Still Singing the Blues features musicians in New Orleans and South Louisiana who continue to perform both traditional blues and rhythm-and-blues—often despite poverty, ill health, and the impacts of natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina. The hour-long documentary burrows into the lives of three outstanding older performers: Carol Fran of Lafayette, Harvey Knox of Baton Rouge, and Little Freddie King of New Orleans. Listeners will travel with these musicians to recording sessions, street corners, birthday celebrations, and neighborhood taverns.

Also interviewed are blues pianist and singer Marcia Ball; blues-and-funk guitarist Ernie Vincent; and Bethany Bultman, president of the New Orleans Musicians Clinic.

Accompanying this documentary is a web site, http://stillsingingtheblues.org, which features additional audio clips, photographs, a blog, and links for readers who want to obtain CDs, find music venues, and learn more about non-profit organizations that promote Louisiana’s music and support its musicians. The producers will add audio and photos to the site throughout the coming year.

Musical Works

This documentary was sponsored by Filmmakers Collaborative with generous funding from a grant provided by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Narration was recorded by Dave Tilley of Bogue Sound Studios, Durham NC.

Originally published in The New York Times

Leonard’s smoke-filled images of jazz greats in dark clubs documented a musical era. Many of his black-and-white prints were lost in Hurricane Katrina.

Herman Leonard, a photographer best known for his iconic images of such jazz greats as Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington and Miles Davis, has died. He was 87.

Leonard died Saturday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, a family spokeswoman said. No cause was given. He had been living in Los Angeles since Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005, flooding his home and destroying thousands of prints.

Leonard became famous for the smoky, backlighted black-and-white photos he took in dark jazz clubs beginning in the late 1940s.

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“I took advantage of being a photographer to get myself into the clubs so I could sit in front of Charlie Parker,” he told The Times in March before the opening of an exhibit on jazz photography at the Fahey/Klein Gallery in Los Angeles. “I got to listen to music in person. That enriched me. The money didn’t. And I tried to make images that would satisfy me.”

The images did much more than that. They documented a musical era and cemented Leonard’s status.

“He knows how to capture, and to make, the natural beauty, artistry and individuality of musicians shine through — shine through the paper and the chemicals and the book and the gallery and the years,” John Edward Hasse, of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History, told the Morning Call in Allentown, Pa., in 1999. “He’s an artist.”

He was born in Allentown in 1923 and became interested in photography early on thanks to his older brother. He attended Ohio University to study photography but that was interrupted by a stint in the Army from 1943 to 1945. Leonard returned to college and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1947.

After working as an apprentice for famed portrait photographer Yousuf Karsh, Leonard moved to New York in 1948 and started becoming immersed in the jazz scene. Using a 4-by-5 Speed Graphic camera, he shot Art Tatum, Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan and countless other jazz greats.

Ellington watching Ella Fitzgerald sing in 1948. Dexter Gordon sitting, holding a cigarette and balancing his saxophone on a knee. There was music, amazing access and plenty of smoke.

“The smoke was part of the atmosphere of those days and dramatized the photographs a lot, maybe over-stylized them a bit,” he told The Times in 1990.

He spent 1956 as a personal photographer for actor Marlon Brando on a trip to the Far East. Then he moved to Paris and did commercial work, including for Playboy magazine, and kept shooting jazz.

“Ninety-nine percent of everything I shot was off the cuff,” he said in 2001. “I wanted to capture what was really there untainted by anything I would do. My whole principle was to capture the mood and atmosphere of the moment.”

The negatives of his jazz photos had been put away when he left the United States; but beginning in the 1980s he rediscovered them, and his first book, “The Eye of Jazz,” was published in 1985. The first exhibition of Leonard’s jazz photos was held in London in 1988.

More exhibitions and praise followed.

Leonard’s work showed an intimacy that “comes from a true insider whose genuine friendship with the musicians allowed him to capture moments that are personal and insightful,” David Houston, chief curator of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans, told the Morning Call in 2005. “You could teach the personal and musical evolution of jazz in the ’50s through his work.”

Leonard moved to New Orleans in 1992. His home was flooded by Hurricane Katrina and he lost thousands of prints. But his 60,000 negatives were safe, having been sent before the hurricane to the Ogden Museum. His return to New Orleans was chronicled in the 2006 documentary “Saving Jazz.”

