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© South Carolina Public Radio and The ColaJazz Foundation
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Rapp on Jazz, co-produced by South Carolina Public Radio and the ColaJazz Foundation, highlights the Palmetto State's connection to the history of jazz music and the current jazz scene. Join Mark Rapp, executive director of the foundation and host of SC Public Radio’s ColaJazz Presents, for these 60-second segments covering everything from famous South Carolinians like Dizzy Gillespie and Eartha Kitt to the “Big Apple” dance craze of the 1930s to the best clubs to experience jazz in the state.
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Detroit has long been a powerhouse in American industry—and in American jazz. In the mid-20th century, the Motor City’s working-class neighborhoods produced a wave of extraordinary musicians who shaped the sound of modern jazz.Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.
Jazz is constantly evolving—shaped by fresh voices and new waves of creativity. Today, two powerful movements are commanding attention: the return of the alto sax to center stage, and a rising generation of innovative vocalists.Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.
Alice Coltrane’s music is a journey -- one that extends far beyond jazz tradition into the realms of spirit and transcendence. After her husband, John Coltrane, died, she devoted herself to exploring sound as a path to healing and enlightenment.Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.
Duke Ellington, one of jazz’s greatest composers, believed his music had a higher purpose. In the 1960s and ’70s, he created a bold and visionary series of Sacred Concerts—large-scale works that blended jazz orchestra, choir, soloists, and dance. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.
In the late 1950s, jazz legend Mary Lou Williams underwent a profound spiritual transformation that reshaped her music and mission. Out of that calling emerged her groundbreaking sacred works—compositions that blended jazz with liturgical tradition.Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.
Jazz and hip-hop share a deep, creative lineage, even though they emerged decades apart. Hip-hop artists have long drawn inspiration from jazz’s rhythm, improvisation, and harmonic complexity. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.
DuBose Heyward’s most significant artistic legacy came from the world he created in his novel Porgy. Written in 1925, the book inspired a Broadway play, adapted by Heyward and his wife, Dorothy, and later became the foundation for Gershwin’s legendary opera Porgy and Bess. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.
DuBose Heyward helped shape one of the most iconic works in American musical history. Born in Charleston in 1885, Heyward came from an old, respected South Carolina family. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.
Trumpeter Johnny Helms was a pillar of Columbia’s jazz scene for more than fifty years. A gifted musician from an early age, he was performing in local clubs by thirteen and leading his own band by sixteen. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.
Drummer Stockton Helbing is one of the most dynamic musicians to emerge from South Carolina’s jazz community. Born in 1980 and raised in Florence, he picked up the drums in sixth grade and quickly earned spots in the South Carolina All-State Jazz Band before graduating from West Florence High School. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.
Saxophonist Lonnie Hamilton III has long been one of Charleston’s cultural leaders—both on stage and in public life. Born in 1927, he grew up immersed in the city’s rich musical traditions and played in the Jenkins Orphanage bands during the 1940s.Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.
Ralph "Iron Fingers" Goodwin was a self-taught pianist whose lightning touch made him a beloved figure in South Carolina’s jazz community. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.
Kip Anderson was one of South Carolina’s most soulful and resilient musical voices. Born in Starr, SC around 1938, he first sang in church and was discovered early on by gospel great Edna Cooke.Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.
Leonard Feather was among jazz’s most influential voices -- not as a performer, but as a critic, historian, and tireless advocate for the music. Feather contributed to Down Beat, edited Metronome, and authored The Encyclopedia of Jazz, still a vital reference today.Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.
Jazz impresario George Wein was one of the most visionary figures in American music. As founder of the Newport Jazz Festival in 1954, Wein changed how jazz was presented, moving it from clubs to large outdoor venues, creating a true festival experience that brought together legends, emerging artists, and passionate audiences to celebrate the music.Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.
Jazz impresario Norman Granz had a strong passion for justice that influenced both the music and the culture surrounding it. In 1944, he started Jazz at the Philharmonic, which brought jazz out of smoky clubs and into major concert halls.Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.
Behind every legendary performance, groundbreaking recording, and thriving jazz scene, there’s often an unsung hero: the jazz impresario. These visionaries champion artists, build audiences, and create the spaces where jazz flourishes. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.
Before bebop and the cool jazz era, swing dancing was the heartbeat of American nightlife. In the 1930s and ’40s, big bands filled ballrooms with lively rhythms that practically lifted dancers off the floor. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.
If there’s one sound that defines classic jazz, it’s the feel of swing. At its core, swing comes from dividing the beat into uneven triplets, creating that long-short “da-DUM, da-DUM” feel that propels the music forward. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.
While jazz is an art form, it’s also a living science of sound. Every note we play, and every chord we shape, is based on the physics of vibration. Visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/rapponjazz for full transcripts.
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