WTJU 91.1 FM

To help get us ready for a week of great Jazz and Blues, not to mention seven nights of live music, we bring you a special concert from the Offbeat Roadhouse archives.

Louise kicks off the 2025 Jazz Marathon with a preview show that will give you a taste of what musical delights are in store for you! Better than a box of chocolates, Bright Moments Ahead samples what awaits you during the 7 days of the Jazz Marathon.

Over the next two hours, we'll be listening to some exceptional guitarists you've probably never heard of-at least not by name. While not all are completely obscure, most have found success within their musical circles, earning the respect of fellow musicians and steady work, even if they've never achieved mainstream fame. These are not household names, but their talent speaks volumes.

The Grammy award winning seven CD set was a revelation when released two years ago. The Rum Cove will be delving into it's treasures by playing a demo and then the released version plus some of the unreleased songs to highlight the deep talent in Memphis record label Stax/Volt. Tune it on Monday at noon to hear some never before heard Memphis Soul!

Inspired by jazz guitarist Chris Standring, this show will include tunes performed by jazz performers that might make you want to get out of your chair and dance (Cory Weeds, Louis Armstrong, The Harlem Ramblers, etc.).

Bill Frisell is an American jazz guitarist and composer whose career spans over 40 years and more than 100 recordings. His signature style blends jazz, blues, country, rock and roll and experimentalism into an elastic tone that convey both celebration and mourning.

Whether blood-related or found, our families have profound impacts on us, gifting us some of the brightest moments of our lives. As a music that arguably brings its messengers as close to the fullest expressions of self that has ever been to this point in history, we have the privilege of hearing and experiencing the beauty of jazz musicians' deeply personal expressions of familial impacts through their compositions, as well as through the interactions they share with their comrades on the bandstand. Let's meditate on this together as our own type of family—the community of WTJU.

Step inside the legendary Lighthouse Café in Hermosa Beach, where West Coast jazz lit up the shoreline and redefined live performance. From Cannonball Adderley's explosive sets to Lee Morgan, Joe Henderson, and Elvin Jones bringing East Coast fire to California cool, this show explores the live recordings and cultural moments that made the Lighthouse an essential hub of jazz evolution. We'll dig into the sound of the surf meeting the swing - pure bright moments, captured in performance.

Journey to the North Mississippi Hill Country to find music as old as the hills. Artists include Mississippi Fred McDowell, RL Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, and a host of others.

A perennial favorite in the WTJU Jazz Marathon schedule is Russell Perry's overnight programming celebrating jazz icons who would have turned 100 years old this year. Tonight features the great drummer Roy Haynes.

1959 marked a turning point in the history of jazz, as musicians embraced new harmonic concepts, time signatures, and improvisational freedoms. This moment reflected a changing cultural backdrop in America, as the civil rights movement took hold and wider cultural shifts presaged the tumult of the 1960s. Join us as WTJU classical host Ken Nail examines the jazz and cultural landscape of "1959: The Moment That Changed Jazz".

We will explore the Bright Moments in a career that spanned 5 decades - the Hot Fives (100 years ago this year), duets with Earl Hines, revolutionizing jazz singing, the Fats Waller Songbook, sessions with Ella and with Duke, Hello Dolly, the All-Stars with Jack Teagarten. "You can't play anything on a horn that Louis hasn't played" -Miles Davis

Join Jessica & Rebecca for remarkable moments in the careers of some of our favorite vocalists and musicians, such as: Nina Simone, Emily Remler, Mary Lou Williams and Alice Coltrane.

A fun, bawdy collection of suggestive songs from jazz and blues greats like Rene Marie, Maria Muldaur, Fats Waller, Nina Simone and Joe Cocker. Arouse your desire to give to WTJU!

This show, featuring covers of Beatles songs performed by jazz artists, is inspired by Rahsaan Roland Kirk's lyric, "The Beatles come into the country, they take all the bread/While the police hittin' black and white folks upside their head," in the tune "Clickety Clack," from his 2005 "Bright Moments" album. Kirk acknowledges that The Beatles swept the popular market during their tenure as a band, leaving little space for other artists, especially during the Civil Rights Movement. Recording and selling covers of Beatles tunes is one way in which artists have capitalized off The Beatles' success. This show will illuminate bright moments in which jazz artists have truly reimagined Beatles classics, leaving their unique, distinctive mark on them. This show will assemble selections that will remind listeners of the reasons why they love their favorite Beatles tunes, while also fostering new appreciations.

