In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond

After the Rain - Before the Vote

We pay tribute to the post hurricane victims from last week and look towards the upcoming elections in this podcast. First a moving rendition of Trane's After the Rain by clarinetist Anat Cohen. We follow that with a mashup I created using Sonny Rollin's Freedom Suite with excerpts from President Obama's inaugural speech from January 2009. While that election was one of historic proportions, this one is just as important for setting the future direction of our nation. Please vote on Tuesday, November 6. It is your civic duty to do so, and it sure feels good to participate in our democracy. The rest of the podcast features some fine playing and composing by Noah Baerman. We finish out this podcast with Mingus' classic Fables of Faubus.

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
After The Rain ~ Anat Cohen ~ Notes from the Village
Obama-Freedom Suite ~ Sonny Rollins-Barack Obama ~ (the original Freedom Suite - Sonny Rollins)
Patch Kit ~ Noah Baerman ~ Bliss
Soul Force ~ Noah Baerman ~ Soul Force
Fables of Faubus ~ Charles Mingus ~ Mingus Ah Um

MFs Playing Jazz

Some monster MFs playing sax on this podcast including Branford Marsalis, Seamus Blake, John Coltrane, Jerry Bergonzi, Sonny Rollins and more. Besides featured sax players, also on this podcast is new music from the Le Boeuf Brothers to start the show and a vocal chorus led by Bobby McFerrin. Hartford is represented on Winard Harper's album (Jovan Alexandre, sax and Stephen King Porter, bass), and Karen Frisk's vocals finish out the show.

Featured Album

Four MFs Playin' Tunes - Branford Marsalis Quartet on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
D2D ~ Le Boeuf Brothers ~ In Praise of Shadows
The Jupiter Line ~ Seamus Blake ~ Way Out Willy
The Mighty Sword ~ Branford Marsalis Quartet ~ Four MFs Playin' Tunes
My Ideal ~ Branford Marsalis Quartet ~ Four MFs Playin' Tunes
Central Park West ~ John Coltrane ~ Coltrane Sound
Just In Time ~ Jerry Bergonzi ~ Wiggy
Blossom ~ Sonny Rollins ~ Road Shows Vol 1
Helen's Song ~ Winard Harper and Jeli Posse ~ Coexist
Say Ladeo ~ Bobby McFerrin ~ VOCAbularies
Just One of Those Things ~ Karen Frisk ~ How Little We Know

Shoppin' for Clothes

This podcast presents many fine jazz artists, but the gems of this show might be in the last two tracks from Kurt Elling. His new release 1619 Broadway is featured here. We start with the Burton-McPherson Quartet, and then get into brand new releases from drummers Winard Harper, Yaron Israel and Alto saxophonist Kris Allen.

Featured Album

1619 Broadway ‒ Kurt Elling on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Dad ~ Abraham Burton-Eric McPherson Quartet ~ Cause and Effect
Underground ~ New Jazz Workshop ~ Underground
Coexist ~ Winard Harper and Jeli Posse ~ Coexist
Jeli Posse ~ Winard Harper and Jeli Posse ~ Coexist
Creepin' ~ Yaron Israel ~ Visions
Compassion ~ Kris Allen ~ Circle House
Shoppin' for Clothes ~ Kurt Elling ~ 1619 Broadway
American Tune ~ Kurt Elling ~ 1619 Broadway

Unity

This show features Pat Metheny as a prelude to a live show at University of Connecticut that commenced following this broadcast. We start with a track from the original Pat Metheny Group from 1978 followed by a later iteration of the group 20 years later, and then from his latest group the Unity Band. We also hear from the band's saxophonist Chris Potter and his group Underground. Weather Report and Michael Brecker are included in the show, as well as newcomers Hammer Klavier Trio, Frank Varela and Kris Allen.

