(Originally broadcast June 19, 2001)
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Cornetist Jim Cullum Jr. grew up in San Antonio, Texas. His father, Jim Cullum Sr. was a professional jazz clarinetist who had played with Jimmy Dorsey and Jack Teagarden, among others. Cullum Sr. passed on his love of traditional jazz to his son; the younger Cullum absorbed his father's record collection and was particularly fond of cornet players like Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke and Jimmy McPartland. He bought his first cornet at age 14, along with an instruction book from a local music shop, and he quickly began learning how to play his favorite tunes.
Whle studying at Trinity University of San Antonio, Cullum started the Happy Jazz Band with his father and five other musicians from Cullum Sr.'s generation. The band's primary gig was playing a brand new venue built on the San Antonio Riverwalk called The Landing. Upon Cullum Sr.'s death in 1973 the band morphed into The Jim Cullum Jazz Band and has continued playing in the traditional style from a home base along the San Antonio River.
Cullum has become a recognized authority on the traditional or classic style of jazz playing. The band uses traditional acoustic instruments and often features instruments heard less often in modern jazz performances, such as banjos or clarinets. In addition, the band specializes in "collective improvisation" in contrast to the more modern style in which individual soloists take turns between returns to the melody.
When they are not visiting universities and jazz festivals, The Jim Cullum Jazz Band plays six nights a week at The Landing, which is in its 45th year of operation. The popularity of the group and the music they play has also led to a successful public radio program, Riverwalk Jazz. Storyteller David Holt hosts the program and provides narrative context to the music played by Cullum's band and guest musicians.
Set List for Jim Cullum on Piano Jazz:Jazz Me Blues (T. Delaney)
Sugar (S. Mitchell, E. Pinkard, Mpinkard)
Nobody's Sweetheart (E. Erdman, G. Kahn, B. Meyers, E. Schoebel)
Melancholy Mood (McPartland)
Improvisation on "Riverwalk" Theme (McPartland)
Davenport Blues (Bix Beiderbecke)
China Boy (P. Boutelje, R.A. Winfree)
Embraceable You (G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin)
There'll Be Some Changes Made (W. Blackstone, B. Overstreet)
Whle studying at Trinity University of San Antonio, Cullum started the Happy Jazz Band with his father and five other musicians from Cullum Sr.'s generation. The band's primary gig was playing a brand new venue built on the San Antonio Riverwalk called The Landing. Upon Cullum Sr.'s death in 1973 the band morphed into The Jim Cullum Jazz Band and has continued playing in the traditional style from a home base along the San Antonio River.
Cullum has become a recognized authority on the traditional or classic style of jazz playing. The band uses traditional acoustic instruments and often features instruments heard less often in modern jazz performances, such as banjos or clarinets. In addition, the band specializes in "collective improvisation" in contrast to the more modern style in which individual soloists take turns between returns to the melody.
When they are not visiting universities and jazz festivals, The Jim Cullum Jazz Band plays six nights a week at The Landing, which is in its 45th year of operation. The popularity of the group and the music they play has also led to a successful public radio program, Riverwalk Jazz. Storyteller David Holt hosts the program and provides narrative context to the music played by Cullum's band and guest musicians.
Set List for Jim Cullum on Piano Jazz: