Jazz Backstory

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The podcast series, Jazz Backstory, is based on the holdings of the Fillius Jazz Archive (https://www.hamilton.edu/campuslife/arts-at-hamilton/jazzarchive) located at Hamilton College (https://www.hamilton.edu/), in Clinton, New York. Established in 1995, and dedicated in 2013 in honor of Milton F. Fillius, Jr. ’44 and Nelma “Nikki” Nenneau Fillius, the Fillius Jazz Archive holds a collection of over 440 videotaped interviews with jazz musicians, arrangers, writers and producers. The wide-ranging collection includes interviews with sidemen, soloists and band leaders who have performed from the 1920s through the present. Jazz Backstory podcast episodes will feature interview excerpts focused on topics inherent to the creative life. Artists, both famous and unsung, relate these tales in their own jazz inflected vocabulary. Original music and commentary from the host help set the tone, both educational and swinging. Monk Rowe (https://www.monkrowe.com/), creator of the podcast series, Jazz Backstory, and the Joe Williams Director of the Fillius Jazz Archive, conducted the majority of the interviews and has presented programs about the resource at conferences for the Jazz Education Network, the Music Library Association, and the International Society of Music Educators. Monk co-authored with Romy Britell the book Jazz Tales From Jazz Legends on Hamilton’s Couper Press and created the edX online course, “Jazz: The Music, The Stories, The Players” in collaboration with members of the Library and Instructional Technology Services at Hamilton College. He is an active performer on saxophone and piano and has composed numerous works for both jazz and classical ensembles.

Location:

United States

Description:

The podcast series, Jazz Backstory, is based on the holdings of the Fillius Jazz Archive (https://www.hamilton.edu/campuslife/arts-at-hamilton/jazzarchive) located at Hamilton College (https://www.hamilton.edu/), in Clinton, New York. Established in 1995, and dedicated in 2013 in honor of Milton F. Fillius, Jr. ’44 and Nelma “Nikki” Nenneau Fillius, the Fillius Jazz Archive holds a collection of over 440 videotaped interviews with jazz musicians, arrangers, writers and producers. The wide-ranging collection includes interviews with sidemen, soloists and band leaders who have performed from the 1920s through the present. Jazz Backstory podcast episodes will feature interview excerpts focused on topics inherent to the creative life. Artists, both famous and unsung, relate these tales in their own jazz inflected vocabulary. Original music and commentary from the host help set the tone, both educational and swinging. Monk Rowe (https://www.monkrowe.com/), creator of the podcast series, Jazz Backstory, and the Joe Williams Director of the Fillius Jazz Archive, conducted the majority of the interviews and has presented programs about the resource at conferences for the Jazz Education Network, the Music Library Association, and the International Society of Music Educators. Monk co-authored with Romy Britell the book Jazz Tales From Jazz Legends on Hamilton’s Couper Press and created the edX online course, “Jazz: The Music, The Stories, The Players” in collaboration with members of the Library and Instructional Technology Services at Hamilton College. He is an active performer on saxophone and piano and has composed numerous works for both jazz and classical ensembles.

Language:

English

Website:

https://rss.com/podcasts/jazz-backstory

Episodes

"Jazz International" - pt. 2

9/5/2023

Season 3 wraps up with powerful stories of aspiring jazz players who were willing to follow their passion even if it meant leaving their homeland. Joe Temperley, James Moody, Pierre Boussaguett, Ada Rovatti , Arturo Sandoval and Rossano Sportiello help us understand the jazz calling.

Duration:00:30:23

"Jazz International" - pt. 1

8/29/2023

Jazz was the first American music to be embraced and copied around the world. Its infectious swing and message of democracy between musicians rang a bell from Scotand to Japan. Steve Allen, Dave Brubeck, Alan Raph, Ignacio Berroa, Eiji Kitamura and Toshiko Akiyoshi speak to the magnetic attraction of American jazz.

Duration:00:35:06

"The Color of Jazz" - pt. 2

8/22/2023

For many black musicians, jazz was more than a gig and a way to make bread. Cecil McBee, Jon Hendricks, Rashied Ali, Doug Carn and Vincent Pelote speak about the importance of this music in their lives and its role in bridging the distance between races, on and off the bandstand.

Duration:00:28:06

"The Color of Jazz" - pt. 1

8/15/2023

Jazz is one of America’s most original art forms. Its origins are well documented but controversy regarding ownership and race vs. skill persist. The opinions that matter most are offered by the practitioners. Jon Hendricks, Frank Foster, Lionel Hampton, Clark Terry and Louis Bellson weigh in on the topic of jazz and race.