Featured Album

Unity Band - Pat Metheny on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Phase Dance ~ Pat Metheny Group ~ Pat Metheny Group
To the End of the World ~ Pat Metheny ~ We Live Here
Come and See Me ~ Pat Metheny ~ Unity Band
Underground ~ Chris Potter ~ Underground
Punk Jazz ~ Weather Report ~ Mr. Gone
Renaissance ~ Michael Brecker ~ Time is of the Essence
Hysterio ~ Hammer Klavier Trio ~ Rocket in Your Pocket (pre-release)
Tekia ~ Hammer Klavier Trio ~ Rocket in Your Pocket (pre-release)
Hopewell ~ Kris Allen ~ Circle House
Upstream ~ Grandma's Revenge ~ Frank Varela

Dave Holland Speaks redux

This podcast showcases Dave Holland who turned 66 on October 1. Dave Holland is one of the greatest bassists and band leaders in jazz. He was in the influential Miles Davis' band that pioneered fusion jazz in the late 60's, early 70's. He was on the landmark albums In A Silent Way, and Bitches Brew. Prior to his performance at the Tanglewood Jazz Festival in Lennox, MA in September of 2009, I had the opportunity to interview jazz bassist Dave Holland. We spoke about the beginning of his career in jazz, working with Miles, his thoughts on composition and bass playing.

Kris

Our in-studio guest is alto sax artist Kris Allen, a fixture in the Hartford jazz scene as well as a jazz educator. We feature music from his premier release Circle House on Truth Revolution Records. Besides talking about his close association with Jackie McLean, we also give him an apparently easy Blindfold Test ala Downbeat. Also on this podcast is music off of Jen Allen's CD (Kris' wife) and the violin playing of Andrei Matorin.

Featured Album

The Circle House on TRR

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Silver Blue ~ Andrei Matorin ~ Opus
Passing ~ Kris Allen ~ Circle House
Portrait of Doll ~ Lee Morgan ~ Infinity
Star Eyes ~ Kris Allen ~ Circle House
the repercussions ~ Jen Allen ~ Pieces of Myself

Coltrane Supreme

We celebrate the birth date of John Coltrane, one of the greatest and most influential jazz masters. Coltrane pioneered a freedom of expression in jazz music that has influenced nearly every jazz musician and those that appreciate this art form. To honor his life, we will listen to one of the greatest composition and performances in all of jazz, A Love Supreme. That is followed by a couple from his gifted son Ravi Coltrane, and finally a 'Trane composition performed by Rochester drummer Mike Melito.

Featured Album

A Love Supreme - John Coltrane in iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Acknowledgement ~ John Coltrane ~ A Love Supreme
Resolution ~ John Coltrane ~ A Love Supreme
Pursuance/Psalm ~ John Coltrane ~ A Love Supreme
Shine ~ Ravi Coltrane ~ Blending Times
For Turiya ~ Ravi Coltrane ~ Blending Times
Just For the Love ~ Mike Melito ~ The Right Time

Elvin!

Elvin Jones defined a style of drumming as he helped to drive the John Coltrane Quartet towards a new freedom of expression in jazz music. He would have been 85 years old this week, so we celebrate his birth date to start this podcast. Also in this show, you will get a taste of an upcoming tour by Chick Corea and Gary Burton with tracks from a re-release of the album Hot House. As I often do on my radio show, I showcase new emerging jazz artists as well as the masters of this genre. This week I feature tracks by Mike DiRubbo, Julian Shore, Shimrit Shoshan and an amazing drummer Dafnis Prieto.

Featured Album

Hot House - Chick Corea & Gary Burton on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Buzz-At ~ Elvin Jones ~ Elvin!
26-2 ~ John Coltrane ~ Coltrane's Sound
Eight for Elvin ~ Mike DiRubbo ~ Chronos
Eleanor Rigby ~ Chick Corea & Gary Burton ~ Hot House
Time Remembered ~ Chick Corea & Gary Burton ~ Hot House
Give ~ Julian Shore ~ Filaments
Venus ~ Julian Shore ~ Filaments
Shimmy n' You ~ Shimrit Shohan ~ keep it movin'
Just Say It ~ Dafnis Prieto ~ Taking the Soul for a Walk
The Sooner the Better ~ Dafnis Prieto ~ Taking the Soul for a Walk