Tonight's Jazz Feature is by one of the most well known musicians in the world: pianist/composer/leader: Herbie Hancock. This wonderful album was done in the mid-60's when Herbie was a member of Miles Davis' Quintet. Hancock had signed with Blue Note Records and made many appearances as a sideman and had already recorded 3 albums under his name. He is perhaps best known for his 5th album "Maiden Voyage" but this date, his 4th is a gem. It's called "Empyrean Isles " and features a stellar quartet with the incomparable Freddie Hubbard on cornet (a smaller, sharper sounding trumpet), Ron Carter o ..read more

Tonight's Jazz Feature is a belated Birthday tribute to a sadly neglected Jazz giant and innovator. St.Elmo Sy;vester Hope was born in New York on June 27,1923 and died in that city at age 43 on May 19,1967 from a bout with pneumonia. Elmo grew up with his close friends Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell but somehow the honors that were given to Monk and Powell eluded Elmo Hope. His unique piano style reflected the influences of Monk and Powell but were very much his own. His recordings as a sideman and leader are rather sparse but tonight's Jazz Feature presents a session that is one of the best ..read more

Tonight's Jazz Feature is a tribute through music to Canada Day, today July 1,2024. The great Canadian born pianist/composer and Jazz Master Oscar Emmanual Peterson was born in Montreal on August 15,1925 and passed away at his home in Mississauga, Ontario on December 23,2007 after a long career and receiving just about every honor Canada could bestow on this artist. The Jazz Show is proud to present "The Canadiana Suite" an 8 movement suite composed in honor of the country of his birth and performed by his long standing Trio with the incomparable Ray Brown on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums and o ..read more

Tonight's Jazz Feature spotlights the late and deeply missed vibraphonist/marimbaist Bobby Hutcherson. This group was led by Hutcherson after the breakup of the ground breaking Bobby Hutcherson/ Harold Land Quintet. Bobby continued his innovative ways and formed this band of mainly San Francisco based players. Their sound was more airy and floating and lighter but no less compelling. Bobby brought in some of the positive aspects of "fusion Jazz" that prevailed in the early 70's but kept the tradition of Jazz happening. He also divided his time between the vibraphone (it has metal bars) and the ..read more

Tonight's Jazz Feature is unique even in the varied discography of Charles Mingus. First of all Mingus plays only piano here and chants, sings and delivers verbal encouragement to the soloists. Also the band is built around the amazing talents of Roland Kirk (aka Rahsaan Roland Kirk) who plays his tenor saxophone, manzello (a type of soprano saxophone), his stritch (an elongated alto saxophone), flute and various percussion and sundry instruments like whistles, gongs etc. In the band too is tenor saxophonist Booker Ervin and trombone great Jimmy Knepper, both Mingus favorites. On bass is Doug ..read more

Tonight's Jazz Feature is an important album recorded in one of the golden years of Jazz: 1959 but rarely mentioned. This album marked the first issued album under a new Blue Note contract by alto saxophone giant, Jackie McLean. Jackie was starting a new phase in career and this album marks the first step and it's a big step. Jackie emerges here from his early influences namely Charlie Parker and Sonny Rollins. Jackie also has one of the most distinctive sounds that's sometimes raw and harsh but always soulful and full of feeling. On this fine album McLean is featured with a frequent partner ..read more

Tonight's Jazz Feature is the recording debut of drummer Louis Hayes. It was recorded in April of 1960 for the Vee-Jay Records a short lived label owned by African-Americans that produced a number of essential albums. This date was Louis' first under his name and he was only 23. Hayes was born in Detroit on May 31,1937 and just celebrated his 87th Birthday. He is well and still plays engagements. Young Louis picked the tunes and the very worthy sidemen here beginning with his first mentor, the great Yusef Lateef who plays tenor saxophone exclusively here. Nat Adderley is a dynamo on cornet, Ba ..read more

Tonight's Jazz Feature is a tribute to the 98th Birthday Anniversary of one of the most important and influential musicians in Jazz: Miles Dewey Davis who was born in Alton, Illinois on May 26, 1926. He left us on September 28, 1991 at age 65. Tonight's Jazz Feature presents in concert in Belgium the "Second Great Quintet" at it's peak. The personnel was Davis on trumpet and leader with Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass and Tony Williams on drums. Hancock and Carter are alive and well today and still performing. The repertoire is a mixture of origina ..read more

George Russell was one of the foremost composer/arrangers in Modern Jazz and always a forward thinker. He recorded under his own name in the mid-50's but didn't form an actual working band until 1960 when he put together his Sextet. He recorded for Decca and the independent label, Riverside Records and until he left the US for Europe in the mid-60's. it was a golden and productive period for Russell. This is a very special album and the only one where the great Eric Dolphy who is heard here on alto saxophone and bass clarinet, was a member of Russell's Sextet. The album was recorded on May 8,1 ..read more

Tonight's Jazz Feature is a belated tribute to the Birthday of bassist/pianist/composer/iconoclast/ Charles Mingus. Mingus was born on Earth Day, April 22, 1922 in Nogales, Arizona and died in Cuernavaca, Mexico on January 5, 1979 from ALS. This album on tonight's Jazz Feature is his first for Columbia Records and it literally brought Mingus out of the Jazz underground and into the forefront. It was also his best selling album and widened his audience by leaps and bounds. The album is one of the many classics that were recorded in 1959 like "Kind of Blue". "Time Out", "Giant Steps" this is of ..read more