Artist Interviews

The Artistry of... with John Devenish

Stream the award-winning documentary The Journey to Jazz and Human Rights. Produced by Tom Jokinen and narrated by Alana Bridgewater, this series looks at how jazz laid claims to human rights around the world.

The Journey to Jazz and Human Rights

Vocalist Lauren Bush joins us this week. Although born and raised in Canada, Lauren has spent the past decade based in London, UK, where she has built a distinctive career on the European jazz scene.

Session Notes - Lauren Bush

Kaiso City - Episode 1: Kaiso Foundations

The Artistry of...Nancy Walker

Kaiso City - Episode 2: Kaiso in the Big City

Interview: Pierre Bensusan on Cafe Latino

Friday's Fresh Track - October 17, 2025 (Laura Fernandez)

Session Notes - Nancy Walker (2025)

Kaiso City - Episode 3: Women In Calypso

The Artistry Of...Howard Roberts

Friday's Fresh Track - October 24, 2025 (Ronnie Littlejohn)

The Artistry of...Bill Henderson

Kaiso City- Episode 4: Calypso Fusion

Remember When? - October 30, 2025

Remember When? -  November 6, 2025

Friday's Fresh Track - November 7, 2025 (Danny Marks)

The Artistry of...Oliver Jones (2025)

Friday's Fresh Track - November 14, 2025 (John Devenish)

Session Notes - Noam Lemish

The Artistry of...Silje Nergaard

Remember When? -  November 20, 2025

This week, we are spotlighting Sammy Jackson's album In The Meantime.

Session Notes - Sammy Jackson (2025)

The Artistry of...Mel Torme

Remember When? -  November 27, 2025

Friday's  Fresh Track - November 28, 2025 (Walter Venafro)

Session Notes - Whitney Ross-Barris

The Artistry of...Nat Adderley Jr.

Friday's Fresh Track - December 5, 2025 (Alex Pangman)

Remember When? -  December 4, 2025

The Artistry of...Bill Mays

Friday's Fresh Track - December 19, 2025 (Ronnie Littlejohn)

Remember When? - December 4, 2025

Remember When? -  December 11, 2025

Remember When? -  December 18, 2025

The Artistry Of ... Esperanza Spalding

The Artistry Of ... Mike Downes

The Artistry Of ... Joey DeFrancesco

The Artistry Of ... Mike LeDonne

The Artistry Of ... Joni Mitchell

Alana Bridgewater hosts the Journey to Jazz and Human Rights, a documentary look at how the music, and the men and women who made the music, made claim to human rights around the world.

EPISODE 1: CIVIL RIGHTS 

Little Rock Arkansas, 1957. Schools will not end segregation. Pop music, which wants to sing about girls and cars, pays no attention. But jazz, the one art form that took a political stand in the 20th century, speaks out. In part one of Journey to Jazz and Human Rights, Sonny Rollins and jazz historians look at how the music spoke out for civil rights.

The Journey to Jazz and Human Rights: Episode 1 – Civil Rights

Alana Bridgewater hosts the Journey to Jazz and Human Rights, a documentary look at how the music, and the men and women who made the music, made claim to human rights around the world.

EPISODE 2: ECONOMIC RIGHTS 

In 1910, most African-Americans live in the south. But economic hard times push them north, to find work. And jazz follows. The problem is, the marketplace wants a different kind of music: jazz for white, middle-class Americans. That is, until they hear the real thing. In part two of Journey to Jazz and Human Rights, a look at how jazz musicians fought for the right to earn a living in times of racial inequality.

The Journey to Jazz and Human Rights: Episode 2 – Economic Rights

Alana Bridgewater hosts the Journey to Jazz and Human Rights, a documentary look at how the music, and the men and women who made the music, made claim to human rights around the world.

EPISODE 3: WOMEN’S RIGHTS

We know the star women vocalists of Jazz: Billie, Ella. But beyond the fame are the women of jazz who toiled behind the scenes, faced discrimination, and set a course for women in the arts. In particular, artists owe a debt to the great composer and arranger, Mary Lou Williams. On part three of Journey to jazz and Human Rights, the women of jazz and the obstacles they faced, the rights they claimed.

The Journey to Jazz and Human Rights: Episode 3 – Women's Rights

Alana Bridgewater hosts the Journey to Jazz and Human Rights, a documentary look at how the music, and the men and women who made the music, made claim to human rights around the world.

