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Alyn Shipton, Ken Poston and Steve Cerra -- authors, editors and publishers with recent books concerning the late, great baritone saxophonist/composer/arranger Gerry Mulligan -- speak with Rick Mitchell, JJA board member and radio program host, about their works on the complicated, compelling musician.
This book goes back to a pre rock 'n roll era when jazz was a popular music form. The early 50s were the time when the big bands were fading a way and the rock'n roll revolution was yet to happen. A quartet led by a baritone saxophonist caused a revolution. Audiences were entrance by the sound of a jazz group that didn't have a piano in it. This was new - it hadn't been done before.
On the eve of the launch of her new album, ‘Seraph', featuring works for trumpet and string orchestra by James Macmillan, Grieg, and Satie, Tom Service speaks to Norwegian trumpeter Tine Thing Helseth about her diagnosis with cancer last year, her relationship with music during gruelling treatment, and the conscious decision she made after her recovery to commit again to a career in music. As Arts Council England reveals its 2023-26 national portfolio of funded organisations, Music Matters speaks to ACE's Director of Music, Claire Mera Nelson, about the body's investment decisions. We hear from a cross section of organisations who've seen changes to their public funding, as well as first-time recipients, with contributions from Chief Executive of the Paraorchestra, Jonathan Harper; Artistic and Executive Director of MishMash productions, Liz Muge; and Chief Executive and Artistic Director of the Britten Sinfonia, Meurig Bowen. And as the EFG London Jazz Festival celebrates its 30th anniversary, Tom's joined by jazz author and presenter, Alyn Shipton, former Director of Serious (the creative company who administer the festival) Claire Whitaker; and the British-Bahraini jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist and composer, Yazz Ahmed, who discuss how the British jazz scene has evolved since the early 90s. Producer: Marie-Claire Doris
In this episode of the Chasing Leviathan podcast, PJ and Dr. Alyn Shipton discuss Dr. Shipton's journey into the world of jazz as a historian, broadcaster, and musician. Throughout the conversation, Dr. Shipton shares little-known stories from the lives of some of the most accomplished jazz musicians of the 20th century. For a deep dive into Dr. Alyn Shipton's work, check out his book: On Jazz: A Personal Journey
We conclude our fascinating discussion with Alyn Shipton with Pt 3 of our show. From London, the British author, journalist, historian, editor, presenter, and jazz bassist discusses his work as a writer, documenting the lives of such musical giants as Bud Powell, Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy McHugh, Cab Calloway and Harry Nilsson, among others - and a jazz performer; anchoring Alyn Shipton's New Orleans Jazz Friends, and the Buck Clayton Legacy Band.
Alyn Shipton is a writer, publisher, broadcaster, and jazz double bassist. He has broadcast about jazz since 1989, and currently hosts BBC Radio 3's long-running and much-loved programmed Jazz Record Requests. His biographies of Dizzy Gillespie (1999) and singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson (2013) both won Association for Record Sound Collections (ARSC) Awards for Excellence; and Nilsson also gained an American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Foundation Deems Taylor/Virgil Thompson Award. His New History of Jazz (2001) was the Jazz Journalists' Association (JJA) book of the year' by the Jazz Institute of Chicago. His most recent work, The Art of Jazz: A Visual History (2020), was described as ‘indispensable' by Publishers Weekly. He co-leads the Buck Clayton Legacy Band, and is a research fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in London (where he teaches Jazz History to Emma Rawicz). In this episode, Alyn shares his background, education, and musical journey. If you enjoyed this episode please make sure to subscribe, follow, rate, and/or review this podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, ect. Connect with us on all social media platforms and at www.improvexchange.com
We continue our fascinating discussion with Alyn Shipton with Pt 2 of our show. From London, the British author, journalist, historian, editor, presenter, and jazz bassist discusses his work as a writer, documenting the lives of such musical giants as Bud Powell, Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy McHugh, Cab Calloway and Harry Nilsson, among others - and a jazz performer; anchoring Alyn Shipton's New Orleans Jazz Friends, and the Buck Clayton Legacy Band.The Alyn Shipton Playlist Pt 2
David Freeman talked to Alyn about his new book and his life in jazz. The book is all about a passion for the music and the people who make it.
