In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond

New Jazz Workshop

This special 1 hour 40 minute edition of Jazz and Beyond features Jackie McLean, and an interview with Lummie Spann, alto sax player and co-founder of New Jazz Workshop. The show begins with a tribute to JMac, who would have been 81 years old this past week. Jackie meant so much to the Hartford jazz scene, including our on-air guest. Lummie Spann joins us live in the studio to talk about his latest musical project, the release of a new CD from the New Jazz Workshop. First Lummie speaks with us about his personal experiences with JMac and his development as a jazz musician in Hartford. The show continues with more music from Art Pepper, Skerik, Trane, Esperanza, Larry Young, and Lee Morgan.

Featured Album

New Jazz Workshop on CDBaby

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Confirmation ~ Jackie McLean ~ New Wine in Old Bottles
Minor March ~ Jackie McLean ~ The Jackie Mac Attack
Optimism ~ Jackie McLean ~ Fire & Love
Underground ~ New Jazz Workshop ~ Underground on CDBaby
World of Wonder ~ New Jazz Workshop~ Underground on CDBaby
A Night in Tunisia ~ Art Pepper ~ Friday Night at the Village Vanguard
Summer Pudding ~ Skerik Syncopated Taint Septet ~ Live at the Triple Door
Naima ~ John Coltrane ~ Giant Steps
I Know You Know ~ Esperanza Spaulding ~ Esperanza
Mr. Pc ~ John Coltrane ~ Giant Steps
Softly as in a Morning Sunrise ~ Larry Young ~ Unity
Lost and Found ~ Lee Morgan ~ Expoobident
Pheonix ~ New Jazz Workshop ~ Underground

World Jazz Part 2

We continue our World music theme with part 2 of last week's show and podcast. This week we begin with the latin rhythms of the Curtis Brothers and Flamenco music from Dave Holland. We then travel east and hear some interesting sounds from mandolin master Snehasish Mozumder. Fareed Haque, Vijay Iyer and the band Garaj Mahal show us different interpretations of Eastern influenced jazz fusion.

Featured Album

Jazz and North Indian Styles - Snehasish Mozumder & S.O.M. on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Bouncin with Bud ~ Curtis Brothers Quartet ~ Blood-Spirit-Land-Water-Freedom
Hands ~ Dave Holland and Pepe Habichuela ~ Hands
NY Seven ~ Snehasish Mozumder & SOM ~ Jazz and North Indian Styles
32 Taxis ~ Fareed Haque ~ Flat Planet
Entropy and Time ~ Vijay Iyer-Prasana-Nitin Mitta ~ Tirtha
Adana ~ Rudresh Mahanthapa Indo-Pak Coalition ~ Apti
Witch Doctor ~ Garaj Mahal ~ more mr. nice guy

World Jazz Part 1

Jazz is world music. This week (and next) we journey around the world with jazz music fused with rhythms and exotic sounds of Africa, India and Latin America. Sonny Rollins may have started the trend with his exploration of island calypso rhythms. Artists like Michele Rosewoman and Regina Carter have brought African sounds into their music, we also feature some Indian-Jazz fusion from composer Marc Rossi along with Prassana. Next week I will podcast Part 2 of this show with more world jazz.

Featured Album

Mantra Revealed - Marc Rossi Group on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
St Thomas ~ Sonny Rollins ~ Saxophone Colosus
Jazz Impressions of a Kriti ~ Marc Rossi Group ~ Mantra Revealed
Refuge In The Rhythm ~ Marc Rossi Group ~ Mantra Revealed
Eshu Laroye ~ Michele Rosewoman and Quintessence ~ The In Side Out
Kanou ~ Regina Carter ~ Reverse Thread
Chcho's Steps ~ Chucho Valdez & the African Cuban Messengers ~ Chucho's Steps

Aja

This is one of the more eclectic mixes for an In The Groove podcast. Featured is Steely Dan's Aja album, but the styles run from Straight Ahead (Donald Byrd, Curtis Fuller, Hancock, Mingus) to Fusion (Indian influenced Prasanna, Weather Report). Dig the piano trio from Noah Baerman who will bring his soulful sounds to Titanium in Middletown CT next Friday May 4.

