Jazz on WFCR

Jazz à la Mode

Jazz à la Mode's Golden Anniversary series continues in February with these classic recordings made in 1960:
Feb. 2 The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery, featuring pianist Tommy Flanagan
Feb. 9 Hank Mobley's Soul Station, featuring pianist Wynton Kelly and drummer Art Blakey
Feb. 16 Nat Adderley's Work Song, featuring guitarist Wes Montgomery
Feb. 23 Art Pepper's Gettin' Together, featuring Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb vanessava

Jazz à la Mode airs weeknights from 8-11 p.m. Hosted by Tom Reney, Jazz à la Mode draws on the rich and varied traditions of jazz from the 1920's to the present. Whether it's a great standard by Duke Ellington or George Gershwin, a modern jazz classic by Miles Davis or Sonny Rollins, or the latest from Diana Krall or Wynton Marsalis, Jazz à la Mode has plenty to satisfy your tastes.

The program offers a steady stream of new releases over the course of the week. On Tuesdays, Tom presents a Golden Anniversary feature on a recording made 50 years ago. On Wednesdays, he plays classic recordings made by mainstream jazz artists who came to prominence during the Swing Era. The program presents birthday and memorial tributes as well as features on jazz artists who are performing in the WFCR listening area.

Jazz à la Mode playlists provide links to web pages devoted to jazz artists, concert and festival venues, and jazz-related newspaper and magazine articles. For Jazz à la Mode playlists, click here.

Also, click here for Tom Reney's "Desert Island" Jazz selections.

On Tuesday, February 16, tune in between and 8 and 11 p.m. for WFCR's annual Mardi Gras celebration on Jazz à la Mode.

Tom Reney will present 3 hours of music from New Orleans, ranging from traditional jazz and brass band music to rhythm & blues and gospel. The Mardi Gras special features a who's who of New Orleans musicians, including such living legends as Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas, Dr. John, Wynton Marsalis, and Harry Connick, Jr., and historical figures like Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, Professor Longhair, and Mahalia Jackson. The program will also offer a preview of this year's New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, which takes place between April 24 and May 2.

McCoy Tyner Live at The Mahaiwe

Pre-concert dinner and talk with Tom Reney

On Sunday, February 21 at 7pm, jazz legend McCoy Tyner performs with Gerald Cannon and Eric Kamau Gravatt at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington, MA. The Philadelphia-born pianist came to prominence with The John Coltrane Quartet and is one of the most influential pianists in jazz history. For more information, and for tickets, visit: The Mahaiwe's website.

Tom Reney, host of Jazz a la Mode, will give a pre-concert talk about McCoy Tyner's style, influence, and place in jazz history, with special emphasis on his work with The John Coltrane Quartet between 1960 and 1965, on Sunday, February 21 at 5pm at Castle Street Café. Tickets for the talk and dinner are $35. Call Castle Street Café for reservations at 413.528.5244

Jazz Safari

Dedicated to the proposition that variety is the spice of life, Jazz Safari hopes to foster a new appreciation of jazz, while still exploring other types of music. Host Kari Njiiri serves up a tasty jazz mix every Saturday evening from 8:00 to midnight. If you like what you hear, or want to tell us what you'd like to hear, let us know by sending e-mail to kari@wfcr.org now!

Hear Kari Njiiri's recent interview with internationally-renowned South African musician Hugh Masekela

To find out what's playing on Jazz Safari check WFCR's music playlists.

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