PRX - Pieces for Tone: Engaging

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Caption: Miff Mole
In 1917, New York became a hub of jazz activity. At the center of that universe sits Reisenweber’s Restaurant and nightclub at the intersection of ...

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Oct 20, 2023
  • Length: 58:59
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Perry Bradford
When the aging jazz artist was hospitalized, his doctors thought they should get some background information on his life, and he told them that he ...

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Oct 10, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Count Basie
He was one of the all-time greats in early jazz. Bandleader, composer, pianist, who got his start in vaudeville. He became the first African Americ...

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Oct 06, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Duke Ellington
It seems that jazz developed an affinity for royalty in its earliest years. First the was the “King of the Zulu” and King and Queen of the Mardi Gr...

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Sep 28, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Thomas "Fats" Waller
He was the first jazz organist. In many ways, it’s his alter ego. He wanted his legacy to be tied to his serious side. But, he was also the embodim...

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Sep 21, 2023
  • Length: 58:59
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Don Redman
At first it was thought of as an interesting musical toy. Not really suited to jazz or classical music. During the earliest decades in the formatio...

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Sep 14, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Carlton Coon & Joe Sanders
1929: For the first ten months of the year, everything seemed to be riding high. It was a great year. That is until that fateful day in October, “T...

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Sep 07, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson
By the late 1920s, jazz dominated popular music. Although there was still a call for the dance bands that toyed with the edges of jazz, a little bi...

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Sep 01, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Sol Hoopii
The first installment of this theme featured music written between 1920 and ’25. So, this edition moves into the following five years for those son...

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Aug 24, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Adelaide Hall
All music has merit, but there are those that become classic. Whether it’s the composition, lyrics, solo, or the ensemble, the song stands out. Thi...

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Aug 17, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: J.C. Higginbotham
In the earliest days of jazz, the trombone was a harmony and rhythm instrument. It was background for the trumpet, clarinet or other lead instrumen...

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Aug 10, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Earl Hines
Invent your own composition on the fly, and keep it in a specific number of beats. That is a primary characteristic of jazz and the most demanding....

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Aug 03, 2023
  • Length: 58:59
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Don Redman
Musicians and composers are constantly searching for new patterns of expression. Think of the song “There’ll be Some Changes Made.” But I can’t he...

Bought by GCR (Global Community Radio) and KCBX


  • Added: Jul 27, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 2
Caption: Louis Armstrong
He was destined to become the greatest cornetist in America before 1960. Yet, he was humble and unassuming. Today, it is difficult to think of him ...

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Jul 13, 2023
  • Length: 58:59
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Frank Guarenti
By 1910 jazz is still without a name. The music, you might say, is just coming of age. Experimentation is the key. And New Orleans musicians are se...

Bought by GCR (Global Community Radio) and KCBX


  • Added: Jul 07, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 2
Caption: Syd Valentine
When Chicago became the great musical center for jazz, there were many small bands to be heard in the South Side. It became a hub of creativity. An...

Bought by GCR (Global Community Radio) and KCBX


  • Added: Jun 29, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 2
Caption: Adrian Rollini
They were inspired by the music emanating from New Orleans. First it was the riverboats that brought jazz north, but with the massive immigration o...

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Jun 21, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: The Whistleblower, Credit: The Ground Truth Project
To mark the passing of Daniel Ellsberg of the Pentagon Papers, the GroundTruth Project presents a special one hour program that traces the path o...

Bought by Prairie Public, WXAV 88.3FM Chicago, WABE, WORT, KOSU and more


  • Added: Jun 16, 2023
  • Length: 58:58
  • Purchases: 37
Caption: Sam Wooding
The introduction of jazz to European society before the 1920s is a complex story. While it was met with both enthusiasm and resistance, its influen...

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Jun 15, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Coleman Hawkins
Coleman Hawkins, Benny Carter, and Ben Webster. Each left an indelible mark on jazz, with their distinct styles and contributions to the developmen...

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Jun 07, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: The Back Room, NYC
It was one of the most infamous times in the history of New York. The city became the hub of a new emerging music: jazz, and the Big Apple was the ...

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: Jun 02, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Lovie Austin
When the New Orleans community of Storyville was shuttered in 1917, musicians began traveling north to find work. No one could have been prepared f...

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: May 26, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Paul Robeson
At the turn of the century, 1900, entertainment promoters discovered the value of staging musical reviews for introducing musical scores. In order ...

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: May 19, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Natty Dominique
The Jam Session: It’s the proving ground for a musician. That’s where you test your chops. Your creativity. For 1920s jazz performers, these sessio...

Bought by KCBX


  • Added: May 12, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 1
Piece image
How race was invented to support racism.

  • Added: May 09, 2023
  • Length: 33:44