Jazz Legends

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Matt Dennis May 13, 2026

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Singer/songwriter/pianist Matt Dennis (born Feb 11, 1914), while not exactly a household name, wrote some of the most enduring gems of the Great American Songbook. "Angel Eyes", "Everything Happens to Me", "Let’s Get Away from it All", "The Night We Called it a Day", and "Violets for Your Furs" are all standards that will be played for years to come.

Vincent Youmans May 06, 2026

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Songwriter Vincent Youmans (born Sept 7, 1898) was one of the leading Broadway composers of his day, and collaborated with most of the top lyricists of his generation. While he is only credited with around 100 tunes, 18 of them are recognized as standard songs, many of which have been embraced by jazz musicians over many years. Tunes like 'Tea For Two', 'More Than You Know', 'Sometimes I’m Happy' and 'Without a Song' have been recorded innumerable times over the years.

Ivan Lins Apr 29, 2026

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Brazilian singer/songwriter Ivan Lins (born June 16, 1945), has been active for over fifty years. His composition 'Love Dance', a hit in 1989, is one of the most recorded songs in contemporary music. He has won several Latin Grammy awards and his tunes have been recorded by myriad artists, a veritable who’s who of the jazz world.

Bobby Hutcherson Apr 22, 2026

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Vibraphonist / composer Bobby Hutcherson (born January 27, 1941), was inspired to take up the vibraphone at the age of twelve after hearing Milt Jackson, and became the inspiration for younger musicians like Joe Locke, Stefon Harris, and Steve Nelson. He recorded for Blue Note records from 1963 to 1977, longer than anyone else was associated with that label with the exception of Horace Silver.

Michel Legrand Apr 15, 2026

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Pianist/composer Michel Legrand (born Feb 24, 1932) is credited with composing over 200 film and television scores. He was active in the jazz world for most of his life. A musical milestone was his recording "Legrand Jazz" which released in 1958 and featured luminaries like Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Hank Jones and many others. His recordings over the years featured his virtuoso piano playing and his compositions have been embraced by jazz musicians for decades.

Count Basie Apr 07, 2026

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William “Count” Basie, (born August 21, 1904) was a pianist, organist and composer who lead one of the greatest big bands of all time for 50 years. The band still performs hundreds of dates throughout the world to this day. Over the years, a procession of jazz giants have passed through the band: Lester Young, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Frank Foster, Frank Wess, and Thad Jones, just to name a few.

Jimmy McHugh Mar 25, 2026

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Songwriter Jimmy McHugh (born July 10, 1894) was one of the most prolific songwriters from the 1920s through the 1950s, credited with over 500 songs. His songs have long been favorites of jazz musicians for their interesting harmonic and melodic content. The tunes "On the Sunny Side of the Street", "I Can’t Give You Anything But Love", "Don’t Blame Me", "Exactly Like You", "I’m In the Mood For Love" and many others have been recorded by countless musicians over the years.

Bud Powell Mar 18, 2026

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Pianist, composer Bud Powell (born September 7, 1924) was one of the primary innovators of bebop. His prodigious technique and strong sense of swing placed him head and shoulders above all his contemporaries. His struggles with mental issues sadly affected his career, particularly later in life.

Academy Award-Winning Songs Mar 11, 2026

Show notes

Since even before the advent of “talkies” music has been an integral part of motion pictures. Even small cinemas often had a pianist or organist who contributed musical accompaniment to the action on screen, but with the advent of sound, the music composed and synchronized with the action on screen and became an integral part of every film from then on. Great songwriters were drawn to work in Hollywood and their work of course was embraced by jazz musicians over the years.

Victor Young Mar 04, 2026

Show notes

Victor Young, born in Chicago (August 8, 1899), started playing the violin at the age of six and was sent to live with his grandfather in Poland when he was ten. He attended the Warsaw Conservatory, and while still a teenager, embarked on a career as a concert violinist with the Warsaw Philharmonic. World War I kept him from returning to the United States until 1920, when he took a job performing with a Chicago theater orchestra. In the mid-1930s, he relocated to Hollywood and composed a number of songs for films that have become standards and embraced by jazz musicians for decades. Young won a posthumous Oscar for his score for Around the World in 80 Days in 1957.

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