JazzStories

Series produced by Murray Street Productions

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Jazz musicians refer to what they do as telling stories. We bring you backstage stories from jazz legends and those in the making.

Jazz musicians refer to what they do as telling stories. We bring you backstage stories from jazz legends and those in the making. Hear what jazz sounds like when musicians put down their instruments. A companion to the weekly program Jazz at Lincoln Center Radio.


54 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
JazzStories: Ken Burns, Lynn Novick and Doug Wamble
From: Murray Street Productions
Series: JazzStories
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“The essential ingredient of jazz is listening. And then the response... and out of that something unexpected comes rather than some fulfillment of...

Bought by WMOT, Delmarva Public Media, KREV-LP, and 90.5 WSNC


  • Added: Oct 27, 2011
  • Length: 08:29
  • Purchases: 4
JazzStories: Percy Heath
From: Murray Street Productions
Series: JazzStories
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"There’s a certain thing on the bandstand that every now and then – not every night, not every composition – there comes a point when the collectiv...

Bought by WMOT, Delmarva Public Media, KREV-LP, WNCU, and 90.5 WSNC


  • Added: Nov 11, 2011
  • Length: 15:31
  • Purchases: 5
JazzStories: Todd Barkan - Part I
From: Murray Street Productions
Series: JazzStories
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"In San Francisco…I had a jazz group of my own... and I went to a beer bar on Vallejo Street. And I said I want to really get my band in here. I ca...

Bought by KALW, Delmarva Public Media, KREV-LP, and PRX Remix


  • Added: Dec 08, 2011
  • Length: 13:06
  • Purchases: 4
JazzStories: Joe Henderson
From: Murray Street Productions
Series: JazzStories
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"You’ve got this reservoir of ideas are roaming around in your brain and you want to put them down on paper and pass those out to the trumpet playe...

Bought by WMOT, KCSM, Delmarva Public Media, KREV-LP, and WCSU-FM


  • Added: Dec 13, 2011
  • Length: 14:37
  • Purchases: 5
JazzStories: Joe Zawinul
From: Murray Street Productions
Series: JazzStories
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"I was brought up in small farm of my grandfather, and in the city. And My father was…working class. My father was working, my mother was working...

Bought by WMOT, Delmarva Public Media, KREV-LP, WCSU-FM, and PRX Remix


  • Added: Mar 23, 2012
  • Length: 12:59
  • Purchases: 5
JazzStories: Sweet Honey In The Rock
From: Murray Street Productions
Series: JazzStories
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“Their music affects your consciousness, it changes your DNA if you really, really let it settle into your soul; Odetta’s voice, Miriam’s energy an...

Bought by Delmarva Public Media, KREV-LP, and PRX Remix


  • Added: Mar 23, 2012
  • Length: 12:33
  • Purchases: 3
JazzStories: Jazz and the Cold War
From: Murray Street Productions
Series: JazzStories
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"Up until the late 80's, it was not officially forbidden, but you were always like marked: 'Ah, he's interested in jazz. He's with Western culture....

Bought by KPIK-LP, Delmarva Public Media, KREV-LP, 90.5 WSNC, and PRX Remix


  • Added: Mar 23, 2012
  • Length: 13:26
  • Purchases: 5
JazzStories: Vijay Iyer
From: Murray Street Productions
Series: JazzStories
Caption: Vijay Iyer
"I kind of had a revelation once seeing him [Randy Weston] play live. It happened for me in a particular time in my life when I recently made the d...

Bought by WMOT, Delmarva Public Media, and KREV-LP


  • Added: Apr 12, 2012
  • Length: 12:02
  • Purchases: 3
JazzStories: Bill Frisell
From: Murray Street Productions
Series: JazzStories
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"I had moved to New York and spent a couple of years here scuffling around. I was getting a little discouraged, playing a lot of weddings. It wasn'...

Bought by WMOT, Delmarva Public Media, and KREV-LP


  • Added: Apr 20, 2012
  • Length: 13:41
  • Purchases: 3
JazzStories: Gary Burton and Julian Lage
From: Murray Street Productions
Series: JazzStories
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"There’s an interesting thing that happens. You prepare a piece. You rehearse it. It sounds perfect...And you go out and play it on the first night...

