Broadcast on 23-May-2011

Tonight The Jazz Show is celebrating what would be Artie Shaw's 101st birthday. Arthur Jacob Arshawsky was born on May 23, 1910 and died at the ripe old age of 94 on December 30, 2004. Tonight on the Jazz Feature, I'll be playing a selection of his final recordings as a musician and one of the finest clarinettists in the world. These are small group recordings that show that Mr. Shaw was not resting on his past laurels and was keeping up with the times. With Artie on clarinet are Hank Jones on piano, Tal Farlow on guitar, Joe Roland on vibes, Tommy Potter on bass and Irv Kluger on drums. They were done in New York and Los Angeles in February, March and June 1954 and consituted his final recordings....he never touched the clarinet after this. The selections are all arranged tighly and neatly by Mr. Shaw and show his sence of perfection. The tunes are standards and a few Shaw originals and demonstrate his virtuosity on the clarinet. Someone once asked Shaw who he felt was the best clarinettist......himself or Benny Goodman.....Shaw raised his eyebrows and said "Benny plays the clarinet, I play music'. Indeed Mr Shaw.....Happy Birthday!