“When I was photographing Miles or Dizzy in the early days, I knew these were good and important musicians, but not as important as they turned out to be,” he told the Chicago Tribune in 1999. “I had no idea. If I had any inkling, I would have shot 10 times as many pictures.”

Leonard is survived by children Valerie, Shana, Michael and David; and six grandchildren.

The following times are approximates.

Newport Jazz Festival 2010

7 am – Conrad Herwig
8 am – Matt Wilson
9 am – Trio da Paz
10 am – Fly
11 am – Amina Figerova
12 pm – Darcy James Big Band
1 pm – J.D. Allen
2 pm – Marshall Allan w/ Matthew Shipp
3 pm – Ben Allison
4 pm - David Binney
5 pm – Maria Schneider
6 pm – Democrocy Now
7 pm – Rez Abassi Acoustic Band

Detroit Jazz Festival 2009

8 pm – Hour One – Dave Brubeck, Eddie Daniels, DeeDee Bridgewater, Gerald Wilson Orch., Sheila Jordan, Sean Jones and Christian McBride
9 pm – Hour Two – T.S. Monk, Janis Seigel w/ Detroit Jazz Festival Orchestra, Stefon Harris and Urbanus, Louis Hayes Cannonball Legacy Band, John Pizzarelli, Geri Allen Trio and Clayton Brothers w/ Scott Gwinell Big Band

WNCU Regular Schedule

10 pm – Jazz at Lincoln Center
11 pm – Overnight-Bob Parlocha

Originally published in The New York Times

Abbey Lincoln, a singer whose dramatic vocal command and tersely poetic songs made her a singular figure in jazz, died on Saturday in Manhattan. She was 80 and lived on the Upper West Side.

Her death was announced by her brother David Wooldridge.

Ms. Lincoln’s career encompassed outspoken civil rights advocacy in the 1960s and fearless introspection in more recent years, and for a time in the 1960s she acted in films, including one with Sidney Poitier.

Long recognized as one of jazz’s most arresting and uncompromising singers, Ms. Lincoln gained similar stature as a songwriter only over the last two decades. Her songs, rich in metaphor and philosophical reflection, provide the substance of “Abbey Sings Abbey,” an album released on Verve in 2007. As a body of work, the songs formed the basis of a three-concert retrospective presented by Jazz at Lincoln Center in 2002.

Her singing style was unique, a combined result of bold projection and expressive restraint. Because of her ability to inhabit the emotional dimensions of a song, she was often likened to Billie Holiday, her chief influence. But Ms. Lincoln had a deeper register and a darker tone, and her way with phrasing was more declarative.

“Her utter individuality and intensely passionate delivery can leave an audience breathless with the tension of real drama,” Peter Watrous wrote in The New York Times in 1989. “A slight, curling phrase is laden with significance, and the tone of her voice can signify hidden welts of emotion.”

She had a profound influence on other jazz vocalists, not only as a singer and composer but also as a role model. “I learned a lot about taking a different path from Abbey,” the singer Cassandra Wilson said. “Investing your lyrics with what your life is about in the moment.”

Ms. Lincoln was born Anna Marie Wooldridge in Chicago on Aug. 6, 1930, the 10th of 12 children, and raised in rural Michigan. In the early 1950s, she headed west in search of a singing career, spending two years as a nightclub attraction in Honolulu, where she met Ms. Holiday and Louis Armstrong. She then moved to Los Angeles, where she encountered the accomplished lyricist Bob Russell.

It was at the suggestion of Mr. Russell, who had become her manager, that she took the name Abbey Lincoln, a symbolic conjoining of Westminster Abbey and Abraham Lincoln. In 1956, she made her first album, “Affair … a Story of a Girl in Love” (Liberty), and appeared in her first film, the Jayne Mansfield vehicle “The Girl Can’t Help It.” Her image in both cases was decidedly glamorous: On the album cover she was depicted in a décolleté gown, and in the movie she sported a dress once worn by Marilyn Monroe.

For her second album, “That’s Him,” released on the Riverside label in 1957, Ms. Lincoln kept the seductive pose but worked convincingly with a modern jazz ensemble that included the tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins and the drummer Max Roach. In short order she came under the influence of Mr. Roach, a bebop pioneer with an ardent interest in progressive causes. As she later recalled, she put the Monroe dress in an incinerator and followed his lead.

