JazzStories

We lost a great Pianist and Composer when Cedar Walton passed away in August, 2013. Born in Texas, he became an indispensable sideman to Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Dexter Gordon, Abbey Lincoln and many more as a member of the house rhythm section of Prestige Records. Over four decades, Walton became an accomplished solo artist, trio leader and and composer of many jazz standards such as Ugetsu, Mosaic, Firm Roots, and Bolivia.

Abbey Lincoln was raised in a house without a television or radio- just a record player and collection of jazz LPs. That's where she heard Billie Holiday, and knew that she too was born to sing. Lincoln's talents extended beyond the stage to the screen, earning her a Golden Globe nomination in 1969's For The Love Of Ivy. Her passion for equality took her to the thick of the civil rights movement with political lyricism and an appearance on Max Roach's seminal We Insist! record from 1960. Lincoln passed away in Manhattan in 2010 at the age of 80. Producer Orla King presents this Steve Roland interview with Lincoln that delves into her life, her love of music, and her words.

Harold “Stumpy” Cromer - one half of the iconic vaudeville duo “Stump and Stumpy” – passed away on June 8th at 92. He performed with some of the greatest performers of his time, opening for luminaries from Duke Ellington to Frank Sinatra. The duo was said to have inspired Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis's deft and frantic slapstick. Cromer’s later years were spent as a traveling guru for aspiring dancers, using his routines to nourish a love of movement, music, and life. In this 2011 episode of JazzStories, producer Alexa Lim presents Cromer speaking about his experiences alongside a new stage partner 60 years his junior- Jared Grimes. Remember Cromer with our JazzStories: music in the words of the makers.

Saxphonist Chris Potter started playing at age 10 in his hometown of Columbia, South Carolina, a surprisingly hospitable place for a young musician. After graduating from high school in 1989, Potter moved to New York to attend the New School and soon was playing with bop legend Red Rodney. From there, Potter has made major contributions as a band leader and as a featured side man with Paul Motian, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny and many others.

The versatile pianist Mulgrew Miller was never confined by the boundaries of the piano -- or of one particular sound. In this 2001 interview with Murray Street's Ave Carrillo, he remembers his move from the Methodist church to the Ellington Orchestra to the resurgent 1980s New York jazz scene. He remained a mainstay of that scene until he passed away on May 29, 2013.

Michael Cuscuna is the co-founder of Mosaic Records, a jazz label that specializes in limited edition boxed sets that collect both the released and unreleased recordings of artists like Thelonious Monk, Louis Armstrong, and Sam Rivers. In this interview he traces his path from radio dj to record producer and denizen of long forgotten archives.

Reid Anderson is the bassist for The Bad Plus, a trio which also includes fellow Minnesotans, pianist Ethan Iverson and drummer Dave King. Anderson talks about being part of a "leaderless" trio, and avant garde tinged covers of rock and pop songs.

Stefon Harris has been hammering out cascades of sound on the marimba and vibraphone since 1996. A leader of his own groups, he's recorded six solo albums for Concord and Blue Note, and has played with Ry Cooder, Joe Henderson and the SF Jazz Collective.

Guitarist and composer Mary Halvorson pushes into new territory with daring, unpredictable improvisations. Though rooted in jazz, her guitar sound is personal, well-crafted, and borrows practices from rock and experimental music. A longtime member of saxophonist Anthony Braxton's ensembles, she leads a trio, quintet and septet, and is a member of almost two dozen other groups.

Siblings Yuval, Anat and Avishai Cohen have been developing their musical connection since birth -- while growing up together in Tel Aviv, attending the Berklee School of Music and now in their band 3 Cohens. In this Jazz at Lincoln Center Listening Party, they discuss their musical education in Israel and how three siblings come together in one band.

For over thirty years ,the guitarist and composer Bill Frisell has mined jazz, country, bluegrass, and rock and forged these sounds into a unified whole. In this Jazz at Lincoln Center Listening Party, he discusses how he forms his original ensemble sound and remembers his collaborator and friend, the late drummer Paul Motian.

In 1958, when twenty year-old Freddie Hubbard moved to New York City, the city was full of legends in the making - Lee Morgan, Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane and many others. Hubbard, who died in 2008, jammed with all of them and hones his sound to become one of the defining voices of 1960s hard bop. In our 1992 interview by Bill Brower and Steve Rowland, Hubbard looked back to the Brooklyn music scene in the early 60s.

With a style steeped in jazz, classical, funk and hip hop -- Christiane McBride has played on more than three hundred recordings. The Philadelphia born bassist is one of the most sought after players in jazz. Our producer David Goren talked with McBride about the Philly tradition, his own work in jazz and the shrinking distances in the world of music.

Vibraphonist Gary Burton's album Hot House with pianist Chick Corea has been nominated for two Grammy awards this February. Burton's also demonstrated a knack for discovering and collaborating with great guitarists -- Bill Frisell, Mick Goodrick, Pat Metheny and most recently 24 year old Julian Lage. In a Jazz at Lincoln Center Listening Party, Burton and Lage discuss their "chamber" approach to jazz and the unique sound of the "guitarvibe."

Dr. Lonnie Smith has developed his own idiosyncratic style on the famous Hammond B3 organ. The master musician talked with our Andrew Rosenblum about life in jazz, the nature of funk and why he turned down a chance to join up with the 'Godfather of Soul.