Jazz Radio Archive

Brazil | October 25
International | October 18
Honorifics | September 14
Colors | September 7
Habibi Funk | May 11
Sports | May 4
Earth | April 27
Wind | April 20
Jazz Messengers | March 16
Dictionary | March 9
Mystery | February 23
Classical | February 9
Locations | January 2

Brazil
KCOU JAZZ
October 25, 2025

An exploration into Brazilian music from the birth of Bossa Nova in the 1950s to contemporary artists.

Songs Included

Luiz Bonfa | Samba de Orfeu | Solo in Rio (1959)


A highly influential song that properly introduced bossa nova to the world, Samba de Orfeu was written by Luis Bonfa in 1959 to accompany Marcel Camus’ Black Orpheus. The film was a landmark in Brazilian cinema, winning best foreign film and placing Brazilian culture in front of a global audience. 

This song places listeners on top of a mountainous favela, looking out below onto the city of Rio de Janeiro and blends older samba styles with a more contemporary relaxed style. This style of music, drawing on cool jazz and popularized by the success of the film, would ultimately be drawn on continually in the coming years. 


Jorge Ben Jor | Mas Que Nada | Samba Esquema Novo (1963)


Jorge Ben perfects samba and bossa nova grooves on this stand-out Brazilian classic. Written Ben’s debut album Samba Esquema Novo, Mas Que Nada soared in popularity when it was covered by Sergio Mendes in 1966. 

This early sixties version features a feisty vocal and guitar performance from Jorge Ben, who lays on the back of a solid varied cross-stick beat and is accompanied by Pedro Paulo on trumpet and J.T. Meirelles on saxophone. The upbeat flow of this song and Jorge Ben’s other music was highly influential for American musicians aiming to emulate the same Brazilian samba groove. 

Stan Getz, Joao Gilberto | Desafinido (1964)


In the wake of the bossa nova revolution, dozens of American jazz musicians flocked to Brazil. Working with local musicians to unlock the best of the genre, Stan Getz emerged as a musician with particular success. Getz joined singer and guitarist Joao Gilberto in 1964 to deliver the genre’s landmark album Getz/Gilberto.

Desafinido, written by Antonio Carlos Jobim in 1959, roughly translates to “off-key” in English. The song was originally a response to critics who claimed that the bossa nova genre was created for singers who can't sing. On this recording, Gilberto delivers a serene and stylistically rich vocal performance, again backed by guitar and cross-stick drum patterns. When Getz arrives in this song, he relaxes on the back of beats, floats through lines, and weaves together impressionistic melodies, displaying a brilliant understanding of American jazz and Brazilian samba. 

Antonio Carlos Jobim | Look To The Sky | Wave (1967)


When discussing Brazilian composers, no conversation can avoid the impact of Antonio Carlos Jobim. He defined the contours of what we consider to be bossa nova music by pinning samba rhythms to his influences in 1950s West Coast jazz and French impressionist compositions. The album Wave brings together those influences in a compact and concentrated fashion, and Look To The Sky is an example of Jobim’s best. 

In Look To The Sky, Urbie Green carries a somewhat ethereal trombone melody over a bed of string ensemble and Jobim’s guitar and piano. Jobim conducts this piece of Bossa Nova in an orchestral capacity, a style that would be followed in future generations of Brazilian jazz artists.

Milton Nascimento | Tudo O Que Voce Podia Ser | Clube Da Esquina (1972)


A track that progresses like a vehicle in motion, Tudo O Que Voce Podia Ser feels like the beginning of a long journey. This track opens Milton Nascimento’s 1972 joint album with Lo Borges, and starts with impassioned guitar and distant vocals before progressing into a fueled rocking groove with shakers and congas.

On this album, Nascimento moved away from the bossa nova of the past and reached for a popular sound to connect across Brazil. Conceived at a time of political tension during Brazil’s military dictatorship, the album is known for its musical fusion risks and themes of friendship, liberty and youth. The album cover shows two young Brazilian boys sitting and eating bread, one not wearing shoes.


Arthur Verocai | Na boca do sol (1972)


Featured on Arthur Verocai’s 1972 self-titled album, Na boca do sol expounds upon the samba and orchestral influences of Brazil’s music Brazilian to incorporates more electronic elements. Featuring big horn hits and varied percussion, this piece follows a particularly turbulent road driven by deep-reaching bass, seeking synths, and yearning vocals. 

Largely unsuccessful upon its release, this album has later emerged as a cult classic in the Brazilian jazz catalogue, and Arthur Verocai’s composing talents have been more recently explored through collaborations with contemporary musicians like Hiatus Kaiyote, Tyler the Creator, and BadBadNotGood. 

Azimuth | Manha (1975)


Manha, recorded by Azymuth in 1975, feels largely ahead of its time. Employing sound effects, echoes, abstract sounds and psychedelic pockets, this piece goes a step further beyond orchestral influences and synths. 

Syncopation also features heavily in this song, and it enters different trances of rhythm across its 3:45 duration. Manha, meaning morning, comes from Azimuth’s self-titled album.

Sergio Mendes | Magalenha | Brasileiro (1992)


Magalenha is the second song on Sergio Mendes’ 1992 Brasileiro album, and highlights the samba sub-genre of batucada, involving an ensemble of percussive forces to move a syncopated groove forward. 

With ringing bells and joyful singing, this song is made for dance and carnival. Its performer, Sergio Mendes, was an instrumental figure in popularizing Brazilian music worldwide. .

Olodum | Amor de Eva | O Movimento (1994)


From Brazil’s Northeast Bahia region, Olodum’s musical style blends African drum styles with Brazilian samba, using booming drum patterns to move horn and vocal melodies along a reggae inspired carnival performance. As a music group, Olodum have developed music into activism to combat social discrimination and boost the self-esteem and pride of Afro-Brazilians. 

This song, Amor de Eva, comes from their 1994 album O Movimento and embodies all of those musical and cultural characteristics. 