The most visible manifestation of their partnership was “We Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite,” issued on the Candid label in 1960, with Ms. Lincoln belting Oscar Brown Jr.’s lyrics. Now hailed as an early masterwork of the civil rights movement, the album radicalized Ms. Lincoln’s reputation. One movement had her moaning in sorrow, and then hollering and shrieking in anguish — a stark evocation of struggle. A year later, after Ms. Lincoln sang her own lyrics to a song called “Retribution,” her stance prompted one prominent reviewer to deride her in print as a “professional Negro.”

Ms. Lincoln, who married Mr. Roach in 1962, was for a while more active as an actress than a singer. In 1964 she starred with Ivan Dixon in “Nothing but a Man,” a tale of the Deep South in the 1960s, and in 1968 she was the title character opposite Mr. Poitier in the romantic comedy “For Love of Ivy,” playing a white family’s maid. She also acted on television in guest-starring roles in the ’60s and ’70s.

But with the exception of “Straight Ahead” (Candid), on which “Retribution” appeared, she released no albums in the 1960s. And after her divorce from Mr. Roach in 1970, she took an apartment above a garage in Los Angeles and withdrew from the spotlight for a time. She never remarried.

In addition to Mr. Wooldridge, Ms. Lincoln is survived by another brother, Kenneth Wooldridge, and a sister, Juanita Baker.

During a visit to Africa in 1972, Ms. Lincoln received two honorary appellations from political officials: Moseka, in Zaire, and Aminata, in Guinea. (Moseka would occasionally serve as her surname.) She began to consider her calling as a storyteller and focused on writing songs.

Moving back to New York in the 1980s, Ms. Lincoln resumed performing, eventually attracting the attention of Jean-Philippe Allard, a producer and executive with PolyGram France. Ms. Lincoln’s first effort for what is now the Verve Music Group, “The World Is Falling Down” (1990), was a commercial and critical success.

Eight more albums followed in a similar vein, each produced by Mr. Allard and enlisting top-shelf jazz musicians like the tenor saxophonist Stan Getz and the vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson. In addition to elegant originals like “Throw It Away” and “When I’m Called Home,” the albums featured Ms. Lincoln’s striking interpretations of material ranging from songbook standards to Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man.”

For “Abbey Sings Abbey” Ms. Lincoln revisited her own songbook exclusively, performing in an acoustic roots-music setting that emphasized her affinities with singer-songwriters like Mr. Dylan. Overseen by Mr. Allard and the American producer-engineer Jay Newland, the album boiled each song to its essence and found Ms. Lincoln in weathered voice but superlative form.

When the album was released in May 2007, Ms. Lincoln was recovering from open-heart surgery. In her Upper West Side apartment, surrounded by her own paintings and drawings, she reflected on her life, often quoting from her own song lyrics. After she recited a long passage from “The World Is Falling Down,” one of her more prominent later songs, her eyes flashed with pride. “I don’t know why anybody would give that up,” she said. “I wouldn’t. Makes my life worthwhile.”

The Peabody Award–winning radio series, Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) Radio with Wendell Pierce, has moved to Monday evening at 10pm, starting August 16. To learn more, click here.

On labor day, Monday, September 6, WNCU will air sets from 2 of the country’s foremost jazz festivals. Starting off with the mother of them all, it will be the 2010 Newport Jazz Festival with selected sets featuring Maria Schneider, Matt Wilson, Conrad Herwig, Amina Figerova, Trio da Paz, J.D. Allen, and more.

We will also air 2 hours of the 2009 Detroit Jazz festival featuring Dave Brubeck, DeeDee Bridgewater, Gerald Wilson Orchestra, Christian McBride, Sean Jones, Geri Allen, Louis Hayes Cannonball Legacy Band, Stefon Harris & Urbanus, and T.S. Monk & The Monk.

Got your HD radio yet? WNCU will launch our 2nd channel, HD2, in September.

HD2 is going to be different. We will broadcast news, talk, and news magazine style radio. We are broadcasting programs with diverse opinions and points of view. Sometimes controversial and off beat, HD2 will have an experimental flavor. We want you to have a chance to see what public radio has to offer and what we feel public radio is all about.

There will be music programs that showcase sounds from around the world and of course there will be our award winning mainstream jazz programming.

A complete listing of WNCU HD2 programs will be available soon.

Relive George Wein’s annual showcase of the best in jazz, including concerts from the Maria Schneider Orchestra, Matt Wilson Quartet, Julian Lage Group, JD Allen and many more. Hear the performances, download sets and see photos from the CareFusion Newport Jazz Festival held in beautiful Newport, R.I. last weekend.

