Jazz Break at Noon - March 2026
KRTU’s weekly, mid-day program
March 2 - 6
The Joint is Jumpin': Vipers, Rent Parties, and the Jazz Underground of the 1920s & ‘30s.
This week on The Jazz Break at Noon, we are stepping out of the concert halls and into the speakeasies of the 1920s and 30s. We are exploring the vibrant, underground after-hours jazz world that forever changed the language, rhythm, and social fabric of American music. During the height of Prohibition and the Great Depression, jazz wasn't just entertainment. Jazz was a means of survival and celebration.
This week on The Jazz Break at Noon, we are stepping out of the concert halls and into the speakeasies of the 1920s and 30s. We are exploring the vibrant, underground after-hours jazz world that forever changed the language, rhythm, and social fabric of American music. During the height of Prohibition and the Great Depression, jazz wasn't just entertainment. Jazz was a means of survival and celebration.
Our jazz party begins in the living rooms of Harlem, where "Rent Parties" fueled "cutting contests" between stride piano giants like Willie ‘The Lion’ Smith and James P. Johnson.
We’ll explore the rhythms of the Boogie-Woogie dance craze, and the rhythmic slang of the "Hepcats," Slim Gaillard & Slam Stewart.
We’ll close the week by exploring the "Vipers,” a tight-knit group of musicians who cultivated a parallel, underground culture around legal cannabis, or "the gage" as Louis Armstrong famously called it. This group of larger-than-life characters wrote incredibly catchy, thinly veiled anthems right under the noses of the authorities. Our listening session includes Fats Waller, Cab Calloway, Georgia White, Mezz Mezzrow, and more. Join us for a historical, swinging trip into the joyful and rebellious jazz underground, this week on The Jazz Break at Noon.
This week's Jazz Break at Noon is sponsored by Mr. Farmacist, as part of our 50th Anniversary celebrations.
March 16-20
Four Portraits: Four Women In Jazz
Four women: different stories, different instruments. All of them are topping the Jazz charts and making statements with their work. As we continue our celebration of Women’s History Month, host Bria Woods (who also hosts Women in Jazz on Thursday evenings) is highlighting four women musicians during the Jazz Break at Noon.
Four women: different stories, different instruments. All of them are topping the Jazz charts and making statements with their work. As we continue our celebration of Women’s History Month, host Bria Woods (who also hosts Women in Jazz on Thursday evenings) is highlighting four women musicians during the Jazz Break at Noon.
Alexa Tarantino
Lisa Hilton
Melissa Aldana
Patricia Brennan
Each day we will listen to tunes from their latest releases, we’ll go back in time to their earlier works and also check out notable collaborations.
This program is a snapshot of the innovative work being produced by countless women artists today. It was hard to choose who to spotlight for this show as each of the women featured this week are in great company.
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.
March 23 - 27
A Bluish Bag with Mr. T: A Retrospective Survey of Stanley Turrentine
This week on The Jazz Break at Noon, we celebrate the sultry and soulful sounds of tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine. Widely regarded as a titan of the Soul Jazz era, Turrentine, alongside his longtime musical partner, organist Shirley Scott, defined the sound of the 1960s through a prolific run of recordings for Blue Note and Impulse! Records.
Characterized by a deep, robust tone, Turrentine embodied the muscular "Texas Tenor" tradition of greats like Illinois Jacquet, a style he forged in the 1950s while in the R&B bands of Lowell Fulson and Earl Bostic. During his tenure at Blue Note, his blues-first approach made him the quintessential collaborator for legends like Jimmy Smith and Kenny Burrell, contributing his signature grit to several now classic sessions.
By the 1970s, Turrentine became a central figure in the fusion movement at Creed Taylor’s CTI Records. Landmark releases like 1970's Sugar and 1972’s Cherry were instant hits, demonstrating a massive crossover appeal that few in jazz could match at the time. This era also saw him branch into global sounds, notably on the 1971 classic Gilberto with Turrentine, featuring the legendary Brazilian vocalist Astrud Gilberto.
Throughout a recording career spanning nearly four decades, from his 1960 debut, Stan “The Man” Turrentine, to his final 1999 release, Do You Have Any Sugar?, Turrentine balanced soul-drenched originals with timeless interpretations of the Great American Songbook. Our listening sessions this week offer a comprehensive survey of his work across a variety of settings, spotlighting the diverse repertoire and consistently original tone of the man they called "Mr. T."
Join us for a retrospective survey of a true tenor icon. Hosted by JJ Lopez.
This week's Jazz Break at Noon is sponsored by Emilio Nicolas Jr., as part of our 50th Anniversary celebrations.
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