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You Know You're a Jazz Reviewer When...
by Ken Dryden
You know you're a jazz reviewer when...After you check the mail, your spouse asks “Do I live here?"You get 800-1,000 CDs for review within a year, yet you still get the inevitable email follow up from a little known artist or his/her publicist a week after the CD arrives that asks “Have you heard it yet?"You have ever had to repack review copies of CDs received during IAJE from your luggage to ...
read moreMarian McPartland's Piano Jazz with Frank Zappa
by Ken Dryden
Although many fans of Marian McPartland's long running NPR series heard former Frank Zappa sideman George Duke's guest appearance on Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz, few are likely to be aware of Zappa's own visit to the program, which took place in early 1988, just prior to the start of what would be his final tour. McPartland's interest in Zappa developed from conversations with a number of jazz musicians who had played with him, while the guitarist's familiarity with jazz helped ...
read moreDave Brubeck Quartet at the 1993 Montreux-Detroit Jazz Festival
by Ken Dryden
Public radio listeners were frequently frustrated when the Chicago Jazz Festival and Montreux-Detroit Jazz Festival offered live satellite feeds to stations on the identical weekend (Labor Day), causing program directors to typically air one or the other, unless they chose to archive and rebroadcast the alternate.
Montreux-Detroit's lineup rivaled Chicago's, but the Motor City broadcasts had one major flaw: someone instructed the hosts of the nationally syndicated broadcasts to start talking at the top of the hour, whether ...
read moreFrom Ragtime to Rock-A History of American Music (1970 Today Show Special)
by Ken Dryden
When I attended the 2001 IAJE Conference in New York City, I made one of my first trips to Fred Cohen's Jazz Record Center, a mandatory stop for jazz collectors visiting the Big Apple. Within the LP bins I found an unusual record which was the soundtrack to a Today Special (broadcast January 13, 1970) that celebrated the completion of its 18th year on the air. In spite of the $60 price tag, I snapped it up without hesitation, only ...
read moreMarian McPartland's Piano Jazz with Eldar Djangirov, 1st Show
by Ken Dryden
Fans of Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz may have read the program synopsis with reservations when 12 year old Eldar Djangirov made his U.S. broadcast debut on her program a few years ago, but he quickly proved that he deserved the national exposure. A polite young man who was still getting used to living in a new country, Eldar doesn't seem overly infatuated with his budding talent, though he clearly impresses his host with formidable chops for someone so young.
read moreJoe Pass Live at the Four Queens Hotel, Las Vegas, 1988
by Ken Dryden
By the time of his death from cancer in 1994, Joe Pass was widely recognized as one of the top jazz guitarists of all time, especially for his virtuoso solo performances. Prior to his passing, I had an opportunity to do a phone interview with Pass and was rather surprised that the guitarist found it difficult to listen to his recordings, as he always felt that he could have played better. The 1988 broadcast of his appearance at ...
read moreMarian McPartland's Piano Jazz with Nellie Lutcher
by Ken Dryden
I had never heard of Nellie Lutcher when she appeared on Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz during the mid-1980s, but I was taken with her right away. With her playful vocals and swinging piano, Lutcher was famous for a time during the 1940s, but her record sales declined during the following decade and after being dropped by Capitol and recording for a few independent labels, she only played on a part-time basis and worked for the musician's union.
Just ...
read morePhil Woods Quintet Live at Nick's Cafe in Lauren, Holland
by Ken Dryden
Gene Parrish's syndicated radio program Worldwide Jazz is not one that I've heard very often over the years, so this circa 1996 broadcast of the Phil Woods Quintet at Nick's Café in Lauren, Holland, was a special treat.The alto saxophonist's quintet at the time was a strong one (when isn't Woods leading a great band?), featuring trumpeter Brian Lynch, pianist Bill Charlap, plus his long time rhythm section, bassist Steve Gilmore and drummer Bill Goodwin.They kick ...
read moreDominique Eade on Mountain Stage
by Ken Dryden
One of the most intriguing singers to emerge on the jazz scene during the 1990s was Dominique Eade, a gifted, chance-taking alto with a very expressive voice. Her considerable abilities as a composer and arranger, and her desire to seek deserving but less frequently performed songs, along with surrounding herself with top-flight musicians add to her appeal.
Eade has made only four CDs as a leader, two for Accurate and two for RCA, all of which seem to ...
read moreDave Brubeck at the Chicago Jazz Festival August 31, 2001
by Ken Dryden
Over the past half century, the Dave Brubeck Quartet has undoubtedly been featured on numerous broadcasts on several continents, few of which have ever been issued by legitimate record labels. But this Labor Day weekend set from the 2001 Chicago Jazz Festival is rather special, as it not only includes his current quartet but also revisits some of the arrangements he wrote for his octet of the late 1940s.
Brubeck kicks off the festival with a favorite opener, ...
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