TRANSCRIPT:
I’m Mark Rapp, and this is Rapp on Jazz.
The Village Vanguard in New York City is a living legend. It opened in 1935 in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, and this intimate basement venue has been home to countless live recordings.
It has hosted virtually every major jazz artist of the past eight decades. The Vanguard’s small size creates a unique energy: musicians and audience share a rare closeness, making every performance vibrant and immediate.
Iconic albums from John Coltrane, Bill Evans, and The Modern Jazz Quartet were captured here, giving the world a window into jazz history as it happened. Beyond recordings, it’s a nurturing ground for new voices and the ever-changing art of improvisation that defines jazz.
This has been Rapp on Jazz—a co-production of ColaJazz and SC Public Radio, made possible by The ETV Endowment of South Carolina.