Barbatuques | Baiao Destemperado | Corpo Do Som (2002)



A relentlessly percussive style, Baiao is a music and dance originating from the Bahia region. While traditional baiaos are situated on the syncopated pulse of the zabumba drum, Baiao Destemperado’s pattern is marked by clapping, snapping, and mouth pops. 

 Known for their use of clapping and using their bodies as musical instruments, this album by the Barbatuques translates to Body of Sound. Thumping electric bass and impassioned flute move throughout this beat, and bring together a distinct musical palette.

Fabiano do Nascimento, Sam Gendel | Poeira |  The Room (2024)

Poeira is a deeply poetic and introspective song. Composed by Rio de Janeiro-born and Los Angeles and Japan based guitarist Fabiano do Nascimento, this song is composed like a sweeping journey through one's self. Nascimento’s guitar shifts between rhythmic patterns and exploratory phrases, with saxophonist Sam Gendel coating the tune in a warm tone. This song comes from Nascimento and Gendel’s 2024 joint album The Room, a modern exploration of traditional Brazilian music and jazz.

Sessa | Vento a Favor | (2023)

Inspired by the Tropicalia treatment of Brazilian music, Sessa is an emerging guitarist and singer blending Afro-Brazilian rhythms with British and American rock influences. Drawing from the palletes of Caetano Veloso and Lo Borges, Vento a Favor is a 2023 single from Sessa, and it incorporates distant vocals and dreamy acoustic guitar, interrupted by a ripping electric guitar in its later stages.

Lau Ro, Wax Machine | Lugar | Cabana (2024)

From Lau Ro’s debut album, Lugar offers a quaint impression of the musician’s working mind. Driven by repeating guitar and piano patterns, Lau Ro uses their voice to explore musical space, finding warm tones and comforting strings.
International
KCOU JAZZ
October 18, 2025

A curated selection of international music across eras and styles. All titles are in foreign languages, a sign of jazz’ global impact.




Songs Included

Bolbec | A L’Instar du Flair | Victime de L’aube (2024)



Emerging from Rouen in France, multi-instrumentalists Axel Concato and Barth Corbelet make up modern jazz outfit Bolbec. Featured on their 2024 debut album, A L’Instar du Flair is a mystical discovery into some of the deepest pockets of soundtrack inspiration. Percussive shakers and trilling flute create a rainforest-like musical texture built on a base of warm synth and cross-stick percussion. 



Representing the burgeoning European jazz scene, Bolbec are one to watch in modern jazz.

Yuji Ohno | 愛のシルエット大野雄二 | Lupin III Original Soundtrack (1978)


Yuji Ohno’s Ai no Shiruetto, which means Love Silhouette, scores the 1978 soundtrack of Lupin III, a popular anime series in Japan and Italy during the 60s and 70s. This song brings forward a swirling, funky groove and romantic energy scored with strings and synths. Brass and saxophone also feature in this song, bringing together a well-realized cut of soundtrack jazz.

Piero Piccioni | Aspetto Ancora un Giorno | Quelle Strane Occasioni (1978)


Translated from Italian, “I’ll wait one more day,” this flitting melody plays like a hopeful daydream.


with a vocalist joining partway through the tune to add to the song’s playful nature. Part of the soundtrack for Quelle Strane Occasioni, a 1976 Italian episodic film concering strange occasions, Aspetto Ancora un Giorno fits neatly into Piero Piccioni’s extensive soundtrack music catalog.

Omar Khorshid | La Playa | Belly Dance Vol. 1 (1992)


A Spanish title performed by Egyptian guitarist Omar Khorshid, La Playa brings only the best musical textures to the table. 

Raised in Cairo and teaching himself instruments at an early age, Khorshid left Egypt for Lebanon following political turmoil in 1973. In Lebanon he began recording under his own name for various Lebanese record labels. Leaving Lebanon in 1977, Khorshid was honored by Egyptian president Anwar Sadat to perform at Jimmy Carter’s White House during a peace treaty ceremony between Egypt and Israel. 


Beginning with a ringing, percussive stereo beat and diving into deep electric guitar groove, La Playa lulls listeners into something of an oceanic hypnosis. 

Hailu Mergia, Dahlak Band | Yene Nesh Wey | Wede Harze Guzo (1978)


Yene Nesh Wey, written in Amharic, means ‘My Beautiful One.’

With a horn intro that dances around different time signatures, this song settles into a pacey waltz. Hailu Mergia’s signature electric keyboard sound rings joyfully across a piece dedicated to a love. This song comes from Mergia’s 1978 album Wede Harer Guzo, recorded during the time when the Derg dictatorship had censorship on musicians in Ethiopia. Initially only released on cassette, this album had a revival in 2016 when Awesome Tapes From Africa re-released the record. 


Hailu Mergia is now based in Washington DC and still tours.

Kokoroko | Ewa Inu | Could We Be More (2022)


In Yoruba, Ewa Inu means ‘Inner Beauty.’ This song brings together an introspective and motivating groove that captures the soulful essence of the band.


Contemporary champions of afro-beat jazz, Kokoroko has sprung to prominence in today’s jazz scene through their strong horn section, excellent varied percussion, and serene piano and guitar play. Ewa Inu comes from Kokoroko’s 2022 album, Could We Be More, but the London-based group released an album earlier this year called Tuff Times Never Last. 

Connie Kim | Lý Luận Tình Yêu | Saigon Supersound (1977) 


Recorded in 1977 and released on a 2017 compilation of post-war Vietnamese rock and soul, Ly Luan Tinh Yeu was resurfaced by German record label Saigon Supersound. Against a rich palette of spirited vocals and strumming bass, soulful saxophone and noisy trumpet rip across the tune.

A cut of Vietnamese funk by Connie Kim, Ly Luan Tinh Yeu means ‘The Theory of Love.’

