In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond

Sonny's 94 Birthday

This episode celebrates Sonny Rollins on his 94th birthday with three tracks from some of his best albums. We also feature new music including the debut recording from altoist, Sarah Hanahan and flautist Lori Bell. The podcast ends with Kurt Elling covering a fold classic from P. Simon.

Playlist 
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Sonny Rollins ~ Wonderful! Wonderful! ~ Newk's Time
Miles Davis & Sonny Rollins ~ Oleo ~ On Prestige
Sonny Rollins ~ Way Out West ~ Way Out West
Gerry Mulligan Quartet ~ Bernie's Tune ~ Gerry Mulligan Quartet
Hampton Hawes ~ I Love You  ~ For Real! 
Hank Mobley ~ Up a Step ~ No Room for Squares
Sarah Hanahan ~ Resonance ~ Among Giants
Lori Bell Quartet ~ Black Narcissus ~ Recorda Me - Remembering Joe Henderson
Kurt Elling ~ American Tune ~ The Questions

Back To Bop

For this week's episode, we go back 60's hard bop format for most of the show. From Rollins to Trane, we groove to this era's hard hitting jazz. I did throw in a couple of modern pieces from Eddie Henderson and Billy Childs, that reflect on the hard-bop period.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Sonny Rollins ~ Alone Together ~ Sonny Rollins and the Contemporary Leaders
Hank Mobley ~ Up Over And Out ~ Reach Out!
Eddie Henderson ~ Totem Pole ~ Witness to History
Billy Childs ~ The Starry Night ~ Rebirth
Jackie McLean ~ Climax ~ Jacknife
John Coltrane ~ Bahia ~ Bahia
John Coltrane ~ Something I Dreamed Last Night ~ Bahia

Musings from the DNC

A few musical references from last week's Democratic Convention was the inspiration for this episode. VP Kamala Harris invoked the names of Aretha, Miles and Coltrane, and an appearance by Stevie Wonder are relived in this show.

Playlist 
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Aretha Franklin ~ A Change Is Gonna Come ~ I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
Miles Davis Quintet ~ Solar ~ Walkin'
John Coltrane ~ Giant Steps ~ Giant Steps
Stevie Wonder ~ Higher Ground ~ Innervisions
Herbie Hancock ~ You've Got It Bad Girl ~ The New Standard
SFJAZZ Collective ~ Creepin' ~ Music of Stevie Wonder and New Compositions
Jacob Collier ~ Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing ~ Single
George Duke ~ Capricorn ~ Faces In Reflection
Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention ~ Inca Roads ~ One Size Fits All

Kamala's Vinyl

This episode begins with a set, taken from the news video of VP Kamala Harris showing off her vinyl purchases after visiting a DC record store. Following that, we have a bass player set featuring a couple of San Diego based artists. The show ends with a tribute to Alice Coltrane and a symphonic piece from Tim Garland.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong ~ It Ain't Necessarily So ~ Porgy and Bess
Charles Mingus ~ The Shoes of the Fisherman's Wife Are Some Jive Ass Slippers ~ Let My Children Hear Music
Roy Ayers Ubiquity ~ Everybody Loves the Sunshine ~ Everybody Loves the Sunshine
Rob Thorsen Quartet ~ Let's Fall In Love ~ Evolution
Mackenzie Leighton ~ Summer Strollin' ~ I Remember
John Patitucci ~ We See ~ Trio
Ravi Coltrane ~ For Turiya ~ Blending Times
Tim Garland ~ The Forever Seed Part V - Praise ~ Moment Of Departure

Harping in Jazz

This episode begins with a wonderful harpist Brandee Younger carrying on the legacy of Alice Coltrane and others bringing the sound of harp to modern jazz. This is followed by new music and concludes with three of the greatest saxophone players that have graced this art form.

Playlist 
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Dezron Douglas & Brandee Younger ~ The Creator Has a Master Plan ~ Force Majeure
Brandee Younger ~ Moving Target ~ Brand New Life
Brandee Younger ~ Blue Nile ~ Soul Awakening
Jonathan Barber ~ The City That Sits On A Hill ~ In Motion
Tim Garland ~ Trails ~ Moment Of Departure
Kenny Barron ~ We See ~ Beyond This Place
Chris Potter ~ Indigo Ildikó ~ Eagle's Point
Wayne Shorter ~ Orbits ~ Without a Net
Joe Henderson ~ Power to the People ~ Power to the People 

New in Hartford

Several notable releases from jazz artists with Hartford roots are represented at the top of this episode. We present Karen Frisk (v), Jonathan Barber (dr), and Sarah Hanahan (as). We finish this show with some heavy 70's fusion with an extended four part Concerto for Jazz/Rock from Stanley Clarke.

Playlist 
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Karen Frisk ~ Street of Dreams ~ Still A Dreamer
Jonathan Barber ~ Can't Call It ~ In Motion
Sarah Hanahan ~ We Bop! ~ Among Giants
Kenny Burrell ~ Isabella ~ Soulero
Howard McGhee ~ Demon Chase ~ Maggie's Back In Town! 
Charles McPherson ~ Surge ~ Reverence
Gilbert Castellanos ~ Home is Africa ~ Espérame En El Cielo
Stanley Clarke ~ Concerto for Jazz/Rock Orchestra, Pt. 1-4 ~ Journey to Love

Episode July 28 2024

This episode begins with classic hard-bop from Mobley and McGee, followed by a wonderful new album from vocalist Karen Frisk. Then West Coast artists Wofford, Bell and Renfroe before finishing with a fusion set from Weather Report and Metheny.

Playlist
Artist ~ Track ~ Album
Hank Mobley ~ No Room for Squares ~ No Room for Squares
Howard McGhee ~ Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise ~ Maggie's Back In Town!
Karen Frisk ~ Sack Full Of Dreams ~ Still A Dreamer
Mike Wofford ~ Cole Porter ~ Synergy
Lori Bell Quartet ~ Shade of Jade ~ Recorda Me - Remembering Joe Henderson
Luke Sellick & Andrew Renfroe ~ Jolene ~ Small Vacation
Weather Report ~ Cucumber Slumber ~ Mysterious Traveller
Pat Metheny Group ~ To the End of the World ~ We Live Here

Episode July 21 2024

We begin with a tribute to Jim Rotondi, who passed away unexpectedly earlier this month. The music that follows is a good representation of the modern jazz being made from young players on the jazz scene.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Jim Rotondi ~ Pure Imagination ~ Dark Blue
Christopher Hollyday ~ One of Another Kind ~ Telepathy
Sarah Hanahan ~ Resonance ~ Among Giants
Chris Potter ~ Dream of Home (feat. Brad Mehldau, John Patitucci & Brian Blade) ~ Eagle's Point (feat. Brad Mehldau, John Patitucci & Brian Blade)
Immanuel Wilkins ~ Fugitive Ritual, Selah ~ The 7th Hand
Joshua White ~ Scarlet Tanager ~ 13 Short Stories (feat. Josh Johnson, Dean Hulett & Jonathan Pinson)
Tina Raymond ~ Eight of Wands ~ Divinations
Kenny Barron ~ Sunset (feat. Kiyoshi Kitagawa, Johnathan Blake, Immanuel Wilkins & Steve Nelson) ~ Beyond This Place