Chucho Valdés on Piano Jazz
At one time, pianist Jesus “Chucho” Valdés was banned from performing in the United States. Today, he enjoys performing and teaching here as well as in his native Cuba. Valdés is a world-class...
View ArticleJackie and Roy on Piano Jazz
Roy Kral (1921 – 2002) was working in Chicago with the George Davis Quartet when he met Jackie Cain (1928 – 2014). They formed a duo, Jackie and Roy, and the rest is history. The vocal and piano duo...
View ArticleEsperanza Spalding on Piano Jazz
Bassist Esperanza Spalding is one of the most talked about artists in jazz today. She scored a surprise win for Best New Artist at the 2011 Grammy Awards and went on to win three additional Grammy...
View ArticleMario Grigorov on Piano Jazz
Born in Sophia, Bulgaria, Mario Grigorov studied classical music until he fell in love with jazz. As a child his parents performed in the Sophia Symphony Orchestra before moving to Iran, where his...
View ArticleSir Roland Hanna on Piano Jazz
This 2003 Piano Jazz with guest Sir Roland Hanna (1932 – 2002) was recorded before a live audience at the 2002 Tanglewood Jazz Festival. A subtle and insightful pianist, he was a superb two piano...
View ArticleRichard Sudhalter on Piano Jazz
Richard Sudhalter (1938 – 2008) was a true “Renaissance Man” of jazz. A top jazz cornetist, he was also a respected critic, author, recording artist, and featured guest at major jazz festivals. He...
View ArticleNellie Lutcher on Piano Jazz
Nellie Lutcher (1912 – 2007) started out playing piano at fifteen but soon transitioned to singing. She built a career as a prominent jazz vocalist in the 1940s and 1950s with hits such as “Fine Brown...
View ArticleLonnie Liston Smith on Piano Jazz
Lonnie Liston Smith is one of contemporary music’s most versatile keyboardists. With a career spanning four decades, Smith has worked as a soloist, bandleader, and sideman to greats including Miles...
View ArticleMeredith D’Ambrosio on Piano Jazz
A sensitive and romantic vocalist and pianist, Meredith D’Ambrosio is a champion of the lesser-known songs of famous composers. She is also respected as a visual artist, composer, and teacher. In the...
View ArticleGrover Washington, Jr. on Piano Jazz
Saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr. (1943-1999) was a master musician and multiple Grammy winner. He performed internationally and worked with names like Bobby McFerrin, B.B. King, Patti LaBelle, and...
View ArticlePatti Wicks on Piano Jazz
Pianist and vocalist Patti Wicks (1945 – 2014) began picking out tunes at the age of three and learned to play by ear because she was born visually impaired. As an adult, Wicks continued her music...
View ArticleAndré Previn on Piano Jazz
Conductor, composer, and pianist André Previn has received multiple Lifetime Achievement Awards, including honors from the Kennedy Center, the London Symphony Orchestra, and the Grammy Awards. Previn...
View ArticleLoston Harris on Piano Jazz
For more than a decade, Loston Harris has headlined at Bemelmans Bar in Manhattan, delighting audiences with his smooth, soulful voice and piano style. Harris began his jazz career as a drummer but was...
View ArticleYour Christmas Stories, For All To Hear
We asked, and you answered. Your memorable Christmas stories. Sweet, solemn, spirited. We’ll listen. Holidays make stories. And Christmas is the Big One. Stories of dreams and plans gone awry. Of...
View ArticleThe Shifting Meanings Of Our Evolving Modern Language
This program was originally broadcast on September 13, 2016 . Linguist John McWhorter explores how the meaning of words change dramatically over time, and why we should embrace this. Linguist John...
View ArticleHope Jahren, The ‘Lab Girl’
This program was originally broadcast on April 5, 2016 . “Lab Girl”, the powerful new memoir of a female scientist — geobiologist Hope Jahren on life and love. Hope Jahren is a remarkable scientist who...
View ArticleSacha Baron Cohen Would Like A Word With You
This program was originally broadcast on February 1, 2016 . Comedian and actor Sacha Baron Cohen joins us. The wild imagination behind Borat, Bruno and Ali G is back. Actor, comedian Sacha Baron Cohen...
View Article'Two Homes, One Childhood': Co-Parenting After Divorce
This program was originally broadcast on August 9, 2016 . Taking care of your kids’ needs after a divorce. Psychologist, divorce expert Robert Emery on his new book Two Homes, One Childhood. The simple...
View ArticleT.S. Eliot And The Birth Of The Modern Poet
This program was originally broadcast on December 15, 2015 . The great Christopher Ricks on the great T.S. Eliot. Practical cats and the way the world ends. We know that April is the cruelest month,...
View ArticleToots Thielemans
This week Piano Jazz remembers Jean-Baptiste “Toots” Thielemans (1922 – 2016), unrivaled master of the jazz harmonica. He was recognized the world over for his trademark style and tender sound, and he...
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