loving jazz casual with ralph gleason...

I got turned on to a jazz MONSTER today by my colleague, friend and master musician, Carlton Maaia II, during our weekly practice:  Jazz Casual with Ralph Gleason. OMG what a treasure. Toby Gleason described the genesis of the TV show for KQED-San Francisco:

One of his dreams, though, was to create a television series devoted entirely to Jazz. One which would allow the musicians the freedom to play what they wanted, for as long as they wanted; and allow the television audience to experience Jazz in a much more personal style than was being presented on television at that time. Jazz, when it was presented on television at all, was usually presented in very structured, formal, variety show formats. And so, Ralph J. Gleason's Jazz Casual was born. The series ran from 1960-1968, and aired on the NET network in the U.S. Thirty-one episodes were originally produced, of which twenty-eight survive...

Here is a collection of the giants of the genre at the height of the careers playing in a setting that was sweet and supportive. There is SO much more I could say, but why not just sit back and dig Cannonball Adderley playing and speaking with the ever suave Ralph Gleason verve and insight? This is jazz and jazz education at its finest. CHECK IT OUT!