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There were so many important figures in post WWII Rhythm & Blues that helped build what would become Rock n' Roll. Today's popular culture has left so many musical pioneers behind and this week features Joe Liggins, one such pioneer who's been largely forgotten. Liggins scored one of the biggest hits of all-time when his "The Honeydripper" hit #1 on the R&B Chart for 18 staggering weeks in 1945. Singer/songwriter and music historian, Billy Vera drops by to tell us how "The Honeydripper" became such an enormous hit. Liggins scored 10 solid hits for Leon Rene's Exclusive Records before moving to Art Rupe's Specialty Records in 1950. At Specialty, Liggins had the biggest R&B hit of 1950 when "Pink Champagne" went to #1 for 13 weeks and ended up selling more copies than "The Honeydripper." It looked like Joe Liggins' career couldn't be stopped, but soon Rock n' Roll, the music he helped create, pushed him and his contemporaries aside to make way for the youth movement. Last week, we spotlighted Joe’s younger brother Jimmy and this week, we're proud to honor one of the great musical pioneers of the last century by playing every chart hit from the fantastic Joe Liggins. -
Ahead of the Winter Jazzfest concert, we explore the revolutionary legacy of Strata-East Records. Founded in the 1970s, this label empowered musicians with artistic control and fair profit sharing. Discover its impact, discography, and enduring influence.
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Emmet Cohen (ENCORE). Pianist Emmet Cohen breathes new life into the Jazz Age tradition of the rent party with his series, Emmet’s Place. Relive a swinging performance by the Emmet Cohen Trio, joined by veteran saxophonist Houston Person. -
Islandic musician Steini Teague has spent most of his musical life touring with folk and rock bands, including an appearance on The Tonight Show with Of Monsters and Men. Now he’s turned his sights on jazz with his duo CDs with Icelandic vocalist Silva—with a last name I won’t even attempt to pronounce. I talked with Steini about their CD, More Than You Know a dreamy, romantic take on some of their favorite standards. -
Jimmy Liggins didn't have the chart success or popularity of his older brother Joe Liggins, but he did have a killer band, a raw sound and quite possibly the "first rock n' roll record." Both brothers traveled to California from their native Oklahoma in order to make it in the music business. Jimmy started out as a professional boxer before hanging up the gloves in order to drive his older brother around after the success of Joe's "The Honeydripper" in 1945. By the end of '46, Jimmy told Joe that he was cuttin' out on his own to form his own band and make his own records. He hit the charts with his 2nd single "Teardrop Blues" in 1948. Its flipside was "Cadillac Boogie," which was Ike Turner and Jackie Brenston's inspiration for "Rocket 88." Jimmy Liggins only scored four R&B chart hits during his career, but he cut a trove of groovy plattahs worth hearing. He is definitely one of R&B's unsung heroes. Be sure to tune in to get Jimmy Liggins' story and all the great music that comes with it. -
Mary Stallings (ENCORE). We celebrate Mary Stallings, a stalwart of vocal jazz, who has shared the stage with many legends -- Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, to name a few. Still swinging at 84 years old, she shows no signs of stopping. She joins the Emmet Cohen trio for a special night of singing from Dizzy’s Club in New York City. -
Archival record producer, Zev Feldman has been called the ”Indiana Jones of Jazz” referring to his tireless pursuit to find previously unissued, or never officially released, recordings to share with the rest of us. His passion for these musical gems is matched only by his excitement in presenting it with beautiful packaging and extensive, informative liner notes which brings us further into the music. Treasures is Zev Feldman’s latest CD, a collection of previously unreleased Bill Evans solo, trio and orchestra recordings made in Denmark from 1965 to 1969. Interviews with Bill’s sidemen give insight into the music, what it was like to play with Bill and the time when each was recorded.