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A One-Time Jazz Messenger, Terence Blanchard has Arguably Been Most Impactful Delivering Jazz through Film

Terence Blanchard has composed original music for over 80 motion pictures; for his efforts, he’s been nominated for two Academy Awards.

By Matt Silver

Versatility is one thing; possessing the aptitude to match a boundless musical curiosity is another. Leonard Bernstein had both; Terence Blanchard also has both. Bernstein’s jazz-infused compositions for stage and symphony orchestra bridged jazz and classical music in boundary-breaking new ways, lending credence to his senior thesis at Harvard, in which he asserted that “jazz is the universal basis of American composition.” Blanchard, in a career now in its fifth decade, has consistently expanded upon Bernstein’s thesis, riffing on classical motifs with his Grammy-winning jazz ensembles and enlivening operas, symphony orchestras, and scores upon scores of (film) scores by reminding audiences that jazz is not just an idiomatic musical language; it’s also, in the right hands, an unforgettably moving narrative tool.

Blue World: The 1964 Session Between CRESCENT and A LOVE SUPREME We Didn't Know About Until 2019

And the only film for which John Coltrane ever recorded music.

”Le Chat Dans Le Sac” is a 1966 French Canadian film in the style of the French New Wave, in part about the disintegration of a young couple's relationship. With music by John Coltrane.

By Matt Silver

At just 37 minutes, and comprising eight takes of only five distinct tunes, it’s hard to categorize John Coltrane’s Blue World as an album, per se.

That doesn’t make it any less spectacular.

Issued by Impulse! Records in Sept. 2019, Blue World constitutes previously unreleased recordings from John Coltrane and his classic quartet at the very peak of the their powers and cohesiveness as a unit.

April 30 is International Jazz Day, a Time to Celebrate Jazz as it Exists Today

As a living, adapting, evolving musical language with no trade deficit; it imports as much as it exports...and that's a good thing.

On Wed., April 30, Jazz 88 will celebrate International Jazz Day 2025 by spinning selections illuminating the truly global reach of jazz. Matt Silver got a head start on the April 27 edition of “Breaking Jazz.”

Hello! This is Matt Silver. I host a new jazz release show on Sunday evenings called "Breaking Jazz," where, each week, I bring you the music and musicians of the moment — jazz as it’s being played today. This past Sunday evening, on "Breaking Jazz," I celebrated International Jazz Day 2025. I realize I was three days early to the party, but "Breaking Jazz" is but a humble weekly program; wait 'til next week, and, by then, the ship's way too far out of port.

Tues., May 13: Vibraphonist Chuck Redd to Pay Musical Tribute to the Terry Gibbs Dream Band

A band Mel Lewis considered even greater than his own.

If you’re talking about the greatest jazz big bands ever assembled, the conversation is neither fully credible nor complete without including The Terry Gibbs Dream Band. 

Killer charts by some of the greatest arrangers ever: Bill Holman, Bob Brookmeyer, Al Cohn, Shorty Rogers, Lennie Neihaus, and Marty Paich. Drum-tight ensemble playing. Solos like smart bombs: devastatingly explosive and precisely controlled. And a propulsive yet economical rhythm section. Nothing superfluous. Burning hot, yet ALWAYS cool.

Remembering James Moody

...and celebrating his centennial birthday.

Moody with Dizzy Gillespie.

Today (Mar. 26, 2025) we celebrate the centennial birthday of James Moody. Moody, a prolific saxophonist and flutist with a career spanning eight decades, passed on here in San Diego in late 2010. He led an extraordinary life, and would've turned 100 years old today.

Read full article at: Remembering James Moody

Up Jumped Spring!

Blog Name:Home Page News

Blog Author:San Diego's Jazz 88.3

Posted on:March 18, 2025

The new season of Jazz Live begins April 8th. Get your tickets today!

The 2025 Winter Pledge Drive

Blog Name:Home Page News

Blog Author:San Diego's Jazz 88.3

Posted on:March 2, 2025

KSDS/Jazz 88.3's 2025 Winter Membership Drive has concluded! We welcomed many new and renewing members and the music will continue to thrive because of it. If you would like to donate towards the campaign you can do so by clicking here. Here is the Top Ten Artist Poll we conducted for the drive.

Here's the Top Ten:

  1. Duke Ellington
  2. Wes Montgomery
  3. Gilbert Castellanos
  4. Ray Charles
  5. Gerry Mulligan
  6. Art Pepper
  7. Oscar Peterson
  8. Freddie Hubbard
  9. Nat King Cole
  10. Clifford Brown

Read full article at: The 2025 Winter Pledge Drive

Flying High at The Center for the Arts Escondido - March 25th

Blog Name:Home Page News

Blog Author:San Diego's Jazz 88.3

Posted on:February 13, 2025

On March 21st it’s a tribute to the original ladies of jazz in “Flying High: Big Band Canaries who soared” at California Center for the Arts Escondido. Jazz canaries – Ella, Billie, Dinah, and even Rosemary Clooney and Doris Day – started off in the great big bands and went on to their own even greater solo careers. Now Champian Fulton shares the stage with Count Basie vocalist Carmen Bradford and the Hot Sardines Elizabeth Bougerol to swing the memorable tunes of the jazz canaries. Tickets and information are found here.

American History at the Intersection of Jazz and Civil Rights

A new episode of FREEDOM NOW! JAZZ AND CIVIL RIGHTS airs live every weekday at noon throughout Black History Month, and is available for on-demand listening at jazz88.org.

Davis famously informed his musicians they’d be playing the gig for free just minutes before downbeat. What followed was one of the most celebrated live jazz performances of all time.

Black History Month 2025 continues with week 2 of “Freedom Now! Jazz and the Fight for Civil Rights.” 

  • Long before the 1619 Project, there was Ellington’s Black, Brown, and Beige, a sprawling jazz symphony meant to communicate a comprehensive picture of African American history through music. 

  • Long before Wynton Marsalis became the first jazz musician to win a Pulitzer, Norman Granz treated jazz as high art, imploring audiences to listen with the same reverence they might reserve for Bach or Brahms.

How Does a Jazz Radio Station Pick This Year's Super Bowl Winner?

We ask YOU! Which is the better jazz city, Philadelphia or Kansas City?