Chihiro Yamanaka | マイ・フェイヴァリット・シングス | Rosa (2020)


Chihiro Yamanaka writes My Favorite Things in her native Katakana Japanese on this take of one of the most celebrated jazz standards. A highlight from her 2020 album Rosa, Yamanaka’s My Favorite Things brings together the best of her melodic and stylistic expertise on piano. Racing through this standard in 3 and a half minutes, Yamanaka is able to achieve a succinct cut of class on a song that can be explored endlessly.

Charlie Rouse | Aconteceu | Bossa Nova Bacchanal (1962)


Recorded by the Washington DC-born saxophonist on his 1962 album Bossa Nova Bacchanal, Aconteceu is a lovely trip through the essence of American bossa nova music. Borrowing from the Portuguese word for ‘it happened,’ Aconteceu plays like a laid-back story being told between friends. Rouse is joined by a number of musicians on this Blue Note release, including Kenny Burrell on guitar and Willie Bobo on drums. 

Lô Borges | Calibre | (1972)


From a later date the bossa nova wave, Calibre plays with a psychedelically cured flavor of Brazilian jazz, with notes of thumping electric bass, spacey grooves, and pensive flute. Recorded by Lo Borges, one of the most influential Brazilian composers, on his 1972 self-titled album, Calibre taps into another caliber of international music.

Ahmed Malek | Leila et Les Autres | (1977)

Another piece of soundtrack music and another African artist, Ahmed Malek conducted Leila et Les Autres as the title track for a 1977 Algerian drama. Beginning with a lone acoustic guitar, the tune grows into an dramatic orchestral world fitting for the film’s themes of women navigating Algiers in the 1970s.

Kaede, Lamp | ハートはナイトブル | Stardust in Blue | (2020)

Rounding out an evening of international jazz music, Japanese artists Kaede and Lamp’s closing track to their 2020 collaboration album whispers a subtle ending. When translated, the song is titled Heart is Night Blue, which explains the dark moods and epheremal swing of this final track. 


Honorifics
KCOU JAZZ
Sept. 14, 2025

An honorific is a title corresponding to a person’s status or rank, as well as a way to address someone politely.

Ladies and gentlemen, doctors and captains are the subject of this honorific-focused evening of jazz programming. Beginning with a deep dive into the corners of bop music and ending with open grooves and lyrical explorations, these titles elevate the abilities of each featured musician.






Songs Included

Miles Davis | Dr. Jekyll | Milestones (1958)


Like a mad professor’s empassioned lecture, Dr. Jekyll reaches across bop with fiery percussion and angular lines. Philly Joe Jones’ drumstick hits and subtle rolls resemble an academic’s strike of a chalkboard as Davis plays the role of the rampant genius, always shifting and moving ahead of the beat. 

 A breakthrough in in Davis’ hard-bop progression, Milestones stays true to its name. The opening track, Dr. Jekyll introduces Davis’ focus of the hour: mastering a rapid pace while maintaining technique and class. Clocking in at nearly six minutes and featuring a bass solo from Paul Chambers, Davis’ exercise in bop is regimented and principled: Everyone must solo.

The title most likely refers to the 1886 novella Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde, where a practitioner investigates the relationship between his friend and the murderous Mr. Hyde.

Lee Morgan | Mr. Kenyatta | Search For The New Land (1966)


Mr. Kenyatta meets mid-1960s post-bop in a conscientious fashion.  Named after Jomo Kenyatta, Kenya’s first president elected in 1964 and an anti-colonialist leader, Mr. Kenyatta’s expressive and searching sound compounds on the album’s lyrical freedom. Conceived in a time of great political and ideological discourse in the American Civil Rights Movement, the homage to the African nationalist is on the pulse. 

Philidelphia-born Morgan is joined on this track by the everpresent Herbie Hancock on keys, Grant Green on guitar, Wayne Shorter on saxophone, and Reggie Workman on bass. Mr. Kenyatta stands as an understated, yet powerful track from an ensemble of jazz giants.

McCoy Tyner | Have You Met Miss Jones | Reaching Fourth (1963)


The closing track on McCoy Tyner’s Reaching Fourth, Have You Met Miss Jones wraps the American standard into an enjoyable gift for listeners. A light listen, Tyner’s lifting piano pairs with Roy Haynes’ quick drums and Henry Grimes’ jolly bass. John Coltrane, a frequent collaborator with Tyner, used Miss Jones’ harmonic concept to engineer his landmark Giant Steps in 1960.

Paul Desmond | Mrs. Robinson | Bridge Over Troubled Water (1969)


A cover of Simon and Garfunkle’s soundtrack for The Graduate, Paul Desmond swings a bossa-infused veil on Mrs. Robinson. Joined by a mixed percussive pallete and Herbie Hancock on the Fender Rhodes, Desmond flows through melodic lines in a saturated stream. 

Mary Lou Williams | Miss D.D. | Black Christ of the Andres (1964)


A piano and composing prodigy, Mary Lou Williams was a a friend, mentor, and teacher to Thelonius Monk, Bud Powell, Miles Davis, and Charlie Parker. She began playing piano with Duke Ellington by the age of 13, and had carried on a long and successful career full of honors. Miss D.D. is a direct tribute to a friend in Williams’ circle, and sits in a meditative, subdued mood. 

Antonio Carlos Jobim | Captain Bacardi | Wave (1967)


Employing cuica, bending woodwinds and slurring trombone, Antonio Carlos Jobim draws on a relaxed, rum-infused groove for Captain Bacardi. This is a bright track with cross-stick, gentle guitar, and prominent trombone. 

Captain Bacardi purrs forward like a ship at sea. Closing with a variety of musical textures that resemble animals like elephants, monkeys, and birds, Jobim navigates the captain’s ship through a rainforest of slipping samba.

Piero Umiliani | Lady Magnolia | To-Day’s Sound (1973) 


Notable for its use of moog synth and funky groove, Lady Magnolia fits into much of Piero Umiliani’s work in film and television music. Employing raspy flute and congo drums, Umiliani ventures past traditional library music to bring together a tight piece on To-Day’s Sound.

