Education Articles
Before the year 2023 runs out, it’s worth taking a moment to look back – WAY back – to acknowledge a slate of groundbreaking albums that turned 50 this year. 1959 is widely cited as the year that altered jazz, yielding classics like Dave Brubeck’s Time Out, Charles Mingus’ Mingus Ah Um, and Miles Davis’s...
One of the elements that often defines “jazz” music in many peoples’ minds is instrumentation. The term “jazz” immediately elicits sounds of a swinging big band, a hot New Orleans combo, or a driving hard bop quintet. Another definitive format has long been a favorite of fans and afficionados across the globe, appreciated because its...
The first day of fall is (officially) right around the corner, but already one can sense its presence. Light falls to dusk a little earlier as temperatures cool while once bold, verdant trees stand blushing. Some love the turning of the seasons and welcome the arrival of autumn; others mourn the passing of long, carefree...
Jazz 93.5 has a rich and varied playlist for you right at your fingertips all throughout the year. But now that we’re into the dog days of summer, perhaps you’re seeking sounds with a summer sensation, and as much as we love Benny Goodman, Miles Davis, and the Jazztet, you won’t find them on any...
From the outset, jazz has been a music uniquely focused on improvisation. However, jazz composition has played a fundamental role in the development of the music throughout its history. Following on last month’s installment on jazz composition, here are a few recommendations that illuminate some of the finest composers of jazz and American music. Looking beyond the...
Since its inception, jazz has been celebrated as a platform for personal creativity and expression. For musicians and listeners alike, this is chiefly apparent in the music’s focus on improvisation – the opportunity for artists to develop their own melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic inventions in real time is what draws many to jazz in the first...
This month, we mourn the passing of a titanic jazz figure, Wayne Shorter. As a saxophonist, Shorter is undoubtedly regarded as one of the greatest to wield the mighty tenor, ranked alongside artists like Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, John Coltrane, and Sonny Rollins. In the latter part of his career, he embraced the soprano saxophone...
Each year, Jazz 93.5 looks forward to honoring February’s Black History Month as jazz music is a fundamental expression of the black American experience. 2023’s Black History Month celebration focuses on black resistance, and throughout its history, jazz music and musicians have played a pivotal role in resisting oppression and advocating for human rights. One...
The first day of 2023 brought with it not only the start of a new year, but also marked the centenary of a pioneering figure in jazz, Milt Jackson. Born on New Year’s Day in 1923, Milt Jackson was among the first jazz players to embrace the vibraphone as a solo instrument. Following Swing-era trailblazers Lionel...
One of today’s most treasured holiday traditions is The Nutcracker ballet. Whether you see it performed each year or you simply enjoy listening to the ballet’s classic themes, Tchaikovsky’s music perennially creates the backdrop for the holiday season. However, this was not always the case. While the ballet first premiered in December of 1892, it...