Roy Haynes, who passed away in November of 2024 at the age of 99, was one of the most influential drummers of the modern era. Haynes began his professional career while still in his teens in the early 1940s. He played with Luis Russell, Louis Armstrong, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Sarah Vaughan, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Pat Metheny and countless others, also leading his own groups over several decades. Amazingly, he was still active, playing at a very high level, until the third decade of the 21st Century. His fellow musicians often referred to him as “Snap Crackle,” likely a reference to his unique tuning and staccato touch on his snare drum. We take this opportunity to acknowledge his influence and to pay tribute to his amazing career.

Going back to the first jazz recordings of Freddy Green to Charlie Christian to Joe Pass to those playing these days like Jimmy Bruno, Ed Cherry, Frank Vignola, Jim Hall etc…

On the Patricia Barber Show, we'll finish one day and start another with a journey through her many albums. There's a little something for everyone!

A perennial favorite in the WTJU Jazz Marathon schedule is Russell Perry's overnight programming celebrating jazz icons who would have turned 100 years old this year. Tonight features James Moody and Gene Ammons.

Big band energy meets the morning rush-Europe's great jazz orchestras hitting the downbeat, locking into the pocket, and carrying us all into the day on an irresistible groove.

Hard Bop Grandpop-Music of Horace Silver's Golden Years. Surveying his last decade of recording , featuring an all star cast of soloists.

Hecho En Mexico dives into Mexican jazz across eras and styles—from early big bands to modern, genre-blending explorations. Featured artists will include Armando Peraza, Magos Herrera, Antonio Sanchez and Tino Contreras, alongside other pivotal Mexican-born and Mexico-based talents shaping the scene today. Tune in for a vibrant, culturally rooted celebration of jazz made in Mexico from two hosts of Beyond Borders.

Music of Frank Zappa - I've been a Zappa / Mothers of Invention fan for many years and he is at once satirical, improvisational, melodic, hilarious, atonal at times, interesting, fun and free!... and many other adjectives as well. I believe he invented the the term, "Freak out!" His disparate influences included doo wop music and avant-garde classical music; although he led groups that could be called rock & roll bands for much of his career, he used them to create a hybrid style that bordered on jazz and complicated, modern serious music, sometimes inducing orchestras to play along. Check it out and support community radio at 434-924-3959 or wtju.net.

Among the bright moments in music development is the “Tulsa Sound.” Pioneered by such Okie luminaries as JJ Cale and Leon Russell, this sub-genre blends blues, blues rock, country, rock and swamp pop into a distinctive sound. This show will explore music by not only some of the original artists, but by folks such as Eric Clapton and Mark Knopfler who were influenced by it.

A bright moment in adventurous jazz has been the emergence of guitarist Pat Metheny as a composer and bandleader. 2025 marks the 50-year anniversary of the recording of "Bright Size Life," his first album as a leader. Metheny was 21 years old at the time. The trio featured Bob Moses on drums and a young Jaco Pastorius on electric bass. Metheny was not happy with the recording and estimates that it sold all of 900 copies on release, but it has gained acclaim with age. This show will highlight some early Metheny recordings as he evolved from a sideman with Gary Burton to leading the Pat Metheny Group with emphasis on this first release. Pat Metheny fan Norbert Leitinger of local band GootGenuG will be co-hosting.

Vibrant young voices steering jazz into the future. We’ll hear from artists like Brandee Younger, Lakecia Benjamin, Brandon Woody, Immanuel Wilkins, Isaiah Collier, Josh Johnson and Luke Stewart.

The factors influencing the initial developments of spiritual jazz circa the 1950s-70s.

A perennial favorite in the WTJU Jazz Marathon schedule is Russell Perry's overnight programming celebrating jazz icons who would have turned 100 years old this year. Tonight features the music of Art Pepper.

Two hours of Thelonious Sphere Monk, the genius upon which all other musicians since draw their creative energy. So too is WTJU that way for its listeners. Call in your pledges of support at 434-924-3959 on line at wtju.net.

A selection of songs with "shinning", "brilliant", "luminous", etc. In the title. From Basie and Ella to Sam Rivers, Go Go Penguin, and Allison Miller. Sure to brighten your day.

