In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond

Radio Music

This week we feature another highly anticipated release in jazz. Esperanza Spaulding's Radio Music Society follows her Grammy award for best new artist. We play two tracks from the album, released this week. We follow with more new music from jazz harmonica player Gregoire Maret, and pianist Vijay Iyer. More music follows from Jeremy Pelt and JD Allen, both of which appeared in the Hartford area this week. We keep with a local twist from Greg August the Curtis Brothers and Gary Smulyan who has a new release, Smul's Paradise.

Featured Album

Radio Music Society - Esperanza Spalding on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Jazz Ain't Nothin But Soul ~ Esperanza Spalding ~ Radio Music Society
I Can't Help It ~ Esperanza Spalding ~ Radio Music Society
Travels ~ Gregoire Maret ~ Gregoire Maret
Human Nature ~ Accelerando ~ Vijay Iyer Trio
Accelerando ~ Vijay Iyer ~ Accelerando
Backroad ~ Jeremy Pelt ~ Men of Honor
The Wrath ~ JD Allen Trio ~ Victory!
Change of Course ~ Greg August Sextet ~ One Peace
The Wrath ~ Curtis Brothers ~ Completion of Proof
Up in Betty's Room ~ Gary Smulyan ~ Smul's Paradise

Last Week part 2

This podcast is the second hour of last week's show. We play new and old tracks from Chick Corea. We follow with the featured album from drummer Johnathan Blake, his first as a leader. Next up is Robert Glasper and Esperanza Spaulding from their latest releases, both highly anticipated and important jazz albums.

Featured Album

The Eleventh Hour - Johnathan Blake on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Windows ~ Corea, Clarke, White ~ Forever
Straight Up and Down ~ Chick Corea ~ Inner Space
Time To Kill ~ Johnathan Blake ~ The Eleventh Hour
Canvas ~ Johnathan Blake ~ The Eleventh Hour
Smells Like Teen Spirit ~ Robert Glasper ~ Black Radio
Endangered Species ~ Esperanza Spaulding ~ Radio Music Society

The Soothsayer

This show highlights one of my favorite jazz artists Wayne Shorter. Shorter's compositions always seem to evoke the feelings of mysticism and these tunes exemplify that. Of course, Shorter had a great influence on the Miles Davis Quintet of the 60's so we also play the title tracks from Miles E.S.P. and Nefertiti. The podcast concludes with Corea, Clarke, and White's grammy winning 500 Miles High from their latest release Forever.

Featured Album

The Soothsayer - Wayne Shorter

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Lost ~ The Soothsayer ~ Wayne Shorter
The Soothsayer ~ The Soothsayer ~ Wayne Shorter
E.S.P. ~ Miles Davis ~ E.S.P.
Nefertiti ~ Miles Davis ~ Nefertiti
Two Bass Hit ~ Miles Davis ~ 'Round About Midnight
500 Miles High ~ Corea, Clarke, White ~ Forever

Traditional to Brand New

There are three albums featured in this podcast, ranging from traditional to brand new. Starting with the Legacy Edition of Miles 'Round About Midnight from 1957, to Corea, Clarke and White's new trio album Forever (with guest artist Jean Luc Ponty on violin, not piano as I say in a mic break) and finally Robert Glasper's highly anticipated Black Radio. From this podcast it is clear how jazz has progressed over the decades. Perhaps Glasper's latest CD foretells a new direction in jazz that has the potential to appeal to a wider audience and breath new life into this great musical art form.

Featured Album

Black Radio - Robert Glasper on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Dear Old Stockholm ~ Miles Davis ~ 'Round About Midnight
Woody 'N You ~ Miles Davis ~ 'Round About Midnight
No Mystery ~ Corea, Clarke, White ~ Forever
Armando's Rhumba ~ Corea, Clarke, White ~ Forever
Afro Blue ~ Robert Glasper Experiment ~ Black Radio
Why Do We Try ~ Robert Glasper Experiment ~ Black Radio

3 nights in NYC

A recap of a three night stay in New York City that had us hitting the jazz clubs each night. This show features some of the great artists we saw during our stay. The Mingus Big Band was just a rollicking good time with smoking arrangements and soloists. Next up was Mike Stern rocking out in a trio setting at 55Bar, one of my favorite venues. The final night in NYC we caught Johnathan Blake's CD release party at the Jazz Gallery. We finish the podcast with a beautiful composition and arrangement by Maria Schnieder.

Featured Album

Mingus Big Band Live at Jazz Standard from iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Moanin' ~ Mingus Big Band ~ Live at Jazz Standard
Cryin' Blues ~ Mingus Big Band ~ Live at Jazz Standard
KT ~ Mike Stern ~ Who Let the Cats Out
Wing and a Prayer ~ Mike Stern ~ Between the Lines
Clues ~ Johnathan Blake ~ The Eleventh Hour
Time to Kill ~ Johnathan Blake ~ The Eleventh Hour
The Pretty Road ~ Maria Schneider Orchestra ~ Sky Blue

Mardi Gras

Fat Tuesday is this week down in N'orleans, and that begins the Mardi Gras celebration. This podcast features great New Orleans music from jazz artists young and old. Tunes from the Rebirth Brass Band, Louis Armstrong, the Marsalis Family, Terrance Blanchard, Skerik and a new sax player Khris Royal will get you in the groove for this year's Mardi Gras.

Featured Album

Rebirth of New Orleans - Rebirth Brass Band on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
You Know You Know ~ Rebirth Brass Band ~ Rebirth of New Orleans
Norleans ~ Doctor Lonnie Smith ~ Too Damn Hot!
Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans ~ Louis Armstrong ~ Chicago Concert 1956 Remastered
In the Court of King Oliver ~ Wynton Marsalis ~ Standard Time Volume 3
Cain and Abel ~ The Marsalis Family ~ A Jazz Celebration
Brer Rabbit ~ Delfayo Marsalis ~ Minions Dominions
Over There ~ Terence Blanchard ~ Flow
Love Song #4 ~ Khris Royal ~ Dark Matter
Summer Pudding ~ Skerik's Syncopated Taint Septet ~ Husky

Love

This pre-Valentines Day special features jazz tunes inspired by LOVE. Not a lot of typical sappy love songs in this set, but some hard-driving emotional compositions. We start with some a great tunes from the 50's performed by Jackie McLean and Lester Young, eventually breaking out into newer ground, with some soulful music by Mulgrew Miller, Aretha Franklin and Kevin Mahogany. We switch over to some fusion guitar with Mike Stern and Joe Beck. We finish this lovely show with one of my favorite romantic jazz ballads by Jimmy Greene entitled Love In Action.

Featured Album

McLean's Scene - Jackie McLean on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Our Love Is Here To Stay ~ Jackie McLean ~ McLean's Scene
Taking a Chance on Love ~ Lester Young ~ Ted and Prez
Almost Like Being in Love ~ Lester Young and Oscar Peterson~ Tea for Two
Comes Love ~ Mulgrew Miller ~ Live at Yoshi's Volume 2
I Never Loved a Man (The way I loved you) ~ Aretha Franklin ~ The Very Best of
Crazy Love ~ Van Morrison ~ Moondance
I Love You More than You'll Ever Know ~ Kevin Mahogany ~ Kevin Mahogany
How Deep Is your Love ~ Bad Plus ~ For All I Care
All Heart ~ Mike Stern ~ Play
I Love You ~ Joe Beck ~ Just Friends
Love's Fury ~ Sean Jones ~ No Need For Words
Love In Action ~ Jimmy Greene ~ Mission Statement

Jazz Grooves of All Kinds

After kicking off this podcast with a straight ahead jazz romp from Steve Davis, we get into a solid groove from a new release by baritone sax master Gary Smulyan. Art Pepper follows with some cool jazz grooves. We then move to a different kind of swing with some African rhythms from Omar Sosa. Ahmad Jamal serenades us on three tracks with his piano trios. We finish up with Josh Evans cooking on trumpet from his debut album Profile.

Featured Album

Smul's Paradise on Amazon.com

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Con Alma ~ Steve Davis ~ Crossfire
Up in Betty's Room ~ Gary Smulyan ~ Smul's Paradise
Heavenly Hours ~ Gary Smulyan ~ Smul's Paradise
September Song ~ Art Peper ~ Straight Life
Afreecanos West ~ Omar Sosa ~ Promise
Stolen Moments ~ Ahmad Jamal ~ The Awakening
Autumn In New York ~ Ahmad Jamal ~ Poinciana - One Night Only
Moonlight in Vermont ~ Ahmad Jamal ~ Poinciana - One Night Only
Beatnik ~ Josh Evans ~ Portrait