Below you'll find the current show description, plus descriptions for the first 13 parts of this 26-part NPR Jazz series, with brief audio comments from host Wynton Marsalis for each show.
Jazz insists on the unique expression of individual character in a way no other music does.
One of the most enjoyable and expressive treasures of American culture is the music of Thelonious Monk. And, through visits and performances with guests Milt Jackson, Charles McPherson, Tommy Flanagan, and Roy Haynes share their approaches to solos. Some of the greatest recorded solos in the history of the music are considered, featuring the work of such giants as John Coltrane, Sidney Bechet, Charlie Parker, and Thelonious Monk. Wynton Marsalis asks an assemblage of younger musicians to dissect favorite solos by their musical mentors. Percussionists Elvin Jones, Louie Bellson, Kenny Washington, Roy Haynes, and Paul Motian give a fuller understanding of the paramount role of the drums in jazz music through the music of Art Blakey, Philly Joe Jones and more.