Liner Notes

Liner Notes episodes:

• 04.11.2020

  Ellis Marsalis

  On this edition of Liner Notes, Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe remembers the legendary patriarch of New Orleans Jazz, Ellis Marsalis.

  
• 03.05.2020

  Ralph Towner

  Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe teaches us about multi-instrumentalist, bandleader, composer and arranger Ralph Towner. Born in Washington, Towner incorporated improvisation into much of his work.

  
• 02.27.2020

  Dexter Gordon

  Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe talks about jazz saxophonist Dexter Gordon.

  
• 02.25.2020

  Myra Melford

  Rabbi Neil Blumofe explores the life and work of pianist, improviser and composer Myra Melford.

  
• 02.18.2020

  Jack Sheldon

  Rabbi Neil Blumofe talks about the life of Jack Sheldon following his passing on Dec 27, 2019.

  
• 02.13.2020

  Rich Harney

  How does the sudden loss of a central figure change the local music community? How does the community deal with that loss? In this installment of Liner Notes with Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe, we learn about the life...

  
• 12.29.2019

  Joe Lovano

  What does it mean to create a legacy? How do we hold at once the future and the present as we move through the world? In this installment of Liner Notes with Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe, we learn...

  
• 12.15.2019

  Eddie Palmieri

  In this edition of Liner Notes, Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe talks about what the life and music of Palmieri can teach us about identity, the power of movement, and the necessity of community. Eddie Palmieri is an American...

  
• 11.05.2019

  Terry Gibbs

  Terry Gibbs is an American vibraphonist and bandleader who remains the oldest bebopper at the age of 95. In this edition of Liner Notes, Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe talks about what Gibbs’s long career can teach us about...

  
• 11.05.2019

  Azar Lawrence

  Azar Lawrence is an American jazz saxophonist who was hired by McCoy Tyner following the death of John Coltrane. In this edition of Liner Notes, Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe talks about what Lawrence can teach us about continuing...

  
• 11.05.2019

  Les McCann

  Les McCann is an American jazz pianist and vocalist. In this edition of Liner Notes, Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe talks about McCann’s influential life and work, and how it can inform us today.

  
• 08.26.2019

  Jazz and The Art of Movement

  Where do we consider being at home? When do we feel that we belong in a place and how quickly can we become dispossessed? In this edition of Liner Notes, Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe talks about how jazz...

  
• 08.12.2019

  Pat Metheny

  Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe talks about the life and work of jazz guitarist and composer Pat Metheny.

  
• 08.05.2019

  Art Neville

  Art Neville was an American singer, songwriter, and keyboardist whose music and presence over five decades defined the New Orleans music scene. In this edition of Liner Notes Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe talks about the life and legacy...

  
• 06.17.2019

  Mental Health

  Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe talks about jazz and the art of mental health.

  
• 05.31.2019

  Conspiracy

  Rethink conspiracy through the appreciation of art, hard work, and beautiful music with Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe.

  
• 05.26.2019

  Summertime

  There is something unique about the vibe and feel of summer. In this edition of Liner Notes Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe talks about how jazz can help us open up and connect as we move through this season.

  
• 04.26.2019

  Gene Ammons

  Eugene “Jug” Ammons AKA “The Boss” was a tenor saxophonist known for his bold, R&B-soul sound. His vast discography as a bandleader and occasional sideman stretch from the 1950s to the 1970s. In this episode of Liner Notes, Rabbi Neil...

  
• 04.26.2019

  King Pleasure

  Clarence “King Pleasure” Beeks was a fronting vocalist and early innovator of the “vocalese” style, whose discography spanned two decades in the mid twentieth century. In this edition of Liner Notes, jazz historian and Rabbi Neil Blumofe discusses the career...

  
• 04.26.2019

  George Benson

  Guitarist George Benson recorded his first album at the age of 21 and continues to be a tremendous influence in the guitar world. In this edition of Liner Notes, jazz historian and Rabbi Neil Blumofe discusses the ongoing life and career...

