NPR Jazz: After 18 Years Of Marriage And Two Children, A Couple Releases Their Debut Albums

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1. After 18 Years Of Marriage And Two Children, A Couple Releases Their Debut Albums
2. Grace Kelly On Piano Jazz
3. Because It's Never Too Soon To Survey The Year In Jazz, 5 Songs For 2014

After 18 Years Of Marriage And Two Children, A Couple Releases Their Debut Albums Posted: 14 Feb 2014 02:15 PM PST Growing up in Denver, Rudy and Shamie Royston dreamed about moving to a jazz hub like New York. After a few welcome delays to teach and raise a family, they're beginning to pursue careers as performing musicians. The basic story behind drummer Rudy Royston's first album sounds like that of many sidemen in jazz. He moved to the New York area. His talent got him into bands led by higher-profile artists like Bill Frisell, JD Allen, Ben Allison and Dave Douglas. And when it came time to document his own composing and arranging, he could rely on the network he had tapped into. Douglas issued Royston's album 303 earlier this month on his own record label, Greenleaf Music.

Grace Kelly On Piano Jazz Posted: 14 Feb 2014 11:06 AM PST   The then-16-year-old jazz phenom sings "All the Things You Are" and plays "Round Midnight" in a 2008 session with Marian McPartland. Alto saxophone phenom has recorded with icons Lee Konitz and and is a seasoned road warrior with tour dates around the world. And she's till in her early 20s. She recently added vocalist to her resume. On this Piano Jazz recorded in 2008, Kelly performs tunes by Oscar Hammerstein & Jerome Kern, and more.

Because It's Never Too Soon To Survey The Year In Jazz, 5 Songs For 2014 Posted: 14 Feb 2014 06:21 AM PST It may seem as if jazz recordings have slowed to a flurry, but it's more like a blizzard, with dozens already coming down in the new year. Hear highlights from a few albums worth shoveling out, by Archie Shepp, Edward Simon, James Brandon Lewis and more. From the outside looking in, it may seem as if jazz recordings have slowed to a flurry. But it's really more like a blizzard, with dozens already coming down in the new year — including new efforts from big names like Pat Metheny, Danilo Pérez and Brad Mehldau. Before we're snowed under, here are a few others worth hearing.