This show will mostly feature my favorite all female Jazz ensemble, Alive!, and the Uppity Blues Women, Saffire, but we'll also explore other all (or mostly) female Jazz ensembles like The Tiptons, Jane Bunnett and Maqueque, as well as solo ventures of the groups' individual members.

Grab your bell and stick, sit back and join in as Matt and Mike bring the groove until the cows come home. There will be classics, eclectic cuts and sounds pretty out there that will make you ask for more cowbell.

Join our special guests vocalist Stacey Kent and saxophonist and composer Jim Tomlinson as they present 2 hours of Brazilian music including Tropicalia, Bossa Nova, Baiã, Afro-Samba, MPB (Música Popular Brasileira). Stacey and Jim will just be back from their latest tour of Brazil and Argentina.

Jazz, blues, and all that funky stuff in between that features the bottom end horns such as the tuba, sousaphone, baritone saxophone and the bass clarinet. We'll play music by Nick Brignola, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, David Murray,, Leo Parker, Tower of Power, plus many others.

From the 1940’s through the early 1950’s, an evolution occurred from the swing of big band jazz groups to smaller combos playing jump blues and R&B. Honkers (saxophone players) and shouters (vocalists) were at the center of this transformation. This show will feature great honkers like Earl Bostic, Illinois Jacquet, and Big Jay McNeely, enthusiastic shouters like Big Joe Turner, Wynonie Harris, and Jimmy Witherspoon, and some who did both equally well like Louis Jordan.

Take a trip with the music of Ahmed Abdul-Malik, who blended Middle Eastern and African sounds to create his own jazz. We'll play tracks from his album Eastern Sounds and more, shining a light on his unique style and bold ideas.

A perennial favorite in the WTJU Jazz Marathon schedule is Russell Perry's overnight programming celebrating jazz icons who would have turned 100 years old this year. Tonight features Oscar Peterson, Mal Waldron and Dodo Marmarosa.

Nothing like a good tune to get the jazz greats going. Hear Art Tatum take on Dvorak; Ellington and Strayhorn interpretations of Tchaikovsky; Modern Jazz Quartet channeling J.S. Bach. Listen to classical music in a new way. Or enjoy your favorite jazz artists sharing their interpretations of the classics.

Featuring a dash of samba, a bit of bossa nova, some rumba and cha cha. Music by Antionio Carlos Jobim, Sergio Mendes, Astrud Gilberto, Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd.

The year 1965 was a tumultuous one in the United States. Martin Luther King, Jr. led civil rights demonstrations which in turn pushed the passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. America's involvement in the Vietnam War escalated. "Bonanza" was the most popular television program. With all of this as a backdrop, soul jazz continued to grow in expression and popularity. "Soul Jazz" was and still is an offshoot of jazz music that is rooted in hard bop but dripping with rhythm & blues as well as gospel influences, and many soul jazz recordings from 1965 are centered around small combos which often contain the Hammond B3 organ. Tune in Friday, October 3, from noon to 2pm, to hear Brian Keena (host of The Jazz Messenger show) take on soul jazz recordings from 60 years ago. Be prepared to pledge your much-appreciated funds to WTJU while grooving to the music of Grant Green, Shirley Scott, Lou Donaldson, Jimmy Smith, Shirley Scott, Wes Montgomery and many more!

Songs and instrumentals about the rain and songs about sun and moon shine.

Those explorative Psych Doctors - Zostress, Don Wowsville and Sister Pirate Jenny - will closely examine the wild and wooly worlds of vintage and contemporary Japanese psychedelia. From the surf-psych rock of Takeshi Terauchi. to period jazz fuzz freakouts from The Hops, Shagrat and Flower Travelin' Band, to the progressive neo-psych of Acid Mothers Temple and Kikagaku Moyo, let WTJU's seasoned and accredited lysergicians take you on a Far Eastern trip in more ways than one.

On a special Jazz Marathon edition of On With the Show, we'll hear the music of Cole Porter interpreted by singers like Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, and Tony Bennett; and by musicians like Artie Shaw, Oscar Peterson, and Dave Brubeck. "Porter is so famous for his gifts as a lyricist that it might seem mischievous to the point of perversity to suggest that his real greatness resides in his skills as a composer. Yet how many other popular composers have had more hits with instrumental, unsung versions of their work? Though rarely overtly jazz…his melodies have so much mysterious inner propulsion that, asked to swing, they practically swing themselves."

