In the final edition of the present series of Jazz Library, Alyn Shipton presents archive interviews with Kenny Baker, Vic Lewis, Coleridge Goode and Annie Ross in which they select some highlights of British jazz records from the 1930s to the

Milt Jackson

Apr 22nd, 2012 25m 33s

Alyn Shipton selects the most enduring records from vibraphonist Milt Jackson's extensive catalogue, with the help of an archive interview with Jackson himself.

Alan Skidmore

Mar 28th, 2012 29m 13s

Alan Skidmore is a legendary figure in British jazz and one of its truly individual saxophone voices. To celebrate his imminent 70th birthday, he joins Alyn Shipton to select some of his finest recordings, ranging from work with John Mayall and

Paul Motian

Mar 15th, 2012 32m 39s

From his early recordings with the Bill Evans trio in the 1950s, Paul Motian remained in the very highest echelons of jazz until his death in November 2011. His former colleague, the saxophonist Martin Speake, who worked with Motian on record a

Boyd Raeburn

Feb 27th, 2012 38m 9s

Bruce Boyd Raeburn joins Alyn Shipton to select some unusual examples of the original works of his jazz bandleader father, Boyd Raeburn.

Red Mitchell

Feb 19th, 2012 32m 45s

Simon Woolf joins Alyn Shipton to explore the recorded legacy of American bassist Red Mitchell - from his early years on the West Coast and time in Sweden to his later work in duos.

Bob Brookmeyer

Feb 5th, 2012 28m 53s

In 2011, trombonist, bandleader and arranger Bob Brookmeyer celebrated his 80th birthday. To mark the event, Alyn Shipton met Brookmeyer to pick the highlights of his recorded work, ranging from his pioneering small group playing with Gerry Mul

John Etheridge

Jan 29th, 2012 32m 50s

John Etheridge is one of Britain's most versatile jazz musicians. He joins Alyn Shipton to pick his recordings, including Soft Machine and his acclaimed duo with John Williams.

The Best New Releases of 2011

Dec 25th, 2011 33m 38s

Alyn Shipton is joined by a group of the country's leading jazz critics, broadcasters and writers to select the best new releases of 2011.

David Sanborn

Dec 11th, 2011 33m 47s

Saxophonist David Sanborn joins Alyn Shipton in front of an audience at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, during the 2011 London Jazz Festival to select his finest recordings. A star of fusion, but with a far wider stylistic range, Sanborn looks back a

Regina Carter

Nov 27th, 2011 40m 22s

Violinist Regina Carter is a major jazz talent from Detroit. She joins Alyn Shipton in front of an audience at the Purcell Room to pick her finest records as part of the London Jazz Festival. The music covers her own bands plus collaborations w

Trevor Watts

Nov 22nd, 2011 33m 21s

Prior to his appearance with Veryan Weston at the 2011 London Jazz Festival (in association with Radio 3), saxophonist, percussionist and bandleader Trevor Watts joins Alyn Shipton to pick the highlights of his recorded career. From the vigorou

Michel Portal

Oct 29th, 2011 26m 27s

French saxophonist Michel Portal is also one of the world's great classical clarinettists, and a restless musical experimenter. In this week's programme, prior to a concert at the London Jazz Festival, Portal joins Alyn Shipton to pick some of

Louis Jordan

Oct 22nd, 2011 42m 1s

The saxophonist and singer Louis Jordan bridged the gap between jazz and rhythm and blues, pioneering many techniques that would be the foundation of r and b, and of rock, but always played as straight ahead jazz. Jordan produced dozens of clas

Barney Wilen

Sep 24th, 2011 37m 3s

The French saxophonist Barney Wilen is best known for his 1950s recordings with Miles Davis, on the score for Louis Malle's film "Lift to the Scaffold". But his work is much wider than this. After growing up in America, he fitted naturally into

Gerry Mulligan

Sep 17th, 2011 35m 53s

Gerry Mulligan was one of the finest baritone saxophonists in jazz history, bringing an effortless grace to the large instrument, enhanced by his skill as a composer and arranger. Brian Priestley joins Alyn Shipton to select Mulligan's key reco

Django Bates

Sep 14th, 2011 38m 5s

Pianist, composer and bandleader Django Bates has been one of the most innovative figures on the European jazz scene since the 1980s. In front of an audience at this year's Cheltenham Jazz Festival, he joins Alyn Shipton to look back over his r

Ray Brown

Sep 10th, 2011 30m 25s

Famous for his associations with Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson and Ella Fitzgerald (who was also his wife) bassist Ray Brown (who died in 2002) talked to Alyn Shipton about his key recordings in a 1996 interview for Radio 3. In addition to ma

Lalo Schifrin

Sep 3rd, 2011 21m 51s

Best known for his film themes such as "Mission Impossible", Argentine pianist and composer Lalo Schifrin is also one of the world's great jazz musicians. In an archive interview with Alyn Shipton he traces his recording career, starting with D

Artie Shaw

Aug 27th, 2011 33m 8s

Artie Shaw was one of the most technically brilliant clarinettists in jazz. He was also an improviser, composer and bandleader of the first order, until he ended his career at the age of 44, believing that he had said all he had to say as a mus

Oliver Nelson

Aug 20th, 2011 33m 44s

Oliver Nelson wrote and directed the iconic album Blues and The Abstract Truth - a defining 1960s jazz record. In this programme Guy Barker joins Alyn Shipton to explore the wealth of material that Nelson created as both arranger and saxophonis

Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen

Aug 13th, 2011 25m 43s

Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen was one of the most technically brilliant jazz double bassists from the 1960s to the early 2000s, until his sudden death from a heart attack in April 2005. Most famous for his work with Oscar Peterson, Niels-Hennin

Harry 'Sweets' Edison

Jul 30th, 2011 24m 41s

The star trumpeter with Count Basie in the 1930s and 40s, Harry Sweets Edison went on to become one of the most recorded trumpet soloists in jazz. In an interview recorded for Radio 3 in 1992 he joined Alyn Shipton to select his favourite recor

Stephane Grappelli

Jul 23rd, 2011 36m 36s

Looking back on the long recording career of Stephane Grappelli, Alyn Shipton is joined by Martin Taylor who played with the great French violinist for several years. The music spans over fifty years from the first 1930s discs by the Hot Club o

Jo Jones

Jul 16th, 2011 35m 35s

In the Count Basie Orchestra from 1936-48, Jo Jones redefined jazz drumming. Percussionist Richard Pite joins Alyn Shipton to select Jones's finest recordings, and to demonstrate some of his innovations in the studio. As well as the Basie band,