Skip to main content
Jazz legend Miles Davis playing the trumpet in a red shirt

Jazz

Sort:

Newest

04:11

Hans Reichel Finds Music Inside the Wood

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews "Shanghaied on Tor Road," a new release of German improviser and guitarist Hans Reichel playing an instrument of his own invention, the daxophone -- a stringless, amplified piece of wood.

Review
22:25

Jazz Singer Abby Lincoln Says, "A Song Is a Prayer"

Lincoln's new record is "Devil's Got Your Tongue." Once married to legendary jazz drummer Max Roach, she's made her mark on jazz for almost 40 years, singing with giants like Benny Carter, Sonny Rollins and Coleman Hawkins. Lincoln has been hailed by one critic as the "Last Great Diva", and says herself that she sings in the tradition of Sarah Vaughan, Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday.

Interview
16:01

Jazz Musician Jack Sheldon on Trumpet and Vocals

For many years, Sheldon was bandleader and sidekick for Merv Griffin's talk show. He sang with Benny Goodman, was a childhood friend of Chet Baker's, and played burlesque with Lenny Bruce. He's just released a new record of standards, called "On My Own."

Interview
03:59

Sun Ra, Known for Novelty, Was No Novelty Act

Legendary musician and band-leader Sun Ra died Sunday at the age 79; we pay tribute to his otherworldly brand of jazz with an excerpt from a concert he performed six years ago in Philadelphia

Commentary
06:00

A Review of Recent Lee Konitz Recordings

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews three releases featuring alto saxophonist Lee Konitz,a versatile musician known to be flexible depending on the context or ensemble he's in.

Review
15:57

"A Prairie Home" Pianist Butch Thompson

The Butch Thompson Trio was a regular on Garrison Keillor's syndicated radio show. Thompson's specialty is classic jazz from 1890s to about 1940, including the music of Scott Joplin, Jelly Roll Morton, Fats Waller, Eubie Blake, and others. He has a new series of solo CDs entitled "Minnesota Wonder."

Interview
06:16

Celebrating Ella Fitzgerald's 75th Birthday

Jazz critic Kevin White pays tribute to Ella Fitzgerald who turns 75 this Sunday. He argues that there are two versions of the jazz singer -- an interpreter of ballads and standards, the other a "superhuman" scat singer.

Commentary

Did you know you can create a shareable playlist?

Advertisement

There are more than 22,000 Fresh Air segments.

Let us help you find exactly what you want to hear.
Just play me something
Your Queue

Would you like to make a playlist based on your queue?

Generate & Share View/Edit Your Queue