Pharoah Sanders | Doktor Pitt | Journey To The One (1980)


Pharoah Sanders builds on the circular and reflective formula of Coltrane’s My Favorite Things with the help of Eddie Henderson on flugel, Idris Muhamed on drums, Ray Drummond on bass, and John Hicks on piano on Doktor Pitt. A 12 minute hard-bop drill with fantastic shifts in key and style, the song was named after the owner of Theresa Records, the label that originally released the album.

Colors
KCOU JAZZ
Sept. 7, 2025

A journey through the rainbow of jazz music, drawing colors and textures from contemporary and archived sources.




Songs Included

Pharoah Sanders | Colors | Karma (1969)



On Colors, Pharoah Sanders cultivates a rainbow of musical textures, incorporating bright ringing bells over a bed of plunging, burrowing bass, filling the space between with muted horns, drawn out orchestral instruments. Meditative in his approach, Sanders explores the colors that surround him, first through his saxophone and then vocally, appreciating mother nature what she has brought. Through red and orange and purple, yellow and green, Sanders’ journey is a pensive one full of soul and trust.



Miles Davis | Blue in Green | Kind of Blue (1959)


Tapping into the coolest tones, Miles Davis explores blue and green hues in minor fashion on Kind of Blue’s closing A-side track. Tracing under Bill Evan’s blossoming chords like a skater cutting snow on an ice rink, Davis fashions a delicate, patient melody. When Davis bows out, Evans leaps between musical registers and left-hand overlaps to build towards John Coltranes resolute entrance. 

Coltrane entrance remains one of the finest moments in jazz history. The three musicians combine in perfect harmony and drift into a free-flowing exploration of impressionist musical mood. The 10-bar melody is longing, leading the piece into a circular motion. As Davis concludes his final phrases, Evans’ circle becomes a spiral, crashing in on itself to seal the ephemeral moment.

Duke Ellington | Midnight Indigo | Anatomy of a Murder (1959)


Opening and closing with Billy Strayhorn’s discordant celeste, Midnight Indigo settles into a melancholic saxophone groove, where Harry Carney’s baritone pad taps and tired inhales are heard over gentle percussion. A product of Ellington’s soundtrack for Anatomy of A Murder, Midnight Indigo explores the color of the darkest sky.

Jutta Hipp, Zoot Sims | Violets For Your Furs (1957)


From the artists’ joint album, Violets For Your Furs explores the final stretch of dark and pensive colors. A brilliant ballad engineered by Hipp’s harmonic piano and Sims’ flowing saxophone, this take on the American standard unfurls like a conversation. Flowery and full-bodied, violet emerges from the musicians’ warm hands.

Freddie Hubbard | Red Clay (1970)


A statement piece, Freddie Hubbard’s Red Clay soars into the fusion stratosphere, shattering conventions with open forms, electric bass, driving percussion, and trilling trumpet. Red Clay stands as Hubbard’s explorative masterpiece, becoming an album that would redefine jazz for the decade ahead. Balancing hard bop elements of the 1960s with new, freer elemnts, Red Clay brilliantly frames the bright hues of jazz music’s more avant-garde and envelope-pushing sound.

Incorporating the talents of some of the most influential and prolific artists the genre, Hubbard is joined by Herbie Hancock on keys, Ron Carter on bass, Joe Henderson on saxophone, and Lenny White on drums.


Nat King Cole | Orange Colored Sky | The Nat King Cole Story (1961)


Bright and flashy in its approach, Orange Colored Sky explores the contrast between Nat King Cole’s soothing vocal delivery and Stan Kenton’s brassy big-band hits. The musicians combine to build a tune on complete tilt, translating the feelings of instant love. 

Vels Trio | Yellow Ochre pt. 1 (2017)


Measured and resourceful, the Vels Trio explore galactic synth and guitar sound over a cross-stick pattern to color Yellow Ochre. The title track on the Birmingham-based ensemble’s debut EP, Yellow Ochre pt. 1 leads other celestial-like pieces.

Jorge Ben Jor | Rosa, Menina Rosa | Samba Esquema Novo (1963)


Flowery and empassioned, Jorge Ben’s Rosa cuts a samba-infused groove into the jazz rainbow. From the Brazilian’s landmark debut album, Rosa demonstrates Ben’s vocal range and unique emotional timbre. 

Robohands | Green (2018)

Circling back on a mellower tone, Green closes the rainbow with a meditative, lifting beat. Robohands incorporates trombone, trumpet, and saxophone over dynamic percussion to explore a wide range of musical textures, culminating in an almost mossy tone. 


Habibi Funk
KCOU JAZZ
Jan. 26, 2025


Exploring jazz contributions from the Arab world. Multiple selected pieces were resurfaced by emerging Berlin-based record label Habibi Funk.




Songs Included

The Scorpions | Bride of Africa | Jazz, Jazz, Jazz (2018)


Recorded in Kuwait during the 1980s and re-released in 2018 by Habibi Funk, Bride of Africa comes from Sudanese band The Scorpions. A piece that plays like the morning of a wedding day, Bride of Africa opens with bright electric guitar and incorporates lyrical vocals and saxophone. 

Hamid Al Shaeri | Tew’idni Dom | The SLAM! Years (2022)


Tew’idni Dom comes from Egyptian-Libyan singer and producer Hamid Al Shaeri from his years at Egyptian Record Label SLAM! between 1983 and 1988. With jingling synth and bouncing guitar, Al Shaeri cultivates an Arabic pop sound, which his vocals coat with steez. Habibi Funk re-released Tew’idni Dom in 2022.

Carthago | Hanen | Alech (2016)

An upbeat melody, Hanen rings with thumping drums and slapped bass. An energetic take on Tunisian disco, Carthago was formed as a fusion between Marhaba Band and Dalton. This recording came from their time together in 1979 and brought back to life in 2016 by Habibi Funk. 

