This Month on Riverwalk Jazz
The Jim Cullum Jazz Band Presents
7/7 Louis Armstrong: Memories and Reflections
Tune in for memorable stories about Louis Armstrong from George Avakian, Robert Merrill, Roger Glenn and Peanuts Hucko, along with Nicholas Payton and Bob Barnard performing classic tunes in honor of Armstrong’s unofficial birthday.
7/14 Riverboats, Roustabouts and Jazz: Life on the Mississippi
Music and stories of America’s great river as Vernel Bagneris brings to life the steamboat era through scenes from Mark Twain’s Life on the Mississippi.
7/21 Ev’rything I Love: The Songs of Cole Porter
Live from San Francisco’s historic Filoli Gardens, London-based vocalist Nina Ferro offers a concert featuring the works of Cole Porter, who wrote both the lyrics and music for his songs.
7/28 Jimmy McPartland: Hot Jazz and Good Times
In historic radio interviews, Jazz Age cornetist Jimmy McPartland recalls growing up on Chicago’s West Side and meeting and playing with Bix Beiderbecke.
Note: Riverwalk Jazz public radio broadcasts are recorded well in advance of their airdates. 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.
Louis Armstrong in San Antonio, 1965
Jim Cullum and Louis Armstrong 1965
by Jim Cullum, Jr.
This was 1965 and I had just graduated from Trinity University at 25. The president of the student body approached me with news that Louis was appearing at Trinity and that they were having a hard time selling tickets.
We dreamed up many promotional schemes, one of which was to take the band to the airport for the arrival, thus increasing news coverage. Also present was a group called the Red Carpet Committee. These were prominent citizens, including the mayor, who would roll out a red carpet, don red jackets, and welcome celebrities to San Antonio.
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On the Road with The Jim Cullum Jazz Band
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.
Where to Hear Live Jazz
Information on live performances by your favorite guest artists appearing on Riverwalk Jazz.
Regular Gigs:
Calendar of July Festivals, Concerts and Parties
Photo Credits
- Louis Armstrong, 1953, New York World-Telegram
- On the Mississippi sheet music from answers.com
- Cole Porter courtesy allaboutjazz.com
- Jimmy McPartland, England 1942 Photo www.bixography.com
- Jim Cullum Jr. and Louis Armstrong courtesy Jim Cullum Jr.
- Jim Cullum Jr. courtesy the artist
- Website preview courtesy Riverwalk Jazz
- What a Wonderful World book cover courtesy amazon.com
- Louis Armstrong early publicity photo believed to be in the public domain
- Jimmy McPartland courtesy Frank Driggs Collection
Welcome to the New Riverwalk Jazz Website!
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New Riverwalk Jazz Website Preview
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New Book About Louis Armstrong Looks at His Later Years
What a Wonderful World: The Magic of Louis Armstrong’s Later Years is a recent release authored by our friend Ricky Riccardi, who is also an archivist for the Louis Armstrong House and Museum in Queens, NY. Riccardi argues persuasively that, contrary to the “received wisdom” of some previous writers, Armstrong continued to perform during his later years with a high level of musicianship and vitality.
On June 10, the book received a favorable review in The Washington Post by Jonathan Yardley, which you can read in its entirety here.
The Art of Staying Hot
Critics may have dismissed Louis Armstrong in his later years, but audiences loved him—with good reason
Book Review by Tom Nolan
Reprinted from The Wall Street Journal © June 18, 2011 Dow Jones & Company. All rights reserved.
The family of jazz in the 20th century, like many another multi-generational household, seemed to spend nearly as much time splitting into factions and nursing grudges as it did celebrating its own achievements. Performers and enthusiasts alike fell out over real and imagined divisions of race, over the conflicting demands of art and show business, and over the imperatives of a musical form that seemed to change drastically every five years or so. Thus it came to pass that, in the last 20 years of his life, Louis Armstrong (1901-71)—one of the most important figures in the history of jazz and, in Ricky Riccardi’s phrase, “arguably the most recognizable entertainer on the planet”—had a hard time, in certain quarters of the jazz community, getting much respect.
Read the entire book review here >>
Jimmy McPartland—Pioneer of Chicago-Style Jazz
Jimmy McPartland
By Hal Smith
Reprinted from The Jazz Rambler. All rights reserved.
James D. McPartland was only 2l when he stepped into the OKeh studio in Dec., 1927 for a recording date with McKenzie and Condon’s Chicagoans. The results are some of the first—and best—recorded examples of classic “Chicago Style” Jazz.
Read the entire article here >>
Jazz Fest at Sea 2011
If you’re a fan of Swing, Classic Jazz, Chicago Jazz, Traditional Jazz, and The Jim Cullum Jazz Band, plan to be on board the Jazz Fest at Sea this coming October 22-29—one of the premier jazz cruises of the year. The ship, the MSC Poeisa, departs from New York to Canada/New England for 7-nights of jazz and fun. Not only will you have your choice of performances each evening of the cruise, but you are also invited to the afternoon sessions on our day at sea.
Featured artists include The Jim Cullum Jazz Band, The Warren Vaché/John Allred Quintet and The Allan Vaché Swingtet. For more information, visit the Jazz Fest at Sea website.
Just Ask
Just ask and we’ll answer your questions about The Landing, The Jim Cullum Jazz Band and Riverwalk Jazz on the radio.
Dear Riverwalk:
Is it still possible to listen to the entire Tom Nolan interview on Artie Shaw?
–Jay Lineberry
Editor Responds:
Jay, that particular interview in our May, 2010 show, The Reluctant Genius of Jazz: Artie Shaw at 100, is not available at this time, but starting this week, our newly-refurbished Riverwalk Jazz website will make available to you the current show plus the past 3 shows (see article above). The Artie Shaw broadcast with the Nolan interview will be rerun March 15, 2012.
