Jazz

The jazz singer's 1960s concert career is amply documented on record, with live albums from Berlin, LA, Tokyo and the French Riviera. Now comes a newly released concert of Fitzgerald in Oakland, Calif.

Born March 13, 1925, Haynes was a drummer who liked to prod his fellow players. Over the course of his career, he played with Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Sarah Vaughan, Chick Corea and many others.

Known as "Lady Louie," Ketchens has been a fixture of the French Quarter for nearly four decades. We talk about her classical training and her career as a street performer, and she'll play some music.

Author Ricky Riccardi says Armstrong's innovations as a trumpeter and vocalist helped set the entire soundtrack of the 20th century. His new book about Armstrong's early life is Stomp Off, Let's Go.

6-Minute Listen
Download
Transcript
A new recording features pianist McCoy Tyner and saxophonist Joe Henderson in a concert taped in New York City in 1966. The music here is a prelude to later iconic records by each leader.

From music producer Quincy Jones, to critic and archivist Dan Morgenstern, jazz historian Kevin Whitehead remembers just a few of the influential musicians and personalities we lost this year.

Jon Batiste joins Terry Gross from behind the piano to talk about his new album Beethoven Blues, in which he re-imagines Beethoven's compositions.

Haynes, who died Nov. 12, was a heavy hitter, whose limber beat could lift the bandstand. His 65-year recording career was studded with more classics than we have time to even hint at.

Golson, who died Sept. 21, captured the sunny optimism of American in the late '50s and early '60s. He composed internal music for hit TV shows and appeared as himself in the 2004 film The Terminal.

Born Sept. 27, 1924, Powell helped set the style for jazz piano after WWII. While earlier pianists played busy bass patterns, he helped establish a more fragmented, punctuating role for the left hand.

Morgenstern, who died Sept. 7, directed the Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies for 35 years, building a one-of-a-kind collection of recordings, memorabilia and writings. Originally broadcast in 2004.

Malone, who died Aug. 23, was one of the leading guitarists of his generation. Before starting his own group, he performed with Diana Krall, Harry Connick Jr. and others. Originally broadcast in 2000.

Washington, who died in 1963, was born in Alabama and got her start singing in church. Throughout her relatively short, two-decade career, she boasted — and proved — that she could sing anything.

Ringwald represented teen angst in '80s films like Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club. She's also worked as a jazz musician, an author and a translator. Originally broadcast Feb. 12, 2024.

Sanborn, who died May 12, recorded or toured with countless artists, including James Brown, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder and Elton John. Originally broadcast in 1991.

In 1959, Rollins was a few years into one of the great hot streaks in jazz history when he took a three-week trip to Europe. Three hours from that tour are heard on a new Rollins-approved reissue.

Molly Ringwald grew to fame representing Gen-X teen angst in '80s films like Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink. But her early success led to a career predicament: Ringwald says she went from playing teens in the '80s to "mom purgatory" — playing supportive mothers and entirely skipping what she calls the "sexy aunt" roles. In the new Ryan Murphy series, Feud: Capote vs. The Swans, Ringwald plays Joanne Carson, ex-wife of talk-show host Johnny Carson.

Trumpeter Jon-Erik Kellso and guitarist Matt Munisteri, founding members of the NYC band The EarRegulars, play tunes from their new album, Live at the Ear Inn. Originally broadcast Nov. 22, 2023.

Bley, who died Oct. 17, led her own large and small touring bands from the 1970s until a few years ago — but jazz musicians had been playing her enigmatic compositions long before that.

Bass improviser Richard Davis, trombonist Curtis Fowlkes and saxophonists Charles Gayle and Peter Brötzmann are among the notable musicians we lost this year.