Take 5 Jazz

The latest show:

  • In my program this week composer/ arranger Quincy Jones, track from the lp “We had a Ball” recorded on Limelight December 20th 1964 Dizzy Gillespie, Nat Adderley, Freddie Hubbard: trumpets, Curtis Fuller, J.J. Johnson, Kai Winding: trombones, Jerry Dodgion, Phil Woods: alto saxes, James Moody, Roland Kirk, Benny Golson, Lucky Thompson: tenor saxes, Pepper Adams: baritone sax, Milt Jackson: vibes, Bobby Scott: piano, Bob Cranshaw: bass, Art Blakey: drums
  • Peter Herbolzheimer Rhythm Combination and Brass, track from “Jazz Gala All Stars Big Band” recorded January 28th 1977 with soloists Nippy Noya: congas, Ferdinand Povel: tenor sax
  • Tenor saxophonist Don Byas, track from “Live in Venlo” recorded march 3rd 1973 with Tete Montoliu: piano, Henk Haverhoek: bass, Tony Inzalaco: drums
  • Organ Freeman, track from the cd “Busywork” recorded 2024 featuring tenor saxophonist Michael Buckley with Charlie Moon: guitar, Darragh Hennessy: organ, Dominic Mullan: drums
  • Pianist Lluis Coloma, track from the cd “We Like to Groove” recorded October 2024 with Blue Lou Marini: tenor sax, Kid Carlos: guitar, Manolo German: bass, Arnau Julia: drums
  • The Ben Webster special, track 373/520 this week Ben’s recording with Benny Carter recorded in New York December 13th 1934
  • Tenor saxophonist Simon Spillett, track from the cd “Dear Tubby H” recorded april 3rd 2023 with Pete Long, Sammy Mayne, Alan Barnes, Alex Garnett, Simon Allen, Rob Barron, Alec Dankworth, Pete Cater
  • Bassist Ronan Guilfoyle, track from the cd “At Swing, To Birds” recorded October 2023 on Livia Records with Chris Guilfoyle: guitar, Sam Norris: alto sax, Darren Beckett: drums
  • The Crusaders, track from the cd “Street Life” recorded in 1979 with Joe Sample: keyboards, Wilton Felder: tenor sax/bass, Stix Hooper: drums, Randy Crawford: vocals
  • Bassist Hans Backenroth, track from “For Ray, Milt and M.J.Q.” recorded 2025 with Daniel Tilling: piano, Roger Svedberg: vibes, Oscar Johansson Were: drums
  • Tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, track from “Live at Marian’s Hotel” Bern recorded may 10th 1998 with John Scofield: guitar, Conrad Herwig: trombone, Tommy Flanagan: piano, George Mraz: bass, Bill Stewart: drums
  • Pianist Gregory Golub, track from the cd “African Jazz and other Passions” recorded 2025

About Take 5 Jazz

In the weekly show of Take 5 Jazz I will take you into the great world of Jazz. Beyond the mainstream and well known recordings, my show is an entrance to the vast range of all the various styles within the genre, such as Bebop, West Coast jazz, and most notable: Latin. Jazz music knows many faces: from the old American Jazz standards to the British scene, and from big bands to Cool Jazz; ranging from the oldest to the most recent of recordings, every week some of the finest from my collection will be played.

One of my aims is present something unknown every week; to give some airplay to those musicians to whom people pay too little attention to, as well as providing rare recordings of well-known musicians. Take 5 Jazz offers a blend of the familiar and unfamiliar, mostly jazz and sometimes a bit of blues, but always with the intent to find something new and interesting.

Jan Klein, the man behind Take 5 Jazz

An article in a Dutch newspaper, marking the 300th show of Take 5 Jazz.
(Click to enlarge)

Back in 1997 people, who knew about my passion for Jazz, asked me to start a radio show at a local radio station. Rather than generic pop music usually aired, this new show, Take 5, offered the best Jazz and Blues that was within my ever-expanding collection.

My collection spans a great number of LPs and CDs, and started in the early seventies. At the time, as a little boy, I bought my first LP: Cal Tjader’s Latin Kick. This marked the beginning of my love for the genre. The quality of his sound and the quality of performance drew me to Ben Webster. Ben, like Cal, is one of the cornerstones of my collection.

For several years I aired this music, but times change. Progressing from a small local radio station to the World Wide Web, I became fully independent. Now I am able to share my love for the music with an audience from all over the world!

For over forty years after I collected every known recording that Cal Tjader produced, making me one of the few in the world who managed to complete the entire discography of Cal. The combination of Jazz and Latin was what started my love for Jazz, and thus it was something I wanted to give special attention in my show. From October 14, 2002, to July 31, 2018, I aired my entire collection: one track a week, every week. It was a monumental task, and I am proud that I managed to complete it.

Once I reached the end of my Cal Tjader special, I had to switch to a different musician. A poll amongst my listeners finalized my decision: for 520 weeks in a row there will be at least one track of Ben Webster in my show!

A painting given to me to celebrate my 500th show of Take 5 Jazz

In loving memory of 'the Swingmaster' Sem van Gelder

Cal Tjader and Ben Webster are but two examples of the musicians that I count amongst my favourites. The long and wonderful history of the Jazz genre has brought forth many musical geniuses. And while Jazz might originate from the United States, those gifted in the art of music are born all over the world. The jazz scene in Britain, for instance, featured artists such as Tubby Hayes and Phil Seamen. And for me, hailing from Holland, there are many ‘local’ musicians whom I admire, whose albums I collected. The most notable of these are Jan Akkerman and Rob Franken.

For a more expansive summary of the musicians whose music I appreciate, click here.

A few years ago I picked up a hobby. Next to my big love for listening to jazz music, and sharing this passion through my show Take 5 Jazz, I’ve started painting.

Please take a look on this page, where I share some of my paintings.

Contact

Contact me either through one of the social media buttons on the top of the page, or use the form below to send me an e-mail.