I've wanted to interview Dr. Herb Smith for sometime, and finally I got my chance ~ what a privilege to spend some quality time with his insightful and caring individual.  Dr. Herb Smith is both a renowned educator of Jazz music and a fine Alto Saxophonist to boot... Listen in as Herb shares memories of his high school days which produced many icons of Jazz...Herb names them all ~ WOW!

Miles Davis said about this high school - "That must have been the greatest Jazz school in the world!"

He talks about his time and friendship with Sonny Rollins ~ about what makes an icon of Jazz, and a funny anecdote about Sonny being very curious about Herb's Volvo car! 

How the daily music playing practice of the Greats such as John Coltrane provides many vital lessons for ALL Jazz musicians and beyond...

Herb explains what Jazz means to him and he provides valuable insight on the meaning of music success for up and aspiring Jazz musicians. 

Dr. Herb Smith playing his Alto Sax ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhzN5mVzVxQ

Until next time - 'Keep on Swinging, and thanks for keeping Jazz alive!

My special guest is Washington, D.C. very own standout Jazz vocalist Sharón Clark. Constantly bringing festival and concert audiences to their feet across the U.S. and Europe. Her New York run drew raves from the NY Times and the Wall Street Journal, and she won New York’s Bistro Awards for Best Vocalist. Ms. Clark won the Gold Medal and top prize at the Savannah Music Festival's American Traditions Competition. She then took first place in the Billie Holiday Vocal Competition, which included a featured appearance with the Baltimore Symphony.

Her most recent release, “Do it Again — My Tribute to Shirley Horn,” is on its third printing, and she grabs top honors wherever she goes.

Ms. Clark appears regularly in DC at Blues Alley and Loews Madison Hotel. A featured soloist with the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, the Richmond Symphony, and the Baltimore Symphony, Clark has headlined the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival, the Cape May Jazz Festival and the Savannah Music Festival. Both the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra and The Ludacris Foundation chose Ms. Clark to perform for their separate tributes to Quincy Jones.

Sharón Clark has made multiple international tours in recent years. Please checkout her website and other social media channels for a chance to listen to her perform.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1EE5F289C48158E0

https://www.facebook.com/sharonclarkjazz/?ref=hl

https://www.bandsintown.com/a/528459?came_from=257

https://www.sonicbids.com/band/thesharonclarkquintet/

https://www.sharonclarkjazz.com/index.htm

Until next time - 'Keep on Swinging, and thanks for keeping Jazz alive!

Listen in on my super fun chat with the highly respected keyboardist, producer, writer, Jason Miles , a really nice man with a huge story. He shares snippets of his exciting and revealing 'New Book' titled: The Extraordinary Journey of Jason Miles ~ A Musical Biography

A series of short stories that brings you into the inner-sanctum of what it was like to work with artists like Miles Davis, Luther Vandross, Chaka Khan, Marcus Miller, David Sanborn, Roberta Flack, AMO... You are right in the studio, and on the road getting a birds eye view of Music History...

Below are some quotes from Musical luminaries about working with Jason Miles.

"Jason Miles is a Great Musician" -Chick Corea-2021

“Jason Miles has raised the level of excellence for the musicians who have had the good fortune of working with him, myself included. He has enriched the lives of the millions of people who have listened to the music he plays, the recordings he produces and the countless musicians he mentors and inspires. The work he did with my friends, Miles Davis and Marcus Miller have helped to define the modern face of jazz music."​ - Roberta Flack

Please checkout Jason Miles 'New Book' ~ and his website ~,and his social media channels.

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/jason-miles/81372193

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1ydw5TMqZC6HCz5l9z3xvL

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsaENQ28A9rTF3YzYJlJuWQ

https://twitter.com/JasonMiles

https://www.facebook.com/jasonmilesmusic

Until next time - 'Keep on Swinging, and thanks for keeping Jazz alive!

The Son of a Jazz Icon

Born in 1967 to the late, great bassist Jamil Nasser, Muneer 's exposure to the jazz idiom was early and powerful. In 1976, "My dad took me to see Dizzy Gillespie at the Village Gate and Dizzy blew the place apart.  I had to get a trumpet and weeks later I did."  In 1979, he went to the International Art of Jazz Workshop for college students. Dave Burns, a trumpeter in Gillespie's Big Band, had reservations about his age. Muneer's talent, however, overshadowed this concern.  "Mr. Burns acceptance fortified my confidence and I began studying with him." Muneer also received private instruction from George Coleman, Jimmy Owens, Oliver Beener, and Webster Young. These workshops and lessons taught him the basics of jazz improvisation, which were tested at serious jam sessions conducted by Eddie Henderson, Ted Curson, Tommy Turrentine, Barry Harris, C Sharpe, and Gil Coggins. "If you couldn't play, they would bench you with quickness and give you a homework assignment." As a youngster, Muneer saw many masters in concert such as George Coleman, Randy Weston, Lou Donaldson, Woody Shaw, Roy Eldridge, and Phineas Newborn.

