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Hair slicked and smile set to dazzle, Duke Ellington is standing at an upright piano when “Hot Chocolate” opens, conducting a band that’s already swinging. A decorative musical staff provides the only ornamentation on the otherwise bare-bones, cramped set. That scarcely matters because Ellington is playing. He calls out Ben Webster’s name and there’s a cut to the saxophonist. A few more cuts take us to two women who smile and nod, then Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers begin jumping, rocketing the film into the stratosphere.

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The Queer Black Woman Who Reinvented The Blues

In the 1910s and ’20s, America vested its quick-changing emotions in The Mother of the Blues—a gender-role-flaunting singer with sky-high charisma, great business sense, and a voice that could bring people from laughter to tears and back again.

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I DJed the closing set on The Global Online Social on Thursday 4/24 as part of Frim Fram Jam’s #VirtualFrimFram series - tune in to this archived video for swinging tunes and some fun facts.

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A little late for Women’s History Month at Frim Fram, this feature in the NYT is  just in time to spotlight Una Mae Carlisle (along with 9 other incredible musicians), who I included in my DJ set on yesterday’s Online Global Social.

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RIP Peter Ecklund

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Big Sid Catlett: Five Clips

A couple of years ago at the Satchmo Summerfest, drummer Rich Noorigian, jazz historian and archivist Ricky Riccardi and I put together a tribute to unsung drummer Big Sid Catlett, who was comfortable in any setting from Armstrong to John Kirby to Charlie Parker. JazzWax sends a fine tribute our way with Big Sid as the headliner.

-Scott Wenzel

Watch and listen from JazzWax… Follow: Mosaic Records Facebook Tumblr Twitter

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Brooklyn Park Gets a New Name: Betty Carter Park

From the “What’s Right with the World” Department: New Yorkers, and the wider jazz world, had just reason to rejoice last week, when patch of green across from the Brooklyn Academy of Music acquired the name Betty Carter Park, honoring an illustrious local musician who once walked the streets of that Fort Greene neighborhood. Pamela Wong looked in on the festivities for the Bklyner (for out-of-towners, short for “Brooklyner”).

-Nick Moy

Read and watch, from bklyner.com… Follow: Mosaic Records Facebook Tumblr Twitter

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This series is fantastic and important

NPR: Women who Invented Popular American Music

A Woman’s Place: Mary Lou Williams’s Harlem Apartment

From NPR comes musicologist Tammy Kernodle’s detailed essay on the Harlem apartment that Mary Lou Williams turned into one of the deeply influential salons cultivating experimental American music and aiding musicians in need during the mid-20th century. A fascinating exploration of America’s cultural history and one of its most important figures.

-Nick Moy

Read from NPR… Listen to NPR’s Mary Lou Williams playlist… Follow: Mosaic Records Facebook Tumblr Twitter

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LIFE legend Ella Fitzgerald holding a basket of flowers as she sings “A Tisket, a Tasket” circa 1946. (Eliot Elisofon—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images) #LIFElegends #EllaFitzgerald https://www.instagram.com/p/BvMPCu5AN9E/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ehuskt6mqto8

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Sarah Vaughan, Roberta Flack, Peggy Lee & Aretha Franklin - We love you madly

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How A Great Day in Harlem Happened

Art Kane’s photograph which has become known as A Great Day In Harlem has become a celebrated Mount Rushmore of jazz. Stories abound about people like publicist Bob Altshuler getting Thelonious Monk out of his apartment at 9 am to get him to the shoot. Jean Bach created a documentary about the event. But a new book of Art Kanes’s every shot that morning sheds new light on that momentous gathering. Quincy Jones and Benny Golson provide introductory reminiscences.

-Michael Cuscuna

Read and view… Follow: Mosaic Records Facebook Tumblr Twitter

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Teddy Wilson Interviewed

WNYC presents this rare and most welcome interview from 1950 with Teddy Wilson. It’s part of the National Endowment for the Humanities preservation project and an interesting insight into Teddy’s thoughts of what the future of jazz will be at a time when bop was on the wane, cool was cool and hard bop still a few years ahead.

-Scott Wenzel

Mosaic’s box set, Complete Brunswick & Columbia Teddy Wilson Sessions 1934-1942, is now availble. Go here to listen to samples and to order your set.

Listen to the interview… Follow: Mosaic Records Facebook Tumblr Twitter