jazz drummer whose journey began—like his brother Bill’s—at the Jenkins Orphanage in Charleston, South Carolina.  Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

William “Bill” Benford, born in 1902, found his musical path through the legendary Jenkins Orphanage in Charleston, South Carolina. As a child, he toured with the orphanage band’s musical revue as early as 1915, gaining early exposure to jazz on the move. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

In jazz, the rhythm section is more than just backup—it’s the engine, the compass, and the canvas for improvisation. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

If you’re learning jazz—or want to know the tunes musicians call at every jam session—there are 10 jazz standards everyone should know. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

Improvisation may sound spontaneous, but jazz musicians spend countless hours preparing for that freedom. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

Jazz musicians continue to expand the canon with modern tunes that have become new standards.  Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

Jazz standards are the songs every jazz musician knows—the shared language of the genre. But those standards didn’t all come from jazz. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

From the jump, jazz and dance have been inseparable—born in the same spaces of joy, resistance, and rhythm. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

During Hollywood’s Golden Age—from the 1930s to the 1950s—jazz didn’t just play in the background. It shaped the mood, style, and swagger of American cinema. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

Jazz is alive in modern cinema—shaping stories with its soul, swing, and spontaneity. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

Jazz has always danced with mystery—on stage, in the music, and even in its history. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

If you’ve ever heard a jazz tune that sounds familiar—but not quite—there’s a good chance it’s a contrafact. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

Bebop may have been born in the clubs of New York, but South Carolina musicians were right there in the mix—bringing that fast, fiery, intellectual style home. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

Jazz has always been about movement—musically, culturally, and historically. It began with ragtime in the late 1800s, where composers like Scott Joplin laid down syncopated rhythms and structured forms on the piano.  Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

Bassist and vocalist Jim Ferguson began his musical journey in South Carolina, where he started singing in church at the age of four, influenced by his father, who was a church music director.  Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

Guitarist Terry Rosen's impact on the South Carolina music scene is unforgettable.  Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

Another overlooked figure in jazz and blues is singer Bea Foote. Born Beatrice Harrisson in South Carolina on September 3, 1896, she was celebrated for her strong vibrato and straightforward delivery, Foote steered clear of her contemporaries’ melancholic style. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

Oscar Lee Mack, another lesser-known jazz musician from South Carolina, was born in Sumter County around 1936.  Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

Space is vital in jazz, exemplified by the Bill Evans Trio—Bill Evans on piano, Scott LaFaro on bass, and Paul Motian on drums. This group showcased equal contribution, with Evans’ introspective sound, LaFaro’s innovative bass playing, and Motian’s color-focused drumming. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

As Director of Jazz Studies at the University of South Carolina, Dr. Matt White is an accomplished trumpeter and educator as well as a gifted arranger and composer whose work bridges tradition and innovation. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

One name stands out when it comes to swinging, sophisticated big band sound in South Carolina: the Left Bank Big Band at the University of South Carolina. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.

The University of South Carolina School of Music is celebrating a century of musical excellence. For 100 years, it has been a beacon for aspiring musicians, educators, and scholars.   Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.