Duration:00:26:39

"Jotting Down Notes/The Arrangers" - pt. 2

8/8/2023

Current arrangers including Oliver Nelson Jr., Steve Turre, Maria Schneider, Dave Rivello, and Lisa Parrott share their philosophies about music software, deadlines and enabling other musicians to sound good.

Duration:00:35:29

"Jotting Down Notes/The Arrangers" - pt. 1

8/1/2023

In the early days of jazz, musicians engaged in group improvisations, creating arrangements on the fly. As bands became larger, the writing down of parts for individual players became a requirement. Present and past jazz arrangers including Stefon Harris, Mike Abene, Ray Conniff, Bill Holman and Frank Foster speak about their craft.

Duration:00:33:53

"In the Studios-West Coast " - pt. 2

7/25/2023

Los Angeles eventually rivaled New York as a center for recording with an emphasis on pop music and film scores. Jazz players were the go to hires once again. Paul Smith, Ernie Watts, Bobby Shew, Wayne Bergeron and Tom Scott take us inside the L.A. recording studios.

Duration:00:38:30

"In the Studios-East Coast" - pt. 1

7/18/2023

After the big band era played itself out, the most versatile jazz musicians found plentiful work in the studios, recording every genre of music imaginable. Episode 19 focuses on the East Coast recording scene, specifically New York City. Dick Hyman, Bucky Pizzarelli, Alan Raph and Manny Albam share their studio stories.

Duration:00:29:55

“The Producers”

3/7/2023

Helen Dance, George Avakian, Orrin Keepnews and Joel Dorn do their best to describe the role of a jazz producer, the person “behind the glass.”

Duration:00:29:50

“Records and Record Dates” - pt. 2

2/28/2023

A second spin on the recording business with stories from James Moody, Alicia Olatuja, Bela Fleck and Steve Allen.

Duration:00:29:53

“Records and Record Dates” – pt. 1

2/21/2023

One nighters, life on a bus and minimal salaries may seem worth it when jazz musicians finally find themselves in a recording studio. Doc Cheatham, Toshiko Akiyoshi, John Best and others speak about memorable records and recording sessions.

Duration:00:30:07

“Jazz Life On the Road” - pt. 2

2/14/2023

Sonny Igoe, Al Grey, Ruth Brown and Joe Wilder offer more road tales both poignant and humorous. Racial discrimination plays a role in these road travails.

Duration:00:30:02

“Jazz Life On the Road”- pt. 1

2/7/2023

Musicians need gigs and they need to go anywhere they can find them. The “romance” of the road becomes realistic with tales from Bucky Pizzarelli, Kenny Davern, Carmen Leggio and Jimmy Lewis.

Duration:00:31:39

“Swing”

1/31/2023

Swing is inseparable from jazz, yet remains an elusive quality. Episode 11 takes a deep dive in what makes music swing and calls on Ed Shaughnessey, Steve Allen, Bernard Purdie and Gerald Wilson for expert input.

Duration:00:30:06

“Why Jazz?” – pt. 2

1/24/2023

The “rich jazz musician” oxymoron is the focus of Part 2. Billy Bauer, Ellis Marsalis, Marshall Allen and others address the issue of money, or lack thereof, that is an ever present concern in the jazz life.

Duration:00:30:40

“Why Jazz?” – pt. 1

1/17/2023

What possesses young musicians to start down the jazz path and keep following it, simply liking the music isn’t nearly enough. Artists including Sheila Jordan, Don Alias, Ron Carter and Flip Phillips attempt to describe the devotion to the music.

Duration:00:30:11

“A Slice of the Jazz Life” - pt. 2

10/25/2022

We wrap up Season 1 with a second slice. Stories from Benny Powell, Bill Watrous, Charles Davis, Ronnie Zito and Glenn Zottola make it clear that the jazz life itself is an improvisation.

Duration:00:33:36

“A Slice of the Jazz Life” - pt. 1

10/18/2022

The life of a jazz musician is never boring. George Shearing, Marian McPartland, Terry Gibbs and Milt Hinton regale us with behind-the-scenes scenarios, both poignant and absurd.

Duration:00:31:25

“Jazz Improvisation” - pt.2

10/11/2022

The task of defining the undefinable falls to a second group of improvisors. Bill Watrous, Jane Ira Bloom, Dr. Denny Zeitlin and Michael Weiss add their personal perspectives.

Duration:00:27:25

“Jazz Improvisation” - pt. 1

10/4/2022

Improvisation is at the core of a jazz performance and we called on Joe Wilder, Dianne Reeves, Bill Charlap and Charles McPherson to describe what it is and how it is done.

Duration:00:21:38