As we wait for word from Punxsutawney, Kate Borger turns to songs about the weather.
Hear Ella Fitzgerald revel in “Blue Skies” while Wes Montgomery shares Windy; Slim Gaillard tells us that “It’s Gettin’ Kind of Chilly” and much, much more.
Rhythm a Ning - Friday morning at 10, Saturday at 11 on WZUM.
We visit with Drummer Dave King, cofounder of the Bad Plus, visiting City Winery February 6. We talk about the band as a trio that included pianist Ethan Iverson for 18 years, then, our friend Orrin Evans - and now, a pianoless quartet.
We also hear about the important night at the Village Vanguard in New York - when proprietress Lorraine Gordon gave them a night that turned into much more.
We also visit with guitarist John Shannon about his music and about what’s up at Pittsburgh’s nightly jazz place - Con Alma.
The Scene - Thursday at 6pm, Sunday at 5pm, Friday and Saturday at noon on WZUM.
This week, Marty Ashby is joined by master keyboardist and composer, Max Leake, to explore his latest masterpiece, Threads. They will dive deep into the stories and inspirations behind Threads, reflecting on the threads that weave the rich tapestry of Max's career.
Friday and Sunday night at 6, Saturday at 1pm on WZUM.
We share a little bit of everything, harkening back to the recent past, the present and the near future of the jazz scene in and around Pittsburgh - and all over.
That includes our visit to the Jazz Congress and Jazz at Lincoln Center at the beginning of January. We visit with trumpeter and bandleader Etienne Charles. Plus a chat with saxophonists Lakecia Benjamin and Caleb Wheeler Curtis (who ALSO plays trumpet).
Sounds from those folks, plus music of Don DePaolis from Reid Hoyson, the Bad Plus, Oliver Nelson and more.
The Scene - Thursday at 6pm, Sunday at 5pm, Friday and Saturday at noon on WZUM.
"This is Triumphant Music" - Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Inaugural JazzFest Berlin, 1964.
Dr. King’s Essay on the importance of Jazz to humanity and the Civil Rights movement was not a speech, but it was written at the request of the festival organizers. The words are powerful .
An excerpt:
Much of the power of our Freedom Movement in the United States has come from this music. It has strengthened us with its sweet rhythms when courage began to fail. It has calmed us with its rich harmonies when spirits were down.
And now, Jazz is exported to the world.
This week on "Rhythm-a-ning," Kate Borger shares sounds from various parings - including Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald; Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, alto jazz masters Phil Woods and Grace Kelly; Dr. John and Rickie Lee Jones, flutists Herbie Mann and Sam Most; pianists Eliane Elias and Chick Corea and many more.
Playing duos and pairs with Kate Borger on Rhythm-a-ning with Kate Borger.
Friday morning at 10:00 and Saturday a 11 on WZUM
WZUM's Jazz Central - for live Jazz events in the Pittsburgh Region. Send your information about live jazz in an email to info@wzum.org
