In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond

For My Dad

We kick off this show with Horace Silver's Song to My Father, as this show is dedicated to the memory of my Dad. He loved Sarah Vaughan so we play a set of some of her live recordings. We then move into a great contemporary vocalist Dana Lauren. Chucho Valdes is in town playing at UCONN, so we play a tune from his repertoire. Robert Glasper is represented with a unique arrangement. Finally, we close the show with Hammond organist Pat Bianchi and 3osity.

Featured Album

It's You Or No One - Dana Lauren on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Song for My Father ~ Horace Silver ~ Song for My Father
All of You ~ Sarah Vaughan ~ Sarah Vaughan Live!
Lover Man ~ Sarah Vaughan ~ Sarah Vaughan Live!
What Is This Thing Called Love ~ Sarah Vaughan ~ Sarah Vaughan Live!
It's You or No One ~ Dana Lauren ~ It's You or No One
Give Me the Simple Life ~ Dana Lauren ~ It's You or No One
Homenaje A Ellington ~ Chucho Valdes ~ New Conceptions
Maiden Voyage/Everything in its right place ~ Robert Glasper ~ in my element
Inception ~ 3osity

Sound Travels

We will get funky with some Joshua Redman, then soulful with Joey DeFrancesco and Cinque, before exploring the new release by jazz master Jack DeJohnette. Jack is featured on acoustic piano as well as drums here. Next up is Christian McBride's Inside Straight with vibe work by Warren Wolfe. We keep with the sound of vibes going with Ken Fowser and Behn Gillece from their fine CD Duotones with I placed on my Best Of 2011 list.

Featured Album

Sound Travels - Jack DeJohnette on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Jazz Crimes ~ Joshua Redman ~ Elastic
Bolivia ~ Cinque ~ Catch a Corner
Still Crazy After All These Years ~ Cinque ~ Catch a Corner
Sonny Light ~ Jack DeJohnette ~ Sound Travels
Oneness ~ Jack DeJohnette ~ Sound Travels
Indigo Dreamscapes ~ Jack DeJohnette ~ Sound Travels
Theme For Kareem ~ Christian McBride and Inside Straight ~ Kind of Brown
Back to Back ~ Ken Fowser and Behn Gillece ~ Duotone

Chucho!

First we pay homage to a couple of great jazz artists who passed away five years ago this week. Alice Coltrane and Michael Brecker certainly left their mark on jazz music with some passionate playing and composing as you can hear, here. This is followed by a new release from Miguel Zenon which perhaps should have made my top album picks for 2011. Chucho Valdez is coming to the University of Connecticut's Jorgensen Auditorium, and I would like to play some tunes from his great CD Chucho's Steps. The show will be January 27 and 28 and you can get tickets here.

Featured Album

Chucho's Steps - Chucho Valdés & The Afro-Cuban Messengers on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Offset ~ Ken Fowser and Behn Gillece ~ Duotone
Renaissance Man ~ Time is of the Essence ~ Michael Brecker
Translinear Light ~ Alice Coltrane ~ Translinear Light
Jugette ~ Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook ~ Miguel Zenon
Temes ~ Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook ~ Miguel Zenon
Chucho's Steps ~ Chucho Valdez & the Afro Cuban Messengers ~ Chucho's Steps
New Orleans ~ Chucho Valdez & the Afro Cuban Messengers ~ Chucho's Steps
Rooms of Light ~ Ben Monder ~ Oceana

More Best of 2011

This week we continue to review my pics for the top album releases for 2011. Also featured is a segment of an interview I did with Noah Preminger. This weeks on-air broadcast was hampered by technical difficulties, and sports pre-emptions, but I pieced together what I could to put together this podcast. Check out my list of top 15 releases from the WHUS Website for more information on these great albums.

Featured Album

Before the Rain - Noah Preminger on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Manifest Destiny ~ The Curtis Brothers ~ Completion Of Proof
K ~ Noah Preminger ~ Before The Rain
Quickening ~ Noah Preminger ~ Before The Rain
River ~ Rob Garcia 4 ~ The Drop and the Ocean
Regret (No More) ~ Ambrose Akinmusire ~ When the Heart Emerges Glistening
Mr. Steepy ~ JD Allen ~ Victory!
I-10 ~ James Farm ~ Joshua Redman
Duality ~ Vijay Iyer with Prasanna & Nitin Mitta ~ Tirtha
Beatnik ~ Josh Evans ~ Portrait

Sam Rivers tribute

We begin this show with a tribute to the great Sam Rivers who passed away this week at the age of 88. Sam Rivers was one of the finest free jazz players and composers. First we hear his work on Dave Holland's great Conference of the Birds CD, and then we continue with some of River's work as a band leader. After the Sam Rives tribute, I begin the first part of our Best Of 2011 Jazz CD releases. This week we hear from Jen Allen, Ralph Peterson, Mike DiRubbo and Geoff Vidal. Stay tuned for next weeks show when we play more best of 2011.

You can check out In The Groove's best jazz releases from 2011 from this link.

Featured Album

Dimensions & Extensions - Sam Rivers on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Four Winds ~ Dave Holland ~ Conference of the Birds
Precis ~ Sam Rivers ~ Dimensions & Extensions
The Year in Review ~ Sam Rivers & Nojo ~ City of Neighborhoods
Olive Juice ~ Sean Jones ~ No Need for Words
the repercussions ~ Jen Allen ~ Pieces of Myself
marble hill ~ Jen Allen ~ Pieces of Myself
I Got Lost In His Arms ~ The Mosaic Project ~ Terri Lyne Carrington
O-Zoning ~ Geoff Vidal ~ She Likes That
The Moontrane ~ Ralph Peterson's Unity Project ~ Outer Reaches
Spectrum ~ Ralph Peterson's Unity Project ~ Outer Reaches
Eight for Elvin ~ Mike DiRubbo ~ Chronos

Xmas eve show

This podcast, broadcast on Christmas eve, features two of my favorite bands with a couple of nice holiday songs sprinkled in to add a little cheer to the season. After Chris Potter gives his interpretation of Oh Come All Ye Faithful, we get right into some smokin' Weather Report. That naturally transitions to some Jaco Pastorious. Wynton Marsalis lays us onto some Winter Wonderland, and then we get right into some early Santana. You know, Santana when he was really good before doin' all that pop stuff he does now. Hope that gets y'all into the holiday spirit of things. Season's greetings to all!

Featured Album

Jaco Pastorius - Jaco Pastorius on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Oh Come All Ye Faithful ~ Chris Potter ~ A Concord Christmas
Black Market ~ Weather Report ~ Black Market
Havona ~ Weather Report ~ Heavy Weather
Portrait of Tracey ~ Jaco Pastorious ~ Jaco Pastorious
Opus Pocus ~ Jaco Pastorious ~ Jaco Pastorious
Teen Town ~ Jaco Pastorious Big Band ~ Word of Mouth Revisited
Winter Wonderland ~ Wynton Marsalis ~ A Jazzy Wonderland
Incident At Neshabur ~ Santana ~ Abraxas
Flame (Sky) ~ Santana ~ Welcome
Maiden Voyage/Everything In Its Right Place ~ Robert Glasper ~ In My Element
Love,Life, & Death In San Francisco ~ Lupe Fiasco ~ Friend of the People: I Fight Evil

Joe Farrell Tribute

Before we get into our Joe Farrell set, we play new music from jazz artists Sean Jones, the Curtis Brothers, JD Allen (who's album I feature), and Khris Royal. Joe Farrell was an amazing reed player who passed away in his prime at age 48. Known for his collaborations with Chick Corea and Elvin Jones as well as a leader in his own right. We feature some of his work with Chick's early recordings and Joe Farrell's own recordings on CTI records.

Featured Album

Victory! - JD Allen Trio on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Look and See ~ Sean Jones ~ No Need for Words
Manifest Destiny ~ Curtis Brothers ~ Completion of Proof
Sura Hinda ~ JD Allen ~ Victory!
Mr. Steepy ~ JD Allen ~ Victory!
Recapitulation ~ JD Allen ~ Victory!
Love Song #4 ~ Khris Royal & Dark Matter ~ Dark Matter
Litha ~ Chick Corea ~ Inner Space
Great Gorge ~ Joe Farrell ~ Moon Germs
Follow Your Heart ~ Joe Farrell ~ Joe Farrell Quartet

Super Nova

This show features two great albums, released over 40 years apart. The first is from the Curtis Brothers, a new driving force in Jazz. Their recently released album is Completion of Proof. It features some great playing by a new generation of jazz musicians. I also recently re-discovered Wayne Shorter's Super Nova. This provocative album represents to me the evolution of jazz in its most creative form as Shorter pushes the music into uncharted territory leading to the jazz-fusion era. Also in this podcast is music from Dexter Gordon, Chris Potter and a new release by a fine New Orleans musician, Khris Royal showing some great chops on tenor and some rockin' out compositions with his group Dark Matter.

Featured Album

Curtis Brothers from CDBaby

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Love For Sale ~ Dexter Gordon ~ Go!
The Onge ~ The Curtis Brothers ~ Completion of Proof
The Wrath ~ The Curtis Brothers ~ Completion of Proof
Footprints ~ Miles Davis ~ Live in Euroope 1967 - Best of the Bootlegs
Dindi ~ Wayne Shorter ~ Super Nova
Water Babies ~ Wayne Shorter ~ Super Nova
That's What I Said ~ Chris Potter ~ Pure
Funkin' In Denial ~ Kris Royal & Dark Matter ~ Dark Matter
Knozz-Mo-King ~ Wynton Marsalis ~ Think of One