Articles

Highlights of Jazz in the Late 1990s (1995 - 1999)

By Russell Perry

This is the 96th of 100 programs in the Jazz at 100 series. As we present more recent music, we face the historian's dilemma, what performances will have lasting value? What players will be remembered for their contributions to advancing the music? What trends will turn into dominant themes? We are following the lead of critic Gary Giddins who wrote an essay entitled “Postwar Jazz: An Arbitrary Roadmap (1945—2001)" where he told the story of post-war jazz through a discussion ...

Weston Culture

By Patrick Burnette

Inspired by Randy Weston's passing, Mike and Pat explore four pivotal albums from the pianist/composer's long career, taking in works from 1960 to 2003. Weston's collaboration with trombonist/arranger Melba Liston is discussed in some depth, as her contributions were crucial to some of his greatest recordings. Pat laments not including Weston's album Highlife from 1963, which he says is his favorite of Weston's collaborations with Liston, while Mike explains the religious origins of “Blue Moses." Playlist Discussion of Randy Weston's ...

Randy Weston Tribute & New Releases

By Ludovico Granvassu

Another master has left us. Randy Weston passed away on Sept. 1st at the venerable age of 92. This week we celebrate the music of an artist that consciously built a bridge between jazz and African musical traditions and, in doing so, strongly contributed to the awareness of the African roots of jazz music. This episode will then feature some interesting new releases by Phronesis, Stefon Harris, Stephane Spira, Fred Hersch and others. Happy listening! ...

Randy Weston: The Spirit of Our Ancestors

By Ludovico Granvassu

To commemorate the Randy Weston, we've republished this 1999 interview that traces his life and career, from his birth in Brooklyn to the years spent in Africa, from his admiration for Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington to his collaboration with Melba Liston. Every year, Harvard's Department of Music devotes part of its academic year to the study of great jazz masters. Thanks to this program, musicians such as Bill Evans, Gerry Mulligan, Lester Bowie, Steve Lacy, Illinois ...

Randy Weston Live In Padua, 1975

By Centro d'Arte Padova

Randy Weston: Music of The Earth

By R.J. DeLuke

Pianist Randy Weston has long been known to be a student of his African heritage and proud of it. Born in Brooklyn, he has lived in Africa, been involved with musicians there--he has been involved with the entirety of its culture. An expert? “I've lived there for years, man, and I know nothing," he says with a bold, generous laugh that speckles many of his comments. “I'm no expert on anything because you're dealing with the magic ...

Randy Weston: Blue Moses

By Eugene Holley, Jr.

Brooklyn-born, six-foot-seven octogenarian pianist/composer Randy Weston has literally been a larger-than-life jazz force for six decades: his percussive pianism was forged from a distinguished keyboard continuum, ranging from Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk to John Lewis; his “Little Niles" and “Hi-Fly" are well-worn jazz standards; and the pianist may well be the greatest exponent of the African roots of America's classical music. Weston lived in Morocco in the 1960s and '70s, opened a jazz club there, and was virtually a ...