EPISODE 4: JAZZ AROUND THE WORLD 

The Cold War, two superpowers divvying up the global map. Each side, Soviet and Western, had their missiles, but they also had cultural weapons: propaganda through the arts. America had an idea. To export jazz, as a sign of democratic superiority. Problem was, with a civil rights crisis at home, they had nothing to brag about. In Part 4 of The Journey to Jazz and Human Rights, jazz and the Cold War, with Darius Brubeck and the historians of the art form.

The Journey to Jazz and Human Rights: Episode 4 – Jazz Around the World

Drummer, composer, educator and bandleader Curtis Nowosad has had stints playing with some of the finest musicians in the business, including Jimmy Owens, Kenny Barron, David Liebman and others.

While he was born and raised in Winnipeg, he's called New York City home for several years. More specifically, Harlem is the area where he's hung his hat for the last five or so years.

In that time, he's released critically acclaimed recordings and has established himself as not only one of the leading voices of today's young jazz movement, but also as a musician with a particular perspective and conscience.

Currently touring in support of his new self-titled recording, Nowosad joined us to talk about how he brought political activism into his music, and how moving from Canada to the U.S. opened his eyes to the reality of being black in America.

Interview: Curtis Nowosad (2019)

On his latest album, Grammy- and Emmy-winning musician and actor Harry Connick Jr. makes his debut for Verve Records with True Love: A Celebration of Cole Porter.

He has sold more than 30 million albums during a stellar career that spans more than three decades in music, film, TV and on both concert and Broadway stages.

His new project puts the focus on his talents not only as a pianist and a singer, but also as an arranger, orchestrator and conductor. His voice is in fine form and manages to get every nuance of these songs, from the widely known Just One of Those Things to the lesser known Mind If I Make Love to You.

During a visit to Toronto, Harry Connick Jr. dropped by JAZZ.FM91 and joined us on the air for a chat about the new recording and how it all came together.

Interview: Harry Connick Jr. (2019)

Terence Blanchard is one of the most prominent brass players, bandleaders and recording artists of his generation.
He began playing piano at age 5, switched to trumpet three years later, and played alongside childhood friend and fellow New Orleans native Wynton Marsalis in summer band camps. In 1982, Blanchard replaced Marsalis in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, working as the band's the lead soloist and musical director until 1986. He then co-led a prominent quintet with saxophonist Donald Harrison.

In the '90s, Blanchard developed a fruitful working relationship with film director Spike Lee, having first played on the soundtracks to several of Lee's films including Mo' Better Blues and Do the Right Thing. Blanchard then composed the music for many of Lee's subsequent films, like Jungle Fever, Malcolm X, Clockers, Summer of Sam, 25th Hour, Inside Man and the Hurricane Katrina documentary When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts. With more than 40 film scores to his name, Blanchard is one of the most sought-after jazz musicians to ever compose for film. 

In its 136-year history, the Metropolitan Opera has never staged an opera by a black composer. But that will finally change. The company said this fall that it will present Fire Shut Up In My Bones by Terence Blanchard in a coming season.

Blanchard is the exeucitve producer, host and narrator of a new documentary called Up from the Streets, a film celebrating 300 years of New Orleans music and culture.

Blanchard joined us for a chat in the Gumbo Kitchen.

Interview: Terence Blanchard (2019)

Juno Award-winning pianist, composer and vocalist Laila Biali seems to be in a constant state of motion.

She has just wrapped up a European tour, she's releasing a holiday tune on Dec. 13, and she's about to celebrate Estonian Music Week with shows in Toronto and Hamilton. And earlier this year, Biali was taken by surprise when she won her first Juno Award for her 2018 self-titled album.

The album marked a new beginning for Biali, who returned to her roots to make an album that has jazz at its core but also contains plenty of crossover pop appeal. The record features mostly original songs, along with covers of songs by David Bowie, Randy Newman and  Coldplay.

She joined us to talk more about what it meant to win that first Juno, and how it felt like validation of a career spent finding and honing her personal voice and identity as an artist.

Interview: Laila Biali (2019)

Kurt Elling joined us over the phone to chat about his upcoming collaboration Secrets Are the Best Stories and to let us in on a few of his own secrets about his creative process.

Interview: Kurt Elling (2020)

Your home for jazz in all its forms. Broadcasting from Toronto to the world. #DiscoverMusic

JAZZ.FM91

Pinned to spotlight

Popular tracks