Jazz Library

Jazz Library

Author: BBC Radio 3 Language: English Episodes: 100
Curated by BBC Radio 3, Jazz Library is more than a simple listening guide; it’s an invitation to explore the vast and varied landscape of jazz history through its most essential recordings. Each episode focuses on a single, pivotal artist, from the foundational giants to the pioneering innovators, offering a deep and contextual dive into their work. You’ll hear insightful commentary alongside carefully selected musical excerpts that trace artistic development and highlight landmark albums. This approach provides a rich, narrative framework, transforming a collection of songs into a coherent story. For anyone feeling overwhelmed by the genre's breadth or simply looking to deepen their appreciation, this podcast serves as a trusted companion. It helps in building a meaningful and personal archive of jazz, one informed by knowledge and passion rather than chance. Tune in to discover the stories behind the sounds and find a clearer path through one of music's most rewarding traditions.
Episodes
James Moody [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:59
A fine saxophonist and a pioneer of jazz flute, James Moody died last December. Alyn Shipton remembers his career and picks his finest records with the help of the man himself in an archive conversation recorded at Ronni…
George Avakian [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:25
To celebrate the 92nd birthday of George Avakian, the veteran record producer joins Alyn Shipton to pick his personal favourites from a long career in supervising record sessions, starting in 1939. From the Chicago jazz…
Allan Ganley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:00
On the weekend of what would have been his 80th birthday, the drummer Allan Ganley is heard selecting his favourite recordings in an interview recorded before his death in 2008. He tells Alyn Shipton about his work with…
Roy Eldridge [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:39
Roy Eldridge, with his fiery tone, brilliant upper register and inventive phrasing, was the most musically combative trumpeter of the swing era. The heir to Louis Armstrong and the main influence on Dizzy Gillespie, his…
Dinah Washington [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:29
Dinah Washington was only 39 when she died of an accidental overdose of barbiturates in 1963. Yet in her short life she was one of the most successful of all jazz singers, also crossing into blues and pop territory. Gwyn…
Hank Mobley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:03
Hank Mobley was one of the finest tenor saxophonists in jazz during the 1950s and 1960s. In this programme, fellow saxophonist, author and broadcaster Dave Gelly joins Alyn Shipton to select Mobley's best work. As well a…
Scott LaFaro [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:44
Killed in a car accident aged just 25, Scott LaFaro was widely regarded as the most technically gifted bassist of the 20th Century. His records with Bill Evans are among the finest jazz trio discs ever made. Bassist Dave…
Sonny Stitt [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:40
Sonny Stitt was one of the finest bebop saxophonists, transferring the style of Charlie Parker to the tenor instrument, as well as developing his own approach to the alto. Fellow saxophonist Alan Barnes joins Alyn Shipto…
Chet Baker [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:15
Ian Smith joins Alyn Shipton to select the best recordings by trumpeter and vocalist Chet Baker, including his early work with Gerry Mulligan, his West Coast quartets and the early collaborations with Art Pepper. There i…
Louis Moholo Moholo [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:57
Louis Moholo Moholo arrived in London from South Africa in the 1960s with Chris McGregor's Blue Notes. During his visit to the UK for the 2010 London Jazz Festival, he joins Alyn Shipton to discuss the high points in a l…