From London, the British author, journalist, historian, editor, presenter, and jazz bassist discusses his work as a writer, documenting the lives of such musical giants as Bud Powell, Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy McHugh, Cab Calloway and Harry Nilsson, among others - and a jazz performer; anchoring Alyn Shipton's New Orleans Jazz Friends, and the Buck Clayton Legacy Band.An Alyn Shipton Playlist
Alyn Shipton is an award-winning author, musician and broadcaster, who wrote on jazz for over twenty years for The Times in London, and is a presenter/producer of jazz programmes for BBC Radio. He was Consultant Editor of the New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, and has a lifelong interest in oral history, including editing the memoirs of Danny Barker, Doc Cheatham, George Shearing and Chris Barber. His first biography, the life of Fats Waller, published in 1988, has scarcely been out of print since. Today we preview his new book, On Jazz.Support the show
This internationally-acclaimed jazz clarinettist, at age 38 is certainly at the top of his game. Nominated for Jazz Clarinettist of the Year at the British Jazz Awards 2019 and with his last album Profoundly Blue, was nominated for Jazz Album of the Year. In 2018 he was invited to perform with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra at London's famous Barbican Centre, playing the music from the Benny Goodman 1938 Carnegie Hall concert. He then went on to perform in New York at the gala concert celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Lincoln Centre, and was amongst guests including the great Tony Bennett. With his own band, he toured the globe performing recorded material from his Profoundly Blue album celebrating the music of jazz clarinet legend Edmond Hall, with sell-out concerts at Ronnie Scott's in London and Dizzy's Club in New York being amongst the highlights of these 200 plus shows. He has come to the attention of a wider audience thanks to regular appearances on BBC Radio 2 with the Clare Teal show, BBC Radio 3 on Alyn Shipton's Jazz Record Request and BBC Radio 6 featured on Cerys Matthews show, in her words claiming he ‘touches the other world that all musicians aspire to'. With an ability to engage with his audience both on and off-stage, along with an unrivalled feel for the music he plays and combined with his virtuosic technique, it has lead to wide critical acclaim, including as Time Out declaring him as “London's most charismatic reedsman”. His latest album Now Is Spring released in early 2020 as his first all original offering, sees him breaking new ground and pushing jazz forward once again, whilst keeping the role of the clarinet at the forefront.
Tim Garrard gives an overview of the MTA's Partnerships programmes, linking schools with each other and with other musical providers; (1:20)Extracts from the recent Hibbins Series webinar on Jazz, with author, historian, bassist, and BBC Radio 3 presenter Alyn Shipton, along with Patrick Johns; (10:00)And Howard Goodall returns to give insights into his method of composition, and advice to young composers everywhere. (16:50)#CanDoMusicPresented and produced by Patrick Johns.www.alynshipton.co.uk/writing/
Cyril Neville (The Neville Brothers), MTV VJ Nina Blackwood, & JHarry Nilsson biographer Alyn Shipton join us.
