E11 Weird Instruments

Believe it or not, harmonica, accordion, flute, banjo, and even the bagpipes have all made their impact on the jazz tradition thanks to the tireless efforts of pioneers of the music making these “weird instruments” a little more mainstream. We’ll sit down for a conversation with jazz tuba pioneer Howard Johnson, explore how banjo shaped the sound of early jazz, chat with Nancy Stagnitta about how flute worked its way from the jazz margins to the jazz mainstream, and explore the life and music of jazz bagpiper Rufus Harley.

 

Episode Transcript

 

Host: Jeff Haas

Guests: Howard Johnson, Lewis Porter, George Manney, Nancy Stagnitta

 

Music

• Howard Johnson & Gravity “Kelly Blue”
• Howard Johnson & Gravity “Stolen Moments”
• Toot Thielemans “Bluesette”
• Toot Thielemans “Old Spice Whistle” 
• Bennie Moten “Elephant's Wobble”
• Ikey Robinson’s “My Four Reasons”
• Bix Beiderbecke “Singin’ the Blues”
• Vess Ossman banjo solo
• Jabbo Smith and Ikey Robinson “Michigander Blues”
• Béla Fleck and the Flecktones “Flight of the Cosmic Hippo”
• Béla Fleck and Marcus Roberts Trio “Petunia”
• Dorothy Ashby “Our Love is Here to Stay”
• Rufus Harley “Crack”
• Rufus Harley “Bagpipe Blues”
• Rufus Harley “Scotch and Soul”
• Rufus Harley “Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child”
• Rufus Harley “Chim Chim Cheree”
• Yusef Lateef “Sea Breeze”
• Herbie Mann “St. Louis Blues”
• Anchorman “East Harlem Shakedown”
• Herbie Mann “Memphis Underground”
• Missus Beastly “Rahsaan Roland Kirk”
• PROJECT Trio “Blue Rondo a La Turk”
• Rahsaan Roland Kirk “You Did It, You Did It”
• Julius Watkins and Oscar Pettiford “The Edge of Love”
• Richard Galliano “Ruby My Dear”
• Howard Johnson & Gravity “Big Alice”
• Howard Johnson & Gravity “Stolen Moments”
• Howard Johnson & Gravity “Svengali's Summer / Waltz”
• Howard Johnson & Gravity “Be No Evil”

 

Original Air Date: February 10, 2013

 

Radio broadcast produced by Lou Blouin and Jeff Haas

Radio broadcast audio engineering by Jack Conners and Brock Mormon

Podcast produced by Sam Boase-Miller and Erik Saras

Podcast audio remastering by Sam Boase-Miller

Transcripts and show notes by Erik Saras

 

Theme Song: Jeff Haas Trio & Friends “Giving In”

 

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The New Jazz Archive radio broadcasts originally sponsored by Chateau Chantal. The New Jazz Archive receives no revenue from podcast reissues of radio broadcasts.