Hadda Brooks
This week we're jumpin' with one of the most underrated boogie woogie piano ladies of all-time, Hadda Brooks. She was one of the most talented boogie woogie musicians of all-time, yet her name doesn't come up nearly as often as Pete Johnson, Champion Jack Dupree or Professor Longhair. That's a shame! This week, the record is set straight with a heavy dose of the Queen Of The Boogie.

Big Maybelle
A highlight on the often-ignored early career of Big Maybelle, one of the great female blues shouters. Mabel Smith made her first solo recordings for King in 1947 before being signed to Okeh Records by Fred Mendelsohn in 1952. He renamed her Big Maybelle and she hit the R&B charts right out of the gate with her first Okeh release, "Gabbin' Blues." Matt The Cat reviews the vocal power and soul of this truly original blues woman, Big Maybelle.

Big Unsung Ladies of R&B
A salute to the Unsung Ladies of R&B digging deep into a stack of shellac from some women you know, like Varetta Dillard, Ann Cole and The Cookies, as well as from some that you may not know, such as Gwen Johnson and Bonita Cole. Matt The Cat will also feature an audition tape by the seldom heard Olive Brown, which was never issued at the time. Pick up on what these ladies were putting down.

LaVern Baker, Part 1 (1949-54)
A look at how one of R&B's greatest voices, LaVern Baker, got her start. It's part one of a two-part feature on the early career of LaVern Baker. She began her recording career with Eddie "Sugarman" Penigar Orchestra in 1949, then recorded a few sides as Little Miss Sharecropper on National Records. None of her early records made the national charts, but you can hear LaVern Baker evolve as an artist as the music moved closer and closer from Rhythm & Blues to Rock n' Roll.

More Works by Composer Lil Hardin Armstrong
(originally aired 7/3/16)

"O's" Are Good for You
(originally aired 10/22/17)

A Gift from The Top Drawer: Louis, Ella and The Gershwin’s
(originally aired 12/23/18)

Passing the Torch (Clarinet, That Is)
(originally aired 7/8/18)

Samara Joy
Vocalist Samara Joy burst onto the scene in 2019 when she won the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition and in November 2022, she was nominated for two Grammy awards for best new artist and best jazz vocal album for her CD, Linger Awhile. The very busy twenty-two-year-old discusses her influences, inspirations, and millions of Tick Tok followers.

Maria Schneider
Composer Maria Schneider is one of a handful of musicians to receive Grammys in multiple genres, both in the classical and jazz category and for her collaboration with David Bowie. Her latest double CD, Data Lords examines our relationship with the digital and natural worlds with evocative compositions and an accompanying treatise on the subject.

Monika Herzig
Pianist, composer, educator, Monika Herzig left her native Germany when she was awarded a scholarship for a one-year exchange program at the University of Alabama. That one year turned into thirty-four, as she continued her studies at Indiana University and received her Doctorate in Music Education with a minor in Jazz Studies. She is especially supportive of women jazz musicians and with her group, Sheroes, has recorded multiple CDs and toured around the world.

Marian McPartland
In this episode, Irish jazz singer Melanie O'Reilly met with pianist and former NPR Piano Jazz host Marian McPartland in 2007 when Marian was 89 years old. A personal and intimate interview, Marian shared her life stories and musical inspirations with Melanie while taking a break from her performance at Yoshi's in Oakland CA. First broadcast on RTE Radio 1, (Ireland's public service broadcaster) and one of the last interviews Marian gave, it is a music-filled tribute to the late great jazz pioneer.I

Rhoda Scott [Encore]
We shine a light on an American organist who moved to France on a whim and became one of the most beloved jazz figures in Europe. It's the inspiring story of Rhoda Scott.

Wayne Shorter
Wayne Shorter died on March 2nd at the age of 89. This week on Jazz Night in America, we take a moment to commemorate the jazz legend and his eternal body of work – with music and unaired interviews, including a 2020 conversation with host Christian McBride.

Terri Lyne Carrington [Updated Episode]
In over 40 years behind the drum kit, Terri Lyne Carrington has built a reputation as one of the most dynamic musicians in jazz. For Women in Jazz Month, we revisit our 2021 episode on Carrington's wide-ranging career and her ongoing mission to correct jazz history.

Sheila Jordan NEW!
We celebrate singer Sheila Jordan's remarkable life in music. Host Christian McBride sits down with the 94-year-old legend to talk about her seventy-plus year career, her friend and mentor Charlie Parker, and her affinity for bass and voice duos.

Tammy Hall
Tammy's journey at the piano began at the tender age of 4 in Dallas, Texas and throughout her childhood, her talent was obvious and encouraged by her family - it was evident that music had chosen Tammy to walk in it's path. Tammy drops by the Doodlin' Lounge for a chat with Pete.

Barney Wilen
This episode of Just Jazz shines the spotlight on Franco-American saxophonist Barney Wilen. He first came to attention internationally via his work with Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, and Art Blakey.

Tune in to hear him in a sideman role with each of those three, and others, and also as a leader in his own right, playing soprano and baritone saxophones as well as his more usual tenor.

Oscar-winning songs
With the 95th Academy Awards ("The Oscars") scheduled for the day following broadcast, this episode of Just Jazz shines the spotlight on previous winners of the "Best Original Song" award.

Tune in to hear a dozen jazz performances of ten Oscar-winning songs from the years 1936-65.

Joe Locke
This week's episode of Just Jazz shines the spotlight on Joe Locke, one of the most active and most recorded vibists on the scene today.

Tune in to hear a selection from Joe's scores of recordings done over three decades.