In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond

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 Aug 13 2023

This episode begins with percussionist Airto for his 82nd Birthday. That is followed by a couple of tracks featuring the harp, a beautiful sound for jazz. There is some 50/60's hard bop including the inventive sounds from Monk. The show concludes with Miles and Kenny Garrett.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Airto ~ Parana ~ Fingers
Alice Coltrane ~ Blue Nile ~ Ptah the El Daoud
Ravi Coltrane ~ For Turiya ~ Blending Times
Horace Silver ~ Senor Blues ~ Six Pieces of Silver
Cannonball Adderley Quintet ~ Lisa ~ The Quintet Plus
Thelonious Monk ~ Green Chimneys ~ Straight, No Chaser
Miles Davis ~ E.S.P. ~ E.S.P.
Kenny Garrett ~ Hargrove ~ Sounds from the Ancestors

Episode July 16 2023

We hear from some of the great masters of this genre; Tyner, Farrell, Monk, Trane and Shorter as well as some young lions with a modern sound; Simon, Sorey and Kornhauser. That is a lot of fine jazz music in a one hour show.

Playlist 

Artist ~ Name ~ Album
McCoy Tyner ~ Goin' Home ~ Asante
Edward Simon ~ Fiestas ~ Simplicitas
Tyshawn Sorey ~ In What Direction Are You Headed ~ Continuing
Ed Kornhauser ~ Dayspring ~ The Short Years
Joe Farrell ~ Sonic Text ~ Sonic Text
Thelonious Monk & John Coltrane ~ Ruby, My Dear ~ Thelonious Monk With John Coltrane
Wayne Shorter ~ The Soothsayer ~ The Soothsayer

Women In Jazz Redux

Note: This is a repost of last year's episode. Being Women's History Month, we will begin with a set of women jazz artists. Represented are Miki Yamanaka, Helen Sung and Melissa Aldana and the female "supergroup" Artemis. Next up new music from young musicians Mike Casey (sax) and Justin Joyce (drums). Something new from guitarist Peter Sprague covering Metheny compositions, and finally a beautiful ballad from George Cables.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Miki Yamanaka ~ Monk's Dream ~ Miki
Helen Sung ~ Long Yellow Road ~ Quartet + (with Harlem Quartet)
Melissa Aldana ~ Los Ojos de Chile ~ 12 Stars
ARTEMIS ~ Nocturno ~ Artemis
Mike Casey ~ Click Bait ~ Single
Justin Joyce ~ Placid Pandemonium ~ Story Tales
Peter Sprague ~ Questions ~ Peter Sprague Plays Pat Metheny, Vol. 2
George Cables ~ Helen's Song ~ My Muse

Jazztodon - Mastodon for Jazz Fans

The playlist for today's episode was inspired by discussion threads on the social media service Mastodon. Jazztodon is a server on the Mastodon network that was created for jazz fans. Find out more about Mastodon for jazz in this article I wrote for AllAboutJazz.com. You can look me up on Mastodon at http://jazztodon.com/@digginjazz.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Roland Kirk ~ Serenade to a Cuckoo ~ Kirkatron
Jackie McLean ~ Appointment in Ghana ~ Jackie's Bag
Elvin Jones ~ H.M. On F.M. ~ Midnight Walk
Thelonious Monk ~ Sweet and Lovely ~ Monk's Dream
Michael Feinberg ~ Blues Variant ~ Blues Variant
Tyshawn Sorey ~ Jitterbug Waltz ~ The Off-Off Broadway Guide to Synergism
Wayne Escoffery ~ Like Minds ~ Like Minds
Herbie Hancock ~ Heartbeat ~ Man-Child
Al Di Meola ~ Julia ~ Across the Universe

Post Thanksgiving show

It's never to late to celebrate giving thanks, and we do so in today's episode. After beginning with Miles, we turn to the San Diego jazz scene with Joshua White and Chris Hollyday. Our post-holiday special concludes by celebrating thankfulness and food with two Hartford jazz greats Jimmy Greene and Atla Dechamplain, finishing with Monk.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Miles Davis ~ Joshua ~ Seven Steps To Heaven
Joshua White ~ Curiosity Landing ~ 13 Short Stories
Christopher Hollyday ~ Dialogue ~ Dialogue
Pat Martino ~ El Hombre ~ El Hombre
John Coltrane ~ Impressions (Take 3) ~ Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album
Jimmy Greene ~ Give Thanks ~ Mission Statement
Atla DeChamplain ~ Soul Food ~ Pause
Thelonious Monk ~ Stuffy Turkey ~ It's Monk's Time

 

Episode Aug-1-2021

A variety of music I've been listening to, including jazz standards performed by Herbie Hanckock, Vi Redd, Steve Davis and Miles Davis. Also new music from Pat Metheny and from right here in San Diego, Christopher Hollyday. Enjoy.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Vi Redd ~ Now's the Time ~ Bird Call
Christopher Hollyday ~ Kiss Me Right ~ Dialogue
Miles Davis ~ Round Midnight ~ Round About Midnight
Steve Davis ~ Little B's Poem ~ Think Ahead
Herbie Hancock ~ Butterfly ~ Head Hunters/Thrust
Pat Metheny ~ It Starts When We Disappear ~ It Starts When We Disappear - EP
Herbie Hancock ~ Oliloqui Valley ~ Empyrean Isles

2020-2021 Releases

This episode begins with recent releases from late 2020 and early 2021. We finish with some vintage tracks from Chick and Wayne.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra & Wynton Marsalis ~ Out Amongst the People (for J Bat) ~ The Democracy! Suite
Emmet Cohen ~ Toast to Lo ~ Future Stride
Warren Byrd ~ Smilin' in the Dark ~ Truth Raised Twice
Noah Preminger ~ Hamburg ~ Contemptment
Joe Farnsworth ~ Monk's Dream ~ Time to Swing
Chick Corea ~ Straight Up and Down ~ Tone's for Joan's Bones
Wayne Shorter ~ Speak No Evil ~ Speak No Evil