Jazz Profiles presented by Tim Owens & 32 Bar Blues
A Peabody Award-winning documentary series chronicling the people, places, and themes of jazz. Combining interviews, archival recordings, music, and narration by singer Nancy Wilson, each program tells an informative and sometimes gripping story that celebrates our uniquely American art form and the people who make it.
Episodes
16 episodes
Wayne Shorter
Through nearly 70 years of music-making, Wayne Shorter gave his spirit, intelligence, and singular vision to the music called jazz. Always exploring and always pushing the boundaries, Wayne expanded and enriched the musical landscape – in his o...
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58:46
Ellis Marsalis
There aren’t many jazz listeners who haven’t heard the name “Marsalis.” Well, without this Marsalis, there wouldn’t be any others. Highly acclaimed jazz artist, renowned educator, and New Orleans’ beloved musical patriarch who founded the Unive...
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58:51
Roy Haynes
He is known for his spontaneity, wit, incomparable style, and commanding presence. He doesn’t tip-toe around rhythms and he doesn’t waste beats. “I like to get a musical sound out of the drums,” he once said, “I want to make them sing.” Given t...
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58:50
Herbie Hancock
There are few artists in the music industry who have had more influence on acoustic and electronic jazz and R&B than Herbie Hancock. With an illustrious career spanning six decades and 14 Grammy Awards, he continues to amaze audiences acros...
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58:25
Bessie Smith
Bessie Smith (ca. 1895–1937) was a blues and jazz singer from the Harlem Renaissance who is remembered as the “Empress of the Blues.” Famous for the majesty and power with which she belted out tunes, Bessie had an unforgettable voice and stage ...
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58:51
Mel Tormé
For much of his career, Mel Tormé performed at the peak of his profession, a jazz singer without peer who was revered by music lovers around the world. But Mel Tormé was so much more than just a great singer. He was a true Renaissance man, a ta...
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58:44
Ella Fitzgerald
You recognize her instantly. And it isn’t just her remarkable voice. You recognize her character, the youthfulness, the exuberance, the freedom, the joy. More than anybody else’s, her sound is the sound of America. We’re talking about Ella Fitz...
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56:18
Modern Jazz Quartet
With their cool, bop-inflected improvisations and classical chamber aesthetics, the Modern Jazz Quartet rose to prominence in the 1950s – expanding the jazz paradigm and bridging the gap between smoky jazz clubs and prestigious concert halls. T...
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58:49
Sarah Vaughan
She was called both “Sassy” and “The Divine One.” Sassy because she was mischievous and playful. And The Divine One because her voice seemed to have come from the Gods. She was the opera star of jazz, transforming songs into arias. For nearly 5...
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57:00
Stanley Turrentine
Tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine was one of the most soulful and versatile musicians in jazz. And for much of his long career, he played music on his own terms – crossing musical boundaries often in the face of criticism. Whether playing a ...
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59:48
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett embraced the Great American Songbook like few others, making every song his own – as you’re about to hear. As part of the Peabody Award-winning documentary series “Jazz Profiles,” this show about Tony’s life and music was produced ...
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58:49
Village Vanguard
The Village Vanguard is the oldest jazz club in New York City and one of the oldest nightclubs anywhere on this planet. What has made this Club so enduring and legendary? You are about to find out. As part of the Peabody Award-winning documenta...
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59:01
Gerry Mulligan
Gerry Mulligan is one of the most important figures in jazz – as an instrumentalist, composer, arranger, bandleader and a principal architect of “cool” jazz. His story is what you are about to hear. As part of the Peabody Award-winning document...
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59:19
Bill Evans
Bill Evans was a genius – a composer and pianist with a light, lyrical touch that was once described as what you might hear at the gates of Heaven. As you’re about to hear, he is also one of most influential pianists in modern jazz. As part of ...
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59:09
Quincy Jones
Through more than 70 years in the entertainment industry, you’d be hard-pressed to name another person with the musical depth and breadth of producer, composer, arranger and bandleader Quincy Jones. His story – as you’re about to hear – will as...
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59:12
Kind Of Blue - Making The Miles Davis Masterpiece
“Kind of Blue” is not only Miles Davis’s bestselling album, but also the best-selling Jazz album of all time. The story of how it was created is what you’re about to hear. As part of the Peabody Award-winning documentary series “Jazz Profiles,”...
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57:57