Duane Allman was a brilliant guitarist, especially slide guitarist, who did some amazing work with many great Blues, Jazz, Soul and Rock artists before his untimely death at age 24. Allman absorbed many styles from Blues, Jazz, Gospel and and Rock in his playing to make it his own sound. In many ways, in the past 30+ years Derek Trucks has picked up where Allman left off, being one of the truly great slide guitar players, working with the Allman Brothers, his own bands, and with his wife Susan Tedeschi in the Tedesch-Trucks Band, playing an exciting mix of Jazz, Blues, Rock and Gospel. Join Peter Welch of "Nothin' But The Blues" for a retrospective.

Bill Evans brought a new style to jazz at a time of transition, bringing his "singing" melodic lines, influenced by Bach and contemporary composer George Russell, to Miles Davis' 50's sextet and his primary trios of the 60's and 70's. Check out one of jazz' most purely enjoyable pianists.

A perennial favorite in the WTJU Jazz Marathon schedule is Russell Perry's overnight programming celebrating jazz icons who would have turned 100 years old this year. Tonight features Zoot Sims and Al Cohn.

During the 1920s & 1930s in southern cities like Memphis, Louisville & New Orleans, the vaudeville & medicine Show musicians started playing music that mixed blues, jazz & ragtime with a fast beat. The one common thing with these bands was use of homemade instruments. From spoons, combs, washboards and even bottles & jugs, the musicians would create their own sounds to entertain the crowd. Tune in as we listen to the Memphis Jug Band, the Alabama Washboard Stompers, the Birmingham Jug Band, the Dixieland Jug Blowers, Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers, the Tub Jug Washboard Band & many more.

Ever since Django Reinhardt started playing clubs in Paris, hot clubs began forming around the world to recreate this music. Join us for two hours of Gypsy jazz from Django's era to the present day.

In light of his recent passing, we’ll pay tribute to the great Brian Wilson with a show of jazz artists covering his work. Although he did not create Tin Pan Alley-style "jazz standards", his music has been covered and reimagined by many, including Charles Lloyd, Brad Mehldau, Larry Goldings, Charlie Hunter and others.

Henry Mancini. Lalo Schifrin. Mike Post. Mort Stevens. They laid down the soundtracks to augment the mayhem and intrigue with a slick, funky groove. Let's hear those hits in their entirety! First Degree musical murder for playing killer rhythms!

Spot is traveling the spaceways of Sun Ra’s universe. We’ll be featuring some of the lesser known but still brilliant gems, as well as some of the classics. It will indeed be cosmic tones for mental therapy.

Let's go back in time when Newark (yes, Newark), NJ was a hotbed of jazz clubs featuring such notables as Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. Where Rahsaan Roland Kirk famously led his band from Sparky Js across the street to the Key Club nightspot while still playing three saxes. Newark is also the birthplace of Sarah Vaughn and Wayne Shorter, where James Moody grew up, and home to Savoy Records. Today, the Rutgers-Newark Institute of Jazz Studies contains more than 100,000 archival recordings, as well as other jazz-related materials. Contemporary artists such as Christian McBride were first heard on a Newark performing stage. Similarly, WTJU is your archival source for jazz you know, and the launchpad for jazz you don't. It's sort of like the Newark of Virginia. Sort of. But well deserving of your support during the 2025 Jazz and Blues Marathon.

87 year old NEA Jazz Master Charles Lloyd has been on a creative tear in the last few years. He was voted into the DownBeat Hall of Fame, honored as Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Group of the Year and Tenor Saxophonist of the year in the most recent DownBeat Critics Poll. Join John and Jessica as they explore Charles Lloyd's impressive and varied sixty-year jazz career as a a saxophonist, flautist, and composer.

Back in the 1960s, so many pop groups from the U.K. dominated the U.S. airwaves it was dubbed "The British Invasion". The Brits from that era are icons: The Beatles, The Who, The Rolling Stones.... Now the jazz world is seeing its own British Invasion. WTJU's intel finds a joint force assault on the senses like Sons of Kemet, grooves deep as trenches from the likes of Yussef Dayes, Nubiyan Twist, & Kokoroco, and stealthy strikes from above from groups like The Comet Is Coming. Tune in to hear music from the front-lines of jazz's onslaught of talent, featuring artists such as Nubya Garcia, Emma-Jean Thackray, Alfa Mist, Ezra Collective, and many more. This full-scale invasion isn't a mash of stale biscuits, it's all bangers!

