Jazz Night In America: The Radio Program

An Elmo Hope centennial celebration: Giving a jazz piano pioneer his due

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

August 17, 2023 • One hundred years after his birth in 1923, we celebrate the legacy of Elmo Hope — one of the most influential pianists you've probably never heard of.

Relive the 2023 American Pianists Awards from Indianapolis

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

July 13, 2023 • Five young pianists compete for the American Pianists Association Cole Porter Fellowship in Jazz.

For pianist Sean Mason, it's about the melody and the dance

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

September 22, 2022 • Jazz Night in America talks to pianist and composer Sean Mason about his musical journey from North Carolina to New York, and how the South never really left his music.

Songs for the fathers: A tribute to Jazz Dads

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

June 15, 2023 • Jazz Night celebrates dads in the jazz world. Hear tributes from Chick Corea, Bobby and Madison McFerrin, Cory Wong, Catherine Russell and Benny Green in this very special Father's Day episode.

Jazz Night toasts the NEA Jazz Masters class of 2023

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

April 20, 2023 • Jazz Night in America honors the 2023 NEA Jazz Masters: Louis Hayes, Regina Carter, Kenny Garrett and Sue Mingus. Four newly crowned masters, with plenty of music, stories, and memories.

Terri Lyne Carrington: Trailblazer, Advocate and NEA Jazz Master

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

April 29, 2021 • In her decades behind the drum kit, 2021 NEA Jazz Master Terri Lyne Carrington has become one of jazz's most dynamic musicians. In this episode, we'll hear music that captures her wide-ranging sound.

From gospel to TikTok to vocal big shot: the rise of Samara Joy

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

September 1, 2022 • Jazz Night In America puts the spotlight on Samara Joy, a young vocalist and songwriter who is taking cues from the past to create music that is both classic and contemporary.

Exploring the many orbits of jazz legend Wayne Shorter

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

March 9, 2023 • Jazz Night takes a moment to commemorate Wayne Shorter and his eternal body of work – with concert performances, unaired interviews and music picks from our host Christian McBride.

'This is not entertainment': John Zorn, all over Big Ears

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

January 26, 2023 • Composer and alto saxophonist John Zorn brings eight eclectic bands to the Big Ears Festival stage, ranging from solo classical piano to all-out electrified jams.

Yule dig? Celebrate the holidays with drummer Matt Wilson's festive Christmas Tree-O

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

December 15, 2022 • Celebrate the holidays with drummer Matt Wilson and his festive holiday group the Christmas Tree-O from Dizzy's Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City.

Drummer Nate Smith arranges funky grooves with strings attached

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

December 1, 2022 • Hear the premiere of Nate Smith's groovy sextet Kinfolk, with a double string quartet featuring members of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra.

BADBADNOTGOOD steps into the psychedelic void

November 17, 2022 • More than a decade after BADBADNOTGOOD's viral debut upsetting the "jazz police" and carving their own niche playing rap covers, they take the stage in Brooklyn with a wildly psychedelic set.

Bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma reflects on his journey down a 'Dirt Road' in N. Carolina

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

October 27, 2022 • Hear music and field recordings from bassist, composer, and fashion icon Jamaaladeen Tacuma's residency in North Carolina, where he explores his familial and musical roots.

Youngbloods: Saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

September 29, 2022 • We close out our Youngbloods series with saxophonist and composer Immanuel Wilkins, who takes us into the relationship between his faith and his compositions.

Youngbloods: Saxophonist Sarah Hanahan

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

September 15, 2022 • Meet Sarah Hanahan, a rising star on alto saxophone

Youngbloods: Pianist Isaiah J. Thompson

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

September 8, 2022 • Jazz Night in America spotlights a young musician and composer who is wise beyond his years. Hear Isaiah J. Thompson's story and his unquestionable gift at the keys.

Pianist Emmet Cohen hosts a Harlem rent party for the modern day

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

August 18, 2022 • Pianist Emmet Cohen revives a Jazz Age tradition: the rent party, with "Emmet's Place." We bring you a swinging performance of the Emmet Cohen Trio with veteran saxophonist Houston Person.

An American in Paris: organist Rhoda Scott's remarkable career in Jazz

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

July 28, 2022 • Jazz Night shines a light on an American organist who moved to Europe on a whim and became a jazz superstar. Hear the remarkable story of Rhoda Scott.

Jazz renegade Theo Croker returns to his Jacksonville roots

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

June 30, 2022 • Jazz Night hangs with trumpeter Theo Croker in Jacksonville, Fla., where he spent his teenage years, to revisit old mentors and hear a set by his band from the Jacksonville Jazz Festival.

From bebop to hip-hop: Gary Bartz's sax sound shapes many eras

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

June 23, 2022 • Gary Bartz shares stories from his sixty-plus-year career, covering everything from bebop to hip-hop. Hear a heartfelt conversation between the legendary saxophonist and host Christian McBride.

Honoring the iconic blues and ironic humor of Mose Allison

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

June 3, 2022 • The tribute project Anything Mose! breathes new life into the music of the late Mose Allison. We peer inside his blend of blues and jazz with ironic lyrics, and get stories from Allison's widow.

The sunshine of guitarist Cory Wong

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

May 26, 2022 • Hear a funky set from guitarist Cory Wong and the Wongnotes from the main stage of the Newport Jazz Festival, plus stories from Cory about his past, process and the evolution of the Minneapolis Sound.

Ron Carter at 85: tracks and stories from the life of a record-setting bassist

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

May 4, 2022 • To celebrate bassist Ron Carter's 85th birthday, hear a conversation with Ron and our host Christian McBride with music handpicked from Ron Carter's storied discography.