April is Jazz Appreciation Month, and WBGO is celebrating by showcasing some of the talent from local programs.
This installment features the Purchase College Songbook Ensemble, normally under the direction of pianist Pete Malinverni.
Because Malinverni was under the weather, the band was led here by one of its members, trumpeter John Hasselback III. The session opened with a Charlie Parker tune, "Cool Blues."
"The program focuses on a lot of bebop tradition," Hasselback told Bill Daughtry on Afternoon Jazz, "so we thought it was really important for us to pay homage to the great Charlie Parker with one of his compositions." The band continued with "A Sailboat in the Moonlight," a vocal feature for Samara McLendon.
MUSICIANS
Samara McLendon, vocals; John Hasselback III, trumpet; Kendrick McCallister, tenor saxophone; Joshua Simpson, drums; Clayton Thompson, bass; Kareem Matcham, piano.
Audio mix: Corey Goldberg