  
• 04.26.2019

  Mal Waldron

  Arranger, composer and pianist Malcolm “Mal” Waldron played in a number of big bands and fronted his own before a drug overdose left him unable to play or remember music. As he regained his technique through listening to his own...

  
• 03.05.2019

  Pat Martino

  Through his innovative post-bop, fusion and soul jazz, guitarist Pat Martino overcame a memory crisis and focused on the present to rediscover his technique. In this edition of Liner Notes, jazz historian and Rabbi Neil Blumofe recollects Pat Martino, his...

  
• 01.29.2019

  Bobby Hutcherson

  This past week commemorated the 77th anniversary of Bobby Hutcherson‘s birthday, the “world’s best vibist” who passed away in 2016. In this edition of Liner Notes, Rabbi and jazz Historian Neil Blumofe guides us through the life, contributions and influence of...

  
• 01.23.2019

  Wynton Kelly

  Wynton Kelly was a piano prodigy who accompanied legendary performers across hundreds of songs but failed to make it big as a bandleader. In this edition of Liner Notes, Rabbi and jazz Historian Neil Blumofe walks us through Kelly’s upbringing,...

  
• 01.23.2019

  Melba Liston

  Melba Liston was a master arranger and a trombonist with an incredible but often overlooked talent. On this episode of Liner Notes, Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe discusses life and legacy. Music: Melba Liston – “Insomnia” [1959] Dizzy Gillespie...

  
• 01.07.2019

  The History Of Blue Note

  Celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2019, Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe walks us through the origins of Blue Note Records and how genres like bebop helped to understand the turbulence of the times. Music: Horace Silver – “Silver’s Serenade”Sidney Bechet – “Early In...

  
• 01.03.2019

  The New Year & Responsibility

  Reflecting on 2018 and welcoming 2019, Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe connects jazz and reinvention, then recites “New Year’s Recipe” by Carlos Drummond de Andrade. Music: Art Tatum – “Prisoner of Love”

  
• 07.14.2018

  Leonard Bernstein and What Is Jazz?

  “Jazz is the ultimate common denominator of the American musical style.” –Leonard Bernstein In the 1950s Leonard Bernstein made a series of educational recordings on jazz with the goal of bringing jazz to a generation of listeners who were entering...

  
• 07.06.2018

  Henry Butler (7.8.18)

  Henry Butler was a jazz pianist and singer who embodied the New Orleans musical tradition in his style. Butler passed July 2, 2018, and in this edition of Liner Notes Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe pays tribute to this...

  
• 06.24.2018

  Summertime (6.23.18)

  “Summertime” is an aria composed in 1934 by George Gershwin for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess. In this edition of Liner Notes, Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe talks about what unique lessons we can learn listening to “Summertime”...

  
• 02.27.2018

  Austin (2.25.18)

  In this edition of Liner Notes Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe talks about the significance of jazz in the “Live Music Capital of The World.”

  
• 02.11.2018

  Jazz and The Art of Love

  In this edition of Liner Notes Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe talks about love and its discontents.

  
• 05.28.2017

  T-Bone Walker (5.28.17)

  T-Bone Walker was an American Blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who’s sound and technique influenced generations of blues artists and helped create the foundation for what would become rock and roll. In this installment of Liner Notes Rabbi and...

  
• 05.18.2017

  Sidney Bechet

  Sidney Bechet was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. He was one of the first important soloists in jazz and was perhaps the first notable jazz saxophonist. In this edition of Liner Notes, Rabbi and jazz historian, Neil Blumofe,...

  
• 05.18.2017

  Larry Coryell

  Larry Coryell was an American jazz guitarist known as the “Godfather of Fusion”. In this edition of Liner Notes, Rabbi and jazz historian, Neil Blumofe, uses the complex fusion of Larry Coryell’s music to reflect on our own sense of...