Charif Megarbane | Yara | Marzipan (2023)


From the prolific Lebanese multi-instrumentalist, Yara features on Charif Megarbane’s first full-length collaboration with Habibi Funk. Yara drives a stake into the deepest ground of soundtrack-inspired jazz music. Megarbane’s impressionistic musical style carries into his style as a producer. Releasing over 100 albums under different pen names across Beirut, Lisbon, and other cities, Megarbane’s output equals his talent and ear for cultivated groove.

Ahmed Malek | Tape 19.11 (2017)


On a piece simply entitled Tape 19.11, Algerian soundtrack composer Ahmed Malek carries a flute melody forward like a freight train. Between flagrant percussion interludes, flute and strings plead a continuing musical theme. Tape 19.11 was re-released by Habibi Funk in 2017 after decades in the musical vaults.




Dalton | Alech | Soul Brother (2015)


Dalton’s only recorded single, Alech was recorded in Rome in the early 1970s. A band formed by students from the University of Tunis, Dalton blended shakers and Ridha Kouhen’s bass guitar with Mustapha Rehouma’s saxophone to cross American soul palettes with Arab lyrical direction. The piece itself is full of questions, with the repeated “Alech,” meaning “Why?” in Tunisian dialect.

Habibi Funk’s first re-release in 2015, Alech sets the tone for the curated style the label has come to be known for.

Elias Rahbani | I Think of You | Mosaic of the Orient (1972)


From Lebanon, Elias Rahbani composed more than 2,500 songs and wrote soundtracks for more than 25 films during his extensive musical career. I Think of You comes from his landmark instrumental album Mosaic of the Orient, originally released in 1972. The piece is a psychedelic groove laid down by a flute and lute pairing. With organ-like synthesizers and congos, this piece reaches beyond a folk tune and creates its own subgenre.

Ali Hassan Kuban | Mabruk | From Nubia to Cairo (1989)

Known as the “Godfather of Nubian Music,” Ali Hassan Kuban was an Egyptian singer and bandleader known for his fusion of funk and traditional Nubian melody. Mabruk comes from Kuban’s 1989 album “From Nubia to Cairo” and features folksy accordion, buzzing brass, and spirited vocals. Much like the title and cover of the album suggest, Kuban’s theme of movement rings throughout this piece. 

Salah Ragab, The Cairo Jazz Band | Egypt Strut (2021)

Likely recorded in the early 1970s and re-released in 2021, Salah Ragab’s Egypt Strut combines bluesy marching horns with Egyptian piano. Another fusion of American jazz and traditional Egyptian music, horns feature prominently in this piece, and are supplemented by a buzzing Mozmar trio. Adding electric rock guitar, Salah Ragaba and The Cairo Jazz Band add a rock and roll groove to their funk.

Kamal Keila | Al Asafir | (2017)


A key figure in Sudanese jazz, Kamal Keila swings a pensive guitar and trumpet groove on Al Asafir. With the song titled “The Birds,” Keila’s band holds onto flitting string passages, closing with a powerful electric guitar solo. Recorded for the Sudanese national radio in 1992, this recording was re-released in 2017 by Habibi Funk.

Hanan | Ghariba | Helwa (1987)

Roughly translating to “Strange,” Hanan’s Ghariba sings through layers of heartbreak and disappointment. Featuring on the Egyptian pop singer’s 1987 debut album with her band al-Asdiqa (The Friends), Hanan’s Arabic singing with 80s drum synth and guitar helped pioneer the success of the Al Jeel genre in Egypt’s pop scene.


Sports 
 KCOU JAZZ
  May 4, 2025


An athletically motivated evening of jazz radio programming. 


Songs Included

George Semper | Universe | Themes for Television, Sports & Aerobics (1984)

Featured on an album with titles like We Are The LA Raiders and Here’s To The NBA, Universe opens a galaxy of sporting circumstance. This piece comes to life like an old highlight tape, showcasing only the best of athletic jazz music. 


Lee Morgan | The Sidewinder | The Sidewinder (1964)



A classic piece of hard bop that swings like a baseball bat, The Sidewinder became one of Lee Morgan’s most celebrated compositions. This was a classic celebrating a big outing for Morgan, who contributed runs and big hits. Joe Henderson also ran his way around the plates, whirling away in a spirited mood.

The team put together a dominant performance. The Sidewinder marked a Billboard Hot 100 hit, prompting Blue Note to push Morgan to the front in future releases.

Vince Guaraldi | Baseball Theme | A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1964)



Settling into a baseball groove, Vince Guaraldi composes an impression of a sunny day at the ballpark. With Guaraldi’s piano chasing melodies along with walking bass and chugging drums, the trio find a pocket of cool jazz in the outfield.

Tom Ford | Recordasinhas | The Tennis Champions (2022)



A dream-like cut of latin-inspired guitar and vocals, Tom Ford’s Recordasinhas fits into his 2022 album The Tennis Champions, which emphasizes alternative grooves.

Bing Crosby | Straight Down The Middle (1958)



A golf-inspired single, Straight Down The Middle follows big band vocalist Bing Crosby across the green. 

Athletic Progression | And1 | (2020)


From modern jazz outfit Athletic Progression’s self-titled album, And1 hangs onto a rising and falling piano, stuck in motion and accentuated by shifting percussion. 

El Michels Affair | Shadowboxing | Return To The 37th Chamber (2017)


Another contemporary jazz artist, El Michels Affair creates a fighting-inspired sonic trance on Shadowboxing, ornamented by ringing bells.




Art Blakey | Ping-Pong | Ugetsu (1963)


Played like a bouncing match of table tennis, Ping-Pong raps back and forth across the surfaces of melody and bridge, with Blakey’s drums informing much of the hard-bop style. 

Stan Getz, Luiz Bonfa, Maria Toledo | Saudade Vem Correndo | Jazz Samba Encore! (1963)


Nostalgia Comes Running is the English translation of this 1963 bossa nova classic featuring the best of pioneering Brazilian guitarist Luiz Bonfa, samba-infused American saxophonist Stan Getz, and vocalist Maria Toledo.

