The New Jazz Archive
Program Schedule
| KPBX 91.1 | |
|---|---|
| Thursday |
11pm - 12am |
About the Program:Most of today’s jazz programming assumes its audience already loves jazz. This has been the Achilles’ heel of the music and the reason why jazz audiences are now smaller and older than ever. We understand that jazz often needs a proper introduction and seek to open people’s ears to the music not just by spinning discs, but by showing how jazz connects to the things that already matter to us: from movies, television and pop culture, to important social issues, to the economy and technology, to other forms of music. In other words, we don’t just assume jazz is important—we show you why through compelling interviews with some of the music’s big thinkers, vibrant storytelling, and music that represents the full gamut of jazz’s rich history. And because we use storytelling as our approach to the music, if you’re a person who likes a good story, you’ll probably like this show.
This week:
Billie Holiday
In this hour, it's the life and music of the great Billie Holiday. We’ll talk with biographer Robert O’Meally about Lady Day’s musical genius and travel the hard road she took on her way to becoming one of jazz’s most beloved voices. And we’ll chat with Jazz at Lincoln Center curator Phil Schaap about the great Louis Armstrong’s role in shaping her musical voice, and talk with the best-selling author who’s channeled Billie Holiday to create a brand new version of her autobiography for young people.
About the Host:
Jeff Haas's childhood home in Detroit was a very musical one—albeit limited to the likes of Bach, Beethoven and Brahms. Jeff enjoyed playing and absorbing the classical stuff, but when he asked his dad about the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix and his father told him that rock and roll ruined the needle on the stereo, Jeff went rogue. Soon after, he stumbled on a 1963 Motown revue at the Michigan State Fair and then discovered a clandestine copy of Monk and Coltrane Live at the Five Spot under his sister’s mattress. He never looked back.
A zillion hours at the piano and on stage, 150 compositions and 936 community radio shows later, The New Jazz Archive was born. What better way to open people’s hearts and minds to jazz than through compelling stories and colorful conversations that connect the music to everyday life in America. After all, the universal struggles and triumphs of the likes of Monk, Miles and Mingus parallel our own.