  
• 05.18.2017

  Jason Marsalis

  Jason Marsalis is an American jazz drummer and member of the Marsalis family of musicians. He worked as a sideman in mainstream jazz, funk, and jazz fusion groups, as well as with esteemed pianist, Marcus Roberts. In this edition of...

  
• 05.18.2017

  James Moody

  James Moody was an American jazz saxophone and flute player, playing predominantly in the bebop and hard bop styles. In this edition of Liner Notes, Rabbi and jazz historian, Neil Blumofe, talks about how the versatility of James Moody can...

  
• 05.18.2017

  Herbie Mann

  Herbie Mann was an American jazz player, most noted for being among the first jazz musicians to specialize on the flute as an important early practitioner of world music. In this edition of Liner Notes, Rabbi and jazz historian, Neil...

  
• 05.18.2017

  Booker Little, Jr.

  Booker Little, Jr., was an American Jazz trumpeter and composer, performing with John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy until his early death at the age of 23. In this edition of Liner Notes, Rabbi and jazz historian, Neil Blumofe, uses the...

  
• 05.17.2017

  Ornette Coleman

  Ornette Coleman was an American jazz saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter, and composer, and was one of the major innovators of the free jazz movement of the 1960s, a term he invented with the name of his 1961 album. In this edition...

  
• 01.16.2017

  Allen Toussaint (1.15.17)

  Allen Toussaint was an American musician, songwriter and record producer who’s legacy largely defined our imagined connection to the story of New Orleans. In this edition of Liner Notes Rabbi and jazz historian, Neil Blumofe talks about what the music...

  
• 12.05.2016

  Cassandra Wilson (12.4.16)

  Cassandra Wilson is an American jazz vocalist, composer and songwriter who remains one of the most prominent American voices on the jazz scene. In this edition of Liner Notes Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe talks about what we can...

  
• 10.16.2016

  Roy Hargrove (10.16.16)

  Roy Hargrove is an American jazz trumpeter who made a name for himself in the early 90s with his first solo record Diamond in The Rough and went on to record with jazz greats like Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson, Stanley...

  
• 09.27.2016

  Jazz & the Art of the Other [Part One]

  Sigmund Freud wrote: “every normal person, in fact, is only normal on the average. One’s ego approximates to that of the psychotic in some part or other and to a greater or lesser extent.” How are we complicit in dehumanizing...

  
• 09.27.2016

  Jazz & the Art of the Other [Part Two]

  Sigmund Freud wrote: “every normal person, in fact, is only normal on the average. One’s ego approximates to that of the psychotic in some part or other and to a greater or lesser extent.” How are we complicit in dehumanizing...

  
• 09.26.2016

  Sam Rivers (9.25.16)

  Samuel Carthorne Rivers was an America jazz musician and composer who’s approach to jazz in the 50s and 60s added to the depth of voices coming out of the free jazz movement. Specifically River’s was known for his “inside-outside” style...

  
• 09.17.2016

  Jazz and the Art of the Other (9.18.16)

  Sigmund Freud wrote: “every normal person, in fact, is only normal on the average. One’s ego approximates to that of the psychotic in some part or other and to a greater or lesser extent.” How are we complicit in dehumanizing...

  
• 08.30.2016

  Branford Marsalis (8.28.16)

  Branford Marsalis is an American jazz instrumentalist and composer whose work expands spaces and understandings of the role of jazz in almost every musical genre. In this edition of Liner Notes Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe talks about what...

  
• 08.05.2016

  Rahsaan Roland Kirk (8.7.16)

  Rahsaan Roland Kirk was an American jazz tenor saxophone player who was known for his ability to play multiple instruments at once. He was an outspoken activist and was known also for his sense of humor on stage. In this...

  
• 08.05.2016

  Hank Jones (7.31.16)

  Hank Jones was a American jazz piano player who’s long career spanned over half a century. He played with everyone from Frank Sinatra to Marilyn Monroe and gained a reputation as an adaptive and supportive musician. In this edition of...