About this season
Jazz Casual was an occasional series on jazz music on National Educational Television, the predecessor to the Public Broadcasting Service. The show was produced by Richard Moore and KQED of San Francisco, California. Episodes ran for 30 minutes. It ran from 1961 to 1968 and was hosted by jazz critic Ralph Gleason. The series had a pilot program in 1960, however the episode has been destroyed. 31 episodes were broadcast; 28 episodes survive. Most episodes included short interviews with the group leaders.
Episodes (7)
1. Jimmy Witherspoon
Aired 4 January 1962 • 30 min
Jimmy Witherspoon (Vocals) Ben Webster (Saxophone) Vince Guaraldi (Piano) Monty Budwig (Bass) Colin Bailey (Drums) "Time's Getting Tougher" "Ain't Nobody's Biz-ness" "Cotton Tail" "Chelsea Bridge" "I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town" "Roll 'Em"
2. Carmen McRae
Aired 15 March 1962 • 30 min
Carmen McRae (Vocals) Norman Simmons (Piano) Victor Sproles (Bass) Walter Perkins (Drums) "I'm Gonna Lock My Heart" "Trouble Is a Man" "If You Never Fall in Love with Me" "'Round Midnight" "Love for Sale" "Exactly Like You"
3. Sonny Rollins with Jim Hall
Aired 23 March 1962 • 30 min
Sonny Rollins Jim Hall Bob Cranshaw Ben Riley "The Bridge" "God Bless The Child" "If Ever I Would Leave You"
4. Modern Jazz Quartet
Aired 16 May 1962 • 30 min
John Lewis (Piano) Milt Jackson (Vibraphone) Percy Heath (Bass) Connie Kay (Drums) "The Golden Striker" "If I Were Eve" "Winter Tale" "Lonely Woman"
5. Turk Murphy's San Francisco Jazz Band
Aired 20 July 1962 • 30 min
Bob Neighbor (Trumpet) Bob Helm (Clarinet, Vocals) Turk Murphy (Trombone) Peter Clute (Piano) Harold Johnson (Tuba) Lloyd Byasse (Drums) "1919 Rag" "Daybreak Blues" "Dr. Jazz" "Terrible Blues" "Sidewalk Blues" "Weary Blues"
6. Gerry Mulligan Quartet
Aired 18 August 1962 • 30 min
Gerry Mulligan (Piano, Saxophone) Bob Brookmeyer (Trombone) Wyatt Ruther (Bass) Gus Johnson (Drums) "Four for Three" "Darn That Dream" "Open Country" Utter Chaos
7. Jimmy Rushing: The Man Who Sings the Blues
Aired 26 October 1962 • 30 min
Jimmy Rushing (Piano, Vocals) "Goin 'to Chicago" "Am I to Blame" "Baby, Don't You Tell on Me" "Good Morning Blues" "Trix Ain't Walkin 'No More" "How Long Blues" (Untitled)