Results for "Jay McShann"

Jay McShann

Born: January 12, 1909

“The Last of the Blue Devils” Jay “Hootie” McShann landed in Kansas City in the 1930s, and along with fellow pianist and bandleader Count Basie, established what came to be known as the Kansas City sound: blues rooted jazz driven by swinging horns laid over a powerful but relaxed rhythmic pulse. James Columbus McShann was born in Muskogee, Okla., on Jan. 12, 1916. He learned to play piano as a young boy by tagging along with an older sister to piano lessons and imitating music he heard on the radio. One of the piano men he heard and would be influenced by was Earl “Fatha” Hines whose live broadcasts from Chicago’s Grand Terrace Hotel he would listen to

Roberto Magris e il Questionario di Proust

by Paolo Peviani
September 8, 2026

Pianista, triestino, classe 1959. Forse perché proveniente da una terra di confine, è sempre stato più attivo e conosciuto all'estero che in Italia. Cittadino del mondo, ha collaborato con musicisti dell'Est Europa quando la cortina di ferro era ancora saldamente in piedi, mentre dall'altra parte dell'oceano Kansas City gli ha riconosciuto la cittadinanza onoraria per meriti ...

Doc Severinsen, Alyssa Allgood, Dana Legg and Jay McShann

by Joe Dimino
March 8, 2026

We dive headfirst into the 948th Episode of Neon Jazz with a true rising force on the Kansas City scene--singer and guitarist Mike Bourne--spotlighting the title track from his acclaimed 2025 release Kansas City O'Clock. It's a bold, swinging statement that sets the tone for an hour steeped in soul, swagger and straight-ahead jazz spirit. From ...

Charlie Parker, Count Basie, Jay McShann, Mary Lou Williams & Bennie Moten

by Joe Dimino
March 1, 2026

In celebration of Con Chapman's 2023 book Kansas City Jazz: A Little Evil Will Do You Good, we spin a full-throttle hour of Kansas City jazz--saluting the sound, the swagger, and the city that helped shape America's music. We light the fuse with the brilliant Eddie Durham, then roll straight into the blues-soaked brilliance of Buck ...

Charlie Parker, Harry "Father" White, and Sweet Lucy

by Con Chapman
January 16, 2026

While it is undeniably true that formal education is generally a benefit both to the student and to society as a whole, it is equally indisputable that many jazz greats got their best education outside a classroom. Johnny Hodges claimed he got the nickname “Rabbit" from his ability to outrun truant officers. Charlie Parker ...

Military Music: Part 1

by Monk Rowe
October 14, 2024

Nasheet Waits, Ethan Iverson, Kenny Burrell & Jay McShann

by Joe Dimino
February 4, 2024

From a modern star in the jazz world, we begin the 840th Episode of Neon Jazz with Nasheet Waits and the tune Snake Hip Waltz from his impressive catalog of music. From there, we hear his father Freddie Waits teamed with Kenny Barron. We also get tasty new music from the likes of David Gibson, Ethan ...

Nathan Davis Quintet: The Hip Walk

by Ken Dryden
January 14, 2024

There are numerous examples of talented American jazz musicians who had long careers but were overlooked by critics, broadcasters and much of the jazz audience, often because they spent decades as full time jazz educators, which limited their opportunities to tour in support of their recordings. Nathan Davis, primarily known as a tenor and soprano saxophonist, ...

Benny Benack III: Third Time's The Charm

by Jack Bowers
August 14, 2023

While it remains to be seen whether rising star Benny Benack III's third album as leader is a charm (that is up to the listener), it is definitely a charmer, with delightful turns by trumpeter (and vocalist) Benack and pianist Emmet Cohen complementing stellar performances by a number of well-known and talented guest artists.

Neil Swainson: Fire In The West

by Jack Bowers
January 17, 2023

It's hard to believe that 35 years have flown by between the release of bassist Neil Swainson's debut album, 49th Parallel (Concord Jazz), and his second, Fire in the West, recorded in November 2021 and released nine months later. But Swainson was hardly in hibernation during those years, as he has been one of Canada's busiest ...