In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond

Jazz Grammy Awards 2025

This week's episode features the Grammy Award winners for the jazz categories. Of special note are the two winners with roots in Connecticut, Dan Pugach and Zaccai Curtis. Several other awards went to alternative modern jazz sounds that make this an interesting show.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Dan Pugach ~ Tolerance ~ Bianca Reimagined
Zaccai Curtis ~ Stromboli ~ Cubop Lives!
Jacob Collier ~ Bridge Over Troubled Water ~ Djesse Vol. 4
Meshell Ndegeocello ~ Trouble ~ No More Water: The Gospel Of James Baldwin
Taylor Eigsti ~ Light Dream  ~ Plot Armor
Akropolis Reed Quintet ~ Strands ~ Are We Dreaming The Same Dream?
Chick Corea & Béla Fleck ~ The Otter Creek Incident ~ Remembrance
Samara Joy ~ Twinkle Twinkle Little Me ~ A Joyful Holiday 
Quincy Jones ~ Killer Joe ~ Walking In Space

Thanksgiving 2024

This is our Thanksgiving special, with the first set paying tribute to perhaps my favorite holiday. Jimmy Greene and Thelonious Monk provide the musical setting for a Thanksgiving feast. The podcast episode concludes with a modern classical composition depicting a ballroom dance with Madam and Chairman Mao for Nixon's visit from composer John Adams and the San Francisco Symphony. In between, there is new music from Borgo, Z. Curtis and Wilcox as well as a new release from Charles Mingus previously released studio tapes.

Playlist  
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Jimmy Greene ~ Give Thanks ~ Mission Statement
Thelonious Monk ~ Stuffy Turkey ~ It's Monk's Time
David Borgo ~ Pilgrimage ~ Persistence
Zaccai Curtis ~ Maple Leaf Rag ~ Cubop Lives!
Andrew Wilcox ~ Self-Doubt ~ Dear Mr. Hill
Charles Mingus ~ Re-incarnation Of A Love Bird (1st Version /Take 4) ~ Reincarnations
Edo de Waart & San Francisco Symphony ~ The Chairman Dances (Foxtrot for Orchestra) ~ Adams: The Chairman Dances

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

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

Monterey 2023

This special episode is a review of this year's Monterey Jazz Festival. This was my first year attending, and it was a great experience. The selections played are all from artists that I had the pleasure of seeing at the festival, and most of the tracks were those played by these artists during the three day event.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Lakecia Benjamin ~ Jubilation ~ Phoenix
Terence Blanchard ~ The Elders ~ Absence
Herbie Hancock ~ Actual Proof ~ Thrust
Peter Sprague ~ Minuano (featuring Diana Reeves ~ Peter Sprague Plays Pat Metheny, Vol. 1
Samara Joy ~ Can't Get Out Of This Mood (feat. Gerald Clayton) ~ Linger Awhile (Deluxe Edition)
Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio ~ Move On Up ~ Live In Loveland! 
Billy Childs ~ Master of the Game ~ The Winds of Change
Charles Lloyd ~ Forest Flower: Sunrise ~ Forest Flower: Charles Lloyd At Monterey

Episode April 23 2023

A different kind of start for this episode of In The Groove. First up is a R&B Classic from Curtis Mayfield followed by progressive Rock from Santana. That is followed by a vocal set before we close out the show playing tribute to Ahmad Jamal who passed away last week at 92 years old.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Curtis Mayfield ~ Move on Up ~ Keep On Keeping On: Curtis Mayfield Studio Albums 1970-1974
Santana ~ Song of the Wind ~ Caravanserai
Steps Ahead ~ Pools ~ Steps Ahead
Cannonball Adderley & Nancy Wilson ~ Never Will I Marry ~ Nancy Wilson & Cannonball Adderley
Herbie Hancock Feat. Corinne Bailey Rae ~ River ~ River: The Joni Letters
Cécile McLorin Salvant ~ Mélusine ~ Mélusine
Samara Joy ~ Sweet Pumpkin ~ Linger Awhile
Ahmad Jamal Trio ~ Patterns ~ The Awakening
Ahmad Jamal Trio ~ Poinciana ~ Ahmad Jamal At The Pershing: But Not for Me

Episode Nov 20 2022

A lot of new music in this podcast including several jazz artists with roots in Hartford. Also we pay tribute to jazz guitarist Mick Goodrick who recently passed on.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Geoffrey Keezer ~ Refuge ~ Playdate
Justin Grinnell Quartet ~ Hit the Brakes ~ Without You
Gary Burton ~ Unfinished Sympathy ~ Ring (with Eberhard Weber)
Mick Goodrick ~ In Passing ~ In Pas(s)ing
Noah Baerman & Henry Lugo ~ Alter Ego ~ Alter Ego
Alex Tremblay ~ City of Angels ~ Thoughts and Images
Kris Allen ~ Trees ~ June
Emmet Cohen ~ Spillin' the Tea ~ Uptown in Orbit

Couple of Birthdays

A couple of birthdays to celebrate this month; Charles Mingus on his Centennial 100th birthday, and Herbie Hancock who turned 82 years young. First, a track from the Grammy award winning McBride Big Band. Also, new music from drummer Jonathan Barber's Vision Ahead, and his jazz partner, guitarist Andrew Renfroe. Also represented in this episode are two of my favorite modern tenor sax players, Joe Farrell and Chris Potter.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Christian McBride Big Band ~ Down by the Riverside ~ For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver
Charles Mingus ~ Ysabel's Table Dance ~ Tijuana Moods
Herbie Hancock ~ Oliloqui Valley ~ Empyrean Isles (Expanded Edition)
Joe Farrell ~ Geo Blue ~ Penny Arcade
Jonathan Barber ~ Denim (feat. Vision Ahead) ~ Denim (feat. Vision Ahead) - Single
Andrew Renfroe ~ Alps (feat. Braxton Cook, Taber Gable, Rick Rosato & Curtis Nowosad) ~ Run in the Storm
Chris Potter ~ Southbound ~ Sunrise Reprise