This Month on Riverwalk Jazz
The Jim Cullum Jazz Band Presents
12/1 A Night at Nick’s: Hot Jazz in the Big Apple
Longtime fans revisit Nick’s Steak House in Greenwich Village, where for almost three decades veteran jazzmen like Bobby Hackett, Eddie Condon, Muggsy Spanier and Pee Wee Russell played and crowds gathered to hear hot jazz.
12/8 Feelin’ the Spirit: The Luis Russell Story
Luis Russell led one of the first swing bands in the early 1930s in New York. Celebrating his legacy are piano master Dick Hyman and Russell’s daughter, vocalist Catherine Russell.
12/15 Show Boat: Original Jazz Transcription
In an encore presentation recorded in 1995, The Band offers a jazz interpretation of Jerome Kern’s majestic score from the ground-breaking 1927 Broadway show. Theater legend William Warfield reads excerpts from the original novel by Edna Ferber.
12/22 Silver Shoes & Green Spectacles: A Jazz Interpretation of The Wizard of Oz
Actor Vernel Bagneris returns to the Emerald City with a script from L. Frank Baum’s 1900 children’s novel. The musical arrangements by John Sheridan are based on Harold Arlen’s 1939 movie score.
12/29 Last Call Late Night Jam: Live From the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee
End the year on a high note with this sizzling hot late-night jam session, captured at what Jim Cullum calls “shank of the night.” Musical guests are trumpeter Jon-Erik Kellso, drummer Hal Smith and the great Florida trombonist Bill Allred.
Note: Riverwalk Jazz public radio broadcasts are recorded well in advance of air dates. The above listings do not reflect live appearances by the Jim Cullum Jazz Band at The Landing and elsewhere.
You can find the JCJB concert calendar here.
Stay in Touch with Jim Cullum
Connect with Jim and fans like you on Facebook and Twitter. To find out when The Jim Cullum Jazz Band is coming to your town in 2011, and for a schedule of live performances at The Landing in San Antonio, TX, view our event calendar. To reserve a table at The Landing (for large parties and weekends), send email: reservations@landing.com or call 210-223-7266 after 6:00 PM Central Time.
New Year’s Eve With The Jim Cullum Jazz Band
Ring in the New Year with Jim and the Band at the Boardwalk Bistro in San Antonio. The evening is open to the public. Reservations are not required, however they are recommended. The Boardwalk Bistro is located at 4011 Broadway, San Antonio, TX 78209. To reserve your table, call 210-824-0100 or visit their website here for more information, menus and a map.
Where to Hear Live Jazz
Information on live performances by your favorite guest artists appearing on Riverwalk Jazz.
Regular Gigs
Calendar of December Festivals, Concerts and Parties
Photo Credits
- Nick’s in Greenwich Village exterior courtesy Jim Cullum
- Luis Russell and daughter Catherine courtesy Catherine Russell
- William Warfield in 1951 MGM motion picture, Show Boat
- Still photo from 1939 motion picture, The Wizard of Oz
- Bill Allred courtesy the artist
- Inside Nick’s Photo courtesy Hank O’Neal
- Jerome Kern, from Jerome Kern, His Life and Music.
- Harold Arlen early publicity photo courtesy last.fm
- Landing sign on the Riverwalk in San Antonio courtesy Don Mopsick
Stories From Nick’s
A postcard from Nick's Greenwich Village.
Dick Hyman says: “Nick’s in the ’30s was a good-time place, a place where you went for steaks and to listen to Dixieland music, and also if you were in the know, as I was trying very hard to be, to hear some of the very best players in New York City.
Jerome Kern and Jazz
Jerome Kern, from "Jerome Kern, His Life and Music."
Music composed by Jerome Kern has been popular with jazz artists for so long it’s hard to imagine how horrified Kern was by the liberties jazz interpreters took with his finely-crafted melodies.
In 1924 Kern issued a statement calling jazz interpretations of his songs “fraudulent imitations.” And he demanded that there should be a law to protect musical works. He wrote, “The composer should be able to protect his score just as an author does his manuscript.”
Tributes to Harold Arlen
Harold Arlen early publicity photo
by Samuel Arlen, courtesy of the Official Harold Arlen Website
If you look at all of the songs that Harold Arlen has composed, it is obvious to see how prolific a songwriter he was. But if you listen to his songs—and this is the key—you will know the type of person that he was….
Just Ask
Just ask and we’ll answer your questions about The Jim Cullum Jazz Band and Riverwalk Jazz on the radio.
Dear Riverwalk:
With the demise of Windows Vista Ultimate I got no audio from you folks. You are back as I checked your audio in my “Spam.” Love all your stuff. Glad you are back. —Richard Thornton
Editor Responds:
Richard, I’m glad that you found our email messages, albeit in your spam folder. It’s always a good idea to check that folder for messages that somehow get caught unintentionally by filters put in place for your protection by your computer’s operating system or your service provider. Please keep in mind that you can always stream our audio from our website, 24/7 and independently from any email message from us. Every Thursday around mid-day, check http://www.riverwalkjazz.org for the current week’s show episode.
Dear Riverwalk:
Good to hear from you. When can I tune in to Riverwalk Jazz in my area, Denver, CO zip code 80126. Time and station please. Frank
Frank, our radio series is heard in the Denver area on public radio station KUVO-FM 89.3 Mondays at 9:00 PM. We have a handy list of stations and air times on our website here: http://www.riverwalkjazz.org/stations/
