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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

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All Episodes

00:20:38

For Heaven's Sake and Kenny Barron

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/04/26

“For Heaven’s Sake” and Kenny Barron (121) “For Heaven’s Sake” is a 32-bar standard that reflects the postwar Great American Songbook tradition, balancing lyrical intimacy with subtle harmonic sophistication. Its melodic design is tightly organized, with recurring rhythmic figures and a descending contour that creates a strong sense of forward motion and resolution. The harmony moves fluidly through ii–V progressions and chromatic passing chords, offering a rich but logical framework for

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00:43:42

John Beasley Interview

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/04/23

John Beasley is a deeply rooted jazz pianist, arranger, and composer whose work balances tradition with forward-thinking creativity. Emerging in the 1980s, he built a reputation for harmonic sophistication, rhythmic flexibility, and an unwavering sense of swing, working with major artists including Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, Sérgio Mendes, and Hubert Laws. His acclaimed MONK’estra project has become one of his defining achievements, earning wide recognition for its inventive reimaginings of

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01:08:55

Miles Davis- Miles In The Sky

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/04/21

17- Miles Davis – Miles In The Sky Miles Davis- Miles In The Sky (Columbia Records)Released January 16, 1968 and May 15–17, 1968Miles in the Sky (1968) captures Miles Davis at a pivotal moment of transition. Recorded with his celebrated Second Great Quintet—Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams—the album marks the first clear step toward Davis’s electric period. Released by Columbia Records, the record introduces electric piano and electric bass into Miles’s studio sound

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00:22:58

For All We Know and Dave Brubeck

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/04/19

“For All We Know”and Dave Brubeck (120) “For All We Know” is a reflective ballad that has become a lasting part of the American Songbook and the jazz repertoire. Written in 1934 by composer J. Fred Coots with lyrics by Sam M. Lewis, the song first gained popularity through dance-band recordings such as Hal Kemp’s version featuring Skinnay Ennis. Its melody is graceful and understated, built on a classic 32-bar with lyrics that focus on the fragile and uncertain nature of love. The opening line—“For

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00:39:02

Steve Wilson Interview

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/04/15

Steve Wilson is one of the most respected alto saxophonists and multi-instrumentalists in modern jazz, known for his warm tone, lyrical phrasing, and deep command of the bebop and post-bop traditions. Emerging from Virginia, Wilson gained early recognition after moving to New York in the late 1980s. He has performed and recorded with an impressive range of artists including Chick Corea, Dave Holland, Christian McBride, and Maria Schneider. Wilson’s playing balances technical precision with

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00:58:00

Herbie Hancock-Speak Like A Child

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/04/13

Herbie Hancock-Speak Like A Child (Blue Note Records) Released Summer of 1968 Speak Like a Child is one of the more lyrical and introspective recordings in the catalog of Herbie Hancock. Released on Blue Note Records in 1968, the album reflects Hancock’s growing interest in subtle orchestration and melodic simplicity following the more harmonically dense work of his earlier recordings. Rather than a traditional trumpet-sax frontline, Hancock chose the unusual combination of flugelhorn, bass

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01:36:28

Footprints and Miles Davis' Miles Smiles (With Guest...

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/04/12

“Footprints,” composed by Wayne Shorter, first appeared on Adam’s Apple (1966) but became widely known through its performance on Miles Smiles by Miles Davis. The piece is a haunting minor blues that blends traditional structure with modern harmonic color. Often played in C minor, the tune uses a distinctive bass ostinato that outlines a 12-bar blues form while introducing subtle modal movement. On Miles Smiles, the rhythm section—Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams—reshapes the groove

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00:17:14

Follow Your Heart and John McLaughlin

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/04/05

“Follow Your Heart” and John McLaughlin (118)“Follow Your Heart” is a reflective composition by guitarist John McLaughlin that appears on his 1971 album My Goal's Beyond. The piece reveals a quieter and more introspective side of McLaughlin, arriving just before the explosive fusion period that would define the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Rather than emphasizing speed or dense harmonic movement, the tune focuses on mood, space, and rhythmic subtlety. The composition is notable for its unusual 11/8

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00:59:44

Martin Wind Interview

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/04/03

German-born bassist and composer Martin Wind has built an extensive résumé as both a sideman and bandleader, performing with artists such as Buddy DeFranco, Pat Metheny, and Clark Terry. With more than twenty recordings as a leader or co-leader, Wind has remained an active presence on the international jazz scene. His newest release, September (2026, Laika Records), features his Gravity Trio with tenor saxophonist Peter Weniger and drummer Jonas Burgwinkel, expanding on the chordless trio concept

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00:14:38

502 Blues and Jimmy Rowles

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/03/29

“502” Blues and Jimmy Rowles (117) “502 Blues (Drinkin’ and Drivin’)” is a composition by pianist and songwriter Jimmy Rowles that stands as a clever example of his harmonic imagination. Despite the title, the piece is not a traditional blues. Instead, it unfolds as a 32-bar tune in 3/4 with subtle structural variations and a melody that feels almost folk-like in its directness while still containing angular leaps. One of the tune’s most striking features is its opening progression—Am7 moving

