Articles

Celebrating Jazz Scorpios Nellie Lutcher and More

By Mary Foster Conklin

Today's broadcast celebrates many Jazz Scopios, with birthday shoutouts to Nellie Lutcher ("He's a Real Gone Guy, Hurry On Down"), Dizzy Gillespie, Fred Hersch, Dianne Reeves, Magos Herrera, Jimmy Heath, Freddy Cole, Anita O'Day and Fran Landesman ("Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most," “Ballad of the Sad Young Men"). Thanks for listening and please support the artists you hear by purchasing their music during this time of lockdown. Playlist Cedar Walton Ron Carter, Billy Higgins “He's ...

Marian 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 ...