Bill Evans, Jim Hall | Skating in Central Park | Undercurrent (1962


Showcasing the delicate nature of sport, Bill Evans and Jim Hall combine on Skating in Central Park and bring forward a softly-tempered winter day on an ice-rink. 

Dizzy Gillespie | The Champ | World Statesmen (1956)


As a finalist to a show dedicated to sports, The Champ stands tall as a thumping winning display of big band bebop.


Earth Day
KCOU JAZZ
April 27, 2025

A celebration of Earth Day, this edition of KCOU Jazz embraces the spirit of the season with a setlist inspired by the natural world.

Nature-adjacent tracks evoking flowers, sunlight, rain, and growth.
Songs Included

Wayne Shorter | Wild Flower | Speak No Evil (1966)


A graceful waltz that drifts like a breeze through a meadow of blooming, unfamiliar color. Shorter pairs his searching tenor saxophone with Freddie Hubbard’s bright trumpet and Herbie Hancock’s poignant piano in this landmark ensemble. Driven by the flowing rhythm and subtle tension between Ron Carter’s steady bass and Elvin Jones’ restless drums, this piece feels both grounded and untamed—like a sonic wildflower in the landscape of post-bop.

Cal Tjader | Black Orchid | Breeze from the East (1964)


In “Black Orchid,” vibraphonist Cal Tjader blends the shimmer of gongs with Latin rhythms to cultivate a rich, flowery groove. Taken from his 1964 album Breeze from the East, the track balances exotic atmosphere with laid-back swing. Jerry Dodgion’s flute drifts over Tjader’s vibraphone textures like a breeze gliding across petals on a spring morning.

Herb Ellis, Remo Palmier | Windflower | (1977)


An all-guitar affair, “Windflower” brings Herb Ellis and Remo Palmier together in a gentle musical dialogue. The title track of a late-70s Ellis album, this tune flows with easy interplay between the two guitarists, backed by a subtle, supportive rhythm section. As its title suggests, the song unfurls soft melodic lines in a bending and swaying tone, mirroring a quiet spring day.

Sven Libaek | Nature Waltz | Nature Walkabout (1966)


Norwegian-Australian composer Sven Libaek, wrote Nature Waltz for a pioneering eco-jazz documentary by the same name. The piece drifts like a quiet stroll through a sun-dappled garden, where instruments flutter past like insects and birds. The soft hum of low flutes and brushed drums blend with muted horns and bouncy electric guitar, painting a vivid soundscape of the natural world.

John Coltrane | Nature Boy | Both Directions at Once (recorded 1963, released 2018)



John Coltrane’s take on “Nature Boy” was long considered lost until Impulse! released the 1963 recording in 2018. This version of the tune strips away Coltrane’s usual pianist, McCoy Tyner, leaving his tenor saxophone alone to wander, only guided by Elvin Jones’ tumbling drums and Jimmy Garrison’s pulling bass. In this raw, searching setting, Coltrane echoes the story of the lost boy in nature: untamed, curious, and solitary against a vast, shifting backdrop.

Junior Mance | Lilacs in the Rain | Junior (1959)



A slow, meditative piano piece, Lilascs in the Rain unfolds like a flower opening gently after a spring shower. With each delicate phrase, Junior lets the melody linger and breathe. His twinkling touches on the keys fall like raindrops, gradually watering the tune into full bloom, reaching its quiet peak in a final, reflective solo.

Paul Desmond | Bridge Over Troubled Water | (1970)


Released in the same year as the original Simon & Garfunkel version, this grooving instrumental cover of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Paul Desmond paints a colorful stream of jazz texture. Desmond is joined by Herbie Hancock on Fender Rhodes and Ron Carter on electric bass, creating a lush, flowing arrangement. The song moves like fish in a streaming river: Carter’s moving bassline forms the riverbanks, Hancock’s Rhodes ripples with hues of green and blue, and the textured percussion rises like rocks interrupting the current. It’s a gently shifting, jazz-funk interpretation that feels alive in every layer.

Gretchen Parlato | Blue in Green | The Lost and Found (2011)

With a title that mirrors the planet’s most iconic colors, “Blue in Green,” earns its place on a nature-themed playlist. Taken from Gretchen Parlato’s 2011 album The Lost and Found, this interpretation of the Miles Davis/Bill Evans classic is intimate and atmospheric. Kendrick Scott’s textured percussion whispers beneath Taylor Eigsti’s gentle piano, while Parlato’s voice floats in soft, unhurried arcs—like wind through trees or light on water.

Hiatus Kaiyote, Arthur Verocai | Get Sun | Mood Valiant (2021)


The energetic Hiatus Kaiyote made “Get Sun” with help from Brazilian jazz legend and orchestrator Arthur Verocai. Featured on their 2021 release Mood Valiant, the track bursts with solar energy—Verocai’s sweeping strings and bold horn arrangements complement Nai Palm’s radiant vocals and the band’s signature rhythmic layering. Trumpets flare like sunbursts, keys shimmer like heat waves, and the strings ripple like sundresses in a warm breeze. It’s a bright, electric celebration of light and motion.

Tarika Blue | Dreamflower | Tarika Blue (1977)

“Dreamflower” comes from Tarika Blue’s self-titled album and plays a soulful, meditative melody later sampled by Erykah Badu in “Didn’t Cha Know.” The tune blooms like a dream, layering a steady, loop-like bassline with plucky guitar and a searching soprano saxophone. It's a spacious, quietly psychedelic groove that bridges jazz, soul, and future sounds. With its organic textures and steady pulse, the track feels rooted in earthiness.

Arawak | Accade a Bali | Accade a… (1970)

While its title may not be explicitly nature-themed, Arawak’s “Accade a Bali” belongs in a Earth Day set for its atmosphere alone. The album cover shows a red sun setting over a jungle bay, and the music feels just as sweltering. Flute floats through a humid groove built on pulsing bass, crisp cross-stick drums, and woozy guitar. Like the lightheaded haze of a sun-drenched afternoon, this track radiates tropical heat and offers a psychedelic, sun-soaked detour into nature’s wilder corners.

