Jazz Break at Noon - February 2026

Feb 9 - 13

Slide Innovation: The Music of J.J. Johnson
This week on The Jazz Break at Noon, we spotlight one of the true titans of the bebop era and an innovator who single-handedly redefined the role of his instrument in modern jazz: trombonist, bandleader, and composer J.J. Johnson (1924-2001). Just as Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Parker, and Max Roach revolutionized their respective instruments, Johnson transformed the trombone. He liberated it from its traditional role, proving it could navigate the lightning-fast tempos and complex harmonies of bebop with the agility of a saxophone. His spirited technique and compositional genius produced enduring jazz standards like "Wee Dot," "Lament," and "Enigma."

Our sonic journey will trace Johnson's most creative and influential periods. We'll begin with his earliest appearances in the 1940s, including his breakout performance at the 1944 Jazz at the Philharmonic and his first singles for Savoy, capturing his transition from the Swing Era to the forefront of Bebop. We’ll explore his definitive recordings for Blue Note, Prestige, Columbia, and Impulse! Records, celebrating a career that set the standard for all modern trombonists. Join us for a week of slide innovation with J.J. Johnson.

Feb 23 - 27

Billie Holiday
You don’t have to know Billie Holiday’s strife-ridden story to feel every ounce of emotion in each of her indelible recordings. Her phrasing, intonation and musicality were steeped in the burdensome memories of childhood and the complicated life she authored as an adult. Her inventive style influenced many of her contemporaries and continues to have a lasting presence in the minds of vocalists and instrumentalists alike. Holiday’s rogue character wasn’t just a persona on stage, it was her beloved disposition. Many who were close to her have made it clear that Holiday was not someone you could control, censor or diminish. Much to the chagrin of her abusive partners, racist audiences, and the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, Billie Holiday was going to do things her way and still get the last word.

“I never felt inferior to anybody, and I couldn’t learn to act as if I did,” Holiday once said. “That was my trouble.” Sometimes, that trouble was good. In 1939, after the debut performance of the song “Strange Fruit,” a song about lynchings, Holiday received a warning from the Federal Bureau of Narcotics to never sing the song again. Holiday refused and the song remained part of her repertoire for the rest of her career. That defiance and conviction is what fueled her and burned her over and over again. In her consciousness, years of abuse and trauma wrestled with a host of substances that she used to try to self-medicate and numb. In her voice, a smokey-tone that didn’t just sing lyrics, she sang life. 

As we transition from Black History Month to Women’s History Month the stage is set to learn about and listen to the incomparable Billie Holiday.

Tune in this week Monday through Friday from 12pm to 1pm CST to learn more about the life and recordings of Billie Holiday. There are three ways to listen: on the dial at 91.7FM, online at krtu.org or on our free mobile app.