Jazz Library

Sonny Rollins joins Alyn Shipton to select the key recordings from his voluminous catalogue. Widely regarded as a major living exponent of the tenor saxophone and an innovator since the end of the 1940s, here Rollins focuses on his early years, from albums made with Emo Hope and Kenny Dorham to his masterpieces Tenor Madness and Saxophone Colossus. On the way he discusses calypso, trio improvising and his close friendship with Thelonious Monk.

Jelly Roll Morton Alyn Shipton is joined by Morton specialist Martin Litton to explore the work of Jelly Roll's band, the Red Hot Peppers, as well as the solo discs. The self-proclaimed 'inventor of jazz', Jelly Roll Morton was a colourful figure, with diamonds in his teeth and gold on his fingers. He was also the first musician to appreciate the potential of the 78 rpm record for creating miniature jazz compositions. Including a contribution from Morton's last living sideman, 99-year-old Lawrence Lucie.

Starting his life as a child star tap dancer, Buddy Rich became one of the most gifted drummers in jazz history. To survey the prolific recorded output of "The Man From Planet Jazz", Alyn Shipton is joined by British drummer Ralph Salmins, covering both Rich's discs under his own name, and his stellar appearances with other musicians.

Widely regarded as one of the great innovaters in Jazz Piano, Andrew Hill passed away in April of 2007. To celebrate his life Alyn Shipton and Trumpeter Bryon Wallen, who worked regularly with Hill, select highlights from the pianist's recorded catalogue.

Trumpeter Art Farmer was one of the most lyrical and inventive players in jazz. Alyn Shipton is joined by Ian Smith (who met and interviewed Farmer) to select his finest recordings, which include his work with Gerry Mulligan, Horace Silver and Hank Mobley, as well as the many famous albums he made under his own name such as 'Farmer's Market'.

Singer Christine Tobin guides Alyn Shipton through the best work from Billie Holiday's early and late career. Widely acknowledged as one of the finest singers in jazz history, Billie Holiday's short life produced a remarkable recorded legacy, in which anguish blended with ecstasy as she sang of unrequited love. Her voice changed with age and hard living, and among the highlights are Good Morning Heartache, My Man and the emotional wasteland of Strange Fruit, a song about a Southern lynching.

In this Jazz Library podcast, Alyn Shipton is joined by saxophonist Soweto Kinch to assess the legacy of the highly influential and innovative saxophonist, John Coltrane and select the most essential Coltrane recordings – from acclaimed albums such as Blue Train and Giant Steps to some of his lesser-known works.

Pat Metheny joins Alyn Shipton for this Jazz Library podcast. One of the most technically skilled jazz guitarists ever to record, he helps Alyn to select some of the highlights of his work not only in his own groups, but also with Ornette Coleman, Charlie Haden, Jim Hall and many other great names of jazz.

Pianist and bandleader Chick Corea himself guides Alyn Shipton through some of his finest recordings. Few musicians in jazz have the extraordinary stylistic range of Chick Corea. His work ranges from acoustic bebop to rock fusion, from free jazz to the classic Miles Davis Quintet, as well as his own groundbreaking ensembles Return to Forever and the Elektric Band.

Alyn Shipton is joined by Trumpeter Arturo Sandoval to choose key recordings in Cuban Jazz including music from Dizzy Gillespie, Machito, Cubanismo and Sandoval himself.

Famously known as the 'The Angry Man of Jazz,' Charles Mingus refused to compromise his innovative compositional style throughout a long and illustrious career. Alyn Shipton surveys the recorded output of bassist and composer and selects highlights with the aid of Mingus biographer Brian Priestley.

The jazz pianist Fats Waller was a larger than life personality and his ample form fills this Jazz Library podcast with some of the most joyous recordings in history. Humphrey Lyttelton and Martin Litton join Alyn Shipton for a guide to the best discs by Waller, both with his band - The Rhythm - and as a piano soloist.

In this Jazz Library podcast, the American saxophonist Charles Lloyd joins Alyn Shipton to select some of the best recordings from his long career. He introduces his work with musicians as various as Keith Jarrett and Cannonball Adderley, as well as discs by many of his own groups from the recent past.

Trumpeter Miles Davis was so influential on the course of jazz that his recordings changed the music's direction several times. In this podcast, Alyn Shipton starts out to suggest the essential Miles Davis albums, focussing on the period from 1949-61, and he's joined by trumpeter Guy Barker and author Brian Morton to select the finest of Miles's collaborations with Gil Evans and by his 1950s small groups.

Charlie Parker was the most influential alto saxophonist in jazz history, and in his short life he left hundreds of recordings. So how do you pick the best ones for your collection? In this Jazz Library podcast, Alyn Shipton explores Parker's legacy, and with the help of saxophonist Peter King and Parker's biographer, Brian Priestley, he chooses music from both Parker's live concert recordings and his studio work.

In this podcast, Alyn Shipton offers guidance to building a jazz library. He begins with records by the first great soloist in jazz, Louis Armstrong. Satchmo's early work is assessed by his friend and fellow trumpeter, Humphrey Lyttelton, while his legacy is explored by one of the finest contemporary New Orleans trumpeters, Abram Wilson. Ranging from the early Hot Five days of the 1920s to his final triumphs with the All Stars, Alyn suggests the best recordings by Louis to form the cornerstone of any jazz collection.