WBGO Blog

  • Slices of Toast: The Bad Plus New Year's on JazzSet

    December 23, 2010. Posted by Alex Rodriguez.

    Add new comment | Filed under: concerts, JazzSet, live at the village vanguard, npr music, The Bad Plus, toast of the nation

    toast_of_the_nation_logo

    The latest edition of JazzSet, produced by WBGO Senior Producer Becca Pulliam, features music from last year's Toast of the Nation extravaganza (which happened to be my first gig with the station, as an assistant producer.) Follow the link for the full hour of music and Becca's rundown of the evening.

    The Bad Plus - 6.30.09
    The Bad Plus at the 2009 Montreal Jazz Festival

    © 2010 WBGO

  • WBGO's Love For Moody Week

    December 23, 2010. Posted by Alex Rodriguez.

    Add new comment | Filed under: Becca Pulliam, Brandy Wood, Eulus Cathey, james moody, JazzSet, josh jackson, Masters, Piano Jazz, Simon Rentner, The Checkout, Video

    WBGO Executive Director Cephas Bowles (left) showing some love for James Moody

    WBGO dedicates this week of programming to the memory of Newark native and jazz luminary James Moody, who passed away Thursday, December 9 at the age of 85.

    UPDATE: The final segment of our James Moody tribute airs tonight at 8 p.m., 88.3 on your fm dial. Or, have a listen to it here:

    As Becca and Brandy have mentioned previously, this week will feature some of our favorite Moody memories as we close out the 2010 broadcasting year (and look forward to Toast of the Nation.)

    Tonight at 6:00 p.m., we will air a special edition of JazzSet, recorded for Moody's 80th birthday at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC in 2005. It features some other heavy hitters, too, including Slide Hampton, Paquito D'Rivera, Roy Hargrove and Mulgrew Miller. The show will re-air on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

    Tomorrow at noon (right after the news) we will follow up with Piano Jazz, featuring an interview with Moody and the show's always-lovely host, Marian McPartland.

    On Thursday, we close out our special coverage with a compilation of Moody interviews from our extensive archives, edited by Simon Rentner. The hour-long feature begins at 8:00 p.m.

    Follow the links below for more WBGO coverage celebrating the life and music of James Moody:

    Doug Doyle remembers Moody for the WBGO Journal

    Becca Pulliam pulls some Moody music from the WBGO archives

    Eulus Cathey interviews Moody in 2009:

    Josh Jackson pays homage to Moody on The Checkout

    Finally, a video produced by Josh Jackson and Dan Karcher:

    WBGO has been truly blessed by Moody's presence for many years -- we're sad to see him go, yet so fortunate to be able to honor his legacy. Join us this week as we celebrate the life of one of one of New Jersey's greatest contributions to jazz history. Please, feel free to share your favorite Moody memories in the comment section below.

    © 2010 WBGO

  • Dee Dee on Leno

    July 26, 2010. Posted by Becca Pulliam.

    Add new comment | Filed under: Jazz Alive, JazzSet

    Photo by Mark Higoshino

    Word from out west sez that this Wednesday, 7/28, JazzSet host Dee Dee Bridgewater will sit in for the entire hour with the Rickey Minor Big Band (the house band) on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. I'll bet she sings music from her current CD of songs from the Billie Holiday book, Dee Dee style. The lucky people in the live audience will get more than the TV audience.

    Sounds like fun!

    © 2010 WBGO