In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond

Jazz 2024 Grammy Recap

This episode is a recap of the Grammys awarded to jazz artists in various categories. What strikes me in this playlist is the wide range of styles and cultural influences that have melded in today's modern jazz. There is funk, R&B, Indian, Latin, jazz and folk music represented here. Congrats to all these artists on their Grammy awards.

Playlist 
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain & Edgar Meyer ~ Tradewinds Bengali ~ As We Speak
Shakti ~ Shrini’s Dream ~ This Moment
Billy Childs ~ The End of Innocence ~ The Winds of Change
Nicole Zuraitis ~ Reverie ~ How Love Begins
Samara Joy ~ Tight ~ Tight - Single
Meshell Ndegeocello ~ Burn Progression ~ The Omnichord Real Book
Miguel Zenón & Luis Perdomo ~ En La Soledad ~ El Arte Del Bolero, Vol. 2
Tracy Chapman ~ Fast Car ~ Tracy Chapman
Emma Rawicz ~ Rangwali ~ Chroma

Soprano Trane to Electric Miles

This episode features iconic tracks that changed the direction of jazz music. Trane takes up the soprano, and Miles invents fusion. Lots of great stuff in between.

Playlist 
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
John Coltrane ~ My Favorite Things ~ My Favorite Things
Sonny Rollins ~ Asiatic Raes ~ Newk's Time
Eddie Henderson ~ Why Not? ~ Witness to History
Joe Farrell ~ Time's Lie ~ Moon Germs
Miles Davis ~ Spanish Key ~ Bitches Brew

Jazzy New Year 2024

Wishing you all a jazzy Happy New Year as we begin this episode with an aptly titled tune from Joshua Redman. As I look at this playlist, it is dominated by great guitarists including Bernstein, Scofield, McLaughlin and newcomer Andrew Renfroe... and more

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Joshua Redman ~ New Year ~ Still Dreaming
Mike DiRubbo ~ Inner Light ~ Inner Light
Andrew Renfroe ~ SPRINGS ~ Single
John Scofield ~ Mr. Tambourine Man ~ Uncle John's Band
John McLaughlin ~ Peace One ~ My Goals Beyond
Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein & Bill Stewart ~ FU Donald ~ Perpetual Pendulum
Todd Sickafoose ~ Prospects ~ Bear Proof
Hampton Hawes ~ Morning ~ On Contemporary: Hampton Hawes

Holiday with a San Diego Spin

This holiday episode of In The Groove begins with a few Christmas classics. Then we continue with some of my favorite 2023 releases, including ones from San Diego.

Playlist 
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Chris Potter ~ O Come All Ye Faithful ~ A Concord Jazz Christmas
Marian McPartland ~ God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen ~ A Concord Jazz Christmas
Samara Joy ~ The Christmas Song ~ A Joyful Holiday
Darcy James Argue's Secret Society ~ Ferromagnetic ~ Dynamic Maximum Tension
Andrew Renfroe ~ FLUFFY ~ (Single)
Gilbert Castellanos ~ Home is Africa ~ Espérame En El Cielo
David Borgo ~ Aqaba ~ Pathika
David Whitman ~ Ode To Joe (feat. Bob Sheppard) ~ Ode To Joe
Peter Sprague ~ Wise One ~ Wise One: Peter Sprague Plays Coltrane

Great Albums 2023 Part 2

Continuing from last week's episode, we review some of my favorite releases from 2023. Besides long time favorites like Chris Potter and Billy Childs, there are newcomers on the scene producing great music. Tina Raymond, Miki Yamanaka, Lakecia Benjamin and Isaiah Thompson are represented here.

Playlist 
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Chris Potter ~ Got the Keys to the Kingdom ~ Got the Keys to the Kingdom: Live at the Village Vanguard
Tina Raymond ~ The Emperor ~ Divinations
Billy Childs ~ Master of the Game ~ The Winds of Change
Miki Yamanaka & Mark Turner ~ Shades Of Rainbow ~ Shades of Rainbow
Lakecia Benjamin ~ Trane ~ Phoenix
Isaiah J. Thompson ~ The Soul Messenger (feat. Julian Lee, Philip Norris & Tj Reddick) ~ The Power of the Spirit

Great Albums from 2023

With so much music being released, it is nearly impossible to come up with a "Best Of" list for 2023. So here are some of my favorite recordings and other picks from Jazztodon.com. 

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
ARTEMIS ~ Lights Away from Home ~ In Real Time
Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band ~ Look to the Hills ~ Kings Highway
Eddie Henderson ~ Freedom Jazz Dance ~ Witness to History
Todd Sickafoose ~ Boom Bust Startup Ruin ~ Bear Proof
Jaimie Branch ~ Aurora Rising ~ Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war))
Jaimie Branch ~ Borealis Dancing ~ Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war))
Shakti ~ Mohanam ~ This Moment
Wayne Escoffery ~ Shuffle ~ Like Minds
SFJAZZ Collective ~ The Plains (Live) ~ New Works & Classics Reimagined 

As Seen on Jazztodon

The bulk of this podcast episode is picks from Jazztodon.com. A jazz centric social media service that I post to exclusively. You can learn more about that through this episode while listening to some great tunes.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Michel Pérez ~ Falling In Love With Love ~ Toujours
John Coltrane Quartet ~ Wise One ~ Crescent
John Zorn ~ Piopio ~ O'o
Soft Machine ~ Other Doors ~ Other Doors
The Dave Brubeck Quartet ~ These Foolish Things  ~ Live from the Northwest, 1959
Joe Farrell ~ The Jazz Crunch ~ Sonic Text
Weather Report ~ Boogie Woogie Waltz ~ Sweetnighter

Hard Bop to Prog Rock

We've got hard bop from the 60's to Prog Rock of the '70s represented in this episode.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Sonny Rollins ~ Alone Together ~ Sonny Rollins and the Contemporary Leaders
Toots Thielemans ~ Speak No Evil ~ Only Trust Your Heart
Hank Mobley ~ If I Should Lose You ~ Soul Station
Freddie Hubbard ~ Arietis ~ Ready For Freddie
McCoy Tyner ~ Sama Layuca ~ Quartet
John McLaughlin ~ Friendship ~ Electric Guitarist (Remastered)
Santana ~ Flor de Canela ~ Borboletta
Santana ~ Promise of a Fisherman ~ Borboletta