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Alex Ariff

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Courtesy of Alex Ariff
Alex Ariff.
Courtesy of Alex Ariff

Alex Ariff

Producer of Jazz Night In America, WBGO

Story Archive

Shemekia Copeland, Modern Guardian Of The Blues

Shemekia Copeland performs at the Exit Zero Jazz Festival in Cape May, NJ. Mitra I. Arthur/NPR hide caption

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Mitra I. Arthur/NPR

Jazz Night In America: Video Episodes And Shorts

Shemekia Copeland, Modern Guardian Of The Blues

Watch Shemekia Copeland play the 2021 Exit Zero Jazz Festival and, on our radio episode, get inside her eclectic sound and topical lyrics, connecting her to blues icons from Ruth Brown to Ma Rainey.

Shemekia Copeland, Modern Guardian Of The Blues

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1016580155/1019307913" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Bassist Endea Owens Cooks Up Jazz For The Community

Saxophonist Camille Thurman and bassist Endea Owens play at a Community Cookout in Jamaica, Queens on Sunday May 9, 2021 Anthony Artis /Artist hide caption

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Anthony Artis /Artist

Jazz Night In America: The Radio Program

Bassist Endea Owens Cooks Up Jazz For The Community

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

We hear the young bassist Endea Owens with Wynton Marsalis, Jon Batiste and trace her Detroit roots to learn how she's giving back to her community with free meals and free concerts on the street.

Bassist Endea Owens Cooks Up Jazz For The Community

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A 'Jazz Night' Family Affair: Father And Son Saxophonists Mike And Julian Lee

Saxophonists Mike and Julian Lee Christopher Drukker/Artist hide caption

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Christopher Drukker/Artist

Jazz Night In America: The Radio Program

A 'Jazz Night' Family Affair: Father And Son Saxophonists Mike And Julian Lee

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

Jazz Night explores the heartwarming relationship between saxophonists Mike Lee and his son Julian, through music from both and the backstory that led to Julian's early love of jazz.

A 'Jazz Night' Family Affair: Father And Son Saxophonists Mike And Julian Lee

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Phil Schaap's 50-Year Career: The Raconteur Raised On Jazz

Phil Schaap in WKCR studio, 1991 John Abbott/John Abbott hide caption

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John Abbott/John Abbott

Jazz Night In America: The Radio Program

Phil Schaap's 50-Year Career: The Raconteur Raised On Jazz

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

We examine the life and legacy of 2021 NEA Jazz Master Phil Schaap with music from Jazz at Lincoln Center and a rare live album produced by Schaap himself at the West End Café in Manhattan.

Phil Schaap's 50-Year Career: The Raconteur Raised On Jazz

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Pianist Helen Sung: From Classical Outsider To The Jazz Inner Circle

Helen Sung Ayano Hisa/Jazz at Lincoln Center hide caption

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Ayano Hisa/Jazz at Lincoln Center

Jazz Night In America: The Radio Program

Pianist Helen Sung: From Classical Outsider To The Jazz Inner Circle

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

Sung reflects on how, as a young classical pianist, she stuck to her jazz dreams. More recently, she's translated her emotions on social justice into a thematic composition for her quartet.

Pianist Helen Sung: From Classical Outsider To The Jazz Inner Circle

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The Evolution Of Jon Batiste, Music Consultant Of Pixar's 'Soul'

Jon Batiste performs an intimate set in New York City. Becky Harlan/WBGO hide caption

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Becky Harlan/WBGO

Jazz Night In America: Video Episodes And Shorts

The Evolution Of Jon Batiste, Music Consultant Of Pixar's 'Soul'

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

Jon Batiste was born for show business. Hear him play an intimate set in New York and on our radio show as we trace his story to his current gig as band leader of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

The Evolution Of Jon Batiste, Music Consultant Of Pixar's 'Soul'

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Swinging The Clouds Away: Jazz Takes Over Sesame Street
Richard Termine/JALC

Jazz Night In America: The Radio Program

Swinging The Clouds Away: Jazz Takes Over Sesame Street

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

On this show, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis invite the Sesame Street gang onstage. Plus, trombonist Joe Fielder's Open Sesame share rare songs from the Sesame songbook.

Swinging The Clouds Away: Jazz Takes Over Sesame Street

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Bird Lives! A Charlie Parker Centennial, With Strings Attached

"Charlie Parker With Strings" album cover /Verve Records hide caption

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/Verve Records

Jazz Night In America: The Radio Program

Bird Lives! A Charlie Parker Centennial, With Strings Attached

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

Charlie Parker with Strings was the most commercially successful project of his all-too-brief career. We'll examine the backstory and hear rare selections from the collaboration.

Bird Lives! A Charlie Parker Centennial, With Strings Attached

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/906334474/906734308" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
The Modern All-Stars: A Newport Jazz Festival Special

Top (L to R): Antonio Hart, Carl Allen, Christian McBride, Roy Hargrove, Benny Green. Bottom (L to R): Marlon Jordan, Tim Warfield, Mark Whitfield Ken Franckling /Jazz Times hide caption

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Ken Franckling /Jazz Times

Jazz Night In America

The Modern All-Stars: A Newport Jazz Festival Special

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

Hear a power hour of all-stars with some of the best sets to come out of the modern era of the Newport Jazz Festival, featuring Herbie Hancock, Roy Hargrove, Cécile McLorin Salvant and more.

The Modern All-Stars: A Newport Jazz Festival Special

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/895126229/895142198" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Inspired By Injustice, Wynton Marsalis Reflects On His Music
Frank Stewart/Jazz at Lincoln Center

Jazz Night In America: The Radio Program

Inspired By Injustice, Wynton Marsalis Reflects On His Music

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

Host Christian McBride and trumpeter/composer Wynton Marsalis reflect on Marsalis' studio recordings that address injustices and speak about the role music plays in speaking truth to power.

Inspired By Injustice, Wynton Marsalis Reflects On His Music

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/886507097/886594075" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
The Evolution Of Jon Batiste
Becky Harlan/WBGO

Jazz Night In America

The Evolution Of Jon Batiste

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

Jon Batiste was born for show business. Hear him play an intimate set in New York and on our radio show as we trace his story to his current gig as band leader of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

The Evolution Of Jon Batiste

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/863412054/863732481" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Jazz And Art Take Center Stage To Form 'Portraits Of America'

The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis performs 'Portraits of America: A Jazz Story.' Frank Stewart /WBGO hide caption

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Frank Stewart /WBGO

Jazz Night In America

Jazz And Art Take Center Stage To Form 'Portraits Of America'

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

Let's go to the museum with our ears. Members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis explain their work inspired by the collection at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

Jazz And Art Take Center Stage To Form 'Portraits Of America'

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/851561846/852088225" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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