Bought by Delmarva Public Media, KREV-LP, WNCU, and PRX Remix


  • Added: Apr 20, 2012
  • Length: 16:42
  • Purchases: 4
JazzStories: Rudresh Mahanthappa
From: Murray Street Productions
Series: JazzStories
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"And he said we’ll I don’t want to play any of those 7s or 11s or 13s or 22s. I don’t want to play any of that stuff that you’re writing. He said b...

Bought by Delmarva Public Media, KREV-LP, and WNCU


  • Added: Apr 20, 2012
  • Length: 11:32
  • Purchases: 3
JazzStories: Erica von Kleist
From: Murray Street Productions
Series: JazzStories
Caption: Erica von Kleist
“Essentially Ellington…really made me feel like I could be part of something bigger, musically. Meeting all these other young people from around th...

Bought by Delmarva Public Media and KREV-LP


  • Added: Jun 19, 2012
  • Length: 10:37
  • Purchases: 2
JazzStories: Todd Barkan Part II
From: Murray Street Productions
Series: JazzStories
Caption: Todd Barkan
"One of the greatest joys I have had in my musical career has been providing employment for musicians, actually handing them [work]. Now I hand th...

Bought by KALW, Delmarva Public Media, and KREV-LP


  • Added: Jun 19, 2012
  • Length: 19:52
  • Purchases: 3
Jazz and Public Diplomacy
From: Murray Street Productions
Series: JazzStories
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He wasn’t political about it. He didn’t particularly talk about politics and stuff. He did it his own way. He didn’t have to talk about that. All h...

Bought by Delmarva Public Media, KREV-LP, and WNCU


  • Added: Jun 19, 2012
  • Length: 11:34
  • Purchases: 3
JazzStories: Benny Golson
From: Murray Street Productions
Series: JazzStories
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"...This country lookin' guy was standing there in the door, waiting for me to tell him what to do. So I said, 'play something!' He took out his ...

Bought by KMUW, WMOT, Delmarva Public Media, and KREV-LP


  • Added: Jul 26, 2012
  • Length: 19:40
  • Purchases: 4
JazzStories: Gretchen Parlato
From: Murray Street Productions
Series: JazzStories
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Vocalist and songwriter Gretchen Parlato's music is introspective and crafted with a knowing touch. Winner of the 2004 Thelonious Monk Jazz Vocalis...

Bought by WMOT, Delmarva Public Media, KREV-LP, and WNCU


  • Added: Aug 09, 2012
  • Length: 15:06
  • Purchases: 4
JazzStories: Fred Hersch
From: Murray Street Productions
Series: JazzStories
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"Sometimes I hear jazz and it sounds like hip cats playing for other hip cats to dig instead of taking more of a chance by trying to relate to the ...

Bought by WMOT, Delmarva Public Media, KREV-LP, and WNCU


  • Added: Oct 12, 2012
  • Length: 13:44
  • Purchases: 4
JazzStories: Jonathan Batiste
From: Murray Street Productions
Series: JazzStories
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"I felt like I had to do more in order for people to think of what they would think of another musician—about the level of intellect or artistry of...

Bought by Delmarva Public Media, KREV-LP, and WNCU


  • Added: Oct 12, 2012
  • Length: 17:44
  • Purchases: 3
JazzStories: Catherine Russell
From: Murray Street Productions
Series: JazzStories
Caption: Catherine Russell
"Singing lead is all about you. The focus is on you. Your name is on the ticket. The people have paid to see you...So you are responsible for you...

Bought by WMOT, Delmarva Public Media, KREV-LP, and WNCU


  • Added: Nov 07, 2012
  • Length: 14:27
  • Purchases: 4
JazzStories: Toshiko Akiyoshi
From: Murray Street Productions
Series: JazzStories
Caption: Toshiko Akiyoshi, Credit: Amanda Brown
"The fact is my parents lost all of their assets. If I didn't have something (I was) really into, in my case was piano and jazz, I think it would h...

Bought by Delmarva Public Media and KREV-LP


  • Added: Dec 18, 2012
  • Length: 12:08
  • Purchases: 2

Playlists That Feature This Series: