Tonight's Jazz Feature is a very regular tradition on The Jazz Show at this time of year which of course is "back to school, back to work etc" This presentation although historical is an important document even if one has heard it before where Maestro Leonard Bernstein discusses what is and what isn't Jazz. Bernstein understood and respected Jazz music and it's players and composers and held them to the same high esteem as his classical counterparts. Part 1 is what is and what isn't Jazz and Part 2 delves into the construction of a popular song and then with the help of many major musicians like Coleman Hawkins, Phil Woods, Miles Davis etc. demonstrates what Jazz players can do to improvise on that song and interpret it in their way. Of course there are a few dated and funny references as well as this was recorded in the mid-1959s but with the narration and the participation of these master musicians, this remains a fun and educational recording. What is Jazz with Leonard Bernstein is tonight's Jazz Feature.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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