It’s a shame my friend Dick Gibson, the late Denver jazz impresario, won’t see “Legends of Jazz.”
He would have loved it. Ramsey Lewis, as silky-smooth as an interviewer as he is a piano player, emcees the 13-week series, debuting Sunday (10:30 p.m., KRMA-Channel 6).
The series, which covers players from trumpeters to singers, proves again that jazz, which has had more comebacks than Cher, is still alive. The first weekly jazz show on national television in 40 years, “Legends of Jazz” treats the uniquely American art form with the respect it deserves.
The opening 30-minute episode features trumpeters Clark Terry, Roy Hargrove and Chris Botti, three players whose styles are quite unalike but whose love affair with the instrument is drawn out with insight and humor by Lewis.
Other segments in the series, which focuses on a different aspect of jazz each week, will feature Tony Bennett, Al Jarreau, Billy Taylor, Phil Woods, Keb’ Mo’ and dozens of others.
This being the 21st century, “Legends,” produced by WTTW in Chicago, isn’t just on our home TV screens. It’s also planned to be on DVDs, CDs and as a live national tour. Info at legendsofjazz.net.
“Willie” does food
New country radio station KWLI 92.5-FM (“Willie”) launches its first major community promotion Saturday, collecting nonperishable food for Volunteers of America programs.
The month-long drive in conjunction with ARC Thrift Stores, already has netted 2,000 food donations, according to VOA spokesman Jim White. Pick-ups can be arranged by calling 720-264-3323.
Weekend highlights
Today
The bizarre humor and weird interviews of a stay-at-home teenager debut for a second season on “The Andy Milonakis Show” (7 p.m., MTV2, Comcast digital cable channel 135).
Saturday
Python lovers get their fill with “Monty Python Viewers’ Choice Marathon.” Surely, the dead parrot will be included (7:30 a.m., BBC America, digital cable channel 162).
Sunday
The Academy Award-winning “Crash,” starring Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Terrence Howard, Ludacris and Sandra Bullock, hits home TV in record time (6:05 p.m., Showtime).
Around the dial
Congressman Tom Tancredo talks about legalizing marijuana, same-sex couples and bird flu in the second half of a two-part interview with Aaron Harber (9 tonight, KBDI-Channel 12). The station’s online auction of rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia ends Monday … The May 6 appearance of “A Prairie Home Companion” in Loveland sold out in 13 minutes … Quotable: “Well, I’m too old to pimp, and too young to die, so I’m just gon’ keep playin’.” Trumpeter Clark Terry, 85.
Dick Kreck’s column appears Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. He may be reached at 303-820-1456 or dkreck@denverpost.com.
This article was corrected in this online archive. Originally, due to an editing error, the headline erroneously stated that the jazz series began on Friday night, March 31. In fact, it was Sunday, April 2nd.
