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PODCAST

The Jazz Real Book

In this podcast, Jazz History professor, biographer, musician, and popular podcaster Jay Sweet will help guide you through the tunes included in the Jazz Real Book. For decades, this book (often called "The Jazz Bible") has been a resource for jazz musicians looking to learn jazz standards and repertoire. This podcast will discuss essential recordings and details associated with the songs in the Jazz Real Book, the musicians who created the material, and the recordings that inspire jazz musicians

music music commentary

All Episodes

00:14:19

The Green Mountains and Roy Haynes

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/10/04

“The Green Mountains” and Roy Haynes (137)“The Green Mountains,” from Gary Burton’s 1969 album Country Roads & Other Places, features guitarist Jerry Hahn, bassist Steve Swallow, and legendary drummer Roy Haynes. The composition stands out for its open harmonic sound, moving between major seventh and suspended chords, along with syncopated melodies and smooth descending bass lines. Haynes brings his unmistakable rhythmic personality to the recording, using crisp cymbal work, unexpected accents,

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01:18:23

Abraham Burton Interview

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/10/01

Abraham Burton Interview Saxophonist Abraham Burton has developed a reputation for a powerful and expressive sound rooted in the jazz tradition while maintaining a voice distinctly his own. Growing up in Greenwich Village, Burton was surrounded by music from an early age. His most important mentors were Jackie McLean and drummer Arthur Taylor taught him one of his most important lessons: technical ability means little if it does not serve the music. Today, Burton carries those experiences into his

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00:11:31

Grand Central and Cannonball Adderley Quintet In Chicago

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/09/27

“Grand Central” and Cannonball Adderley Quintet In Chicago (136) “Grand Central” is a John Coltrane composition recorded on February 3, 1959, for Cannonball Adderley Quintet in Chicago. The session featured Cannonball Adderley, Coltrane, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb—the same core musicians who, less than a month later, would participate in Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue. Played at approximately 256 BPM, the melody mixes rapid eighth-note lines with longer resting notes. Harmonically,

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00:18:55

Good Evening Mr. & Mrs. America & All the Ships at...

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/09/20

“Good Evening Mr. & Mrs. America & All the Ships at Sea” and Tom Scott (135)“Good Evening Mr. & Mrs. America & All the Ships at Sea” was composed by drummer John Guerin and recorded by Tom Scott and the L.A. Express for the 1975 album Tom Cat. The title references broadcaster Walter Winchell’s famous opening line. The track is a great example of 1970s jazz fusion, combining jazz harmony and improvisation with funk and rock rhythms. It is also a tune you rarely hear called at a jam

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01:32:49

Ben Allison Interview

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/09/13

Ben Allison Interview Ben Allison is an American jazz bassist, composer, bandleader, and educator known for bringing a distinctive contemporary voice to the acoustic bass. Born in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1966, Allison studied jazz at New York University before becoming an important figure in New York’s downtown jazz scene. In 1992, he co-founded the Jazz Composers Collective, an influential organization that provided musicians with opportunities to perform and develop original music outside the

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00:20:23

Golden Lady and Stevie Wonder

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/09/06

“Golden Lady” and Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder’s “Golden Lady,” from his landmark 1973 album Innervisions, represents everything that makes Wonder such an extraordinary musician. On the surface, it is a warm and uplifting love song, but underneath it is a sophisticated mixture of soul, funk, pop, rock, and jazz influences. Wonder’s inventive harmonies, memorable melodies, rhythmic feel, and use of keyboards and synthesizers give the song a sound that remains remarkably fresh.“Golden Lady” also

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00:56:22

Boris Kozlov Interview

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/08/29

Boris Kozlov Interview Boris Kozlov’s connection to Charles Mingus runs far deeper than simply directing the Mingus Big Band. Growing up in the Soviet Union, Kozlov first encountered Mingus through photocopied music, playing “Pussy Cat Dues” before he had even heard Mingus’s recordings. After moving to New York, hearing Mingus Ah Um proved transformative—Kozlov describes it as such a perfect recording that it could be sent into space as a representation of “what human jazz is.”Kozlov joined the

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01:15:50

T.S. Monk Interview

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/08/17

T.S. Monk Interview T.S. Monk has built a remarkable career both as a musician and as the steward of his father Thelonious Monk’s extraordinary legacy. A respected drummer, bandleader, composer, and recording artist, he performed with his father as a young musician before establishing his own career, eventually devoting significant energy to preserving and expanding awareness of Monk’s music.Today, T.S. Monk is helping lead an important new chapter through the Thelonious Monk Estate and

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01:33:35

José Feliciano’s- Feliciano! (RCA-Victor)

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/08/15

José Feliciano’s Feliciano! (RCA-Victor)Released June 1968Bonus: Season Corrections and Omissions José Feliciano’s Feliciano! is a remarkable example of how a great interpreter can completely reinvent familiar material. Released in 1968, the album consists entirely of covers, but Feliciano transforms them through his distinctive combination of classical guitar, jazz, Latin rhythms, folk, blues, and soul. His versions of “California Dreamin’” and especially “Light My Fire” are the centerpieces,

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01:09:03

Blood, Sweat & Tears- Self Titled

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/08/12

Blood, Sweat & Tears- Self Titled (Columbia Records) Release Date: December 11, 1968 Blood, Sweat & Tears’ self-titled 1968 album proved that sophisticated, horn-driven jazz-rock could also be enormously commercial. With David Clayton-Thomas replacing Al Kooper as the band’s focal point, BS&T combined jazz, soul, blues, classical music, Latin rhythms, and rock with remarkably tight arrangements and musicianship. Three singles—“Spinning Wheel,” “And When I Die,” and “You’ve Made Me So

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00:29:07

Melissa Kozlowski on the Bruce Springsteen Center for...

