Jazz

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the new CD set, "The Fletcher Henderson Story: A Study in Frustration," a reissue of a 4-LP set that's been out print since the 1960s.

Actor and playwright Vernel Bagneris and pianist Morten Gunnar Larsen perform selections from their show, "Jelly Roll Morton: A Me-morial," with music written by Morton, and a script taken from Library of Congress tapes of Morton from 1938. The New Yorker calls it, "an experimental study, done within a traditional Broadway-musical framework, of the life and death of a black misanthrope. . . a psychomusical." This concert was first broadcast in 1992.

James was a teenager when she was discovered by bandleader/talent scout Johnny Otis, who helped her record her first single, "Dance with Me Henry." Her career took off in the sixties, until she battled a drug addiction at the end of that decade. Although James mostly sang R&B, she has just released "Mystery Lady," featuring songs by her favorite jazz singer, Billie Holiday.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews "The Montreal Tapes," a live recording featuring bassist Charlie Haden, trumpeter Don Cherry, and drummer Edward Blackwell at the 1989 Montreal Jazz Festival.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews Keith Jarrett's new album, "At the Deer Head Inn." Jarrett, on piano, teams up with bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Paul Motian.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says that, amidst the apocryphal narratives circulating around the sax player's career, the Verve reissue "The Lester Young Trio" is worth checking out.

Bandleader and pianist Eddie Palmieri. Through his first band, La Perfecta, labeled "the band with the crazy roaring elephants," Palmieri was credited with originating Latin jazz's trombone sound in New York during the sixties. With the release of "Palmas," (Elektra), many critics feel that this respected 58-year old innovator will finally get the exposure and respect that his sound has long merited. Palmieri's lobbying over the past year culminated in the announcement of a new Grammy Award category for Afro-Carribbean Jazz.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews two new reissues which were both recorded in New York in the mid-1960's. Steve Lacy and Rosewell Rudd combine modern jazz, avant-garde, and old blues in their album "School Days" ( Hat Art). Duke Pearson combines piano with Caribbean music on "The Right Touch" on the (Blue Note).

World music commentator Milo Miles showcases guitarist Steve Tibbetts.

TV critic David Bianculli reviews the latest of MTV's "Unplugged" concert series, featuring Tony Bennett.

Sonny Sharrock was a guitarist. His genre was the free-jazz movement of the late 1960's Jon Pareles said in the New York Times that Sharrock's "guitar solos streaked and clanged, using blistering speed and raw noise to create music that had both the openness of jazz and power of rock." (Rebroadcast of 10/23/1991)

Jazz musicians Red Rodney and Sonny Sharrock. They're both important jazz figures who recently died. We will rebroadcast previous interviews with both Rodney was a trumpeter and band leader. He rose through the big band ranks and played in Charlie Parker's quintet. He was known as one of jazz's best improvisers. And he was known for regaling journalists with his stories-- often of dubious veracity. (Rebroadcast of 6/15/1990)

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a new collection of Jelly Roll Morton recordings: "Jelly Roll Morton: Library of Congress Recordings" (Rounder records, 4 volumes).

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews "Revelation" the new album by 30-year old pianist Cyrus Chestnut (On the Atlantic Jazz label).

Jazz pianist Fred Hersch. His new solo album is "Fred Hersch at Maybeck." Hersch recently revealed he is HIV positive and appears on several recordings to fund raise for the disease.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews Bill Frisell's album "This Land."

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the work of soprano saxophonist Lol Coxhill. ("Lohl") (The Dunois Solos, Nato records)

Kevin Whitehead reviews jazz fiddler Claude Williams two volume set: "Live at J's" (Arhoolie)

Drummer Arthur Taylor. He's played with Sonny Rollins, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk and he's put together a new expanded collection of interviews he's done with fellow musicians: "Notes and Tones: Musician-to-Musician Interviews," (Da Capo Press). It's one of the few books about black jazz musicians by a black man, and because of that Taylor's subjects were able to talk freely about the role of black artists in white society.

Sonny Rollins, tenor saxophonist, is one of the jazz world's greatest improvisational artists. At the tender age of 23, he played with Miles Davis and Charlie Parker. After successfully battling a heroin addiction in the early 1950s, he joined the Clifford Brown-Max Roach quintet. He also began a critically-acclaimed solo career. Now in his sixties, he feels obligated to carry on the vision of his own mentors to today's rising stars. His latest album, "Old Flames" (Milestone), focuses on jazz standards and features Sonny backed by a brass section.