Whodat?
Just in case you’d like to know something about the man behind the music, our first podcast (or Jazzcast as it’s known around here) is a handshake over the internet from Fred Masey. After you’ve heard this bit of history, nostalgia and tomfoolery, you’ll have a little better idea of just ‘Whodat’ is!
Whydat?
The Mark Of Jazz is more than just the name of a website. It’s a name with historic, musical and even social significance, all tied to one dedicated man and the superstar performer who was the focus of his entire career. Hear ‘whydat’ is important to our celebration of the music we call jazz.
What About Dat?
This may be the shortest history lesson in the history of lessons! It’s a progression in sound of jazz origins and influences, their evolution into the music we enjoy today, and the mutually beneficial relationship with other musical forms, from country to rock and blues to bluegrass.
Talkin' With Tony Bennett
For a year or so during my tenure as the Announcer/Production Director for WOR in New York, I hosted a Saturday night jazz program on another station in the market just to keep my hand in the DJ end of things. At the time, “After Hours” was pretty much the only real jazz show available on the dial. As a result it was an attractive venue for many of my favorite performers … including the great Tony Bennett whose people actually called US and asked if we would like to talk with him. I’m not sure exactly what I said after “WOULD I”, but we did!
Meet Nancy Wilson
She walked into my studio wearing a floor length, white ermine coat. It was real. So was she. Nancy Wilson was known as a singer’s singer, boasting more than 70 albums and 3 Grammy Awards. While she has been recognized for her excellence in blues, jazz, R&B, pop and soul, for my money her greatest strength lies with jazz. Nancy is “the complete entertainer”.
This Is Illinois Jacquet
Illinois Jacquet was an innovative jazz saxophonist, possibly best remembered for his soaring high note technique and passionate performance on Lionel Hampton’s 1942 recording of “Flying Home”. Although he was a jazz musician from head to toe, that performance is regarded to be the first R&B sax solo ever recorded and was a forerunner of the distinctive saxophone sounds of early Rock ‘N Roll. When I interviewed him on the phone, I engaged an open friendly voice that pulled you in, much the same way he played his horn.
Time Out With Billy Taylor
Musician, composer, teacher and all around jazz ambassador, Dr. Billy Taylor’s musical career is legendary. More than just an avid spokesman for “America’s Classical Music”, he fought for the recognition of Black musicians as key contributors to the American music scene … promoting jazz as a commentary against racial prejudice. Despite being one of the most remarkable jazz pianists of all time, the recipient of honors and awards worldwide, Billy always managed to remain a true gentleman of honor and humility.
A Conversation With Chris Connor
Chris Connor didn’t just sing a song, she made it her own! Her easy going manner and distinctive ability to get ‘inside’ a lyric defined her performances. Although she worked with popular big bands, and even became June Christy’s replacement with the Stan Kenton Orchestra, Chris preferred to work with smaller groups and established her lasting reputation touring internationally as a solo performer leading her own trio. She was one of only a handful of white vocalists considered to be, incontestably, pure jazz singers.
Presenting Mel Torme
Although Mel Torme spent most of his career as a singer, he was also a drummer, pianist, arranger, author and prolific song writer. Since the age of 4, when he made his first stage appearance, and for the next 60 years, he entertained worldwide audiences with a unique, finely tuned voice that earned him the nickname of “The Velvet Fog”.
Reminiscing With Max Roach
One of the pioneers of bebop, Max Roach spent decades creating innovative jazz. Though he started out playing piano, Max moved over to drums at the age of ten, and at sixteen he filled in with The Duke Ellington Orchestra at the famous Paramount Theater! He was a composer as well as a musician, a college professor and recipient of many honors and awards. While he was also comfortable working with other musical styles, Max Roach’s first love was always jazz and he is generally considered among the most important drummers in history.
After Hours With Joe Pass
Joe Pass is generally considered to be one of the greatest jazz guitarists of all time and has been compared to Paganini for his virtuosity. He started out with a $17 guitar his dad gave him for his 9th birthday, was playing gigs at 14, and went on to perform with a virtual who’s who of music. While his early influences were guitarist Django Reinhardt and saxophonist Charlie Parker, Joe eventually developed his own sound marked by a certain purity that made him stand out easily from other first-rate guitarists. New York Magazine once declared, “Joe Pass looks like somebody’s uncle and plays guitar like nobody’s business!”