Click here to view photos and hear concerts.

Purchase Tickets Now

The annual Bull Durham Blues Festival celebrates Durham’s rich musical heritage as an important center of Carolina or Piedmont blues. Since 1988, St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc. has presented the festival at the historic Durham Athletic Park, past home of the Durham Bulls Baseball team and site of the hit movie “Bull Durham”. Today, the event has become North Carolina’s largest celebration of the blues attracting fans from over 175 cities throughout North Carolina, 25 different states, and 5 countries in the world.

For 23 years the St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc. (SJHF) has presented the annual Bull Durham Blues Festival to the joy and pleasure of fans from across the globe here in Durham, NC, the home of the “Piedmont Blues”. Again, on September 10 & 11, 2010, SJHF will present a stellar line up of national, regional and local blues musicians in the usual format, but in a new venue, the new Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) and at our home base historic St. Joseph’s Performance Hall at Hayti Heritage Center. The decision to relocate the Festival was a difficult one for the Foundation, but because of production cost implications at our previous site, the current economic climate and opportunities for new and broader partnerships, now was the time.

We recognize that change is difficult and growing pains even more so. This change in venue is an opportunity for the Foundation to revamp the festivals traditional format to encompass other venues within the City of Durham, particularly our vibrant downtown area. In the years to come, we will get back to an outdoor setting, but our plans are to expand the BDBF to multiple locations, both large and small, with shows throughout the week. As we regroup and adapt to current state of affairs, we will take this opportunity to strengthen current partnerships and develop new ones.

You, our fans have trusted us over the years and we say thank you! You have shared with us, the richness of the blues heritage here in Durham for over 22 years. Join with us as we grow, expand and diversify the Bull Durham Blues Festival, something for everyone to enjoy with family, friends and other Blues Lovers!

The festival have showcased some of the finest contemporary blues artist today including Bo Diddley, Taj Mahal, Etta James, Ruth Brown, Aaron Neville and Charles Neville, Bobby Blue Bland, Denise LaSalle, Tyrone Davis, KoKo Taylor, Shemika Copeland, Buddy Guy, Dr. John, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Keb’ Mo, Janiva Mangus, Otis Rush, Hank Crawford, Deborah Coleman, Johnny Clyde Copeland, and Alberta Adams. In addition, the distinctive blues of the Carolinas have featured traditional artists each year such as Moses Rascoe, John D. Holeman, Etta Baker, Lightnin’ Wells, Big Boy Henry, John Jackson, Algia Mae Hinton and harmonicas/guitar duo of Phil Wiggins and the late John Cephas.

See you at the festival…

Visit Official Bull Durham Blues Festival Website

Because of listener support during our spring 2010 fundraiser, WNCU can offer the Peabody Award–winning radio series, Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) Radio with Wendell Pierce, every Wednesday evening at 10pm, starting July21 st.

JALC is dedicated to inspiring and growing audiences for jazz. Through concerts and education, they share the depth of feeling and improvisational vitality of this democratic music in their home, The House of Swing, and all over the world.

The JALC mission is to enrich the artistic substance and perpetuate the democratic spirit of America’s music. From down home and elegant concert performances by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra… to entertaining educational programs that bring the sound and feeling of jazz into the lives of thousands of kids and grownups… to innovative collaborative programs with artists in diverse idioms: we offer top quality musicianship and universal friendship.

Learn more at www.jalc.org

Schedule

The Birth of Cool with the Bill Charlap Trio —Bill Charlap belongs to the new class of cool. With his trio and guests Frank Wess and Mary Stallings, Charlap revisits the stomping grounds of Miles Davis, Charlie Parker and Lester Young. We’ll hear “Pennies from Heaven,” “Israel,” “Lady Be Good” and more. Hosted by Wendell Pierce. (Reprise of our 3/12/09 show)

Lionel Loueke and Richard Bona —Guitarist Lionel Loueke and bassist Richard Bona translate the sonorities of West Africa (kora, kalimba and balafon) through strings, mouth-clicked percussion and improvised paper mutes. Individually, they have played with Herbie Hancock, Joni Mitchell, Salif Keita and Tito Puente; together they are helping to create a new language in jazz. Hosted by Wendell Pierce. (Reprise of our 1/22/09 show)

Jazz and Art I —From the “Utility Wild Man” of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra – saxophonist Ted Nash – a commission inspired by 20th century paintings from the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Nash renders Monet, Van Gogh, Dali, Matisse, and more in the language of jazz – from the canvas to the stage in seven movements. Hosted by Wynton Marsalis. (Reprise of our 5/15/08 show)

Jazz and Art II —Music is like a painting that exists in time; painting is like music that exists in space. Bill Frisell, Papo Vazquez, Doug Wamble and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra create musical portraits inspired by the paintings of Romare Bearden, Stuart Davis, Piet Mondrian and more. Join us for this exciting mediation on the art of creation. Hosted by Wendell Pierce.

