Jazz Profiles presented by Tim Owens & 32 Bar Blues
Published by 32 Bar Blues
Music Interviews
Music
A Peabody Award-winning documentary series chronicling the people, places, and themes of jazz. Combining interviews, archival recordings, music, and narration by singer Nancy Wilson, each program tells an informative and sometimes gripping story that celebrates our uniquely American art form and the people who make it.
His was the first jazz album to sell over a million copies. But his music – noted for its odd time signatures – was somehow accessible and hummable. And with his signature quartet, he became a pioneer of the “cool” jazz movement. Stick around. Because you’re about to meet pianist, composer and jazz innovator Dave Brubeck. As part of the Peabody Award-winning documentary series “Jazz Profiles,” this presentation about Dave Brubeck was produced in 1996 by Dan Gediman – and narrated by the show host Nancy Wilson. Dave Brubeck, Part 2 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2363515/episodes/19568240 The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com
Dave Brubeck, Part 2
He simply is one of the most popular musicians in jazz. With his various quartets of piano, bass, drums and a horn – and his tours of college campuses the world over, he introduced thousands of young people to jazz. Once again, meet Dave Brubeck in Part 2 of our story on his life and music. As part of the Peabody Award-winning documentary series “Jazz Profiles,” this presentation about Dave Brubeck was produced in 1996 by Dan Gediman – and narrated by the show host Nancy Wilson. Dave Brubeck, Part 1 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2363515/episodes/19568254 The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com
Billie Holiday
Considered by many to be the most memorable of all jazz singers, Billie Holiday remains a household name nearly 70 years after her death. She sang behind-the-beat, which made her controversial in the 1930s – but revolutionary to jazz, and influential to a countless number of singers who followed including Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, and Carmen McRae. More than nearly any other singer, “Lady Day” meant every word that she sang, living many of the lyrics, particularly during the second half of her career when her interpretations could be so quietly expressive as to be heartbreaking. As part of the Peabody Award-winning documentary series “Jazz Profiles,” this presentation about Billie Holiday was produced in 2001 by Elizabeth Blair – and narrated by the show host Nancy Wilson. The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com
Betty Carter
Betty Carter is arguably the most adventurous female jazz vocalist in history. Known for her unique style and relentless improvisation, she challenged melodic and harmonic boundaries just like a bebop instrumentalist. Carter used her husky voice to radically transform songs on the spot, shifting tempos, altering dynamics, and breaking lyrics into syncopated rhythmic patterns. Whether scatting at lightning speed, sustaining 20-minute solos, or using expressive, wordless sighs, she always delivered deep emotional impact. As part of the Peabody Award-winning documentary series “Jazz Profiles,” this presentation about Betty Carter was produced in 1997 by Sonja Williams – and narrated by the show host Nancy Wilson. The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com
Buddy DeFranco
A brilliant improviser and prodigious technician, Buddy DeFranco reinvented jazz clarinet in the 1940s and 1950s, moving past traditional swing to become the premier bebop interpreter. It was a perilous undertaking on an instrument that requires nearly superhuman skill and dexterity to keep up with bebop’s sometimes freakishly fast tempos. Buddy spent a year with the famous Count Basie Septet; played with Charlie Barnet, Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, and Gene Krupa; and led the Glenn Miller Orchestra from 1966 to 1974. As part of the Peabody Award-winning documentary series “Jazz Profiles,” this presentation about Buddy DeFranco was produced in 1998 by Molly Murphy – and narrated by the show host Nancy Wilson. The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com
Bobby Hutcherson
Bobby Hutcherson’s sound and innovative style on the vibraphone helped revitalize the instrument in the 1960s, adding an adventurous new voice to the free jazz and post-bop eras. But he also skillfully advanced the marimba as a frontline voice. Throughout his career, his unique touch on both instruments enabled him to create a rich, varied sound palette, often imbuing his songs with deep African resonances in acoustic and electric settings. As part of the Peabody Award-winning documentary series “Jazz Profiles,” this presentation about Bobby Hutcherson was produced in 2001 by Paul Conley – and narrated by the show host Nancy Wilson. The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com
