Jazz

Jazz critic Francis Davis says that Steve Kuhn, who as a young man performed with John Coltrane's band, is only now finding his voice. Kuhn's new album is called Mostly Ballads.

The jazz pianist blends traditional forms with avant-garde harmonies. A favorite of the Fresh Air staff, he was commissioned to write and perform the program's theme song. He is joined by tuba and bass player Ralph Hamperian.

Tony Bennett's newest album anthologizes several of the singer's recordings with prominent jazz musicians. Critic Francis Davis isn't sure if the music qualifies as jazz, but it's a pleasure nonetheless.

Alto saxophonist Frank Morgan is better known for kicking his heroin habit than for his music. Jazz critic Francis Davis says his new album of standards is worth a listen.

Sun Ra's recent releases reveal the pianists' enduring interest in free improvisation and spectacle. Jazz critic Francis Davis says one is a prime example of the musician's ensemble work; the other is unlistenable.

The free jazz innovator remains both influential and controversial 30 years after he appeared on the scene. His new album is called In All Languages.

The performer, composer, and professor is one of bop's progenitors. He continues to innovate with his Double Quartet, which incorporates strings into a more conventional jazz combo. He became an activist during the civil rights movement, and often incorporated his politics into his music.

Jazz guitar player Marty Grosz talks about the songwriter's lyrics, which he says are at once remorseful and exuberant. Grosz performs two of Waller's songs for Fresh Air listeners.

Jazz critic Francis Davis says Nigel Kennedy avoids the dilettantism of other classical musicians who want to get down and dirty in other genres. Kennedy's new album features interpretations of Duke Ellington and Bela Bartok.

Musician Marty Grosz returns to Fresh Air to discuss the role of the rhythm guitarist in jazz, particularly in the early days of big bands. He sings two songs to illustrate the technique.

The prolific Modern Jazz Quartet returns with a new album featuring orchestration written for the New York Chamber Symphony. Jazz critic Francis Davis says the music lives up the Olympian standard to which he holds the group.

Taking advantage of new recording technologies, Ellington's son Mercer leads his father's big band on a new CD. Jazz critic Francis Davis says the performances are excellent in their own right, but the album doesn't offer anything new or surprising.

Singer, writer, and translator Susannah McCorkle performs selections from the Great American Songbook with pianist Ben Aronov and bassist Chip Jackson. She discovered much of that music while living in Europe, watching American films.

The free jazz saxophonist's new album features both his original 1950s-era quartet and his more recent electric ensemble, Prime Time. Jazz critic Francis Davis is occasionally frustrated by the production, but nonetheless says the record is one of the most significant releases of the year.

Avant-garde composer and saxophonist John Zorn's most recent album reinterprets the music of film composer Ennio Morricone. His forthcoming recording pays homage to detective novelist Mickey Spillane.

While he was still a teenager the musician moved with his twin brother from Phoenix to Los Angeles to find work as a jazz musician. His career later took him to New York and, eventually, Vienna, where he has lived for several years. He has recently reunited his old group, the Jazztet, with tenor saxophonist Benny Golson.

The jazz singer and songwriter is known for his distinctive voice and, most recently, his work on the children's show Schoolhouse Rock. He performs several songs in-studio for Fresh Air listeners.

Marty Grosz returns to Fresh Air to perform two songs he learned while starting out in Chicago and New York.

British music critic and producer Leonard Feather worked with fellow producer John Hammond to desegregate jazz in the United States, as well as to promote women jazz musicians. In his new book, The Jazz Years, he considers how racism, radio stations and record labels affected the popularity of different styles like big band and bebop.

Only in his mid-thirties, Scott Turre is already a seasoned musician. Jazz critic Francis Davis says his latest album features Turre's newfound maturity as a soloist and arranger.