Join us as we revisit this fine interview from 2011 with Trombonist/bandleader Chris Barber, who has just announced his permanent retirement from full-time music after leading his internationally popular band since 1954. Born in Welwyn, Hertfordshire in 1930, Barber became an avid collector of jazz and blues records before buying his first trombone at age 18 and forming a semi-professional band in 1949 when he recorded for the first time. He studied trombone and double-bass at the Guildhall School of Music and assembled his first professional band in 1953, fronted by trumpeter Ken Colyer. Colyer was replaced by Pat Halcox in 1954 who remained with Barber for 54 years. His small group initially played in jazz clubs but by the late 50s became an attraction in large concert halls throughout the UK and Europe. Barber's Jazz Band first toured the USA in 1959 after having a million-selling hit with "Petite Fleur" that year, featuring clarinetist Monty Sunshine. He also featured a skiffle group with singer/guitarist Lonnie Donegan, which led to a national craze for such blues-based music. The powerful blues singer Ottilie Patterson, who later married Chris, starred with his band for 20 years.It was Barber's passion for Afro-American music that inspired him to bring many American blues and gospel legends to Britain to appear with his band, including Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Muddy Waters, Louis Jordan, Sonny Boy Williamson and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Together with his business partner Harold Pendleton, Chris opened the celebrated Marquee Club in London in 1958 where many British blues performers were first showcased including Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated and The Rolling Stones.Rolling Stone Bill Wyman notes, " If it had not been for Chris Barber I don't see how the 1960s bands would have ever happened in the UK. Apart from his own successful Trad Jazz Band, & the talent he had for bringing over to England a multitude of blues artists over the years - he created a section during his shows to play Skiffle music. Together with Lonnie Donegan they created hit records from this music that inspired a multitude of young people to pick up guitars. This included myself, Mick Jagger, the Beatles, the Kinks, the Who, and many others, who began their careers in small skiffle bands. As Donegan moved on to solo success, Chris then added Alexis Korner to his shows to play a blues segment. This inspired Brian Jones to form the Rolling Stones band & play blues music, together with other up & coming blues-inspired musicians. Chris Barber is entitled to be named the founder of the British music scene of the 1960s."Over the years Barber successfully developed his Jazz and Blues Band and, due to his love of Duke Ellington's music, in recent times he augmented his personnel and renamed it The Big Chris Barber Band featuring many talented young musicians, bringing a new lease of life to his music and touring widely. The band recorded prolifically over the years in its many forms with numerous special guests. Barber was awarded the OBE in 1991. His autobiography "Jazz Me Blues," co-written with Alyn Shipton, appeared in 2014. The double album “Memories of My Trip” featuring his career-spanning collaborations with other jazz, blues, skiffle and gospel luminaries is being re-issued by the Last Music Company on October 4th, 2019.To learn more about Chris Barber, visit www.ChrisBarber.net Find the album "Memories of My Trip" here: https://smarturl.it/cbarberDiscover more about The Last Music Company at https://www.lastmusic.co.uk
This hour, we dive into the audio features of the multi-talented musician and poet, Phil Smith. Satchmo Encore By Phil Smith for Short Cuts a Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4, 2014 The Smith Brothers' Ain't Misbehavin' was a highlight of the 1994 Cheadle Hulme Junior School's Informal Concert. Jazz historian Alyn Shipton assesses its critical value. Die Fremde By Phil Smith for Short Cuts a Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4, 2014 An nod to Kafka, language and longing. Towards By Phil Smith for Short Cuts a Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4, 2017 Love in a time of climate change, // Love under sponsored umbrellas, // Love in a time of Eisenstein films // uploaded to Youtube, // and that famous scene // of the baby's pram rolling down the steps, // to the waterfront in Odessa... Four Resolutions of a Dimished Chord By Phil Smith (previously unaired), 2017 Leonard Bernstein and an exploration of romances that fizzle out. "We Are Here To Help Each Other Get Through This Thing, Whatever It Is" By Phil Smith for Short Cuts a Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4, 2017 A story that starts with Kurt Vonnegut, ends with a giggling librarian, and in between touches on loneliness, insecurity, the deathly serious and the ridiculously absurd. A Very Different Time By Phil Smith for Short Cuts a Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4, 2017 A setting of W.H. Auden's 'Paysage Moralisé' — a poem about the idea of home and who gets to live where For more work from Phil's website to hear more features and music: https://www.pmcsmith.com/ This episode of Re:sound was produced by Dennis Funk. