Jazz Insights

Jazz history in 10 minutes. Dr. Gordon Vernick, a Professor of Music and Coordinator of Jazz Studies at Georgia State University, creates these jazz vignettes to cover all aspects of jazz from its inception until the current day.  These vignettes are created for the music novice hoping to learn more about jazz through simple explanation and musical examples.

Jazz Insights airs every Thursday morning in the 8 o'clock hour.

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    Benny Carter

    This two-part segment of Jazz Insights focuses on the great Benny Carter. Carter is known today as one of the great arrangers, composers, bandleaders, film scorers and alto saxophone players in jazz and his influence can be heard on music throughout the 20th century. The first segment focuses particularly on his work throughout the mid to late 1920s up to around 1930.

    Jazz Insight - Benny Carter - Part 1


    Recently Aired

    Cornet vs. Trumpet

    Perhaps one of the most confusing instruments for non-musicians is the Cornet. It looks like a trumpet, and in many ways is very similar to a trumpet. However, it is the history and small differences in sound that separate the two instruments. Gordon Vernick demonstrates the differences by playing both live in the AM 1690 studios.

    Howard McGhee

    This Jazz Insights features Howard McGhee, a relatively obscure trumpet player by today’s standards. However, back in the 1940s and throughout the 1960s he was a very well respected jazz trumpet player, composer and arranger. He was a very much on the scene at the inception of bebop playing with the likes of Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk and Fats Navarro.

    International Sweethearts of Rhythm

    Today’s Jazz Insights is devoted to the first fully-integrated all-female jazz band, the International Sweethearts of Rhythm. They performed in the 1930’s and 40’s alongside acts such as Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington, and Benny Goodman, and their prowess on their instruments and stage show was just as good. Gordon discusses the role that women have played in jazz and perhaps why there has not been much attention given to their numerous and notable contributions.

    Duke Pearson

    For this Jazz Insights, Gordon brings it local with pianist Duke Pearson who was born and raised in Atlanta before moving on to New York City where along with musicians Donald Byrd, Bennie Golson and Pepper Adams, he helped shaped the hard bop Blue Note sound of the 1960’s. While Pearson was a formidable talent on his instrument, the focus of this first segment is on his accomplishments as an arranger and composer.