April 6, 2008 Jazz Fest Coming to NCCU!
I was thrilled to have three jazz giants in the WCOM studio all at the same time to join me for my show. Larry Ridley is here in the Durham area from New York City. He is a jazz bass player who has played with all the giants of the past and present. Those he has played with reads like a Who's Who of Jazz - including Thelonius Monk. Dr. Ridley is here as a primary organizer of the upcoming NAJRI HBCU Jazz Conference, which will be held at NC Central University, April 16th - 19th. This is the 18th year of the NCCU Jazz Festival. Dr. Ridley is an educator, as can be easily seen in this presentation about the playing style and contribution of Sonny Rollins. As Dr. Ridley expresses - to be a jazz player is to be an instantaneous composer.

At the upcoming Jazz Festival/Conference, there will be featured performances by saxophonist/flutist David 'Fathead' Newman and the Cedar Walton (shown in the photo to the right) Trio with bassist David Williams and drummer George Fludas.

Joining us in the WCOM studio, was Ira Wiggins, the Director of NCCU Jazz Studies, and a highly respected saxophone/flutist, with 15 albums to his credit as a sideman and soloist. He has performed with Jimmy Heath, Grady Tate, Frank Foster, James Moody, Fred Wesley and others. Dr. Wiggins hails from Kinston, NC, along with Jimmy Heath and Grady Tate who also have NC roots.

To top things off, composer TJ Anderson came by to meet Larry Ridley, and share an evening with Ira. TJ and Larry had traveled in similar jazz worlds for many years and yet had never met. So I was pleased that they had that chance as a part of my show. For more info about Dr. Anderson, check out his comments about the work of DJ Spooky at a recent presentation by DJ Spooky at UNC-CH as organized by Paul Jones of ibiblio. And to learn about one of the original compositions of Dr. Anderson, listen to the YouTube recording of Donal Fox on piano and with orchestra, playing the Second Movement of Fragments. A Concerto by TJ is posted on ibiblio.

Larry, TJ, and Ira had a great time talking about jazz, its roots, education, and the demise of the jazz clubs. Larry and Ira are the co-directors of NAJRI.

In between conversation, I shared some of the music of Dr. Larry Ridley. Dr. Ridley's CD, Sum of the Parts, includes Grady Tate on drums. Grady is from Durham and attended NC Central University.

Playlist -

• Larry Ridley and the Jazz Legacy Ensemble; Other Voices CD; Evidence
• Larry Ridley; Sum of the Parts CD; It Was a Very Good Year
• Larry Ridley; Sum of the Parts CD; Changa Chikuyo
• African American Jazz Caucus Presents AAJC/HBCU Student All-Star Big Band; Boogie Stomp Shuffle
• Larry Ridley; Other Voices CD; Wes Coast Blues

I want to thank Larry Thomas for helping to arrange for Larry Ridley to be on my show. It was a night to remember for sure. Larry hosts WCOM's Sunday Night Jazz show that follows mine from 9:00 - midnight, the bewitching hour.

My son, Will, continues to blog in the NY Times about issues of teaching on the westside of Chicago in an alternative school. Today's posting is about the challenges of passing or failing students who are trying and yet are performing below grade level.

Please join me every Sunday night from 7:00 - 9:00, as I feature the sounds of NC jazz musicians of the past and present. You can hear my show, and all shows on WCOM, thanks to Paul Jones and ibiblio, which makes our web-streaming possible. If you live in the Carrboro/Chapel Hill you can hear us at 103 FM. You can call the station at 919 929-9601.

March 23, 2008 The Classical Side of Jazz
Tonight I selected songs that were on the classical side of jazz. I enjoyed a mellow evening on WCOM out of Carrboro, NC, where each Sunday night from 7:00 - 9:00, I feature the sounds of NC jazz musicians and sometimes much, much more. You can join me from any where in the world by going to the ibiblio-provided webstreaming connection, thanks to Paul Jones.

I played a number of songs from my three new CDs featuring the playing of Billy Strayhorn. Billy spent many a summer of his life in Hillsborough, NC with his grandparents. I am still seeking a recording of his solo concert at the end of his life - surely someone recorded such an historical moment. I did find him playing duets with Duke Ellington on one CD; with Johnny Hodges on another; and a solo of Billy's from earlier in his career.

