In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond

Herbie at 83

It's Herbie Hancock's birthday celebration podcast episode. We've got him on the first four tracks of this podcast, in different settings. Certainly he is a living legend on the jazz scene today at 83 years of age.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Herbie Hancock ~ Actual Proof ~ Thrust
Herbie Hancock ~ One Finger Snap ~ Empyrean Islands
Freddie Hubbard ~ The Intrepid Fox ~ Red Clay
Lee Morgan ~ Mr. Kenyatta ~ Search for the New Land
Gilbert Castellanos ~ Big P ~ Espérame En El Cielo
Bill Evans ~ Soiree ~ From Left To Right (Expanded Edition)
Isaiah J. Thompson ~ The Soul Messenger ~ The Power of the Spirit

Spring 2023

This is the spring edition of In The Groove. It is also the birth date of trumpeter Freddie Hubbard. We celebrate both of these with this week's podcast. Also of note is the release of harpist Brandee Younger with a featured track from her album Brand New Life. Saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin's latest release Phoenix wraps up this episode.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Kneebody ~ The Trip ~ Chapters
Emmet Cohen ~ Venus de Milo ~ Uptown in Orbit
Brandee Younger ~ Running Game ~ Brand New Life
Freddie Hubbard ~ UK Forty One  ~ UK Forty One EP 
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers ~ Up Jumped Spring ~ 3 Blind Mice, Vol. 1
Milt Jackson ~ Sunflower ~ Sunflower
Joel Frahm ~ Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most ~ We Used To Dance
Lakecia Benjamin ~ Jubilation ~ Phoenix

NYC Visit

Returning from my New York City trip, I wanted to review some of the shows we saw at some iconic clubs. You will hear Joe Farnsworth (heard at Smalls), Mark Giuliana (Village Vanguard), SF Jazz Collective (Birdland) and Sarah Hanahan (Smalls). In addition, Grammy award winner Samara Joy and more.

Playlist 
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Joe Farnsworth ~ New York Attitude ~ City of Sounds
Mark Guiliana ~ under the influence ~ the sound of listening
SFJAZZ Collective ~ God Bless The Child / That's The Way Of The World ~ New Works & Classics Reimagined
Sarah Hanahan ~ Here For Jackie ~ Straight From The Hart
Samara Joy ~ I'm Confessin' (That I Love You) ~ Linger Awhile
Gilbert Castellanos ~ Bilad as Sudan ~ Espérame En El Cielo
Noah Preminger ~ Way Early Subtone ~ Preminger Plays Preminger
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra & Wynton Marsalis ~ That Dance We Do (That You Love Too) ~ The Democracy! Suite

Women In Jazz Redux

Note: This is a repost of last year's episode. Being Women's History Month, we will begin with a set of women jazz artists. Represented are Miki Yamanaka, Helen Sung and Melissa Aldana and the female "supergroup" Artemis. Next up new music from young musicians Mike Casey (sax) and Justin Joyce (drums). Something new from guitarist Peter Sprague covering Metheny compositions, and finally a beautiful ballad from George Cables.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Miki Yamanaka ~ Monk's Dream ~ Miki
Helen Sung ~ Long Yellow Road ~ Quartet + (with Harlem Quartet)
Melissa Aldana ~ Los Ojos de Chile ~ 12 Stars
ARTEMIS ~ Nocturno ~ Artemis
Mike Casey ~ Click Bait ~ Single
Justin Joyce ~ Placid Pandemonium ~ Story Tales
Peter Sprague ~ Questions ~ Peter Sprague Plays Pat Metheny, Vol. 2
George Cables ~ Helen's Song ~ My Muse

New Releases Old Classics

A playlist of new releases, classic jazz with the coming of Spring in mind and other new music from McBride, Childs and Lage. The episode ends with a harp and harp (harmonica) duet.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Lakecia Benjamin ~ Trane ~ Phoenix
Gilbert Castellanos ~ Home is Africa ~ Espérame En El Cielo
Charles Lloyd ~ Forest Flower: Sunrise ~ Forest Flower: Charles Lloyd At Monterey
Freddie Hubbard ~ Up Jumped Spring ~ Backlash
Christian McBride & New Jawn ~ The Good Life ~ Prime
Ornette Coleman ~ Lonely Woman ~ The Shape of Jazz to Come
Julian Lage ~ The Layers ~ The Layers
Billy Childs ~ Crystal Silence ~ The Winds of Change
Grégoire Maret & Edmar Castaneda ~ Manha de Carnaval ~ Harp vs. Harp

Tribute to WayneShorter

A tribute show to Wayne Shorter who passed away last week. His contribution to the legacy of jazz cannot be overstated. He constantly moved the music to new directions, both as a leader and member of The Jazz Messengers, Miles Quintet and Weather report.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers ~ One By One ~ Ugetsu
Wayne Shorter ~ Black Nile ~ Night Dreamer
Miles Davis ~ Iris ~ E.S.P.
Miles Davis ~ Footprints ~ Miles Smiles
Wayne Shorter ~ Ana Maria ~ Native Dancer
Weather Report ~ Mysterious Traveller ~ Mysterious Traveller
Weather Report ~ Elegant People ~ Black Market
Wayne Shorter ~ She Moves Through The Fair ~ Alegría

Mostly New in 2023

I've added a tribute to Wayne Shorter upon learning of his death. More on Shorters life and music in next week's podcast.

Mostly new music here. Young players like Braxton Cook and Lakecia Benjamin are the future of jazz. New music from Gilbert Castellanos, Christian McBride and Bruce Forman are highlighted here as well.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Wayne Shorter ~ Infant Eyes ~ Speak No Evil
Braxton Cook ~ Meters ~ Who Are You When No One Is Watching?
Christian McBride & New Jawn ~ Obsequious ~ Prime
Gilbert Castellanos ~ Espérame En El Cielo (Bonus) ~ Espérame En El Cielo
Lakecia Benjamin ~ Phoenix ~ Phoenix
Lakecia Benjamin ~ Rebirth ~ Phoenix
Bruce Forman ~ Barney's Tune ~ Reunion!
Bruce Forman ~ April in Paris  ~ Reunion!
Holly Hofmann ~ Soul-Leo ~ Low Life
Kurt Elling & Charlie Hunter ~ Boogie Down ~ Guilty Pleasures EP
Kurt Rosenwinkel ~ Heartcore ~ Heartcore

Jazztodon - Mastodon for Jazz Fans

The playlist for today's episode was inspired by discussion threads on the social media service Mastodon. Jazztodon is a server on the Mastodon network that was created for jazz fans. Find out more about Mastodon for jazz in this article I wrote for AllAboutJazz.com. You can look me up on Mastodon at http://jazztodon.com/@digginjazz.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Roland Kirk ~ Serenade to a Cuckoo ~ Kirkatron
Jackie McLean ~ Appointment in Ghana ~ Jackie's Bag
Elvin Jones ~ H.M. On F.M. ~ Midnight Walk
Thelonious Monk ~ Sweet and Lovely ~ Monk's Dream
Michael Feinberg ~ Blues Variant ~ Blues Variant
Tyshawn Sorey ~ Jitterbug Waltz ~ The Off-Off Broadway Guide to Synergism
Wayne Escoffery ~ Like Minds ~ Like Minds
Herbie Hancock ~ Heartbeat ~ Man-Child
Al Di Meola ~ Julia ~ Across the Universe