The Jazz River – Remembering Hal Willner

In April of 2020, one day after his 64th birthday, producer, raconteur, collector, and all-around great guy, Hal Willner died due to complications from COVID-19. Most people have never heard of him.

For 40 years he produced the music for SNL. In 1999 he took over production for the short-lived and greatest music show on television—Night Music (go on Youtube and see/hear for yourself!). He issued incredible tribute albums to Monk, Mingus, Kurt Weil, Nina Rota (Fellini’s composer), and Walt Disney. He produced records by Lou Reid, Bill Frisell, Tim Buckley, Marianne Faithful as well as Hunter Thompson, Allen Ginsberg, and even 2 sets of Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys. By all accounts, a weirdly wonderful cat who knew everyone from Miles and Rollins to Nick Cave and the Replacements, and got everyone to help record his projects.

This is a revisited and revised program from May of 2020. Tune in Sunday, June 5, at 7 pm to hear and appreciate his unique musical legacy. Only on KUVO JAZZ.

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