In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond

Post-Thanksgiving jazz feast

On this Thanksgiving weekend we feast on some great new jazz that has come through the Hartford area recently for us to savor. Sharel Cassity came with her quintet a couple of weeks ago and showed us her amazing talents on alto and soprano sax. Albert Rivera came to town for a pre-thanksgiving show that blew us all away. Here is a taste of what we got from Albert that evening:

Next up is Tarbaby the hot new group led by Eric Revis and Nasheet Waits representing a new wave of free jazz. From that point on we rock out with some fusion from Wayne Krantz and Mike Stern. Finally we close out this week's podcast with an epic recording from the 70's from Yes.

Featured Album

Relentless on amazon.com or

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Say What? ~ Sharel Cassity ~ Relentless
Song of Those Who Seek ~ Sharel Cassity ~ Relentless
Exalibur ~ Albert Rivera ~ Inner Peace
The New York Hartford Connection ~ Albert Rivera ~ Re-Introduction
Heads ~ Tarbaby ~ The End of Fear
November '80 ~ Tarbaby ~ The End of Fear
Its No Fun Not To Like Pop ~ Wayne Krantz ~ Krantz Carlock Lefebrvre
Tumble Home ~ Mike Stern ~ Who Let The Cats Outs
All Heart ~ Mike Stern ~ Play
Close to the Edge ~ Yes ~ Close to the Edge

For Harry Whitaker

This show is in memory of Harry Whitaker who passed away last Wednesday. He was a great composer and arranger as well as a jazz pianist. Featured here is a rare and creative composition called Black Renaissance as well as a couple of tracks in a trio setting. According to what I have read, Harry died poor and without health insurance and never received the care he should have gotten in the last years of his life. This show is also dedicated to our friend Andres Chaparro who introduced me to Mr. Whitaker and has brought so many great artists to Hartford. One of those is Sharel Cassity, a young talented alto sax player who is also heard on this podcast.

Featured Album

Thoughts (Past and Present) on amazon.com

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
The Children and the Warlock ~ Harry Whitaker ~ Thoughts (Past and Present)
Black Renaissance ~ Harry Whitaker ~ Black Renaissance-Body, Mind & Spirit
Flights of Mind ~ Harry Whitaker ~ Thoughts (Past and Present)
Call to Order ~ Sharel Cassity ~ Relentless
Monks Mood ~ Charles Lloyd Quartet ~ Mirror
Green Dolphin Street ~ John Funkhouser Trio ~ Time

Today's Jazz

This show features some of today's most talented jazz artists. I wanted to feature John Funkhouser and Ben Allison as they have performed in the area just this weekend. Listen to Dan Arcamone's originality and modern sound on guitar. I particularly dig the fine saxophone work and compositions from artists like Ravi Coltrane, Noah Preminger, JD Allen and Rudresh Mahanthappa who are broadening the boundaries of the jazz idiom. All of this music represents the various facets of jazz as it is being performed today and into the future.

Featured Album

Time on amazon.com

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Fugue In A Minor ~ John Funkhouser Trio ~ Time
Emancipation ~ John Funkhouser Trio ~ Time
Peace Pipe ~ Ben Allison ~ Think Free
Tides ~ Dan Arcamone ~ In Motion
Shine ~ Ravi Coltrane ~ Blending Times
Today is Okay ~ Noah Preminger ~ Dry Bridge Road
K ~ Noah Preminger ~ Before the Rain
Marco Polo ~ JD Allen ~ Shine!
Sap ~ Ken Fowser, Behn Gillece ~ Little Echo
Eastern Echoes ~ Rudresh Mahanthappa & Bunky Green ~ Apex

06 November 2010

We start and end this show with contributions from jazz artists with a Connecticut connection. Dan Arcamone begins the show with some fine guitar work on his own haunting composition. The show then ends with a new release from the Cyrus Chestnut Trio that includes Hartford's talented bassist Dezron Douglas. In between we hear vintage Herbie Hancock's Headhunters band and some great re-issues from Stanley Turrentine and Freddie Hubbard on CTI records.

Featured Album

Journeys from amazon.com or

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Adrift ~ Dan Arcamone ~ in motion
Sly ~ Herbie Hancock ~ Headhunters
Butterfly ~ Herbie Hancock ~ Thrust
Red Clay ~ Freddie Hubbard ~ Red Clay
Impressions ~ Stanley Turrentine ~ Sugar
So What ~ Various CTI artist ~ California Concert
Little John ~ Cyrus Chestnut Trio ~ Journeys
Eyes of An Angel ~ Cyrus Chestnut Trio ~ Journeys