Ahmad Jamal

Ahmad Jamal

When we started 32 Bar Blues back in 2012, Ahmad Jamal was our first featured musician. It was deeply intentional. Pianist, composer, orchestrator and educator, he is lauded as one of the most influential musicians and bandleaders of all time. Miles Davis once said of Jamal, “He knocked me out with his concept of space, his lightness of touch, his understatement and the way he phrased notes and chords and passages. All my inspiration comes from Ahmad Jamal.”  As part of the Peabody Award-winning documentary series “Jazz Profiles,” this presentation about Ahmad Jamal was produced in 1996 by Greg Fitzgerald – and narrated by the show host Nancy Wilson.  The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com

Max Roach

A strong case can be made for Max Roach as the most complete drummer in jazz history. He was front-and-center for both the bebop movement that transformed jazz in the late 1940s and its hard-bop offshoot in the mid-1950s. He helped pioneer a new drumming style in which the ride cymbal was the focal element of the drumkit, and his ability to play extremely fast ride patterns set a new standard for drumming excellence.  As part of the Peabody Award-winning documentary series “Jazz Profiles,” this presentation about Max Roach was produced in 1999 by Ben Shapiro – and narrated by the show host Nancy Wilson.  The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com

Gil Evans

As an arranger, Gil Evans has few peers in jazz history. His style is instantly recognizable, often using unusual brass colorations for jazz, such as combinations of tuba and French horn. Famous for his collaborations with Miles Davis, Gil brought orchestral colors and textures to jazz – and was a pioneer of the “cool” sound. Beyond Miles, he arranged and composed the music of Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Herbie Hancock and dozens of others. “Gil’s arrangements were like a symphony,” Wayne Shorter once said, “He opened doors for us.”  As part of the Peabody Award-winning documentary series “Jazz Profiles,” this presentation about Gil Evans was produced in 2000 by Larry Hicock – and narrated by the show host Nancy Wilson.  The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com

Mary Lou Williams

Pianist, composer, arranger, and innovator Mary Lou Williams’ musical career reflected the history of American jazz from the late 1920s through the 1970s. Described by Duke Ellington as being “beyond category,” she was conversant in jazz styles ranging from stride and swing to be-bop and avant-garde, yet her music was always rooted in spirituals and the blues. Mary wrote and arranged for Duke and Benny Goodman, and she was friend, mentor, and teacher to Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Bud Powell, and Dizzy Gillespie.  As part of the Peabody Award-winning documentary series “Jazz Profiles,” this presentation about Mary Lou Williams was produced in 1997 by Margaret Howze – and narrated by the show host Nancy Wilson.  The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com

Jim Hall

Jazz guitarist Jim Hall’s technique has been called subtle, his sound mellow, and his compositions understated; yet his recording and playing history was anything but modest. He recorded with artists ranging from Bill Evans to Itzhak Perlman and performed alongside most of the jazz legends of the 20th century. The first of the modern jazz guitarists to receive an NEA Jazz Masters award, his prowess on the instrument puts him in the company of Charlie Christian, Wes Montgomery, and Django Reinhardt.  As part of the Peabody Award-winning documentary series “Jazz Profiles,” this presentation about Jim Hall was produced in 2000 by Reese Erlich – and narrated by the show host Nancy Wilson.  The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com