Jazz United: A Podcast From WBGO

On the final episode of Jazz United, Greg Bryant and Nate Chinen work out their mutual ambivalence about one of jazz's best-loved virtuosos.

Jazz United began with a literal conversation, as Greg Bryant and Nate Chinen met up for some music just over two years ago. We're proud of how far we've come, and now we're asking for your support.

Jazz United considers the vital challenge and rich reward of 'Cecil Taylor - The Complete, Legendary, Live Return Concert.'

Jazz United digs deep into the trailblazing rhythm legacy of hip-hop producer J Dilla — in conversation with Dan Charnas, author of an essential new book, 'Dilla Time.'

As 2022 gets underway, we're energized with a spirit of renewal. So we decided to devote this episode of Jazz United to some New Year's resolutions.

For a dynamic look back at 2021, Nate Chinen and Greg Bryant welcomed critic Jordannah Elizabeth to a panel discussion at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem.

One is a chart-topping juggernaut who has sparked musical controversy for the last 35 years. The other is a master who's spent that same span of time balancing improvisational fire with lyrical soul. Yes, in both instances we're talking about saxophonist Kenny G — Gorelick in the first case, and Garrett in the second. As you can imagine, we have some thoughts.

Greg Bryant is a self-admitted Grinch when it comes to Christmas jazz, while Nate Chinen is a full-blown Elf. Hear them work out their differences on this holiday edition of Jazz United.

Jazz United remembers the incomparable drummer and composer Paul Motian, whose spirit lives on in the music, and in a new documentary film.

On this episode of Jazz United, we peer under the hood of Superblue, with a special attention to the mechanics of groove; reminisce about our separate relationships with Kurt Elling and Charlie Hunter's music; and hear from both artists about their collaboration.

Just how major is 'A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle'? Nate Chinen and Greg Bryant discuss this historic release on Jazz United, moments after listening together to the album.

Jazz United was in the house when Terence Blanchard became the first Black composer to have an opera presented at The Met. In this episode, Greg Bryant and Nate Chinen laud 'Fire Shut Up in My Bones' for its music, its message and its broader meaning.

Jazz United goes deep on 'Live,' the first posthumous album by Chick Corea, and discusses the evolving legacy of Corea's Akoustic Band.

As a supplement to WBGO's 2021 Fall Preview, Jazz United picks a half-dozen new releases we're excited about.

In the first mailbag episode of Jazz United, Greg Bryant and Nate Chinen answer many of your burning questions.

'The Complete Live at the Lighthouse' finds trumpeter Lee Morgan leading one of the greatest bands of the early 1970s. Jazz United considers its legacy anew, as illuminated by this 12-LP boxed set.

The big intermission is over, but how long will it last? Jazz United examines the return to in-person performances and checks in with Spike Wilner, owner of Smalls Jazz Club.

To kick off Season Two of Jazz United, we shine a light on Impulse Records, the self-proclaimed home for "The New Wave in Jazz" — describing its impact on us as listeners and its enduring significance on the musical landscape.

For Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Jazz United considers the Asian-American experience in jazz — and welcomes a guest, violinist Tomoko Omura.

Jazz United celebrates Carla Bley, the irrefutably original composer and pianist, as she rounds the corner on an 85th birthday.

In a special crossover episode of Jazz United, bassist Pino Palladino and producer Blake Mills speak with Simon Rentner of The Checkout about their album Notes with Attachments, out on New Deal/Impulse!

Jazz United takes the occasion of Dr. Lonnie Smith's new album Breathe to consider his instrument, the Hammond B3 organ — and shout out a couple of his heirs, Sam Fribush and Cory Henry.

As Jazz Appreciation Month gets underway, hear a conversation between WBGO's own Bob Porter and Nate Chinen about Porter's book Soul Jazz: Jazz in the Black Community, 1945-1975.

For Women's History Month, Jazz United celebrates women of color as both purveyors and practitioners of Black American Music.

A tribute to the irrepressible drummer, composer and educator, who died on March 1 at 58.

“I'm always making a comeback, but nobody ever tells me where I've been.”

Thirty-five years ago, Joe Henderson released a pair of albums under an evocative title, “The State of the Tenor.”

William Parker, as the saying goes, contains multitudes.

In light of its two Academy Awards, for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score, Soul warrants revisiting. Here's what we had to say.

So many of us are more than ready to put 2020 into the rearview.

With each year's new slate of Grammy nominations, there comes a wave of armchair analysis.

Until this year, the term “force majeure” was a necessary safeguard in a business contract, but a truly rare occurrence.

Fifty years ago, Herbie Hancock formed a sextet on the vanguard of electroacoustic music.

The musical community absorbed some devastating news this week, when Keith Jarrett revealed that he may never return to public performance.

By the early 1960s, Ella Fitzgerald was an established international artist, beginning to reap the fruits of a 25-year career.

It's never a bad time to talk about Thelonious Monk. His indomitable music and incorruptible example serve as a renewable resource, because there's always something fresh to uncover, another brilliant corner to explore.

Right about now, in any other year, many of us would be gearing up for a trip to Newport, R.I.

Charles Tolliver has lived his share of jazz history. As a fiery young sideman with Jackie McLean and Max Roach in the 1960s, he joined a lineage of exalted post-bop trumpeters, more than holding his own. But Tolliver also set a model of self-determination in the ‘70s, with a DIY record label called Strata-East.