This April, CapRadio Music is celebrating Jazz Appreciation Month with special programming that honors some of the artists, recordings and record labels that helped shape jazz history. Every Monday night at 9 p.m., we’ll spotlight four legendary jazz labels whose catalogs continue to influence generations of musicians and listeners. Along the way, we’ll also mark Jazz Appreciation Month with on-air birthday tributes to some of the music’s most unforgettable voices and instrumentalists.
From Blue Note and CTI to Verve and Concord, these recordings tell the story of jazz through innovation, artistry and cultural impact. Join us all month as CapRadio celebrates the music, the musicians and the legacy of jazz.
Monday Night Spotlight Series
April 6: Blue Note Records
Gary Vercelli explores the iconic catalog of Blue Note Records, founded in 1939 by Alfred Lion, featuring artists like Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Herbie Hancock, Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk.
April 13: CTI Records
Avery Jeffry spotlights classics from Creed Taylor’s CTI Records, including music from Freddie Hubbard, George Benson, Hubert Laws, Stanley Turrentine, Milt Jackson, Randy Weston and Jim Hall.
April 20: Verve Records
Jacob Rodriguez highlights Verve Records with classics from Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Gerry Mulligan and Lester Young, while also honoring producer Norman Granz and his legacy as a civil rights advocate.
April 27: Concord Records
Paul Conley hosts a salute to Carl Jefferson’s Concord Records. Before joining CapRadio, Paul worked in Concord’s promotion department and later interviewed many Concord artists for NPR’s Jazz Profiles.
April Jazz Birthday Tributes
Throughout the month, CapRadio Music will celebrate jazz birthdays on the air, including:
April 2 – Larry Coryell
April 4 – Benny Green
April 5 – Stanley Turrentine, Robert Glasper
April 6 – Gerry Mulligan, John Pizzarelli
April 7 – Billie Holiday, Freddie Hubbard, Mongo Santamaria
April 8 – Carmen McRae
April 10 – Joey DeFrancesco, Denny Zeitlin
April 12 – Herbie Hancock
April 14 – Gene Ammons, Steve Davis
April 16 – Herbie Mann, Henry Mancini
April 22 – Charles Mingus
April 23 – Alan Broadbent
April 24 – Joe Henderson
April 25 – Ella Fitzgerald
April 26 – Teddy Edwards
April 28 – Blossom Dearie
April 29 – Duke Ellington
April 30: International Jazz Day
On International Jazz Day, Excellence in Jazz presents five solid hours of music from artists around the world in a special celebration of jazz’s global reach and influence.