Ahmad Jamal
When we started 32 Bar Blues back in 2012, Ahmad Jamal was our first featured musician. It was deeply intentional. Pianist, composer, orchestrator and educator, he is lauded as one of the most influential musicians and bandleaders of all time. Miles Davis once said of Jamal, “He knocked me out with his concept of space, his lightness of touch, his understatement and the way he phrased notes and chords and passages. All my inspiration comes from Ahmad Jamal.” As part of the Peabody Award-winning documentary series “Jazz Profiles,” this presentation about Ahmad Jamal was produced in 1996 by Greg Fitzgerald – and narrated by the show host Nancy Wilson. The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com
Max Roach
A strong case can be made for Max Roach as the most complete drummer in jazz history. He was front-and-center for both the bebop movement that transformed jazz in the late 1940s and its hard-bop offshoot in the mid-1950s. He helped pioneer a new drumming style in which the ride cymbal was the focal element of the drumkit, and his ability to play extremely fast ride patterns set a new standard for drumming excellence. As part of the Peabody Award-winning documentary series “Jazz Profiles,” this presentation about Max Roach was produced in 1999 by Ben Shapiro – and narrated by the show host Nancy Wilson. The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com
Gil Evans
As an arranger, Gil Evans has few peers in jazz history. His style is instantly recognizable, often using unusual brass colorations for jazz, such as combinations of tuba and French horn. Famous for his collaborations with Miles Davis, Gil brought orchestral colors and textures to jazz – and was a pioneer of the “cool” sound. Beyond Miles, he arranged and composed the music of Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Herbie Hancock and dozens of others. “Gil’s arrangements were like a symphony,” Wayne Shorter once said, “He opened doors for us.” As part of the Peabody Award-winning documentary series “Jazz Profiles,” this presentation about Gil Evans was produced in 2000 by Larry Hicock – and narrated by the show host Nancy Wilson. The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com
Mary Lou Williams
Pianist, composer, arranger, and innovator Mary Lou Williams’ musical career reflected the history of American jazz from the late 1920s through the 1970s. Described by Duke Ellington as being “beyond category,” she was conversant in jazz styles ranging from stride and swing to be-bop and avant-garde, yet her music was always rooted in spirituals and the blues. Mary wrote and arranged for Duke and Benny Goodman, and she was friend, mentor, and teacher to Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Bud Powell, and Dizzy Gillespie. As part of the Peabody Award-winning documentary series “Jazz Profiles,” this presentation about Mary Lou Williams was produced in 1997 by Margaret Howze – and narrated by the show host Nancy Wilson. The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com
Jim Hall
Jazz guitarist Jim Hall’s technique has been called subtle, his sound mellow, and his compositions understated; yet his recording and playing history was anything but modest. He recorded with artists ranging from Bill Evans to Itzhak Perlman and performed alongside most of the jazz legends of the 20th century. The first of the modern jazz guitarists to receive an NEA Jazz Masters award, his prowess on the instrument puts him in the company of Charlie Christian, Wes Montgomery, and Django Reinhardt. As part of the Peabody Award-winning documentary series “Jazz Profiles,” this presentation about Jim Hall was produced in 2000 by Reese Erlich – and narrated by the show host Nancy Wilson. The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com
Ray Brown
Recognized for decades as the world’s premier bassist, Ray Brown was a significant part of the modern jazz movement – earning numerous accolades like the National Endowment for the Arts’ Jazz Masters Award and induction into DownBeat Magazine's Jazz Hall of Fame. In the many years that Ray made music, he played in every major night club and concert hall in the world – and performed with numerous legends including Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, Frank Sinatra, Billy Eckstine, Tony Bennett, and Sarah Vaughan. As part of the Peabody Award-winning documentary series “Jazz Profiles,” this presentation about Ray Brown was produced in 1996 by Joan Merrill – and narrated by the show host Nancy Wilson. The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com
Phil Woods