Playlist -

• Nina Simone (b. Tryon, NC); Anthology CD; I Wish I Knew How it Would Feel to be Free
• Andrzej Jagodzinski Trio CD; Prelude in E Minor
• Johnny Hodges & Billy Strayhorn & The Orchestra CD; Don't Get Around Much Any More
• Frankie Alexander (lives Durham, NC); Mad About the Words CD; At Long Last Love
• Stephen Anderson Trio (lives Chapel Hill, NC); Forget Not CD; Mobiles
• Johnny Hodges/Billy Strayhorn & The Orchestra CD; Star Dust
• Andrzej Jagodzinski Trio CD; Etude in A Minor
• Harry Pickens; Passionate Ballads CD; Someone to Watch Over Me
• Stephen Anderson Trio; Forget Not CD; T'so Political
• Al Neese Quintet (lives Greensboro, NC); The Omen Seeker CD; Wood Heat
• Billy Strayhorn (lived Hillsborough, NC); Piano Passions CD; Lush Life
• Robert Trowers (lives Durham, NC); Point of View CD; Minority
• Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn; Piano Duets CD; Cotton Tail
• Billy Strayhorn; Piano Passion CD; Take the A Train
• Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn; Piano Duets CD; Perdido
• Johnny Hodges/Billy Strayhorn & The Orchestra CD; Cotton Tail
• Mary Lou Williams (lived Durham, NC); May Mama Pinned a Rose on Me CD; The Blues
• Stanley Turrentine; On a Misty Night CD; That's the Way of the World
• Billy Taylor (b. Greenville, NC); Music Keeps Us Young CD; I Wish I Knew How it Would Feel to be Free

I'm wishing a Happy Birthday to Zoe, who is a young song writer and singer, and regular guest on my show. You can see she had a sweet celebration.

March 16, 2008 NC Jazz Giants
As always, on my show tonight, I featured the sounds of NC jazz musicians. Each week, I begin and end my show with Billy Taylor's beautiful jazz spiritual, I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to be Free. Dr. Taylor was born in Greenville, NC. I start my show with Nina Simone, raised in Tryon, NC, singing Dr. Taylor's song and end my show with his playing his song on the piano. I love both versions and the bookends that they give to my show.

Playlist -

• Nina Simone (b. Tryon, NC); Anthology CD; I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to be Free
• Stanley Turrentine; On a Misty Night CD; That's the Way of the World
• Robert Trowers (living Durham, NC); Point of View CD; Have you Met Miss Jones
• Billy Taylor (b. Greenville, NC); Where've you Been CD; Night Comes Tenderly
• Paul Tardif (lives Greenville, NC); Points of Departure CD; One for Nick
• Stanley Turrentine; On a Misty Night CD; Have You Ever Seen the Rain
• Grady Tate (b. and raised and schooled Durham, NC and attended NC Central Univ.); Windmills of Your Mind CD; And I Love Her
• Joao Gilberto with Grady Tate on drums; Amoroso/Brazil CD; Besame Mucho
  
• Roy Hargrove; With Strings CD; You Go to My Head
• Coleman Hawkins; The Best of Coleman Hawkins CD; Make Someone Happy
• Paul Desmond & Gerry Mulligan; Two of a Mind CD; All the Things You Are
• Robert Griffin (lives Carrboro, NC); NC: A State of Music; Killing Me Softly
• Harry Pickens; Passionate Ballads CD; Over the Rainbow
• Freddie Hubbard; Freddie Hubbard '07; Sky Dive
• Cesaria Evora; Sao Vicente CD; Sao Vicente Di Longo
• Gene Harris; Trio Plus One CD; Misty
• Harry Pickens; Passionate Ballads CD; The Nearness of You
• Charlie Haden & Hank Jones; Steal Away CD; It's me, O Lord
• Billy Taylor; Music Keeps You Young CD; I Wish I Knew How it Would Feel to be Free

Please join me on the internet by webstreaming every Sunday night from 7:00 - 9:00 EST. I thank Paul Jones for making our webstreaming capability possible through ibiblio. Here's a picture of Paul, attending yet NOT paying attention, at the recent Microsoft Tech Summit.

If you live in the Carrboro/Chapel Hill area of NC, you can catch us on 103 fm on your dial. Or give me a call to chat or make a request at 919 929-9601. We are a community-powered low power radio station, run by over 50 volunteer DJs, who bring a lot of love to their program.

I thank Molly and Eli for dropping by the studio to keep me company and say, 'hi'.