The Best New Releases of 2011

The Best New Releases of 2011

Author: BBC Radio 3 December 25, 2011 Duration: 33:38

Alyn Shipton is joined by a group of the country's leading jazz critics, broadcasters and writers to select the best new releases of 2011.


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.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Jazz Library
Podcast Episodes
Early Ellington Recordings [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:42
Duke Ellington's biographer Harvey Cohen joins Alyn Shipton to select highlights from the 1920s and 30s recordings.From the Cotton Club to national icon, author Harvey Cohen traces Ellington's finest output from the deca…
Michael Garrick [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:35
PIanist Michael Garrick died in November 2011. In this archive interview, he joins Alyn Shipton to look back over a fifty year span of some of the finest big band and small group records in British jazz.Whether inspired…
Joe Henderson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:14
Joe Henderson was one of the finest tenor saxophonists in jazz. Fellow saxophonist Julian Siegel joins Alyn Shipton to assess Henderson's catalogue of discs from his early Blue Note days to his final triumphs playing the…
Steve Swallow [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:34
Bassist Steve Swallow joins Alyn Shipton in front of an audience at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival.A specialist on the electric bass, Swallow looks back at his early days on the acoustic instrument and talks about the wide…
Ramsey Lewis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:34
This month, Chicago-born pianist Ramsey Lewis celebrates his 75th Birthday and the recent release of Songs From The Heart, his latest trio recording. This acoustic format has been a central component of Lewis' sixty-year…
John Scofield [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:29
Prior to his appearance at the 2010 Cheltenham Jazz Festival, guitarist John Scofield joins Alyn Shipton to choose key albums from his extensive recorded catalogue. As well as his most recent disc, Piety Street, he choos…
Ron Carter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:00
Bassist Ron Carter is one of the most influential and revered instrumentalists in jazz, famous for his work with Miles Davis's 1960s quintet. He joins Alyn Shipton to select the highlights of his recording career, rangin…
Al Grey [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:31
Trombonist Al Grey (1925 - 2000) was one of the most distinctive soloists in big band jazz, working with many of the most famous swing orchestras. In an archive interview, recorded just before his death 11 years ago, Al…
Ornette Coleman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:35
Celebrating Ornette Coleman's 80th birthday in March 2010, Alyn Shipton was joined by Scottish saxophonist Paul Towndrow to select the key recordings by Coleman, the saxophonist who developed free jazz in the late 1950s…
Ed Thigpen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:49
Jazz Library pays tribute to the drummer Ed Thigpen who died in January. He was such a consummate percussionist that he was known as "Mr Taste". A lynch-pin of the bands of Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington and Oscar Pet…