Known for his bright sound, impeccable technique, buoyant phrasing, and confident playing style, saxophonist Phil Woods was a true master of all things bop. He was also an NEA Jazz Master, received a living Jazz Legend Award from the Kennedy Center, and was awarded four Grammy Awards over his lifetime – but his contributions to the music’s lineage extend so much farther. He performed and recorded with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Goodman, Clark Terry, Bill Evans, Oliver Nelson, Quincy Jones, and Thelonious Monk – and was always generous in sharing his experiences and tutelage with aspiring musicians across the country. The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com
Toots Thielemans
Whistling guitarist and harmonica master Toots Thielemans played in everything from Charlie Parker’s band to commercials for Old Spice, on the theme from “Midnight Cowboy” and the theme from “Sesame Street.” Most important, he made the harmonica a jazz instrument. A perennial winner of DownBeat readers and critics polls in the category “miscellaneous instruments,” Thielemans was called “one of the greatest musicians of our time” by Quincy Jones in 1995. The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com
Freddy Cole
Freddy Cole always drew comparisons to his brother, Nat, and strived to carve out his own space. But the one thing everyone agreed on was his talent as both a singer and a pianist. Later in life, The New York Times said, “Freddy has an impeccable sense of swing… he is, overall, the most maturely expressive male jazz singer of his generation, if not the best alive.” The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com
Carla Bley
An irrepressibly original composer, arranger and pianist, Carla Bley is responsible for more than 60 years of wily provocations in and around jazz. She once attributed her originality as a composer – she is self-taught – to blissful ignorance of “right” and “wrong” ways to write a song. Working as a cigarette girl at Birdland in the 1950s, her role models included Red Garland, Thelonious Monk, and Miles Davis – all achieved much with few notes. But Bley’s work also included maximalist explorations and many spirited pieces for big band. Famed critic Nat Hentoff wrote, “her scores for jazz big bands are matched only by those of Duke Ellington and Charles Mingus for yearning lyricism, explosive exultation and other expressions of the human condition.” The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com
Lee Konitz
A pioneer of the cool school, jazz saxophonist Lee Konitz was a prolific and idiosyncratic artist – respected as much for the way he didn’t play as for the way he did. Like many musicians of his era, he adopted the expanded harmonic vocabulary of Charlie Parker, but Lee’s improvisations were measured and understated, more thoughtful than heated. Over the years, Lee worked with legends like Dave Brubeck, Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, Gerry Mulligan, and Elvin Jones – and he participated in Miles Davis’ “Birth of the Cool” sessions. The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com
Les McCann
Jazz pianist and vocalist Les McCann was an early progenitor of the bluesy, crowd-pleasing style that came to be known as soul jazz. Best remembered for his 1967 protest song “Compared to What,” McCann released more than 50 albums over his lifetime – and much of his music lives on through classic hip-hop songs that sampled his work. He brought a raw, emotional, gospel-infused energy to his art that set him apart. The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com
Zoot Sims
John Haley “Zoot” Sims was a saxophonist’s saxophonist, a musician everybody wanted to work with because he made everything he played sound better. Largely self-taught, he was renowned for his rhythmic drive, lyrical warmth, and effortless swing – jumping from the “Four Brothers” section of Woody Herman’s big band to later become a standout soloist in the cool jazz and West Coast jazz scenes. He once said of his own work, “What interests me is music that sounds and feels good. If it doesn’t warm my ear, forget it.” The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com
James Moody
From the late 1940s through the early 21st century, James Moody was an institution in jazz – whether on tenor sax, flute, occasional alto, or yodeling his way through his “Moody’s Mood for Love.” Ebullient and ever-smiling, he defied the stereotype of the modern jazz musician as austere and humorless – often telling jokes on stage and peppering his repertory with numbers like “Beer Barrel Polka” and the theme from “The Flintstones.” He played with legends like Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Milt Jackson, Charles Mingus, and Max Roach and left a lasting impression on the music world. The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com