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Roger Bolton hears listeners' responses to BBC Radio's coverage of the Westminster attack. Also, following a letter from more than 70 - mainly Conservative - MPs to the BBC which called the Corporation's coverage of Brexit pessimistic and skewed, BBC Economics Editor Kamal Ahmed discusses his role in uncertain economic times. This week, a documentary took listeners inside a hospital in northern Israel for 24 hours. Tim Samuels' Sleepover: Inside the Israeli Hospital followed doctors at Ziv hospital treating patients who had crossed over the border from Syria. Many listeners said it shone a light on a little-known story, while a few others raised concerns about what they saw as a lack of political context in the programme. Roger speaks to Tim Samuels. And Feedback reporter Rob Crossan is in Gateshead for an on-location recording of BBC Radio 3's long-running Jazz Record Requests programme from the Sage, as part of the network's Free Thinking Festival. Rob speaks to presenter Alyn Shipton about just how particular listeners are when it comes to specific versions of records and asks the audience whether it makes a difference to see as well as hear the programme. Presenter: Roger Bolton Producer: Katherine Godfrey. A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
Iain interviews Alyn Shipton who wrote ‘Nilsson: The Life of a Singer-Songwriter’, What’s happened to Kenan and Kel?, Paul talks relating to Iain’s openness with depression, Jonathan, Jonathan and Paul fills us in on Kenan and Kel
HARRY NILSSON belongs in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame! And we prove it as we listen to Nilsson songs, demos, alternate takes, Harry's movie soundtrack music, cool Nilsson commercials, Harry's Beatles connection...Steve Ludwig's exclusive interview with Nilsson biographer, Alyn Shipton... Two-and-a-half glorious hours with the genius of HARRY NILSSON !
Part of a conversation we had with Alyn Shipton, author of the great new Harry Nilsson biography, Nilsson. First bit lost to technical difficulties, but what remains is good stuff about Harry's later career. If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element
John Wilson meets Naughty Boy, the British-born Pakistani songwriter, musician and producer, who has worked with Emeli Sande and Britney Spears and is now releasing his debut album Hotel Cabana. Zoe Williams reviews the film Lovelace, starring Amanda Seyfried as Deep Throat actress Linda Lovelace. An extract from John's 2002 interview with the American crime writer Elmore Leonard, whose death was announced today. And Harry Nilsson's biographer Alyn Shipton discusses the life and career of the singer whose hits included Everybody's Talking, Without You, and Coconut. Producer Timothy Prosser.
Following the death of the celebrated – and controversial – Marxist historian Eric Hobsbawm, Matthew Sweet is joined by Journalist David Aaronovitch, writer Anne Applebaum, historian Richard J. Evans, and Radio 3's Alyn Shipton to consider his life and work. Historian Mark Mazower explores the tensions between the ideas and the powers of international institutions. And New Generation Thinker Matthew Smith joins historian and writer Sarah Wise to discuss changing attitudes towards madness and incarceration.
In the final edition of the present series of Jazz Library, Alyn Shipton presents archive interviews with Kenny Baker, Vic Lewis, Coleridge Goode and Annie Ross in which they select some highlights of British jazz records from the 1930s to the 1960s, from Chicagoan-style Dixieland to free jazz.
Alyn Shipton selects the most enduring records from vibraphonist Milt Jackson's extensive catalogue, with the help of an archive interview with Jackson himself.
Alan Skidmore is a legendary figure in British jazz and one of its truly individual saxophone voices. To celebrate his imminent 70th birthday, he joins Alyn Shipton to select some of his finest recordings, ranging from work with John Mayall and Eric Clapton to the experimental bands SOS and SOH. He also discusses his work with African musicians and his lifelong love for the music of John Coltrane.
From his early recordings with the Bill Evans trio in the 1950s, Paul Motian remained in the very highest echelons of jazz until his death in November 2011. His former colleague, the saxophonist Martin Speake, who worked with Motian on record and in concert, joins Alyn Shipton for a selection of the essential discs by this most innovative and influential of percussionists. As well as work with Evans, the programme includes pieces by Keith Jarrett, the trio with Joe Lovano and Bill Frisell, and Motian's own Electric Bebop Band.