Javier Santiago | Gaia’s Warning | Phoenix (2021)

To close the show, Javier Santiago’s “Gaia’s Warning” offers a poignant reminder of Earth’s powerful abilities amid environmental uncertainty. Named for the Greek goddess of the Earth, the track pulses with urgency and spirit, fusing soulful harmonies, layered keys, and percussive tension. It’s a modern jazz meditation on environmental fragility—an evocative farewell from Gaia herself.


Winds of Change  
KCOU JAZZ
April 20, 2025


As severe wind formed in Mid-Missouri,  a tornado of jazz radio flooded the 88.1 FM radio waves. Intertwined with interruptions from the National Weather Service, this particular mix was prepared for the weather above, with titles including “Windy,” and “Cast Your Fate Into the Wind.”

Songs with “Wind” in their titles.





Songs Included

Kiyoshi Sugimoto | Babylonia Wind (1972)


The title track of Kiyoshi Sugimoto’s Babylonia Wind is an experiment in jazz fusion that whirls like a tornado.

Its whipping introduction stirs both awe and unease, and cascading percussive patterns with plunging bass form the storm’s churning walls. Between drums and bass, Sugimoto’s guitar, Hideo Ichikawa’s electric piano, and the horns cry out in restless motion, colliding against each other in their fight to stay upright past the gale. 

As its namesake suggests, “Babylonia Wind” feels elemental: tense, spiraling, and alive with electricity.

Penny Goodwin | Slow Hot Wind | Portrait of a Gemini (2016)


Emerging from the rubble of a storm, Slow Hot Wind takes a moment to find its footing. A minute-long introduction brushes flute, rattling percussion, and deep bass across the canvas before Penny Goodwin’s voice steps forward to steady the course.

A standout cut from Goodwin’s 2016 album Portrait of a Gemini, Slow Hot Wind drifts through layers of echoing vocals, impassioned piano, and wild winds, all resting atop a dense foundation of synth and crawling percussion.

The result is a slow, simmering exploration into the deepest corners of groove: humid, hypnotic, and alive with atmosphere.

Donald Byrd | Wind Parade | Places and Spaces (1975)


In a celebration of fusion jazz, Donald Byrd’s orchestral capabilities are on full display in Wind Parade.

Byrd carefully balances the softness of wind chimes, harp, strings, angelic vocals, with gritty piano, chunking electric bass, hissing percussion, and bright trumpet to create a lifting atmosphere high above the clouds.

A song where all musical voices work in harmony, Wind Parade’s effective use of bridges and varying rhythmic gauges bring together a trance-like piece.

Wes Montgomery | Windy | A Day In The Life (1967)


Against a sweeping string ensemble and moving congas, Wes Montgomery lays down a tight melodic exploration on Windy.

Vince Guaraldi | Cast Your Fate Into The Wind | Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus (1962)


A gentle and hopeful melody with twangy, bluesy interruptions, Cast Your Fate Into The Wind was influential in defining Vince Guaraldi’s style for his later work in the Peanuts series.

Masayoshi Takanaka | A Fair Wind | (1977)


The second Japanese guitarist on this playlist, Masayoshi Tanaka’s take on “A Fair Wind” shreds a wave of surf jazz. Bright electric tones, crisp drumming, and steady bass carry the tune forward with a coastal edge. “A Fair Wind” is sunlit, tightly arranged, and propelled by Takanaka’s melodic command.

Dorothy Ashby | Through The Windmills Of Your Mind | Dorothy’s Harp (1969)

On a supremely lyrical piece, Dorothy Ashby sheds feathers of harp brilliance. Incorporating lush orchestral sounds and buzzing flute, Ashby colors “Through The Windmills Of Your Mind”’s soundscape with a variety of sonic palettes, culminating in a dreamy composition.

Bert Jansch, John Renbourn | East Wind | Bert and John (1969)

 Bert Jansch and John Renbourn form impressions of eastern wind with twin guitars. The short piece features the two folk guitarists playing on either side of the stereo, acting as each other’s counter melodies. Feautured on their 1969 joint album, this piece ventures into open improvisational space and natural harmony.

Chick Corea | Song Of The Wind | The Complete “IS” Sessions (2002)

Whispering through flute, Chick Corea’s “Song Of The Wind” draws together a swirl of musical discovery. Originally recorded in 1969, this song flows through channels of saxophone, electric keyboard, piano, and flute in overlapping patterns. A piece in teetering chaos, “Song Of The Wind” closes out a show centered on gusts and wind.


Jazz Messengers
KCOU JAZZ
March 16, 2025


This episode of KCOU Jazz focuses on one of the most respected and longest-standing hard-bop ensembles in jazz history, led by one of the greatest jazz drummers of all time across five decades. The group saw frequent line-up changes, generations of world-class musicians, and a stable leader in drummer Art Blakey.

Beginning in the mid-1950s and ending in 1990 with the death of Blakey, the Messengers were prolific and varied in their output, releasing 47 studio albums, 21 live albums, 2 soundtracks, and 6 compilations. Widely known as the “Hard Bop Academy,” the band served as a stepping stone for musicians across generations, from Donald Byrd to Freddie Hubbard to Wynton Marsalis.  

This playlist traces the group’s evolution from its first New York live recordings to its final days, serving as a tribute to a defining ensemble in the combo jazz sphere.



Songs Included

The Jazz Messengers | Announcement By Art Blakey | The Jazz Messengers at the Cafe Bohemia (1955)


In this live recording from the early days of The Jazz Messengers, drummer and bandleader Art Blakey introduces the first edition of musicians in the Messenger lineage. Recorded in the Cafe Bohemia, a Greenwich Village jazz club that ran from 1955 to 1960 and reopened in 2019, this recording acquaints listeners with the tight-knit, approachable feel of the ensemble. This compilation album was released by Blue Note Records, the label that recorded The Jazz Messengers until 1964. 