A Visit With Marlene VerPlanck
Marlene VerPlanck was once called “The finest canary in captivity” by Downbeat Magazine. She has done it all, from singing with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Tony Bennett and (believe it or not) Kiss … to studio singing including “Winston tastes good like a cigarette should” and “Mmm-mmm good, mmm-mmm good, that’s what Campbell’s Soups are mmm-mmm- good!” Whether singing background, cabaret, or Carnegie Hall, her career is a long string of successes. With her gorgeous, versatile voice, she has always known just how to tell the story.
A Chat With Charlie Elgart
Charlie Elgart is an accomplished composer, producer and arranger … not to mention his talent as a keyboardist and skills at the mixing console. He does it all and constantly strives to do more. While his primary influences range from Oscar Peterson to Michel Legrand, he tends to lean more toward contemporary sounds when expressing his own music. The result is a melodic form of what is generally referred to as ‘lite jazz’.
Say Hello To Sergio Mendes
Originally trained as a classical pianist, Sergio Mendes eventually felt the lure of other musical genres. As a young man he abandoned his classical roots in favor of jazz and Brazilian music. In the early 60s Sergio made his way to New York and found himself performing with the likes of Art Farmer and Cannonball Adderley, but it was to be his native Bossa Nova beat and soft pop melodies, blended with a touch of lite jazz, that would dominate his musical life.
Sharing With Sherry Winston
Sherry Winston is a jazz flutist, composer and successful businesswoman … a well-rounded musician that has taken quite a different approach to utilizing her talent. In addition to her own band, and performances from Carnegie Hall to the White House, she has promoted and worked with other top performers like Herbie Mann, Chaka Khan, Harry Connick Jr., Stevie Wonder and Ramsey Lewis to name only a few. Sherry never met a stereotype she couldn’t break, and is one of the few female African-American jazz recording artists AND former record company executives you’ll ever meet!
Discovering Muhal Richard Abrams
Muhal Richard Abrams was an American educator, administrator, composer, arranger, clarinetist, cellist, and pianist in the free jazz idiom. In other words, he does it all! While his background is more traditional, with influences from Art Tatum, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell and many others, he concentrated on Duke Ellington and Fletcher Henderson for composition. He started an Experimental Band in 1962 and became known for his far reaching harmonies and dissonance. Muhal has been critically acclaimed for the breadth, depth and originality of his music. He was a man with vision.
The Christmas Show
Christmas is a very special time of year and therefore calls for something special in the way of our Jazzcast. This is my musical Christmas card to you … featuring songs for the season by Maynard Ferguson, Tony Bennett, The Swingle Singers, Mel Torme, Count Basie, The Gene Harris Quartet, Lou Rawls, The Manhattan Transfer, Kenny G, Billy Taylor, Carol Sloan, plus a few of my own thoughts about the magic of Christmas. I wish you Christmas rainbows the whole year through!
— Fred
Days Of Auld Lang Syne
Ever wonder what Auld Lang Syne means and where the song came from? My New Years Show answers those questions, takes a look back at dance bands and movies a few generations ago, plus features an interview with Fay Wray, the lady who did all that screaming in the classic movie King Kong. Come on in, as we monkey around with the calendar, have some fun and maybe even learn a few things!
Ellington: Music Was Their Mistress Pt. 1
Duke Ellington was one of the most important and prolific composers of the 20th Century, not to mention his prowess as an arranger, musician and bandleader. His legacy was continued and enhanced by his son Mercer. I was privileged to sit down for an extended interview with Mercer Ellington and obtained a very candid view of the father through his son’s eyes. While their relationship was sometimes contentious, Mercer’s love and respect are evident, even as he struggles to emerge from a giant shadow and establish his own identity. This is the first of three parts that I hope you’ll find as fascinating as I have.
Ellington: Music Was Their Mistress Pt. 2
A few years ago, I was privileged to sit down for an extended interview with Mercer Ellington and was treated to a very personal perspective on his father, The Duke. We discussed everything from Mercer’s struggle for his own identity to the senior Ellington’s relationship with other musicians and his philosophy on musical composition. This is the second of a three part series that I hope you’ll enjoy hearing as much as I enjoyed creating it for you.
Ellington: Music Was Their Mistress Pt. 3
Back in my radio days, Mercer Ellington and I sat down in his Manhattan apartment with a big pot of coffee and a New York size platter of Danish pasties. For two hours I received an intimate look at the father through the eyes of his son … many of The Duke’s opinions, foibles and philosophies. This is Part 3 of a 3 part visit with Mercer Ellington, one of the most fun and fascinating gentlemen of jazz I’ve had the pleasure of meeting.