Articles by Larry Slater
Final Recordings of Swing Era Masters: Mary Lou Williams, Artie Shaw, Django Reinhardt and more
by Larry Slater
There are many facets to great artists' careers, from their earliest musical adventures to their final recordings. Some lose their remarkable musical facilities as age, illness or drug abuse takes its toll, while others maintain their mastery until their final performance.The swing era was particularly tough on musicians, with the demands of constant travel and rampant racism.In this hour, you will hear the final musical statements of swing era jazz masters on their final recordings . ...
Continue ReadingCelebrating Art Pepper, Al Cohn and Marty Paich on their centennial.
by Larry Slater
It is hard to even imagine the history of jazz without the many musicians born 100 years ago.There were the icons, like Roy Haynes, Oscar Peterson, Gene Ammons and James Moody, as well as long forgotten artists like Dodo Marmarosa , Leo Parker and Sahib ShihabIn this hour, you'll hear gifted musician who had long productive careers in jazz, leaving us a rich legacy of recordings.Mel Torme began his career as a jazz singer, ...
Continue ReadingForgotten Jazz Musicians On Their Centennial, Part 2:
by Larry Slater
As we look back on jazz history, we all have a tendency to focus on the giants: Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and Miles Davis.Many other talented artists from the past decades have been forgotten, but many of their recordings have stood the test of time. The musicians featured in this hour were born in 1925, and this hour-long program pays tribute to them on the centennial of their birth.June Christy is best remembered for ...
Continue ReadingForgotten Saxophonists on their Centennial: Harold Ashby, Leo Parker, Sahib Shihab & Dave Pell
by Larry Slater
There are a remarkable number of important jazz artists born 100 years ago, and in this hour we'll celebrate saxophonists who have been largely overlooked.The tenor saxophonist Harold Ashby is best known for his years in the Ellington saxophone section. Though he recorded as a leader infrequently, he became a major soloist in the orchestra's final years.Dave Schildkraut was an alto saxophonist whose sound was often compared to Charlie Parker's. Bill Evans said, “As far as ...
Continue ReadingRemembering Gigi Gryce
by Larry Slater
Saxophonist and composer Gigi Gryce was a fixture on the East Coast jazz scene in the 1950's and early 1960s, working with many of the giants of the era. A talented saxophonist known for his writing and arranging, he recorded with everyone from Clifford Brown and Donald Byrd to Art Blakey and Benny Golson. In the early '60s he quit the jazz scene and seemed to disappear, leaving many wondering as to his fate. Aside from his many ...
Continue ReadingInterpreting the Lennon / McCartney Songbook, part 4: Abbey Road & Let It Be
by Larry Slater
In this final installment of interpretations of the John Lennon and Paul McCartney songbook, we turn to music from the last few Beatles albums... The White Album, Abbey Road and Let it Be. By the end of the '60s, the Lennon/McCartney partnership had fractured beyond repair; McCartney's superior musical skills were respected but resented by the rest of the band, who complained about his micromanagement. Lennon was addicted to heroin and he later admitted, “I was stoned all ...
Continue ReadingInterpreting the Lennon/McCartney Songbook, Part 3: Sgt. Pepper
by Larry Slater
It's really no surprise that the tunes from The Beatles still attract jazz musicians, much as the music of Gershwin, Kern or Cole Porter does. Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club was a defining musical moment of the 1960s. Released in 1967, the album is one of a kind and included songs that have appealed to jazz artists: “She's Leaving Home," “Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds," “With A Little Help From My Friends" and “A Day In The Life." Featured ...
Continue ReadingInterpreting the Lennon/ McCartney Songbook: Part 2, Rubber Soul and Revolver
by Larry Slater
The songwriting team of John Lennon and Paul McCartney became increasingly sophisticated by the mid 1960s. McCartney was the more knowledgeable musically, as he played piano and understood harmony (though he never did learn to read music). Much of John Lennon's writing had a harder edge, and he had a way with lyrics. The albums Rubber Soul and Revolver included some timeless songs that have inspired jazz musicians to interpret them as vehicles for improvisation. “Yesterday," “Here, There and Everywhere," ...
Continue ReadingInterpreting The Lennon/Mccartney Songbook: Part 1, Early Songs
by Larry Slater
Since its earliest days, Jazz musicians have used popular songs as springboards for creative interpretation, reimagining these tunes through the art of improvisation.. The great American songbooks of Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, and George Gershwin, have long been a staple of the jazz repertoire. Do John Lennon and Paul McCartney belong in this exalted company? I think they do, and there has been a renewed interest among jazz musicians, with recent Beatles cover albums by Americans and Europeans alike.
Continue ReadingThe Music of Hoagy Carmichael, part 2
by Larry Slater
This is the second hour dedicated to the music of Hoagy Carmichael, the most jazz oriented of all the American songwriters. His output was remarkably varied, and without a signature style that characterized the theater composers like Jerome Kern or Cole Porter. Carmichael composed several hundred songs, including 50 that achieved hit record status. Hoagy Carmichael began his musical life as a jazz musician in Indiana. In the early 1920s he met and played with the ...
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