In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond

Give Thanks

This show was broadcast on the weekend following Thanksgiving. As such, we start with a set for Giving Thanks. Jimmy Greene's composition Give Thanks is a musical statement to start things off, followed by a Thanksgiving prayer from Miguel Zenon. And what would thanksgiving be without plates filled with Soul Food from Cyrus Chestnut. Tom Harrell has a new album out from which we will hear a couple of tracks. See the playlist below for more great tunes on In The Groove.

Featured Album

Colors of a Dream - Tom Harrell on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Give Thanks ~ Jimmy Greene ~ Mission Statement
Prayer #2 Thanksgiving ~ Miguel Zenon ~ Looking Forward
Soul Food ~ Cyrus Chestnut ~ Soul Food
Phantasie in Latin ~ Tom Harrell ~ Colors of a Dream
Blues 2013 ~ Tom Harrell ~ Colors of a Dream
Before the Snow ~ Teneke Postma ~ The Dawn of Light
The In Crowd ~ Gregory Porter ~ Liquid Spirit
Breakthrough ~ Eldar Djangerov feat. Chris Potter ~ Breakthrough
Peace ~ Horace Silver ~ Blowin' the Blues Away
Limitless ~ Stranahan Zaleski Rosato ~ Limitless

Some Hartford cats

Much of this program features some very talented Hartford cats. We begin with Professor Nat Reeves (bass) and his premier album State of Emergency. Alto player Lummie Span and Bassist Dezron Douglas team up to lead the New Jazz Workshop. Great Hartford jazz cats Josh Evans (tr), Josh Bruneau (tr) and Jonathan Barber (dr) are featured on these tracks. Dezron Douglas also anchors the Cyrus Chestnut Quartet here. After new music from Eldar, Jose James and singer Cecile McLorin Salvant, we close out the show with another Hartford native, singer Dana Lauren.

Featured Album

Dezron Douglas on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
I'll Close My Eyes ~ Nat Reeves ~ State of Emergency
Get on the Bus ~ New Jazz Workshop ~ Underground
Power of One ~ Dezron Douglas ~ Live at Smalls
Annibelle Cousins ~ Cyrus Chestnut ~ Cyrus Chestnut Quartet
Tokyo Plus ~ Eldar Djangarov Trio ~ Breakthrough
Trouble ~ Jose James ~ No Begining No End
I Didn't Know What Time it Was ~ Cecile McLorin Salvant ~ WomanChild
There's A Small Hotel ~ Dana Lauren ~ It's You or No One

Autumn Jazz

A set inspired by this beautiful autumn season. The show begins with a new album by baritone sax player Gary Smuylyan featuring classic Italian songs. Next up is Jamie Baum with her alto flute and a wonderful composition and arrangement. That is followed by Ben Allison's interpretation of a John Lennon classic. Then we get into the autumn set with music from Ahmad Jamal, New York Voices, Cannonball, Avery Sharpe and Branford Marsalis.

Featured Album

Autumn Moonlight on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Funiculi Funicula ~ Gary Smulyan ~ Bella Napoli
Wheeler of Fortune ~ Jamie Baum ~ Solace
Jealous Guy ~ Ben Allison ~ Little Things Run the World
Autumn in New York ~ Ahmad Jamal ~ Poinciana - One Night Only
Early Autumn ~ New York Voices ~ Sing! Sing! Sing!
Autumn Leaves ~ Cannonball Adderly ~ Somethin' Else
Autumn Moonlight ~ Avery Sharpe Trio ~ Autumn Moonlight
As Summer Into Autumn Slips ~ Branford Marsalis ~ Four MF's Plain' Tunes

New from around the world

This show starts with a new release from the soulful jazz singer Gregory Porter. Next, we take you to eastern cultures with sitarist Anoushka Shanker and her new release which blends western and Indian influences. Then Kyrgyzstan born Eldar Djangerov has a new trio album showing off his piano skills. John Menegon and singer Teri Roiger bring us back home with some fine jazz. We finish out the show with Jimi Hendrix to celebrate his PBS American Classics feature that aired this week.

Featured Album

Liquid Spirit - Gregory Porter on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Lonesome Lover ~ Gregory Porter ~ Liquid Spirit
Hey Laura ~ Gregory Porter ~ Liquid Spirit
When Love Was King ~ Gregory Porter ~ Liquid Spirit
The Sun Won't Set ~ Anoushka Shankar ~ Traces Of You  
River Pulse ~ Anoushka Shankar ~ Traces Of You
Point Of View Redux ~ Eldar Djangirov Trio ~ Breakthrough
What'll I do ~ Eldar Djangirov Trio ~ Breakthrough
Ray's Awareness ~ John Menegon ~ I Remember You
First Song ~ Teri Roigers ~ Abby
Axis Bold as Love ~ Jimi Hendrix ~ Axis Bold as Love
Hey Joe ~ Jimi Hendrix ~ Are You Experienced

Kenny Chick Pat and more

New music from Kenny Garrett starts this show. Then Chick Corea takes over with his most recent CD and one of his earliest efforts. Next up is a nice set from Pat Metheny including his latest band Unity. The show wraps up with Pharaoh Sanders, new music from Tineke Postma and last but not least an old classic from Herbie Hancock.

Featured Album

Pushing the World Away - Kenny Garrett on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
J'overt (Homage to Sonny Rollings) ~ Kenny Garrett ~ Pushing the World Away
Hey Chick ~ Kenny Garrett ~ Pushing the World Away
Planet Chia ~ Chick Corea ~ Vigil
Windows ~ Chick Corea ~ Now He Sings, Now He Sobs
My One and Only Love ~ Chick Corea ~ Now He Sings, Now He Sobs
When We Were Free ~ Pat Metheny Group ~ Quartet
Say the Brothers Name ~ Methey Mehldau ~ Metheny Mehldau
Come and See ~ Pat Metheny ~ Unity Band
Astral Traveling ~ Pharoah Sanders ~ Thembi
The Man Who Stared at Coats ~ Tineke Postma ~ The Dawn of Light
Watermelon Man ~ Herbie Hancock ~ The Complete Blue Note Sessions

Jazz with your coffee

Here is some jazz to go with your morning coffee. A lot of New England jazz artists are represented, like Frank Varela, John Funkhouser, Karen Frisk, Greg Abate and Noah Baerman. Also on this cast are guitarists John Scofield, Fabio Gouvea, Teneke Postma and the Next Collective.

Featured Album

John Funkhouser - Still on CDBaby

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
I'll Catch You ~ John Scofield ~ Works for Me
Grandma's Revenge ~ Frank Varela ~ Grandma's Revenge 
Indigo Montoya's Great Escape ~ John Funkhouser ~ Still 
House of the Rising Sun ~ John Funkhouser ~ Still 
Just one of those things ~ Karen Frisk ~ How Little We Know 
the little men ~ Greg Abate ~ Evolution
J.A.G ~ Greg Abate ~ Greg Abate featuring Phil Woods
Wade In The Water ~ Noah Baerman ~ What It Is 
No Depois ~ Fabio Gouvea ~ So Close, So Far
Tell it Like it is ~ Tineke Postma ~ The Dawn of the Light
No Church in the Wild ~ Next Collective ~ CoverArt

Trane and Miles

Let's start with some classic modern jazz with two of the most influential jazz artists of all time. We'll start with the John Coltrane Quartet, and Trane's collaboration with MIlt Jackson. Miles follows with his muted horn on Bye Bye Blackbird. An assembly of modern NYC cats called the Next Collective lays down a cool vibe before Tineke Postma takes the podcast to a laid back ending.

Featured Album

In Person Friday and Saturday Nights At the Blackhawk - Complete - Miles Davis

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
26-2 ~ John Coltrane ~ Coltrane Sound
Three Little Words ~ John Coltrane ~ Bags & Trane
Bye Bye Blackbird ~ Miles Davis ~ Friday Night at the Blackhawk
Fly or Die ~ Next Collective ~ Cover Art
Tell it Like It Is ~ Tieneke Postma ~ The Dawn of Light
New Land ~ Tineke Postma ~ The Dawn of Light

NYC Jazz

There is nothing I enjoy more than hearing live jazz music. This show re-lives some of the great music I heard last week in NYC Jazz clubs and on stage at U of CT. From our NYC adventure, we heard the Ravi Coltrane Quartet and the Jimmy Greene Quartet. At UCONN, Earl MacDonald and his Creative Opportunity Workshop. We also hear from the musicians that accompanied these artists such as Dezron Douglas, Johnathan Blake, Renee Rosnes (The Drummonds) and John Pattitucci.

Featured Album

Blending Times - Ravi Coltrane on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
For Turiya ~ Ravi Coltrane ~ Blending Times
Check out Time ~ Ravi Coltrane ~ Spirit Fiction
Clues ~ Johnathan Blake ~ Eleventh Hour  
Power of One ~ Dezron Douglas ~ Live at Smalls
Trials ~ Jimmy Greene ~ Mission Statement
Ana Grace ~ Jimmy Greene ~ Mission Statement
Golden Earring ~ The Drummonds ~ Pas De Trois
Agitato ~ John Pattitucci ~ Line by Line
Bottom Feeders ~ Earl MacDonald ~ Mirror of the Mind
Mirror of the Mind ~ Earl MacDonald ~ Mirror of the Mind