Jazz Library Folgen

Author and critic Brian Morton joins Alyn Shipton to select the essential examples of bandleader Sun Ra's work.Born Herman Blount, he was as famous for his exotic headgear and claims that his inspiration and music came from outer space, as his band The Arkestra. Yet beneath the exotic image, Ra was a highly creative musician, redefining the structure and sound of the jazz big band.

The King of Swing, and one of the finest of all jazz clarinetists, Benny Goodman recorded prolifically, and was as dazzlingly talented in a big band setting as in a small group. He encouraged multi-racial bands, with his trio, quartet and sextet, and helped bring guitarist Charlie Christian to a wider audience.Alyn Shipton is joined by John Dankworth, who shares some of his keen insights into Goodman's style, his selection of key recordings and his personal reminiscences of Benny, with whom he played for the first time in 1949.

Alyn Shipton is joined by Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko to help select the finest examples of his recorded work that should be in any jazz collection.One of the most celebrated jazz musicians in Europe, Stanko looks back on his collaborations with Krzysztof Komeda and Edward Vesala, and discusses the albums he has made under his own name, including Litania and Leosia.