Randy Weston

 

ON THE ROAD WITH RANDY WESTON
"An African American Odyssey" # 1

 

"Weston is one of a diminishing number of jazz elders who contributed to the basic shape of the music. He calls himself a ''dinosaur,'' and wonders where they have all gone...  the Milt Jacksons, Art Farmer, Gerry Mulligan, Al Grey. Randy remembers calling on Willie (The Lion) Smith, who lived in Brooklyn not far from his house, and the piano player Eddie Heyward who lived across the street. These people had very different personalities, but they also had one very important thing in common: ''Music was the best part of all of them. Of all of us.'' (Mike Zwerin). In this clip Randy Weston remembers the first (musical) loves of his learning years.

 

 

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ON THE ROAD WITH RANDY WESTON
"An African American Odyssey" # 2

 

"It's very easy to get discouraged. You're going to have to choose between money and the creative spirit. That's why we've called one of our records 'Spirit! The Power of Music.' Music is spiritual, and its power cuts across all that other nonsense. All musicians are healers. Music doesn't lie.'' says Randy Weston. A timely reminder of the secret underneath it all.

 

 

 Elliott Murphy-4

ON THE ROAD WITH ELLIOTT MURPHY
"Diary Of An Expatriate Rocker" # 1

 

Born to a show business family in New York, Elliott began his career by winning the New York State Battle of the Bands in 1966, followed by a troubadour like odyssey in Europe where he played on the streets in Amsterdam, Paris and Rome including a bit part in Federico Fellini's film Roma. Listen to Elliott tell you how he secured his first recording contract for what became the critically acclaimed Aquashow. A must!

 

 

 

 

 ON THE ROAD WITH ELLIOTT MURPHY
"Diary Of An Expatriate Rocker" # 2

 

"I am a troubadour by tradition and constantly on the road between planes, trains and cars and each time I return here to see the lights of Paris, I know that I am finally home." says Elliott. "The great writer and my personal hero of literature, F. Scott Fitzgerald, once wrote that there are no second acts in the lives of Americans. But I can say sincerely that I found my second act and a new life here in the city of lights that continues to inspire me. From the bottom of my heart I say to you, Merci." In this clip, Elliott sings about his "life full of miracles" - including the price for bringing it all back home.

 

 

 Archie Shepp

ON THE ROAD WITH ARCHIE SHEPP
"An American in Paris"

 

Archie Shepp is one the greatest African-American saxophonists and one of the last living giants of 20th century jazz! In our 1999 Paris interview this untiring champion of African-American culture denounces the repressive violence exerted socially & physically on African-Americans by society in the US.

 

 

 Randy Brecker

ON THE ROAD WITH RANDY BRECKER
"Jazz On Seventh Avenue"

 

Master trumpeter Randy Brecker has been shaping the sound of Jazz, R&B and Rock for more than four decades. His trumpet and flugelhorn performances have graced hundreds of albums by a wide range of artists from James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen and Parliament-Funkadelic to Frank Sinatra, Steely Dan, David Sanborn, Jaco Pastorius, Horace Silver and Frank Zappa. In this clip, Randy explains what's involved in the unforgiving art of trumpet playing…