Jazz Backstory

by Monk Rowe

The podcast series, Jazz Backstory, is based on the holdings of the Fillius Jazz Archive (https://www.hamilton.edu/campuslife/arts-at-hamilton/jazzarchive) located at Hamilton College (https://www.hamilton.edu/), in Clinton, New York. Established in 1995, and dedicated in 2013 in honor of Milton F. Fillius, Jr. ’44 and Nelma “Nikki” Nenneau Fillius, the Fillius Jazz Archive holds a collection of over 440 videotaped interviews w... Read more

Podcast episodes

  • Season 2

  • S02 E16 - “The Producers”

    S02 E16 - “The Producers”

    Helen Dance, George Avakian, Orrin Keepnews and Joel Dorn do their best to describe the role of a jazz producer, the person “behind the glass.”

    29:50
  • S02 E15 - “Records and Record Dates” - pt. 2

    S02 E15 - “Records and Record Dates” - pt. 2

    A second spin on the recording business with stories from James Moody, Alicia Olatuja, Bela Fleck and Steve Allen.

    29:53
  • S02 E14 - “Records and Record Dates” – pt. 1

    S02 E14 - “Records and Record Dates” – pt. 1

    One nighters, life on a bus and minimal salaries may seem worth it when jazz musicians finally find themselves in a recording studio. Doc Cheatham, Toshiko Akiyoshi, John Best and others speak about memorable records and recording...

    30:07
  • S02 E13 - “Jazz Life On the Road” - pt. 2

    S02 E13 - “Jazz Life On the Road” - pt. 2

    Sonny Igoe, Al Grey, Ruth Brown and Joe Wilder offer more road tales both poignant and humorous. Racial discrimination plays a role in these road travails.

    30:02
  • S02 E12 - “Jazz Life On the Road”- pt. 1

    S02 E12 - “Jazz Life On the Road”- pt. 1

    Musicians need gigs and they need to go anywhere they can find them. The “romance” of the road becomes realistic with tales from Bucky Pizzarelli, Kenny Davern, Carmen Leggio and Jimmy Lewis.

    31:39