The San Francisco Jazz Collective —The members of the SF Jazz Collective are some of the great innovators on the scene today. Dave Douglas (trumpet), Robin Eubanks (trombone), Eric Harland (drums), Joe Lovano (tenor sax), Matt Penman (bass), Renee Rosnes (piano) and Miguel Zenon (alto sax) come together in the Allen Room for a brilliant musical conversation. The collective will showcase their own compositions and fresh arrangements of works by pianist McCoy Tyner. Hosted by Wendell Pierce. (Reprise of our 9/10/09 show)

Searching Sound: Lee Konitz and Paul Motian —Forbears of the ‘cool sound’ – alto saxophonist Lee Konitz and drummer Paul Motian – trade notes for a study in spontaneous composition. Konitz’s melodic improvisations combine with Motian colorfully textured rhythms for a set composed in the moment and not to be missed. Hosted by Wendell Pierce.

Trumpets and Trombones —The brilliant trumpeter Tom Harrell and legendary altoman Charles McPherson lead off with Jimmy Cobb (drums), Ray Drummond (bass), and Ronnie Matthews (piano). New Orleans trumpeter Nicholas Payton brings his quintet, and trombonists Wycliffe Gordon and Ronald Westray lead their ensemble Bone Structure. A whirlwind hour! Hosted by Billy Banks. (Reprise of our 6/19/08 show)

Legends of Blue Note —From the Golden Era of the Blue Note catalog, Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra offer new arrangements of Herbie Hancock’s “Maiden Voyage,” Wayne Shorter’s “Infant Eyes,” Bud Powell’s “Un Poco Loco” and more. Classic hard-bop hasn’t sounded so fresh in decades. Hosted by Wynton Marsalis. (Reprise of our 10/4/07 show)

Basie and the Blues —Churning rhythms and unforgettable riffs – in the hands of William ‘Count’ Basie, caught the essence of Kansas City swing. The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with guitarist James Chirillo, pianist Cyrus Chestnut and vocalist Gregory Porter join the Jazz at Lincoln Center to make the Basie classics burn. Hosted by Wendell Pierce.

Karrin Allyson, Sachal Vasandani and Carla Cook —Three modern interpreters of song offer distinctive moods at the House of Swing — Karrin Allyson provides a versatile expressiveness; rising star Sachal Vasandani delivers a cool sophistication; and Detroit native Carla Cook brings her blues-inflected style. Hosted by Wendell Pierce.

Intuition: The Music of Bill Evans —Perpetually sensitive in style and spirit, pianist Bill Evans was driven by a ‘quiet fire’ that has influenced entire generations of pianists. Guest musical director Bill Charlap with guitarist and Evans collaborator Jim Hall and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra pay tribute with classics like “Waltz for Debby,” “Five” and “Peri’s Scope.” Wendell Pierce hosts.

John Coltrane – The Breakthrough: Giant Steps —One month after playing on Miles Davis’ landmark ‘Kind of Blue,’ John Coltrane stepped out from sideman duties to record his own seminal 1959 album. Showcasing blistering solos and relentless energy, the album solidified his place as a leader and is still a benchmark for musicians today. Our reedmen Ted Nash, Sherman Irby, Walter Blanding and George Garzone front this blowin’ session that including ‘Giant Steps,’ ‘Countdown’ and “Naima.” Wendell Pierce hosts.

Kansas City: K.C. and The Count —Join our summit of swing. Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra romp through the Kansas City songbook of the Count Basie Band. Basie alum and saxophonist Frank Wess joins pianist Eldar Djangirov to romp through the “One O’clock Jump,” “The Golden Bullet” and “Moten Swing.” Wendell Pierce hosts.