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00:42:50

Simon Mogul Interview

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/03/26

Simon Mogul is a young American jazz tenor saxophonist emerging from the New York jazz scene. In his mid-20s, Mogul has quickly developed a reputation as a technically strong and expressive improviser rooted in the post-bop tradition while remaining open to contemporary influences.Active on the New York circuit, he has performed at leading venues including Smalls Jazz Club, Birdland, Minton’s Playhouse, and The Django. His playing reflects a lineage that connects classic tenor voices such as John

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00:18:34

500 Miles High and Return to Forever

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/03/21

"500 Miles High" and Return to Forever “500 Miles High,” composed by Chick Corea with lyrics by Neville Potter, is one of the defining works of Return to Forever and a centerpiece of Light as a Feather (1973). Built on an 18-measure form with a 9-bar coda, the tune features spacious melodic phrasing, subtle rhythmic mirroring, and Corea’s characteristic use of upper extensions that create a floating, unresolved quality. The harmony is economical yet sophisticated, favoring stepwise motion

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01:10:02

Joe Lovano Interview

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/03/18

Joe Lovano stands among the most respected saxophonists in modern jazz. Born in Cleveland in 1952, he emerged in the late 1970s and quickly became known for his powerful tenor sound, deep knowledge of the tradition, and adventurous improvisational language. Over the decades Lovano has worked with a remarkable list of artists including Woody Herman, Paul Motian, McCoy Tyner, Dave Holland, and John Scofield, while also building an extensive catalog as a bandleader and composer. A Grammy Award winner,

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00:19:59

A Fine Romance and Marian McPartland

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/03/15

“A Fine Romance” and Marian McPartland (115) “A Fine Romance,” composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Dorothy Fields in 1936, quickly became one of the most enduring standards to emerge from the film Swing Time, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Built on a clear 32-bar A–A′ structure, the tune balances melodic simplicity with subtle sophistication. Kern’s writing combines singable lines with clever rhythmic devices and smooth chromatic harmonic movement, including diminished

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00:21:35

“Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum” and Rudy Van Gelder

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/03/08

“Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum” and Rudy Van Gelder (114) “Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum,” the second track on Speak No Evil, captures both the compositional imagination of Wayne Shorter and the unmistakable sonic clarity of engineer Rudy Van Gelder. The tune unfolds over a relaxed swing feel following a brief piano introduction by Herbie Hancock, after which the syncopated melody is stated with striking precision. Van Gelder’s engineering plays a crucial role in the recording’s impact: the horns of Shorter and Freddie Hubbard

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01:01:28

Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention -We're Only...

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/03/06

We're Only in It for the Money by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention (with Guest Steve DeLuca) A 30 Albums For 30 Years Special! Release Date- March 4, 1969 -We're Only in It for the Money by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention stands as one of the most daring and influential records of the late 1960s. Arriving at the height of the psychedelic era, the album sharply critiqued both the commercial music industry and the idealism of the hippie counterculture. Through satire, rapid-fire

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00:52:54

Kirk Whalum Interview

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/03/03

Saxophonist Kirk Whalum continues to affirm his place as one of contemporary jazz’s most expressive voices. A Grammy Award winner whose career spans more than four decades, Whalum has seamlessly blended jazz, gospel, R&B, and soul while collaborating with artists ranging from Whitney Houston to Luther Vandross. He is perhaps best known to mainstream audiences for his iconic, improvised saxophone solo on “I Will Always Love You,” featured in The Bodyguard, a performance that became one of the

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00:24:04

Falling In Love With Love and Helen Merrill

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/03/01

“Falling In Love With Love” and Helen Merrill (113) “Falling in Love with Love,” by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart from the Broadway musical The Boys from Syracuse, is a waltz in B♭ major built on a clear 64–bar A–A’ form. Its melody is strikingly simple—largely stepwise and sustained—yet its arching ascents and descents give it expressive shape. The harmony relies on logical ii–V progressions and brief modulations, making it especially inviting for jazz improvisers. Beneath its graceful surface,

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01:24:33

Steve Tibbetts Interview

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/02/25

Steve Tibbetts (born 1954, Madison, Wisconsin) is an American guitarist and composer whose music blends jazz fusion, ambient soundscapes, experimental techniques, and global influences. Treating the recording studio as a compositional tool, he layers loops, field recordings, and highly textured guitar tones to create immersive sonic environments.A longtime collaborator with percussionist Marc Anderson, Tibbetts incorporates instruments such as kendang and kalimba alongside acoustic and electric

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00:23:55

Falling Grace and John Scofield

The Jazz Real Book ·

2026/02/22

“ Falling Grace” and John Scofield (112) “Falling Grace,” composed by Steve Swallow and first recorded by Gary Burton in 1966, is a structurally modern jazz standard built on lyrical melody and elegant, bass-directed harmony. Its unusual 14-bar A and 10-bar B form is unified by sustained opening tones, recurring triplet figures, and carefully balanced chord tones and extensions. The harmony is defined by half-step bass motion, slash chords placing 3rds and 7ths in the bass, and fluid

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148 results

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