 After graduating from high school, he attended Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he played with Paul Jeffrey, gigged at churches and various cultural venues around town. He also was the host of a weekly jazz broadcast "Jazz Spectrum" on WSHA. He transferred to Howard Howard University and graduated with a BBA in International Business. While in Washington DC, he performed at the Lincoln Theater, Bohemian Caverns, Westminster Church, Takoma Station, Cafe Nema, The Kennedy Center, and Twins Jazz. In 1993, Muneer embarked on a musical journey to Europe and North Africa. He performed in Paris, Amsterdam, Turkey, Morocco, London, and Geneva. In 1995, he toured the United Kingdom with Jazz Jamaica performing in London, Liverpool, Birmingham, and Manchester. “I had a chance to meet the great drummer Clifford Jarvis and he shared musical and trumpet gems from Kenny Dorham and Freddie Hubbard." In the year 2000, Muneer, started the Friday night jam session at HR-57, the Center for the Preservation of Jazz and Blues. In 2002, he played gospel music every Sunday at Union Temple Baptist Church. He also played regularly in Baltimore with alto saxophonist, Arnold Sterling at the Arch Social Club, The Edison Lounge, and The Baltimore Museum of Art. In 2013, he played trumpet and flugelhorn simultaneously at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, which pleasantly surprised the audience.

 In addition to teaching jazz improvisation at the University of Maryland, Nasser's passion and knowledge for jazz history was evident in educational forums he held at the University of the District of Columbia and Howard University.  Muneer has written and recorded over 200 reggae, jazz, rock, EDM, Rap, and R & B compositions. Some appear on Soundcloud and YouTube. In 2015, he won an award for the best soundtrack at the DC 48-hour Film Festival.

 Muneer developed a lifelong commitment to the study of jazz. Consequently, he read over one hundred books, magazines, and conducted informal interviews with jazz masters whose answers stimulated his quest to document jazz history. “My father shared many compelling stories about his career.” Unfiltered by the political imperatives and agendas of the traditional publishing industry, Upright Bass: The Musical Life and Legacy of Jamil Nasser unveils previously undisclosed yet important jazz history.

Check out Muneer's new CD "A Soldier's Story", and his social media channels, below:

https://muneernassermusic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/muneer.nasser.58

https://www.instagram.com/muneernassermusic/

https://twitter.com/ladybyby?lang=en

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-kxCOc5u8k&list=OLAK5uy_nk1H1HwttZGwzAvFXtDuWvdxQ3Dtl0KTk

Until next time - 'Keep on Swinging, and thanks for keeping Jazz alive!

My special guest on this episode is the wonderful jazz vocalist and recording artist,  Bonnie Harris. Bonnie combines a winning stage presence and soulful vocals with a deep sense of swing reminiscent of Etta Jones and Gloria Lynne. Long a favorite of DC jazz fans, she’s appeared at festivals and clubs throughout the region.

Until next time - 'Keep on Swinging, and thanks for keeping Jazz alive!

My friend and special guest for episode 01 of season 03 is Rusty Hassan - Kick back and listen in on the story of this fascinating Jazz radio/educator...known both on WPFW 89.3 FM in the Washington DC area, and worldwide on the popular streaming service at WPFWFM.org ~ on Thursday nights from 10 pm to Midnight.

Rusty Hassan talks about falling in love with Jazz music as a teenager, especially the music of John Coltrane and how the music gave him an education about race in America. He then speaks about moving to Washington, D.C. to attend Georgetown University where he continues his interest in Jazz, eventually getting involved in labor and community organizing while attending D.C.’s legendary jazz clubs including Blues Alley and the Cellar Door. He continues to stay involved in the jazz world by DJing for WAMU and WPFW, while he develops his career in labor. Finally, he speaks about how he continues to cultivate more enthusiasm for jazz through teaching courses on jazz at universities around D.C. Rusty Hassan, born in Bound Brook, NJ November 26, 1945, and raised in Greenwich, CT, has been the producer and host for weekly jazz radio programs for the past fifty years, starting as a student at Georgetown University on WGTB. Since then he has hosted shows on WAMU, WD.C.U and WPFW. He currently hosts Thursday Night Jazz on WPFW 89.3FM. Among the prominent jazz artists he has interviewed include Dexter Gordon, Art Blakey, Mary Lou Williams, Ramsey Lewis, Jimmy Heath, and numerous others. He was a union representative with the American Federation of Government Employees for thirty-four years. He has taught jazz history courses at American University, Georgetown University, University of Maryland University College and the Smithsonian Institution. He currently teaches at the University of the District of Columbia. The D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities recognized him with a special award for his contribution to the community with his years of broadcasting in Washington, D.C.

Until next time - 'Keep on Swinging, and thanks for keeping Jazz alive!

Until next time - 'Keep on Swinging, and thanks for keeping Jazz alive!