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/08/08

Melissa Kozlowski serves as curator of the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music at Monmouth University, bringing extensive experience as a historian, archivist, educator, and curator. The center’s roots date to a fan-created collection established in 2001. It moved to Monmouth University in 2011 and became the official repository for Bruce Springsteen’s archival materials in 2017. Today, its mission extends well beyond Springsteen, using exhibitions, concerts, lectures, films, workshops,

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01:10:02

Susan Fenster on the book Harry Altman: Buffalo's...

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/08/02

Susan Fenster is a historian, journalist, and nonfiction author whose work focuses on preserving the history of Western New York. A graduate of Buffalo State College with degrees in History and Journalism, she has spent more than three decades researching regional history through archival documents, newspapers, photographs, and firsthand accounts. Fenster is an active member of the Williamsville Historical Preservation Commission and the Williamsville Historical Society, where she has helped

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00:18:27

God Bless The Child and Grant Green

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/07/26

"God Bless The Child" and Grant Green (133) "God Bless the Child," written by Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog Jr., is one of the most enduring songs in the Great American Songbook. Inspired by Holiday's reflections on poverty, independence, and self-reliance, the tune combines a soulful, blues-infused melody with sophisticated harmonies and an unusual 38-bar form. Its rich sequence of ii–V progressions and expressive chord-quality changes have made it a favorite vehicle for

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00:53:44

Vinny Valentino Interview

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/07/22

Vinny Valentino is an acclaimed jazz guitarist, composer, educator, and internet pioneer whose career has successfully bridged performance, technology, and music education. Raised in Northern Virginia, he studied at Northern Virginia Community College, George Mason University, and Howard University, where he earned his degree in jazz. Inspired by guitar legends Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, Pat Martino, and George Benson, Valentino developed a lyrical, modern style that earned Benson's personal

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00:20:36

Gloria's Step and Paul Motion

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/07/19

"Gloria’s Step" and Paul Motion (132) Scott LaFaro's "Gloria's Step" is one of the defining compositions of modern jazz and a lasting testament to his brilliance as both a bassist and composer. Introduced on the landmark 1961 album Sunday at the Village Vanguard, the tune departs from conventional jazz forms through its asymmetrical 20-bar structure, shifting major-seventh harmonies, and absence of a clearly defined key center. These qualities create a floating,

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01:05:36

Steve Swallow Interview

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/07/15

Steve Swallow is one of the most influential electric bassists and composers in jazz history. Born in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, in 1940, he began on acoustic bass before pioneering the use of electric bass in a jazz context, developing his signature pick technique and lyrical improvisational style. Throughout his remarkable career, he has collaborated with artists including Carla Bley, Gary Burton, John Scofield, Pat Metheny, Jimmy Giuffre, Stan Getz, Chick Corea, and John Abercrombie. His

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00:21:22

The Girl From Ipanema and the album Francis Albert...

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/07/12

“The Girl From Ipanema” and the album Francis Albert Sinatra & Antônio Carlos Jobim (131) “The Girl from Ipanema” one of the most performed and beloved jazz standards reached its definitive artistic expression through two landmark recordings. The 1964 Verve release Getz/Gilberto introduced bossa nova to an international audience, pairing Stan Getz’s lyrical tenor saxophone with João Gilberto’s understated guitar and vocals, Antônio Carlos Jobim’s elegant piano, and Astrud Gilberto’s

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00:21:46

Giant Steps and the album John Coltrane Giant Steps...

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/07/05

“Giant Steps” and the album John Coltrane Giant Steps (131) Released in 1960, Giant Steps is one of the defining albums in jazz history, showcasing John Coltrane's extraordinary growth as both a composer and improviser. The title track introduced the revolutionary harmonic system now known as the "Coltrane Changes," cycling through the distant key centers of B, G, and E-flat major with unprecedented speed and precision. Its angular melody outlines each chord through arpeggios and guide tones, making

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00:15:43

Gemini and Jimmy Heath

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/06/28

“Gemini” and Jimmy Heath (130) “Gemini” is one of Jimmy Heath’s finest and most enduring compositions, a graceful 24-bar waltz that reflects his gift for memorable melodies and sophisticated harmony. Built around a spacious, lyrical theme and unexpected harmonic movement, the tune combines bebop vocabulary with Heath’s unmistakable melodic elegance. Since its debut on the 1962 album Triple Threat, “Gemini” has become a favorite among jazz musicians, admired for its flowing melody, subtle use of

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00:43:29

Al MacSween from Your Brother's Keeper

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/06/25

Al MacSween continues to emerge as one of the most creative voices in London's contemporary jazz scene with Where Rivers Meet, a remarkable collaboration between his collective Your Brother's Keeper and legendary saxophonist Gary Bartz. As pianist, synthesist, composer, and producer, MacSween creates a rich sonic landscape that blends acoustic jazz with modular synthesis and live electronics, allowing Bartz's iconic saxophone to interact with modern textures while preserving its

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187 results

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