Horace Silver and The Jazz Messengers | The Preacher | Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers (1956)


A well-respected jazz standard, Horace Silver’s The Preacher blends gospel sound with bebop language to create a jaunty piece that balances old-time feel with modern jazz conventions. Almost gutted by Blue Note producer Alfred Lion for being “too old-timey,” this song is an early example of the Jazz Messengers’ ability to develop hard-bop sound.

The first studio album with the Jazz Messengers tag, this project was the reissue of two Horace Silver Quintet releases—hence why Silver is attributed as the leader of this Messenger’s recording. This quintet features Silver on piano, Blakey on drums, Kenny Dorham on trumpet, Hank Mobley on saxophone, and Doug Watkins on bass. 

The Jazz Messengers | Ill Wind | The Jazz Messengers (1956)


The first official studio album from the Jazz Messengers came in 1956, and swapped Kenny Dorham for a young Donald Byrd on trumpet. Ill Wind has Byrd leading a gentle, muted performance that demonstrates his grace and elegance on the horn. A shorter tune in length, Byrd combines well with Mobley to make Ill Wind feel like a gentle stroll through a windy pasture. Silver’s piano dictates moments of calm and uncertainty, guiding the current of the ensemble with his signature layered playing.  

Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers | Moanin’ | Moanin’ (1959)


As the late 1950s progressed, Art Blakey’s Messengers attracted more pedigree and attention, collaborating with Thelonius Monk and bringing through musicians Jackie McLean and Kenny Drew. However, it was Blakey’s next change which truly defined the group’s strength. In 1958, Blakey formed a new lineup with four Philadelphia natives: Lee Morgan, Benny Golson, Bobby Timmons, and Jymie Merrit. Recording with Blue Note Records, they created Moanin’.  

Composed by pianist Bobby Timmons, Moanin’ is a ripened, sophisticated cut of concentrated hard-bop that brought forth The Jazz Messengers’ widespread recognition and acclaim. Bringing the best out of a 21-year-old Lee Morgan’s technical trumpet virtuosity, Benny Golson’s dynamicism and soulful expression on saxophone, and Timmons’ own compositional excellence, this nine-and-a-half-minute scorcher packages dense jazz language in a paced, purposeful end product. Jymie Merritt also features on bass in this recording. Full of call and response phrases and spirited solos, this tune bleeds blues. 

This album was originally entitled Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers, but Timmons’ composition was so instantly popular that it changed the way listeners refered to the release. The song has received critical aclaim and has been widely listened to since its release. Moanin’ is an easily enjoyable composition with deep thought, effort, and class poured into it.

Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers | On The Ginza | Ugetsu (1963)



Recorded for Riverside Records, On The Ginza is a recording from The Messengers’ Ugetsu live album in Birdland. By 1963, the Jazz Messengers had again completely reshuffled their musical lineup and brought fresh faces to the hard-bop scene. Another prime example of hard-bop sound, this Wayne Shorter composition sails between rhythmic crashes and serene straights. Named after Tokyo’s high-end shopping district and an homage to their tour in Japan months prior, On The Ginza feels like a hectic trip through a busy commercial center.

On The Ginza creates a mixed musical palette, distinguishably colorized by the combination of Blakey’s active percussion and Cedar Walton’s balanced piano. The other performances on this tune come from Shorter’s saxophone, Freddie Hubbard’s trumpet, Curtis Fuller’s trombone, and Reggie Workman’s bass. Through unreliable rhyhmic directions and patterns, the brass players navigate the shifting musical space by forming winding, repititive sequences full of bebop language. This recording was shared well between the musicians, and as Blakey explains in his introduction “in this tune, we feature no one in particular.”


Art Blakey and The New Jazz Messengers | Between Races | Buttercorn Lady (1966)


On Buttercorn Lady, Art Blakey’s ensemble once again turned over completely, bringing new musicians into the fray for Limelight Records. This live album replaced Hubbard with Chuck Mangione on trumpet, introduced a young Keith Jarrett to the jazz world, and brought forward the talents of Frank Mitchell on saxophone and Reggie Johnson on bass. This cut of Between Races is a spirited run through a tune that accelerates throughout its duration.

Despite the changing scene of jazz music after the release of Coltrane’s A Love Supreme (1965), Blakey’s ensembles still stuck closely to their hard-bop roots, which is well-reflected in the speed and tone of this album. Despite the hard-bop nature of this song, Coltrane’s spiritual jazz influence shines through Mitchell’s solo performance and the lyrical openness of the tune’s finale. 

Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers | Child’s Dance | Child’s Dance Vol. 1 (1973) 



While the rest of the jazz world entered the fusion era in the 1970s, this was a difficult time for The Jazz Messengers. The band saw frequent turnover, few recordings, and a decline in domestic attention as they continued to play hard-bop. Child’s Dance came in 1973 as the ensemble was signed to Prestige Records. This recording is notably more relaxed and spacey than the previous hard-bop the ensemble was known for, perhaps a sign of Blakey’s increasing age and the group’s hard times. 

With flute sound and electric bass, this recording has hallmarks of a new era in jazz music, but keeps many of the same elements of Blakey’s previous ensembles: unified melodies, solo sections, and excellent, varied drumming. With slowed pace, flute instrumentation, and reflective feelings contrary to the noise of fusion and free jazz, Child’s Dance builds upon the same themes from Herbie Hancock’s Speak Like A Child (1968).

Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers | One For All (And All For One) | One For All (1990)


The final album in The Jazz Messengers discography, One For All is Art Blakey’s final victory lap after leading his project through four decades of music and generations of talent. This composition by trombonist Steve Davis is spirited and passionate, honoring the history of the ensemble and its place in the jazz hall of fame. In his early career, Art Blakey said he would stay with young musicians throughout his career. “When these get too old I'll get some younger ones. Keeps the mind active," Blakey said in 1954. Blakey stuck to this promise and moved along the younger generation all the way through to this release. 

Only months after this album, Blakey passed away in from lung cancer, leaving behind a legacy of excellence and one of the most respected bodies of work in jazz history.