Regina Carter with Reverse Thread and Stefon Harris with Blackout —What do the sounds of the violin, kora, accordion, vibraphone and vocoder have in common? In the hands of innovative jazz fiddler Regina Carter and vibraphonist Stefon Harris, they explore their past to create a very contemporary sound. With kora player Yacouba Sissoko and accordionist Will Holshouser, Carter explores the music of Africa – from Ugandan Jewish songs to traditional folk music of Madagascar and Mali. Harris and his band Blackout find inspiration in the funk and soul sound of the 70s. Wendell Pierce hosts.

Beyond the Spanish Tinge —Get up and move! Saxophonist Paquito D’Rivera paints the landscape of the Spanish tinge. Mambo, bossa nova, salsa – it’s all here. D’Rivera, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra led by Wynton Marsalis pay homage to Antonio Carlos Jobim and Astor Piazzolla, and offer D’Rivera’s own “Samba for Carmen.” Wendell Pierce hosts.

Dizzy’s Atmospheres: Phil Woods, Cedar Walton and Steve Turre —An acoustic cocktail mixed by the masters — saxophonist Phil Woods, pianist Cedar Walton and trombonist Steve Turre. Real club jazz — shaken, stirred and captured live at Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola. Hosted by Wendell Pierce.

The Music of Fats Waller —A light-hearted entertainer and a very serious musician, Thomas ‘Fats’ Waller mastered the stride piano and wrote some of the jazz’s enduring, endearing tunes. Hear ‘Honeysuckle Rose,’ “Ain’t Misbehavin” and “A Handful of Keys in the ‘hands’ of pianist Ehud Asherie, vocalist Allen Harris, and guitar master Doug Wamble under the direction of that multifarious fiddler and reedman Andy Farber. Wendell Pierce hosts.

Nursery Song Swing —The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra try their hand at another book of classics – these standards include “Chicken Rhythm,” “Three Blind Mice” and “Liza Jane.” Wynton and the orchestra give a big band twist to children classics. Guest soloist 16 year old Grace Kelly (alto saxophone), 17 year old Carl Majeau (tenor saxophone and clarinet) and 13 year old Jonathan Russell (violin) join Wynton on stage. Wendell Pierce hosts.

The Many Moods of Miles Davis Part 1: The Early Years —A Miles Davis marathon. Ryan Kisor (trumpet) with Sherman Irby (alto), Peter Zak (piano), John Webber (bass), and Willie Jones III (drums) get speedy on the bebop tune “Half Nelson,” then cool down on “Milestones” and “Move.” Terrence Blanchard (trumpet) and his quintet – Brice Winston (tenor), Fabian Almazan (piano), Derrick Hodge (bass), and Kendrick Scott (drums) – race off on “It Never Entered His Mind” and “Four.” Wynton Marsalis hosts. (Reprise of our 10/15/09 program)

The Yellowjackets with Mike Stern —For over 25 years, The Yellowjackets — saxophonist Bob Mintzer, pianist Russell Ferrante, bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Will Kennedy — have combined jazz, rock and electronic instruments. Now, the sensational and discerning guitarist Mike Stern, veteran of Miles and Michael Brecker bands, joins the group to lead “Chromazone,” “I Wonder” and “Dreams Go.” Bob Mintzer brings forth soulful sax and the true wonders of the EWI (ee-wee). Wendell Pierce hosts.

Crescent City Gospel —Stomp in the holidays New Orleans style! Wycliffe Gordon leads us ‘Down by the Riverside,’ on ‘Just a Closer Walk with Thee’ and in ‘The Battle Hymn of the Republic.’ We feature Eric Reed (piano), Reginald Veal (bass), Alvin Atkinson (drums) and Damien Sneed (organ). This hour-long holiday special can stand alone and is available to all stations.” Wendell Pierce hosts.

Wynton with Strings —The cry of the trumpet over the swell of lush strings: Wynton Marsalis and his quintet join a chamber orchestra conducted by Robert Sadin, to revisit “Stardust,” “Baby Won’t You Please Come Home,” and “After You’re Gone.” Hold onto your heart. Wendell Pierce hosts.

Benny Goodman Centennial — Finish the Year in Style. Shine those shoes to a high polish — you won’t be able to sit down for this one. Join us on the bandstand as The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra celebrates the enduring legacy of Benny Goodman. Guest clarinetists Bob Wilbur, Ken Peplowski and Buddy DeFranco blow out the Goodman classics from his historic Carnegie Hall concert. Join us for high stepping swing. Wendell Pierce hosts.