Bruce Boyd Raeburn joins Alyn Shipton to select some unusual examples of the original works of his jazz bandleader father, Boyd Raeburn.
Simon Woolf joins Alyn Shipton to explore the recorded legacy of American bassist Red Mitchell - from his early years on the West Coast and time in Sweden to his later work in duos.
In 2011, trombonist, bandleader and arranger Bob Brookmeyer celebrated his 80th birthday. To mark the event, Alyn Shipton met Brookmeyer to pick the highlights of his recorded work, ranging from his pioneering small group playing with Gerry Mulligan and Stan Getz to his big band contributions to the Mulligan Concert Jazz Band. Alyn also hears about Brookmeyer's New Art Orchestra, based in continental Europe, and discusses recent reissues of Bob's classics such as Traditionalism Revisited, and his trio with Jim Hall and Jimmy Giuffre.
John Etheridge is one of Britain's most versatile jazz musicians. He joins Alyn Shipton to pick his recordings, including Soft Machine and his acclaimed duo with John Williams.
Alyn Shipton is joined by a group of the country's leading jazz critics, broadcasters and writers to select the best new releases of 2011.
Saxophonist David Sanborn joins Alyn Shipton in front of an audience at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, during the 2011 London Jazz Festival to select his finest recordings. A star of fusion, but with a far wider stylistic range, Sanborn looks back at his 1975 debut Taking Off (which featured his long-term associates the Brecker Brothers); 1980s triumphs such as "As We Speak" right up to his current work, including 2010's "Only Everything".
Violinist Regina Carter is a major jazz talent from Detroit. She joins Alyn Shipton in front of an audience at the Purcell Room to pick her finest records as part of the London Jazz Festival. The music covers her own bands plus collaborations with Kenny Barron and Cassandra Wilson.
Prior to his appearance with Veryan Weston at the 2011 London Jazz Festival (in association with Radio 3), saxophonist, percussionist and bandleader Trevor Watts joins Alyn Shipton to pick the highlights of his recorded career. From the vigorous sounds of Amalgam in the 1970s, via his Drum Orchestra, Celebration Band and Moire Music, Watts brings us to the present with solo recordings as well as examples of the duo which will be appearing in London.
French saxophonist Michel Portal is also one of the world's great classical clarinettists, and a restless musical experimenter. In this week's programme, prior to a concert at the London Jazz Festival, Portal joins Alyn Shipton to pick some of the best examples of his recorded jazz. From his multi-tracked solo "Dajarme" via work on clarinet, soprano, alto and tenor sax to his most recent album "Baliador", selections from which he will play in London, Portal's choices are eclectic and dazzlingly virtuosic.
The saxophonist and singer Louis Jordan bridged the gap between jazz and rhythm and blues, pioneering many techniques that would be the foundation of r and b, and of rock, but always played as straight ahead jazz. Jordan produced dozens of classic recordings including "Five Guys Named Moe" and "Saturday Night Fish Fry". His discography stretches for over three decades from the mid-1930s and to pick his best work, Alyn Shipton is joined by singer Gwyneth Herbert.
The French saxophonist Barney Wilen is best known for his 1950s recordings with Miles Davis, on the score for Louis Malle's film "Lift to the Scaffold". But his work is much wider than this. After growing up in America, he fitted naturally into groups led by the drummer Roy Haynes, Art Blakey and Kenny Clarke. But he was also a towering figure in his own country's music, pioneering both jazz rock and world music influences on jazz. Tom Perchard joins Alyn Shipton to explore the high points in Wilen's recorded repertoire.
