In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond

Jazz Fusion and Beyond

Mostly jazz/rock fusion on this week's show, featuring some of my favorite bands from the 70's and beyond. This music sparked my interest in jazz music during my college years, and eventually branching out into more traditional forms. But this is the music that started it all for me and many others of my generation.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Herbie Hancock ~ Heartbeat ~ Man-Child
Chick Corea ~ Shadow of Lo ~ Where Have I Known You Before
Frank Zappa ~ Waka/Jawaka ~ Waka / Jawaka
Shunzo Ohno ~ Runner ~ Runner - EP
Miles Davis ~ Right Off - take 10 ~ Complete Jack Johnson Sessions
Shakti with John McLaughlin ~ La Danse Du Bonheur ~ A Handful of Beauty
Joshua Redman ~ Jazz Crimes ~ Elastic

Fusion New and Different

Another Fusion set, but this one a bit different. We'll hear jazz fused with pop tunes, string quartets, orchestra, Indian Classical, Ukrainian folk music and hard rock.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Frank Zappa ~ Stolen Moments ~ Broadway the Hard Way
Frank Zappa ~ Murder By Numbers ~ Broadway the Hard Way
Roman Baranskiy | Scott Amendola, Matt Muntz, Friction Quartet ~Chuhayster ~ (YouTube) 
Ben Williams ~ Consciousness ~ Between Church & State
Andrew Renfroe ~ DREAMER ~ POP LOGIC
Mahavishnu Orchestra ~ Lila's Dance ~ Visions Of The Emerald Beyond
Shakti ~ Happiness Is Being Together ~ Natural Elements
Tim Garland ~ Moment Of Departure ~ Moment Of Departure
Brandee Younger ~ Gadabout Season ~ Gadabout Season
Miles Davis ~ Honky Tonk ~ Get Up With It

RIP Zakir

This episode begins by paying tribute to tabla master Zakir Hussain who passed away last week. He is one of the greatest musicians of my generation, and brought Indian Classical Music awareness to many in the jazz scene. That is followed by a set of music from some of the most influential Hartford jazz mentors.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Shakti & Shakti ~ Mind Ecology ~ Natural Elements
Dave Holland, Zakir Hussain & Chris Potter ~ Island Feeling ~ Good Hope
Zakir Hussain ~ Zakir ~ Making Music
Zaccai Curtis ~ 52nd Street Theme ~ Cubop Lives!
Steve Davis ~ What Is This Thing Called Love ~ Say When
Rich Goldstein ~ What a Difference a Day Makes ~ Into the Blue
George Benson ~ Take Five ~ Bad Benson
Terell Stafford ~ Hey, It's Me You're Talking To ~ Fields of Gold
The Ed Palermo Big Band ~ Peaches En Regalia ~ Plays the Music of Frank Zappa
Miroslav Vitous ~ Bamboo Forest ~ Universal Syncopations

Musings from the DNC

A few musical references from last week's Democratic Convention was the inspiration for this episode. VP Kamala Harris invoked the names of Aretha, Miles and Coltrane, and an appearance by Stevie Wonder are relived in this show.

Playlist 
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Aretha Franklin ~ A Change Is Gonna Come ~ I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
Miles Davis Quintet ~ Solar ~ Walkin'
John Coltrane ~ Giant Steps ~ Giant Steps
Stevie Wonder ~ Higher Ground ~ Innervisions
Herbie Hancock ~ You've Got It Bad Girl ~ The New Standard
SFJAZZ Collective ~ Creepin' ~ Music of Stevie Wonder and New Compositions
Jacob Collier ~ Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing ~ Single
George Duke ~ Capricorn ~ Faces In Reflection
Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention ~ Inca Roads ~ One Size Fits All

Early Fusion

We feature the early days of Jazz/Rock Fusion in this week's jazz podcast. Santana, Miles, Mahavishnu, RTF, Herbie and Weather Report. Even Zappa is represented here. Hope you dig.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Santana ~ Eternal Caravan of Reincarnation ~ Caravanserai
Santana ~ La Fuente del Ritmo ~ Caravanserai
Mahavishnu Orchestra ~ Dawn ~ The Inner Mounting Flame
Miles Davis ~ Paraphernalia ~ Miles In the Sky
Frank Zappa ~ Peaches en Regalia ~ Hot Rats
Return To Forever ~ Captain Marvel ~ Light As A Feather
Herbie Hancock ~ Ostinato (Suite for Angela) ~ Mwandishi
Weather Report ~ Waterfall ~ Weather Report

 

Chatting with Leala

This week's show begins with an interview with vocalist and trumpeter Leala Cyr. The episode concludes with vibes by Burton, including collaborations with Chick and others. In between are some great tracks by Roberta Flack, Bessie Smith, Mehldau, Ponty and others.

Playlist
Artist ~ Track ~ Album
Leala Cyr ~ The Secret ~ First Instinct
Leala Cyr ~ Canyon View ~ First Instinct
Roberta Flack ~ Compared To What ~ First Take
Jeff Fuller & Friends ~ Cry Me a River ~ Happenstance
Jen Allen ~ Blanket Statement ~ Blanket Statement
Jean-Luc Ponty ~ King Kong ~ King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the music of Frank Zappa
Brad Mehldau ~ St. Mark is Howling in the City of Light ~ Finding Gabriel
Bessie Smith ~ Backwater Blues ~ Best of Bessie Smith
Chick Corea and Gary Burton ~ Eleanor Rigby ~ Hot House
Gary Burton ~ Question and Answer ~ Like Minds
Gary Burton ~ Gorgeous ~ Generations

2019 Finale

In this final podcast episode for 2019 we begin and end with jazz greats Donald Byrd and Thelonious Monk. In between we feature several young musicians, including Hartford's Matt Dwonszyk, Orice Jenkins and Leala Cyr. We throw in some Frank Zappa to mix things up as well.

Playlist
Artist ~ Track ~ Album
Donald Byrd ~ Off To the Races ~ Off to the Races
Jason Palmer ~ Fly Little Bird Fly ~ Nothing to Hide
Matt Dwonszyk ~ What A Wonderful World ~ Wonderful World
Orice Jenkins ~ Nature Boy ~ Centenial Cole
Leala Cyr ~ Canyon View ~ First Instinct
Frank Zappa ~ Big Swifty ~ Waka / Jawaka
Thelonious Monk Orchestra ~ Monk's Mood ~ At Town Hall

Handful of Keys

This episode begins with the immense talent of pianist Matt Dechamplain. Matt is in the house talking about his latest project, a drummerless trio. We also discuss the rigors of playing stride piano, and the musicians that have influenced his playing. After that, listen to Roxy Coss making a political/social statement from her latest CD. The podcast finishes with bassist Avery Sharpe from his recent project 400.

Playlist
Artist ~ Track ~ Album
Atla & Matt Dechamplain ~ Ask Me Now ~ Pause
Matt Dechamplain ~ A Handful of Keys ~ Stride-Bop
Matt Dechamplain Trio ~ Rough Ridin' ~ not yet available
Roxy Coss ~ Mr. President ~ Quintet
Jean-Luc Ponty ~ King Kong ~ King Kong: The music of Frank Zappa
Frank Varela ~ Upstream ~ Grandma's Revenge
Woody Herman. ~ Early Autumn ~ Early Autumn
Curtis Brothers ~ Parametric ~ Algorithm
Miguel Zenon ~ Las Caras Lindas ~ Sonero The Music of Ismael Rivera
Avery Sharpe ~ Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around ~ 400: An African American Portrait
Avery Sharpe ~ 500 ~ 400: An African American Portrait