From April 1 through April 30, Sirius Satellite Radio will celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month with live performances, interviews and other various programming. The celebration will be spread between the Jazz Café channel (channel 71) and Pure Jazz (channel 72). Jazz Café is dedicated to smooth-jazz, while Pure Jazz spins classic jazz as well as 21st century contemporaries.
Here are the programming highlights straight from the press release (all times are in Eastern Standard Time):
Sonny Rollins discussing his start in jazz, why he dropped out of the business for years, and the inspiration for his latest album Sonny, Please (Pure Jazz, channel 72, April 1 at 4 p.m.).
Brian Bromberg brings along his upright bass to join Jeff Lorber for a few duo versions from Jeff’s new CD, He Had a Hat, as well as “Cantaloup Island” from Bromberg’s latest album Downright Upright (Jazz Café, channel 71, April 8 at 4 p.m.).
Jeff Golub chats about his new CD Grand Central. Golub brings an all-star band to the show, including pianist Phillippe Saisse, to perform five songs live from his new album including the popular “Dangerous Curves” (Jazz Café, channel 71, April 8 at 4 p.m.).
Gary Burton & Chick Corea in concert, recorded in March in Kuala Lumpur (Pure Jazz, channel 72, April 8 at 4 p.m. and rebroadcast April 9 at 6 p.m. & April 10 at 11 p.m.).
Miles Davis: Miles Davis and the Great American Songbook, from “Bye Bye Blackbird” to “Someday My Prince Will Come” (Pure Jazz, channel 72, April 14 & 15 starting at 9 a.m.).
John Coltrane: Trane Tracks is a weekly program featuring the music and legacy of Coltrane (Pure Jazz, channel 72, April 18 at 12 p.m.).
Charles Mingus: Sue Mingus, widow of Charles Mingus, curates “Mingus on Mingus,” a daylong music special commemorating the birth of the iconoclastic bassist. Sue Mingus will also discuss the significance of her favorite Mingus recordings (Pure Jazz, channel 72, April 22 at 6 p.m.).
New Orleans Jazz Fest Preview: a spotlight on the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival with a line-up that includes Terence Blanchard, Dr. John, Nicholas Payton and more. Rhonda Hamilton has a preview of this year’s festival and looks back on the jazz heritage of the Crescent City (Pure Jazz, channel 72, April 27 at 12 p.m.).
Duke Ellington: “Beyond Category: The Genius of Duke Ellington,” a weekend special featuring the full range of Ellington’s brilliance, his songs, piano playing, and his skills as an arranger and bandleader (Pure Jazz, channel 72, April 29 at 9 a.m.).
Bill Charlap & Joe Lovano “Play Strayhorn” as part of Sirius’ Duke Ellington weekend. Sirius honors Billy Strayhorn-Duke Ellington’s closest musical collaborator and dear friend-featuring pianist Bill Charlap and saxophonist Joe Lovano to discuss Strayhorn’s musical contributions and the recent PBS documentary profiling his life (Pure Jazz, channel 72, April 29 at 4 p.m.).
Originally Published