Gerry Mulligan was one of the finest baritone saxophonists in jazz history, bringing an effortless grace to the large instrument, enhanced by his skill as a composer and arranger. Brian Priestley joins Alyn Shipton to select Mulligan's key recordings, from his "pianoless" quartet through his sextets and ten-piece bands to the Concert Jazz Band. The music ranges from the early 1950s until the 1990s, and includes Mulligan's final, emotionally charged recordings.
Pianist, composer and bandleader Django Bates has been one of the most innovative figures on the European jazz scene since the 1980s. In front of an audience at this year's Cheltenham Jazz Festival, he joins Alyn Shipton to look back over his recorded career from his early days with Loose Tubes to his more recent bands. As well as his group Human Chain, he also discusses his Danish StoRMChaser project and his recent album Beloved Bird.
Famous for his associations with Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson and Ella Fitzgerald (who was also his wife) bassist Ray Brown (who died in 2002) talked to Alyn Shipton about his key recordings in a 1996 interview for Radio 3. In addition to many records made under his own name, he includes collaborations with Duke Ellington and Milt Jackson.
Best known for his film themes such as "Mission Impossible", Argentine pianist and composer Lalo Schifrin is also one of the world's great jazz musicians. In an archive interview with Alyn Shipton he traces his recording career, starting with Dizzy Gillespie's quintet and big band and running through to his present-day "Jazz Meets the Symphony" projects.
Artie Shaw was one of the most technically brilliant clarinettists in jazz. He was also an improviser, composer and bandleader of the first order, until he ended his career at the age of 44, believing that he had said all he had to say as a musician. Alan Barnes, who has specialised in playing Shaw's music, joins Alyn Shipton to pick the key examples from Shaw's varied catalogue. The music includes tracks by his various big bands, by singers Billie Holiday and Hot Lips Page and by Shaw's small group the Gramercy Five.
Oliver Nelson wrote and directed the iconic album Blues and The Abstract Truth - a defining 1960s jazz record. In this programme Guy Barker joins Alyn Shipton to explore the wealth of material that Nelson created as both arranger and saxophonist in a prolific career cut short by chronic overwork.
Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen was one of the most technically brilliant jazz double bassists from the 1960s to the early 2000s, until his sudden death from a heart attack in April 2005. Most famous for his work with Oscar Peterson, Niels-Henning also played with Joe Pass, Count Basie and many of the great American visitors to Europe. In this archive interview, he joins Alyn Shipton to select examples of his finest recordings.
The star trumpeter with Count Basie in the 1930s and 40s, Harry Sweets Edison went on to become one of the most recorded trumpet soloists in jazz. In an interview recorded for Radio 3 in 1992 he joined Alyn Shipton to select his favourite recordings from that vast catalogue, including discs with Nat King Cole, Ben Webster and Billie Holiday.
Looking back on the long recording career of Stephane Grappelli, Alyn Shipton is joined by Martin Taylor who played with the great French violinist for several years. The music spans over fifty years from the first 1930s discs by the Hot Club of France, and covers the full impressive range of Grappelli's achievements.
In the Count Basie Orchestra from 1936-48, Jo Jones redefined jazz drumming. Percussionist Richard Pite joins Alyn Shipton to select Jones's finest recordings, and to demonstrate some of his innovations in the studio. As well as the Basie band, the programme focuses on Jones's trios and sextets.
Alex Welsh was a fine traditional and mainstream trumpeter, who led one of Britain's best jazz groups from the 1950s to the 1980s. Digby Fairweather, who knew him well and inherited Welsh's cornet, joins Alyn Shipton to select the finest available recordings from the Welsh band's long career.
A one-time member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Cedar Walton is one of the most sought-after and versatile pianists in jazz. He joins Alyn Shipton to discuss records made under his own name, as well as work with Blakey, the Jazztet, Ron Carter and Lee Morgan.
The Oxford Comment celebrates Cab Calloway's birthday with Alyn Shipton and Vince Giordano. And the jazz age lives on! Visit us at blog.oup.com © Oxford University Press