Jazz Legends

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Ron Carter & Oscar Pettiford Oct 07, 2026

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This week we feature the music of two of the most important bassists in jazz: Ron Carter (born May 4, 1937) and Oscar Pettiford (born Sept 30, 1922). Both musicians advanced the technical possibilities of their instrument in jazz and contributed to its acceptance as a solo voice in the music. While Ron Carter is often remembered as the bassist in the second great Miles Davis quintet, he is one of the most recorded bassists of all time, and continues to play, compose, and record prolifically in his eighties. While Pettiford had a much briefer life, his contributions to the music far outweigh his comparatively brief lifespan. Jazz bassist Christian McBride called Pettiford "probably the most important bass player of that bebop generation in terms of creating new language for the bass." A number of his tunes have become jazz standards as well.

John Scofield Oct 01, 2026

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Guitarist John Scofield (born December 26, 1951) first rose to prominence as a member of Miles Davis’ band, but he had a number of good credits prior to the three and a half years he spent with Davis, including stints with Chet Baker, Hal Galper, Charles Mingus, Billy Cobham, and George Duke. His own groups have featured luminaries such as Steve Swallow, Adam Nussbaum, Bill Stewart, Joe Lovano, and Charlie Haden. He has been nominated for nine Grammy awards and won three.

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Jim Hall Sep 23, 2026

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Guitarist/composer Jim Hall (born December 4, 1940) is one of the most influential exponents of his instrument. His recordings with Bill Evans, Sonny Rollins, Paul Desmond, and many others, in addition to his recordings as a leader, have influenced whole generations of guitarists. His tasteful, spare style has been emulated but never duplicated. He recorded 39 studio albums and 10 live albums as a leader.

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Gerry Mulligan (Round 2) Sep 16, 2026

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Saxophonist/composer Gerry Mulligan (born April 6, 1927) is perhaps the best-known baritone saxophonist in jazz. His mastery of this cumbersome instrument is legendary, but he also has recorded as a pianist, on clarinet, and on soprano and tenor saxophone. He is a prolific composer and arranger as well. His Concert Jazz Band in New York City featured many of the city’s finest jazz musicians in a fresh setting. His piano-less quartet featured Chet Baker, and his participation in the Miles Davis “Birth of the Cool” set the pace for countless West Coast jazz musicians.

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Tom Harrell (Round 3) Sep 09, 2026

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Trumpeter/composer Tom Harrell (born June 16, 1946) has overcome daunting physical and mental obstacles to become one of the most important musicians of his generation. Heavily medicated to deal with his bipolar disorder, he still maintains a busy performing, recording, and composing schedule. Early in his career he toured with Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Horace Silver, and Phil Woods. He appears on over 85 recordings, 40 as a leader, and his compositions offer fresh slants on the jazz tradition.

The Incomparable Sonny Rollins Sep 02, 2026

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Saxophonist Sonny Rollins (born Sept 7, 1930) is universally considered one of the most creative musicians the music has produced. Throughout his long recording career he produced over 60 albums as a leader, was awarded a lifetime Grammy award and the Kennedy Center award in 2011. A number of his compositions have become jazz standards, including Oleo, St Thomas, Airegin, and Doxy.

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Rube Bloom & Isham Jones Aug 26, 2026

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Neither Rube Bloom (born April 24, 1902) or Isham Jones (born January 31, 1894) are what we would today consider well-known songwriters, but their contributions to the great American songbook are still loved and performed regularly. These early twentieth century contemporaries are responsible for such tunes as "Day In, Day Out", "It Had to Be You", "I’ll See You in my Dreams", "There is No Greater Love", "Don’t Worry Bout Me", "Fools Rush In", "Give Me the Simple Life" and many other chestnuts that are still regularly performed to this day.

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Lee Konitz Aug 19, 2026

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Saxophonist Lee Konitz (born Oct 13, 1927) is perhaps the best known of the Lennie Tristano disciples. He and Warne Marsh continued to follow Tristano’s musical path, essentially eschewing most of the innovations of bebop to follow a more abstract and more cerebral approach to the music. First gaining recognition recording with Tristano, he played with Claude Thornhill and the Thornhill/Gil Evans-influenced Birth of the Cool band with Miles Davis. He was a true improviser, refusing to fall back on preconceived licks when inspiration flagged.

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John Coltrane's Phrasing & Emotional Weight Aug 12, 2026

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John Coltrane (born Sept 23, 1926) is easily one of a handful of the most important and influential musicians that jazz has produced. His harmonic and rhythmic innovations have influenced every generation of jazz musicians since he first rose to prominence with the bands of Miles Davis and Thelonius Monk. His own groups stretched the boundaries of modern jazz into free, extended improvisations.

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Eric Dolphy & Booker Little Aug 05, 2026

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Saxophonist / multi-instrumentalist Eric Dolphy (born June 20, 1928) and trumpeter Booker Little (born April 2, 1938) were frequent collaborators near the end of their all too brief careers. After establishing himself with the Chico Hamilton group, he went on to perform with John Coltrane and Charles Mingus, as well as his own groups and recordings with Oliver Nelson and George Russell. While often considered a member of the jazz avant-garde, he was just stretching the conventions of tonality and rhythm established by the beboppers in novel and unexpected ways. Trumpeter Little played with Max Roach, replacing the great Clifford Brown in that band. He passed away at the age of 23 of uremia, and Dolphy at 36 of complications of undiagnosed diabetes.

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