Posted in DefaultTag on May 27th, 2012
This week's podcast features our guest Zaccai Curtis and the music of the Curtis Brothers. We follow the development of their latin influenced jazz from the early Insight days when the band was based on young Hartford musicians, to a more mature evolved sound of the Curtis Brothers Quartet, and finally the recently released Hard-Bop based Completion of Proof album. This latest band is comprised of some of Art Blakey's alumni (Brian Lynch, Donald Harrison, Ralph Peterson). The Blakey influence is strong, but the Zaccai's compositions maintain a subtle Latin flavor that the Curtis Brothers are so well known for. We start out the show with a Miles Davis piece, Footprints to celebrate the master's birth date.
For more information on the Curtis Brothers, please check out their informative website.

Featured Album

The Curtis Brothers - Completion of Proof on CD Baby
Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Footprints ~ Miles Davis ~ Miles Smiles
Necessity ~ Insight ~ A Genesis
Sudan and Darfur ~ Insight ~ A Genesis
Yuba Citrico ~ Curtis Brothers Quartet ~ Blood Spirit Land Water Freedom
Sol Within ~ Curtis Brothers ~ Completion of Proof
Manifest Destiny ~ Curtis Brothers ~ Completion of Proof
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Posted in DefaultTag on May 20th, 2012
This special 1 hour 40 minute edition of Jazz and Beyond features Jackie McLean, and an interview with Lummie Spann, alto sax player and co-founder of New Jazz Workshop. The show begins with a tribute to JMac, who would have been 81 years old this past week. Jackie meant so much to the Hartford jazz scene, including our on-air guest. Lummie Spann joins us live in the studio to talk about his latest musical project, the release of a new CD from the New Jazz Workshop. First Lummie speaks with us about his personal experiences with JMac and his development as a jazz musician in Hartford. The show continues with more music from Art Pepper, Skerik, Trane, Esperanza, Larry Young, and Lee Morgan.
Featured Album

New Jazz Workshop on CDBaby
Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Confirmation ~ Jackie McLean ~ New Wine in Old Bottles
Minor March ~ Jackie McLean ~ The Jackie Mac Attack 
Optimism ~ Jackie McLean ~ Fire & Love
Underground ~ New Jazz Workshop ~ Underground on CDBaby
World of Wonder ~ New Jazz Workshop~ Underground on CDBaby
A Night in Tunisia ~ Art Pepper ~ Friday Night at the Village Vanguard
Summer Pudding ~ Skerik Syncopated Taint Septet ~ Live at the Triple Door 
Naima ~ John Coltrane ~ Giant Steps 
I Know You Know ~ Esperanza Spaulding ~ Esperanza 
Mr. Pc ~ John Coltrane ~ Giant Steps 
Softly as in a Morning Sunrise ~ Larry Young ~ Unity 
Lost and Found ~ Lee Morgan ~ Expoobident 
Pheonix ~ New Jazz Workshop ~ Underground
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Posted in DefaultTag on May 13th, 2012
Posted in DefaultTag on May 6th, 2012
Jazz is world music. This week (and next) we journey around the world with jazz music fused with rhythms and exotic sounds of Africa, India and Latin America. Sonny Rollins may have started the trend with his exploration of island calypso rhythms. Artists like Michele Rosewoman and Regina Carter have brought African sounds into their music, we also feature some Indian-Jazz fusion from composer Marc Rossi along with Prassana. Next week I will podcast Part 2 of this show with more world jazz.
Featured Album

Mantra Revealed - Marc Rossi Group on iTunes
Track ~ Artist ~ Album
St Thomas ~ Sonny Rollins ~ Saxophone Colosus 
Jazz Impressions of a Kriti ~ Marc Rossi Group ~ Mantra Revealed 
Refuge In The Rhythm ~ Marc Rossi Group ~ Mantra Revealed 
Eshu Laroye ~ Michele Rosewoman and Quintessence ~ The In Side Out 
Kanou ~ Regina Carter ~ Reverse Thread 
Chcho's Steps ~ Chucho Valdez & the African Cuban Messengers ~ Chucho's Steps
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