DJ Diggs pays tribute to the recently departed Sly Stone.

A perennial favorite in the WTJU Jazz Marathon schedule is Russell Perry's overnight programming celebrating jazz icons who would have turned 100 years old this year. Tonight we feature Leo Parker and Gigi Gryce.

Two hours of swinging tunes sung by old Blue Eyes himself to celebrate his upcoming 110th birthday in December. Bring a little brightness to your day and tune in!

Quincy Jones' first professional gig was as a trumpet player with Lionel Hampton and, in 1956, formed a big band of his own. He led it until roughly 1965 when his film scoring activity became too busy for Q to continue maintaining it. Even after there were a couple of occasions where Q was able to raise one, and of all his pursuits leading a band seemed the most meaningful one. Uncle Dave Lewis will take you through some highlights of Quincy Jones' storied, and often great history as a big band leader.

For the 2025 Jazz Marathon, we will be exploring the men who took the style of the jubilee quartet that was developed in the pre-war years. Join us as we visit with the Southern Wonders, the Silvertone Jubilee Quartette, the Shelby Gospel Four, Mitchell's Christian Singers, the Heavenly Gospel Singers and many, many more favorite quartets.

Eddie Palmieri, the legendary pianist, composer, and bandleader, passed away in August, leaving behind a monumental legacy that reshaped Latin music. Known for his groundbreaking fusion of Afro-Caribbean rhythms with the complexity of jazz, Palmieri was a fearless innovator whose influence spanned over six decades. From the formation of his iconic band La Perfecta in the 1960s to the genre-defying Harlem River Drive, his music consistently broke new ground while staying rooted in cultural pride and rhythmic vitality. One of the first Latin musicians recognized in the jazz category, Palmieri inspired generations with his bold piano playing, sophisticated arrangements, and unwavering dedication to his craft. Beyond his musical genius, he was a champion of Afro-Latin identity and community, using music as a tool for unity and expression. Palmieri's passing marks the end of an era, but his spirit lives on in the rhythms, melodies, and lives he touched around the world.

From Bird and Jackie McLean to Art Pepper and Paul Desmond, the history of jazz flows through the alto sax. Today, the tradition is flourishing in the hands of Miquel Zenon, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Lakesia Benjamin, Sharel Cassity and many others. Up-tempo alto for a sunday afternoon.

The snares that sizzle, hi-hats that hound the melody, cymbals that shimmer in the wide-open space of a smoooooth drum solo. Tune in and rediscover the beat in Cue the Drums, a two-hour celebration of the rhythm-makers who drive jazz forward. Kick back and listen in on the celebrants of syncopation. We'll elevate the drummer's role as a creative voice, not just timekeeper, featuring legends such as Gene Kruppa, Elvin Jones, Art Blakey, and all the talents that round and punch out the jazzy melodies you love. This isn't background music, it's a front-row seat to the groove and grit behind the kit.

Exploring the life of Son House, the American Delta blues singer and guitarist who evolved from a preacher to one of the most influential voices in acoustic blues.

Prolific composer, virtuoso pianist, and the first jazz organist, Thomas ‘Fats’ Waller, 1904-1943, along with lyricist/collaborator Andy Razaf, contributed so much great music to the modern jazz canon. Here through the recordings of Fats himself and many artists who have performed his music we’ll explore this man’s genius. Join me October 5th, 9pm as part of the 2025 Jazz Marathon on WTJU, 91.1fm.

Join Don, Ciclamino, Rick and the rest of the Radio Wowsville zig zag wanderers as they take an extended triptych through the idiosyncratic world of Don Van Vliet -- AKA Captain Beefheart. The chameleonic Captain and his ever-evolving Magic Band were responsible for some of the most exhilarating and challenging music of the 20th century, a striking blend of Delta blues, free jazz, psychedelia, expressionist poetry and balls-first rock 'n' roll. Wowsville will explore it all on "Beefheart Sings the Blues Again," with rare live performances, blistering album tracks, obscure b-sides, head-scratching sonic excursions and indelible collaborations with Beefheart's childhood frenemy Frank Zappa. It's gonna be a Tropical Hot Dog Night!

A perennial favorite in the WTJU Jazz Marathon schedule is Russell Perry's overnight programming celebrating jazz icons who would have turned 100 years old this year. Tonight we feature Marty Paich, Mel Torme, Cal Tjader and June Christy.