His name is synonymous with jazz – although his music is beyond category. Duke Ellington was a composer who enriched western music; a bandleader who used the instruments in his band to color his music – like an artist using a palette to paint. And, he was a fine pianist, using that instrument to compose and swing his orchestra. Here’s part 1 of a special 2-part presentation on an absolute legend.

As part of the Peabody Award-winning documentary series “Jazz Profiles,” this special 2-segment presentation about Duke Ellington was produced in 1998 by Robert Levi – and narrated by the show host Nancy Wilson.

The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com

He may be the greatest jazz composer of all time. Certainly, the most prolific. He is also recognized as a “father” of Big Band jazz. As keyboardist – rooted in stride piano – he could propel his orchestra to new heights. And, wow, could they swing. On part 1, we focused on Ellington’s formative years up until the mid-1930s. Here on part 2, we look at the evolution of Ellington’s music from the mid-30s until his death in May of 1974 at the age of 75.

As part of the Peabody Award-winning documentary series “Jazz Profiles,” this special 2-segment presentation about Duke Ellington was produced in 1998 by Robert Levi – and narrated by the show host Nancy Wilson.

The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com

Irrepressible raconteur, indelible stylist, and giant of the Harlem stride piano, Willie “The Lion” Smith was an iconic American jazz pioneer. Known as a “musician’s musician,” his versatile career spanned ragtime, vaudeville, Broadway, and Tin Pan Alley – influencing legends like Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Count Basie and Dizzy Gillespie.

As part of the Peabody Award-winning documentary series “Jazz Profiles,” this presentation about Willie Smith was produced in 1997 by Sally Placksin – and narrated by the show host Nancy Wilson.

The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com

His was the first jazz album to sell over a million copies. But his music – noted for its odd time signatures – was somehow accessible and hummable. And with his signature quartet, he became a pioneer of the “cool” jazz movement. Stick around. Because you’re about to meet pianist, composer and jazz innovator Dave Brubeck.

As part of the Peabody Award-winning documentary series “Jazz Profiles,” this presentation about Dave Brubeck was produced in 1996 by Dan Gediman – and narrated by the show host Nancy Wilson.

Dave Brubeck, Part 2
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2363515/episodes/19568240

The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com

He simply is one of the most popular musicians in jazz. With his various quartets of piano, bass, drums and a horn – and his tours of college campuses the world over, he introduced thousands of young people to jazz. Once again, meet Dave Brubeck in Part 2 of our story on his life and music.

As part of the Peabody Award-winning documentary series “Jazz Profiles,” this presentation about Dave Brubeck was produced in 1996 by Dan Gediman – and narrated by the show host Nancy Wilson.

Dave Brubeck, Part 1
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2363515/episodes/19568254

The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com

Considered by many to be the most memorable of all jazz singers, Billie Holiday remains a household name nearly 70 years after her death. She sang behind-the-beat, which made her controversial in the 1930s – but revolutionary to jazz, and influential to a countless number of singers who followed including Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, and Carmen McRae. More than nearly any other singer, “Lady Day” meant every word that she sang, living many of the lyrics, particularly during the second half of her career when her interpretations could be so quietly expressive as to be heartbreaking.

As part of the Peabody Award-winning documentary series “Jazz Profiles,” this presentation about Billie Holiday was produced in 2001 by Elizabeth Blair – and narrated by the show host Nancy Wilson.

The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com

Betty Carter is arguably the most adventurous female jazz vocalist in history. Known for her unique style and relentless improvisation, she challenged melodic and harmonic boundaries just like a bebop instrumentalist. Carter used her husky voice to radically transform songs on the spot, shifting tempos, altering dynamics, and breaking lyrics into syncopated rhythmic patterns. Whether scatting at lightning speed, sustaining 20-minute solos, or using expressive, wordless sighs, she always delivered deep emotional impact.

As part of the Peabody Award-winning documentary series “Jazz Profiles,” this presentation about Betty Carter was produced in 1997 by Sonja Williams – and narrated by the show host Nancy Wilson.

The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com

A brilliant improviser and prodigious technician, Buddy DeFranco reinvented jazz clarinet in the 1940s and 1950s, moving past traditional swing to become the premier bebop interpreter. It was a perilous undertaking on an instrument that requires nearly superhuman skill and dexterity to keep up with bebop’s sometimes freakishly fast tempos. Buddy spent a year with the famous Count Basie Septet; played with Charlie Barnet, Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, and Gene Krupa; and led the Glenn Miller Orchestra from 1966 to 1974.

As part of the Peabody Award-winning documentary series “Jazz Profiles,” this presentation about Buddy DeFranco was produced in 1998 by Molly Murphy – and narrated by the show host Nancy Wilson.

The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com