This Month on Riverwalk Jazz
The Jim Cullum Jazz Band Presents
10/6 Wild Man Blues: The Eccentric Genius of Jelly Roll Morton
Vernel Bagneris portrays the dapper “suit-man from suit-land” on his journey to becoming the “inventor of jazz, blues and stomps” as Jim Cullum and the Band play Morton tunes.
10/13 Swinging on a Riff: The Legacy of the Benny Goodman Sextet
We salute the “King of Swing’s” pioneering combo which featured early electric guitarist Charlie Christian. Reedmen Ron Hockett, Allan Vaché and Harry Allen explore their riff-based tunes “Seven Come Eleven,” “Wholly Cats” and “Slipped Disc.”
10/20 Diga Diga Do: Jazz Standards of Jimmy McHugh
Songwriter McHugh has been called a “one-man history of twentieth century popular music.” He’s best known for his work with lyricist Dorothy Fields. Our show features classics like “Diga Diga Do,” “Doin’ the New Lowdown” and “On the Sunny Side of the Street.”
10/27 Traveling with The Duke: Scenes from a Legendary Life
We hear Duke Ellington’s music as interpreted by a host of musical guests including Dick Hyman, Clark Terry, and Bucky and John Pizzarelli. Broadway actor Vernel Bagneris recounts vivid scenes from Ellington’s life.
Note: Riverwalk Jazz public radio broadcasts are recorded well in advance of air dates.
You can find the JCJB concert calendar here.
Jelly Roll Morton: The Complete Library of Congress Recordings by Alan Lomax (2005)
By Ken Dreyden
Reprinted with permission. Copyright © 2011 AllAboutJazz.com and Ken Dryden.
Near the end of his life, Jelly Roll Morton was bitter and in financial straits, feeling overlooked for his contributions as a jazz trailblazer while others got the credit. In 1938, folklorist Alan Lomax began documenting Morton’s career and music by conducting private sessions with the pianist in a concert hall, transcribing his comments and performances onto two primitive battery-operated portable disc cutters, which had problems keeping a consistent speed.
Read the entire article 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.
Where to Hear Live Jazz
Information on live performances by your favorite guest artists appearing on Riverwalk Jazz.
Regular Gigs
Calendar of October Festivals, Concerts and Parties
Photo Credits
- Jelly Roll Morton, courtesy Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University.
- Charlie Christian reproduced from Solo Flight: The Charlie Christian Website with the permission of Leo Valdes.
- Jimmy McHugh courtesy www.jimmymchughmusic.com
- Duke Ellington courtesy finishmysong.com
- Jelly Roll Morton album cover courtesy allaboutjazz.com
- Jim Cullum courtesy Riverwalk Jazz
- Andy Schumm courtesy the artist
- Frank Driggs courtesy LifeInLegacy.com
Jim Cullum Jazz Band—Back at The Landing 5 Nights a Week
Andy Schumm
Beginning the first week of October, Jim and the Band return to their five-night-a-week schedule at The Landing through a gala New Year’s Eve party to cap off the year. As Jim says, “This is the longest-running Hot Jazz gig in the US.” Be sure to drop by The Landing on Oct. 6 & 7, when Chicago multi-instrumentalist Andy Schumm is the guest cornetist with the band.
Jim Cullum says, “The band personnel now include four original members—Cullum, Mike Pittsley, Sheridan and Howard Elkins—plus three new musicians—Arntzen, Attridge and Benji Bohannon on drums. This begins a new phase for the band, with much new energy and excitement.”
Frank Driggs, Jazz Historian, Dies
Frank Driggs
Record producer, historian and archivist Frank Driggs died of natural causes in Manhattan on Tuesday, Sept. 20 at the age of 81.
Driggs amassed a collection estimated at between 78,000 and 100,000 jazz photos over the years. His archives supplied illustrations for dozens of major label jazz and blues reissues and TV shows like Ken Burns’ Jazz.
In the 1950s as a producer for Columbia Records, Driggs oversaw the organizing and reissuing of historically important recordings by Billie Holiday, Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington and Gene Krupa. In 1991, he won a Grammy for Robert Johnson, The Complete Recordings, the recorded work of the seminal blues singer and guitarist. He began documenting the history of jazz at the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University.
View a few Driggs Collection photos used in Riverwalk Jazz web pages.
Read about Frank Driggs and see more of his photos at Smithsonian.com.
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:
Thank you so much for that great radio show, with the superb music by the Jim Cullum Jazz Band. How about some programs devoted to Bix’s music? Also, I would love to hear masterful Mr Cullum’s cornet in a duo setting with just piano accompaniment some day. Greetings from Madrid. —Jay Bee Rodriguez
Riverwalk Jazz Executive Producer Margaret Moos Pick Responds:
Hello Madrid! We have shows in process on the music of Bix Beiderbecke. Keep listening for Bix coming soon. It’s rare we get Jim to record without the full 7-piece band, but over the years he has done some special duets with John Sheridan on piano. And I recall one spectacular duo Jim did with guitarist Paul Mehling on “Bill Coleman Blues.”
