Miles Davis’s Birth of the Cool set the mold for the genre that would come to be known as cool jazz. The trailblazing trumpeter and his musical partner, the imaginative conductor-arranger Gil Evans, began recording the album on this day — January 21 — in 1949.
Song of the Day: Remembering Jimmy Heath – “Gingerbread Boy”
Jimmy Heath, a saxophonist whose career in jazz spanned nearly eight decades, and whose genre-defining…
Song of the Day: Cedar Walton – “Martha’s Prize”
A member of Art Blakey’s sextet in the 1960s, Walton was a leading voice in the development of hard-bop piano, possessed of a style that welded meticulous technical execution to an exuberant sense of swing.
Dinner and a Playlist: Vocal Duos and Scallop Risotto, the Perfect Pair
For a jazz fan, there’s almost nothing better than heading out to a jazz club…
Song of the Day: Ahmad Jamal – “But Not For Me”
‘At the Pershing: But Not For Me’ was a breakout album for Ahmad Jamal, introducing the world at large to a pianist with a refreshingly minimalist style and an exceptional feel for dynamics.
Song of the Day: Gerry Mulligan – “What Is There To Say?”
The album featured Art Farmer on trumpet, Bill Crow on bass and Dave Bailey on drums, and was praised for its intimate yet incendiary energy.
Song of the Day: Grady Tate – “Sack Full of Dreams”
“Sack Full of Dreams” comes from Tate’s leader debut Windmills of Your Mind, from 1968.
JAZZIZ Weekly Discover: January 13, 2020
A track from a new documentary Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool by filmmaker Stanley…
Song of the Day: George Benson – “This Masquerade”
“This Masquerade” comes from George Benson’s 1976 album Breezin’, which was a major critical and commercial success for the guitarist.
Freedom Friday: Max Roach – “Freedom Day”
Legendary drummer Max Roach was born on this day — January 10 — in North…
JAZZIZ Backstage Pass: Benny Benack III Has A Lot of Livin’ To Do
Joining the show for our first podcast of 2020 is trumpeter and vocalist Benny Benack…
Master and Apprentice: In Student Interview, Bill Frisell Reflects on Lessons Learned from a Life in Jazz
Jazz sustains itself through the passing of knowledge from one generation to the next, older…
Song of the Day: Suzanna Ross – “Ces Petits Riens”
New York City-based vocalist, Suzanna Ross, has released her debut album, Bewitched – Not Bothered,…
Jazz Travelogue: Exploring Identity at Jazzfest Berlin
Identity and jazz, for me, go hand in hand. Much of my own discovery of this music was shaped by racial and familial-like ties to its artists, many of whom became the mothers and fathers I never had. But the connection goes far deeper than I had imagined.
Song of the Day: Cone of Confusion – “High Tide”
Cone of confusion is an up-and-coming space-jazz band, based in Sydney, Australia. “High Tide” is…
Song of the Day: Chano Pozo – “Manteca”
“Manteca,” by percussionist Chano Pozo and the Dizzy Gillespie Jazz Orchestra, served as a prototype for the genre of music that would come to be known as Latin jazz.
JAZZIZ Weekly Discover: January 6, 2020
A track from Christian McBride’s new album The Movement Revisited is featured in our Weekly…
Song of the Day: Gabriel Mark Hasselbach – “Superblue”
“Gabriel Mark Hasselbach is a succinct and lyrical trumpeter/flugelhornist with mad skills across the…
Song of the Day: Trombone Shorty – “Where Y’At”
“Where Y’At,” today’s Song of the Day, comes from Trombone Shorty’s 2010 album ‘Backatown,’ which reached the No. 1 position on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz for nine consecutive weeks.
Song of the Day: Bobby Timmons – “Auld Lang Syne”
Welcome to 2020, jazz fans. Swing in the new year with this version of pianist…