CURRENT SCHEDULE for Jazz On The Side on WMOT
(April 15 - July 8, 2007)

April 15: "Ladies of Jazz – Got Rhythm"

Unfairly ignored during their careers in the 1950's and 60's, we remember 3 great ladies from the rhythm section: Terry Pollard, pianist with Quincy Jones and Terry Gibbs, Mary Osborne, guitarist with Mary Lou Williams and Coleman Hawkins; and Margie Hyams, vibraphonist with Woody Herman and George Shearing.

April 22: "The Make-Believe Ballroom" An Incomplete History of Jazz Radio, Vol. 1 

It's time for public radio pledge drives, and we join in with a colorful 2-show trip back through the history of jazz on radio. From the first live broadcast in 1906, to swing music played on World War II military stations, our story gets illustrated with rare broadcast recordings including Duke Ellington at the Cotton Club, Count Basie at the Savoy, Louis Armstrong sitting in with Benny Goodman's Sextet, Frank Sinatra at Roseland, Art Tatum, Roy Eldridge, Cab Calloway, and a 19-year old Bud Powell playing blues with Cootie Williams.

April 29: "On The Radio With Daddy-O" An Incomplete History of Jazz Radio, Vol. 2 

The second part of our pledge drive special picks up the story in World War II and looks at the demise of live band remotes, the rise of FM radio, slick late-night DJs like Chicago's Daddy-O Daylie, and the new concept of public radio. An hour of rare broadcasts starts with NBC's unique "Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street" featuring Lena Horne, goes to a battle of the bands between Charlie Barnett and Woody Herman, finds Charlie Parker at the Royal Roost, Duke Ellington at the Blue Note, and Dave Brubeck at Birdland. You don't want to miss a very rare moment of Tony Bennett jamming with Gene Krupa!

May 6: "The Sounds of Memphis"

Since the days of W. C. Handy, Memphis, TN has produced a host of jazz men. Is there a Memphis style? We look for an answer from pianists Phineas Newborn, Harold Mabern and Mulgrew Miller, saxophonists Hank Crawford and Frank Strozier, trumpeters Booker Little, Louis Smith, and Bill Mobley, and others. 

May 13: "The Sounds of Chicago"

The "Chicago Style" of jazz has evolved from the "Austin High Gang" of the roaring 20's to the avant garde AACM. You'll hear that evolution from swing saxist Bud Freeman, to bebopper Lennie Tristano, to hard bopper Johnny Griffin, to vocalist Jean Carne, plus Von Freeman, Ira Sullivan, Judy Roberts and more.

May 20: "The Bebop Vocalists"

Many have forgotten how fun and exciting the early bebop vocalists were, as they tried to turn the far-out innovations of Bird and Diz into music the public could relate to. Dig the Dave Lambert Singers, Jackie & Roy, Babs Gonzales, Joe Carroll, Jackie Paris, Leo Watson, and others.

May 27: Memorial Day - "The Return of the V-Disc" Vol. 1

We honor Memorial Day with the famous V-Discs that brought welcome music from home to Americans fighting WWII in Europe and the Pacific. Forgotten for 60 years, they are historic documents of the great big bands, singers, and soloists of the 40's: Nat King Cole, Glenn Miller, Django Reinhardt, Buddy Rich, Frank Sinatra, Art Tatum, Jack Teagarden, and more.

June 3: Jazz & Theater, Vol. 1: "The Jazz Soul of Porgy & Bess"

In the 50's, jazz albums of Broadway musicals were everywhere. This 1959 big band version of Gershwin's popular opera is a forgotten gem. The arrangements by the little-known Bill Potts really swing and the all-star band includes Phil Woods, Zoot Sims, Bill Evans, and more.

June 10: Jazz & Theater, Vol. 2: "Guys & Dolls"

In the late 50’s, 2 jazz versions of the big Broadway hit were produced by vibes players. Besides Eddie Costa’s great vibes work, Guys and Dolls like Vibes was one of the first records by legendary pianist Bill Evans. Swinging Guys and Dolls by The Manhattan Jazz All-Stars featured vibist Teddy Charles with Phil Woods, Zoot Sims, Bob Brookmeyer, and a rare studio turn by pianists Mose Allison and bop legend Sir Charles Thompson.

June 17: Jazz & Theater, Vol. 3: "The Other Fair Ladies"

A 1956 jazz album of “My Fair Lady” started the craze for Broadway jazz albums. Revisit America's favorite musical with little known versions of the “Lady” by Billy Taylor, Shirley Scott, Sonny Rollins, Etta Jones, and Shelly Manne’s West coast big band with forgotten horn men Don Sleet and Charlie Kennedy. Plus 2 cool numbers by vocalists Annie Ross and Janis Siegal.

June 24: Jazz & Theater, Vol. 4: "5 Canaries & a Birdie" 

Five great jazz vocalists help us explore the history of musical theater as a source for jazz from minstrel shows to modern Broadway. Our canaries include Mildred Bailey with a 1928 Fats Waller song, Chris Conner sings Cole Porter, San Francisco’s wonderful Weslia Whitfield does Rogers & Hart, Kurt Weill gets modernized by Nancy Marano, and the great Ella Fitzgerald does classic Gershwin. Then we move to 1964 for a forgotten big band version of "Bye Bye Birdie" by arranger Bill Potts with Phil Woods, Gene Quill, Clark Terry, and Joe Newman.

July 1: Independence Day - "The Return of the V-Disc" Vol. 2

Celebrate America's popular July 4th holiday with the second in our series of re-discovered swing-era V-Disc recordings, made to boost the morale and fighting spirit of the troops in WWII. Records you've never heard by Benny Goodman, Nat King Cole, Red Norvo, Stan Kenton, Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey, Bing Crosby, Gene Krupa, and more.

July 8: Jazz & Theater, Vol. 5: "The Connection"

Our theater series goes “Off-Broadway” with 3 albums of hard bop jazz from Jack Gelber’s dark, searing 1959 play about New York City junkies. Composer Freddie Redd cut two 1960 versions, first with Jackie McLean, then with Howard McGhee and Tina Brooks. In 1962 a new score was done by baritone virtuoso Cecil Payne and pianist Kenny Drew, recorded with Clark Terry.

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