In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond

RIP Zakir

This episode begins by paying tribute to tabla master Zakir Hussain who passed away last week. He is one of the greatest musicians of my generation, and brought Indian Classical Music awareness to many in the jazz scene. That is followed by a set of music from some of the most influential Hartford jazz mentors.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Shakti & Shakti ~ Mind Ecology ~ Natural Elements
Dave Holland, Zakir Hussain & Chris Potter ~ Island Feeling ~ Good Hope
Zakir Hussain ~ Zakir ~ Making Music
Zaccai Curtis ~ 52nd Street Theme ~ Cubop Lives!
Steve Davis ~ What Is This Thing Called Love ~ Say When
Rich Goldstein ~ What a Difference a Day Makes ~ Into the Blue
George Benson ~ Take Five ~ Bad Benson
Terell Stafford ~ Hey, It's Me You're Talking To ~ Fields of Gold
The Ed Palermo Big Band ~ Peaches En Regalia ~ Plays the Music of Frank Zappa
Miroslav Vitous ~ Bamboo Forest ~ Universal Syncopations

Episode Dec 15 2024

This week's show starts with 3 guitarists; Goldstein, Bernstein and McLaughlin. The show ends with a couple great trumpet players in Hubbard and McGhee. Lots of great jazz in between.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Rich Goldstein ~ Hard Days Night ~ Into the Blue
Peter Bernstein ~ You Go to My Head ~ Better Angels
John McLaughlin ~ Binky's Dream ~ Extrapolation
David Borgo ~ Segmented ~ Persistence
Joe Zawinul ~ In a Silent Way ~ Zawinul
Gretchen Parlato ~ Holding Back The Years ~ The Lost And Found
Freddie Hubbard ~ Weaver of Dreams ~ Ready For Freddie
Howard McGhee ~ Maggie's Back In Town ~ Maggie's Back In Town!

Episode Dec 8 2024

After kicking off this episode with classic Miles, we delve into some of jazz's best and most creative pianists. The show ends with Indian/Jazz fusion from McLaughlin's Shakti.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Miles Davis ~ Seven Steps to Heaven ~ Seven Steps to Heaven
Renee Rosnes ~ Frevo ~ Crossing Paths
Brad Mehldau, Mark Turner & Peter Bernstein ~ Ditty for Dewey ~ Solid Jackson 
Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock & Jack DeJohnette ~ All the Things You Are ~ Standards, Vol. 1
Billy Childs ~ Master of the Game ~ The Winds of Change
George Cables ~ Helen's Song ~ My Muse
John McLaughlin & Shakti ~ India ~ A Handful of Beauty

Episode Nov 10 2024

This week's show is an eclectic mix. It was recorded in the week following the elections and perhaps reflective of my emotions during this time. There is no real theme to the selections, and is music I have been listening to recently.

Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Joe Henderson ~ Short Story ~ In 'n Out 
McCoy Tyner ~ When Sunny Gets Blue ~ Today and Tomorrow
Lori Bell Quartet ~ Inner Urge ~ Recorda Me - Remembering Joe Henderson
Nduduzo Makhathini ~ Water Spirits: Iyana ~ uNomkhubulwane
Miroslav Vitous ~ I Will Tell Him On You ~ Infinite Search
Weather Report ~ 125th Street Congress ~ Sweetnighter
Charlie Haden ~ This Is Not America ~ Not In Our Name

Episode Oct 20 2024

Kind of a random playlist of music I have been listening to this week. Of particular interest are the tunes that feature McCoy Tyner, including a Michael Brecker piece (composed by Metheny). Also a track from Immanuel Wilkins' new release Blue Blood has some interesting vocals.

Playlist 
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Andrew Renfroe ~ SPRINGS ~ Big Country EP
Michael Brecker ~ Song for Bilbao ~ Tales from the Hudson
McCoy Tyner ~ When Sunny Gets Blue ~ Today and Tomorrow
McCoy Tyner ~ Sama Layuca ~ Sama Layuca
Dan Pugach ~ My Favorite Things (feat. Nicole Zuraitis) - Single
Immanuel Wilkins ~ MOTION (feat. June McDoom) ~ Blues Blood
Billy Childs ~ Upstairs by a Chinese Lamp ~ Map to the Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro
Bill Bruford's Earthworks & Tim Garland ~ Tramontana ~ Random Acts of Happiness
Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein & Bill Stewart ~ FU Donald ~ Perpetual Pendulum

Monterey Jazz Fest 2024

This year's Monterey Jazz Festival is reviewed in this week's podcast episode. Some of the best shows took place on the smaller stages featuring young artists. That is reflected in the playlist below.

Playlist 
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Jahari Stampley ~ Power ~ Still Listening
Ulysses Owens Jr. ~ Chicken An' Dumplins ~ A New Beat
Sean Mason ~ Final Voyage ~ The Southern Suite
Endea Owens ~ For the People ~ Feel Good Music
Joshua Redman ~ Chicago Blues (feat. Gabrielle Cavassa) ~ where are we
Hiromi ~ Up ~ Sonicwonderland 
Marquis Hill ~ Libra (South Node) ~ Composers Collective: Beyond The Jukebox
Stephane Wrembel ~ Le Mythe de Sisyphe ~ Triptych
Stanley Clarke ~ Song to John, Pt. II ~ Journey to Love

Episode Sep 22 2024

A wide variety of jazz music represented here, from jazz classics, to new jazz releases to jazz/rock fusion, progressive rock and even jazz harp with a reggae beat.

Playlist 
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Miles Davis ~ Milestones ~ Milestones
McCoy Tyner ~ Impressions ~ Trident
Bobby Broom ~ Hallucinations (Budo) ~ Keyed Up
Joel Frahm ~ Yesterdays ~ I'm Old Fashioned 
Charles McPherson ~ Blues for Lonnie in Three ~ Reverence
Jonathan Barber ~ Radar ~ In Motion (feat. Vision Ahead)
Steely Dan ~ Aja ~ Aja
Brandee Younger ~ Dust (feat. Meshell Ndegeocello) ~ Brand New Life
Brandee Younger ~ Soulris (feat. Ravi Coltrane) ~ Soul Awakening

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