This program features jazz artists who started playing their primary instrument relatively late in life. ‘Relatively’ might be anything later than early childhood (considering how many were child prodigies). Others started playing early but didn’t come into full bloom (whether in their careers or their skill) until later. Then there were a couple (Pat Martino, Frank Morgan) whose careers were interrupted for various reasons, then came back with a vengeance.

Some of the names that came up were Wes Montgomery, his brother Monk, Alan Holdsworth, Tal Farlow, Wilton Felder, Kate McGarry, Jeff Goldblum, Gregory Porter, CrazyDaisyDoo, Duke Ellington, Borah Berman, Joe Manelli, Wayne Shorter, Bobby McFerrin, Freddy Cole, Jane Bunnett, Bill Withers, Richard Whiteman (bass), Abbey Lincoln, Fuat Tuac. None of them were probably real ‘late bloomers’ in the sense of starting out in their more ‘senior’ years.

I’d be interested to hear if anybody knows any jazz musicians who did start out playing later in life.

In the meantime I’ll play you some great music by some of those artists mentioned above.