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Jazz Profiles presented by Tim Owens & 32 Bar Blues

by 32 Bar Blues

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Latest episodes

Duke Ellington, Part 1

August 12, 2026 · 1 hr 3 min

His name is synonymous with jazz – although his music is beyond category. Duke Ellington was a composer who enriched western music; a bandleader who used the instruments in his band to color his music – like an artist using a palette to…
Duke Ellington, Part 2

August 12, 2026 · 57 min

He may be the greatest jazz composer of all time. Certainly, the most prolific. He is also recognized as a “father” of Big Band jazz. As keyboardist – rooted in stride piano – he could propel his orchestra to new heights. And, wow, could…
Willie "The Lion" Smith

August 12, 2026 · 58 min

Irrepressible raconteur, indelible stylist, and giant of the Harlem stride piano, Willie “The Lion” Smith was an iconic American jazz pioneer. Known as a “musician’s musician,” his versatile career spanned ragtime, vaudeville, Broadway…
Dave Brubeck, Part 1

July 29, 2026 · 58 min

His was the first jazz album to sell over a million copies. But his music – noted for its odd time signatures – was somehow accessible and hummable. And with his signature quartet, he became a pioneer of the “cool” jazz movement. Stick…
Dave Brubeck, Part 2

July 29, 2026 · 58 min

He simply is one of the most popular musicians in jazz. With his various quartets of piano, bass, drums and a horn – and his tours of college campuses the world over, he introduced thousands of young people to jazz. Once again, meet Dave…

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Billie Holiday

July 23, 2026 · 58 min

Considered by many to be the most memorable of all jazz singers, Billie Holiday remains a household name nearly 70 years after her death. She sang behind-the-beat, which made her controversial in the 1930s – but revolutionary to jazz, and…
Betty Carter

July 21, 2026 · 58 min

Betty Carter is arguably the most adventurous female jazz vocalist in history. Known for her unique style and relentless improvisation, she challenged melodic and harmonic boundaries just like a bebop instrumentalist. Carter used her husky…
Buddy DeFranco

July 20, 2026 · 56 min

A brilliant improviser and prodigious technician, Buddy DeFranco reinvented jazz clarinet in the 1940s and 1950s, moving past traditional swing to become the premier bebop interpreter. It was a perilous undertaking on an instrument that…
Bobby Hutcherson

July 14, 2026 · 57 min

Bobby Hutcherson’s sound and innovative style on the vibraphone helped revitalize the instrument in the 1960s, adding an adventurous new voice to the free jazz and post-bop eras. But he also skillfully advanced the marimba as a frontline…
Ahmad Jamal

July 6, 2026 · 56 min

When we started 32 Bar Blues back in 2012, Ahmad Jamal was our first featured musician. It was deeply intentional. Pianist, composer, orchestrator and educator, he is lauded as one of the most influential musicians and bandleaders of all…
Max Roach

June 10, 2026 · 56 min

A strong case can be made for Max Roach as the most complete drummer in jazz history. He was front-and-center for both the bebop movement that transformed jazz in the late 1940s and its hard-bop offshoot in the mid-1950s. He helped pioneer…
Gil Evans

June 3, 2026 · 57 min

As an arranger, Gil Evans has few peers in jazz history. His style is instantly recognizable, often using unusual brass colorations for jazz, such as combinations of tuba and French horn. Famous for his collaborations with Miles Davis, Gil…

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About the show

A Peabody Award-winning documentary series chronicling the people, places, and themes of jazz. Combining interviews, archival recordings, music, and narration by singer Nancy Wilson, each program tells an informative and sometimes gripping story that celebrates our uniquely American art form and the people who make it.