Featured Album

Aja - on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Peg ~ Steely Dan ~ Aja
Ala Mode ~ Curtis Fuller ~ Keep It Simple
Maiden Voyage ~ Herbie Hancock ~ Maiden Voyage
Atam Bomb ~ Noah Baerman ~ Bliss
Aja ~ Steely Dan ~ Aja
Mysterious Traveler ~ Weather Report ~ Mysterious Traveler
Uncensored ~ Prasanna ~ Be the Change
Boogie Stop Shuffle ~ Charles Mingus ~ Mingus Ah Um
I Got the News ~ Steely Dan ~ Aja
Down Tempo ~ Donald Byrd ~ Off to the Races
Home At Last ~ Steely Dan ~ Aja

Seeds

This podcast features the new release from Kenny Garrett, Seeds from the Underground. I was fortunate to attend a recent performance of Mr. Garrett's and I can say that this release is indicative of the intensity and virtuosity that he, and his quintet, display in concert. Also, I recently re-discovered one of Weather Reports original albums which I share with you here. Some very upbeat songs follow from Esperanza's new album and a re-release of an older album from Hubert Laws. Finally, Greg Abate lays us onto some new tracks he recently recorded with sax great Phil Woods and we play one of them here.

Featured Album

Seeds from the Underground - Kenny Garrett

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
J.Mac ~ Kenny Garrett ~ Seeds From the Underground
Du-Wo-Mo ~ Kenny Garrett ~ Seeds From the Underground
Medley ~ Weather Report ~ I Sing The Body Electric
Second Sunday in August ~ Weather Report ~ I Sing The Body Electric
Smile Like That ~ Esperanza Spaulding ~ Radio Music Society
Moment's Notice ~ Hubert Laws ~ In the Beginning
Carmel By The Sea ~ Greg Abate ~ Untitled Album

A Spacey Groove

We venture into "The Beyond" with this week's podcast. From Jimi Hendrix to Mahavishnu to Robert Glasper, we span time and space. So get into that altered state of mind and enjoy this spaced out groove.

Featured Album

Electric Ladyland - The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
EXP/Up From the Skies ~ The Jimi Hendrix Experience ~ Axis: Bold as Love
Smells Like Teen Spirit ~ Robert Glasper ~ Black Radio
Funkin' in Denial ~ Khris Royal & Dark Matter ~ Dark Matter
Firefly ~ Donny McCaslin ~ Perpetual Motion
Astral Traveling ~ Boozoo Bajou & Pharoah Sanders ~ Impulsive! Revolutionary Jazz Reworked
The Shadow of Lo ~ Return to Forever ~ Where Have I Know You Before
One Word ~ Mahavishnu Orchestra ~ Birds of Fire
Ostinato (Suite for Angela) ~ Herbie Hancock ~ Mwandishi
Rainy Day, Dream Away ~ The Jimi Hendrix Experience ~ Electric Ladyland
How Deep Is Your Love ~ The Bad Plus ~ For all I care

April 7 Broadcast Show

To start this show, we get into Kenny Garrett prior to his performance in Boston that we attended last night. Then some straight ahead jazz from Art Blakey, Josh Evans and Joe Henderson. We then change it up with new releases from Jack DeJohnette and vocals from Kate McGary. The show wraps up with jazz from Rochester's Sneider Brothers.

Featured Album

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Calling ~ Kenny Garrett ~ Beyond the Wall
Lonnie's Lament ~ Kenny Garrett ~ Pursuance: The Music of John Coltrane
A La Mode ~ Art Blakey and the Jazz Messenters ~ Keystone 3
Albany Ave ~ Josh Evans ~ Portrait
Mode for Joe ~ Joe Henderson ~ Mode for Joe
Y Todavia La Quiero ~ Joe Henderson ~ Relaxin' at Camarillo
Indigo Dreamscapes ~ Jack DeJohnette ~ Sound Travels
O Cantador ~ Kate McGary ~ Girl Talk
From This Moment On ~ The Sneider Brothers ~ The Brockton Beat

March 31 Broadcast

Much of this show is requests from some of our friends and listeners as well as some of my favorites. Claire asked to hear the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Jimmy Greene, Whitney requested Sarah Vaughan, and Bryan has been wanting a Joe Henderson set. I really dug the Henderson tracks and I think there will be more of that to come in the following weeks. The podcast concludes with a gorgeous intense ballad from Branford Marsalis that I think you will enjoy.

Featured Album

Relaxin' At Camarillo - Joe Henderson on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Mass Manipulation ~ The Curtis Brothers ~ Completion of Proof
Just One of those Things ~ Sarah Vaughan ~ Ultimate SV
Minions Dominions ~ Defeayo Marsalis ~ Minions Dominions
Dead Dog on the Street ~ The Dirty Dozen Brass Band ~ Buck Jump
Anthem of Hope ~ Jimmy Greene ~ The Overcomer's Suite
Black ~ Joe Henderson ~ Mode for Joe
Relaxin at the Camarillo ~ Joe Henderson ~ Relaxin at the Camarillo
Hope ~ Branford Marsalis ~ Braggtown