In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond

Episode May 15 2022

We kick off this week's episode with fire from Freddie Hubbard. Most of what follows is from young west coast artists beginning with another trumpeter and a San Diego legend in Gilbert Castellanos. Following that are many of SoCal's great young talent. Danny Green, Justin Joyce, Justin Grinnell and Matt Hall display the virtuosity that we have in the San Diego area. The podcast ends with LA's latest guitar phenom, Andrew Renfroe and finally a young drummer from back east currently on tour on the left coast, Jonathan Barber and his group Vision Ahead.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Freddie Hubbard ~ The Intrepid Fox ~ Red Clay
Gilbert Castellanos ~ Chula Juana ~ Federal Jazz Project
Danny Green Trio ~ After the Calm ~ After the Calm
Justin Joyce ~ E.R.J. ~ Story Tales
Justin Grinnell Quartet ~ Hit the Brakes ~ Without You
Matt Hall ~ The Tiger's Ritual ~ I Hope to My Never
Andrew Renfroe ~ Chemirocha ~ Chemirocha - Single
Jonathan Barber & Vision Ahead ~ Poetic ~ Poetic

Africa Inspired

This episode features music heavily inspired by the African diaspora. We begin with rock legend Santana's Mother Africa and Trane's Africa Brass. Hugh Masekela takes us deep into South African native music, and Herbie has a modern take on jazz/rock/African fusion. We finish this show with Emmet Cohen Trio's contemporary treatment of Fats Waller stride classics.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Santana ~ Mother Africa ~ Welcome
John Coltrane Quartet ~ Africa ~ Africa/Brass
Hugh Masekela ~ Languta ~ Hope
Herbie Hancock ~ Ostinato (Suite for Angela) ~ Mwandishi
Emmet Cohen ~ Ain't Misbehavin', Honeysuckle Rose / Handful of Keys ~ Dirty in Detroit 

More Birthdays - Joe, Duke, Toots

Another show, celebrating birthdays. These are some of the most important figures in jazz; Joe Henderson, Duke Ellington and Toots Thielemans. We then play the Grammy award winning Christian McBride Big Band. The show ends with some great jazz artists from Southern Cali, trombonist Matt Hall, and guitar masters Peter Sprague and Bob Boss.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Joe Henderson ~ Isotope ~ Inner Urge
Kenny Dorham ~ Mamacita ~ Trompeta Toccata
Duke Ellington ~ Black and Tan Fantasy (Live) ~ Ellington At Newport 1956
Toots Thielemans ~ Airegin ~ Images
Christian McBride Big Band ~ Milestones ~ For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver
Peter Sprague ~ Life Loves Lone Jack ~ Peter Sprague Plays Pat Metheny, Vol. 1
Matt Hall ~ The Thing About Sloan Hill ~ I Hope to My Never
Bob Boss ~ Soul Eyes ~ 3 Trios +

Couple of Birthdays

A couple of birthdays to celebrate this month; Charles Mingus on his Centennial 100th birthday, and Herbie Hancock who turned 82 years young. First, a track from the Grammy award winning McBride Big Band. Also, new music from drummer Jonathan Barber's Vision Ahead, and his jazz partner, guitarist Andrew Renfroe. Also represented in this episode are two of my favorite modern tenor sax players, Joe Farrell and Chris Potter.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Christian McBride Big Band ~ Down by the Riverside ~ For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver
Charles Mingus ~ Ysabel's Table Dance ~ Tijuana Moods
Herbie Hancock ~ Oliloqui Valley ~ Empyrean Isles (Expanded Edition)
Joe Farrell ~ Geo Blue ~ Penny Arcade
Jonathan Barber ~ Denim (feat. Vision Ahead) ~ Denim (feat. Vision Ahead) - Single
Andrew Renfroe ~ Alps (feat. Braxton Cook, Taber Gable, Rick Rosato & Curtis Nowosad) ~ Run in the Storm
Chris Potter ~ Southbound ~ Sunrise Reprise

Episode Apr 16 2022

After seeing Chris Potter live this week, I was inspired to start this week's podcast with some of his recent work. Another sax player with a modern sound is Mike Casey, and we have two singles from him. Next up, trombonist Matt Hall brings the sounds of San Diego. Two giants of jazz piano, Chick and McCoy, close out the podcast.

Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Dave Holland, Zakir Hussain & Chris Potter ~ Good Hope ~ Good Hope
Chris Potter ~ Sunrise and Joshua Trees ~ Sunrise Reprise
Mike Casey & Blori ~ Breathe In ~ Breathe In - Single
Mike Casey ~ Click Bait ~ Click Bait - Single
Matt Hall ~ Charlie's Harley ~ I Hope to My Never
McCoy Tyner ~ Search for Peace ~ The Real McCoy
McCoy Tyner ~ Passion Dance ~ The Real McCoy
Chick Corea ~ Inner Space ~ Inner Space

Jazz Grammy Awards 2022

Usually not a big fan of the Grammy Awards, but this year had some intriguing picks. From the feel good, straight ahead sounds of McBrides Big Band, to the probing improvisations of Carter, DeJohnette, Rubalcaba, and the creative explorations of Esperanza, these picks span a wide pallet of today's jazz. The posthumous awards to Chick and Lyle are also represented in this episode. 

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Christian McBride Big Band ~ Medgar Evers' Blues ~ For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver
Jon Batiste ~ MOVEMENT 11’ ~ WE ARE
Jon Batiste ~ ADULTHOOD (feat. Hot 8 Brass Band) ~ WE ARE
Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette & Gonzalo Rubalcaba ~ Ahmad the Terrible ~ Skyline
Esperanza Spalding ~ Formwela 10 ~ SONGWRIGHTS APOTHECARY LAB
Eliane Elias & Chucho Valdés ~ Sabor a Mi ~ Mirror Mirror
Chick Corea Akoustic Band ~ Humpty Dumpty ~ LIVE
Lyle Mays ~ Eberhard ~ Eberhard - EP

Episode Apr 3 2022

Jazz masters Freddie Hubbard and Chick Corea bookend this episode along with players not quite as well known. Garzone channels Trane's Equinox, Eubanks rocks, Renfroe and Davis cover Campbell and Hendrix, and San Diego's Justin Joyce creates a sweet sound before Chick takes us out.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Freddie Hubbard ~ Open Sesame ~ Open Sesame
George Garzone, Peter Erskine, Alan Pasqua & Darek Oles ~ Equinox (Night #3) ~ 3 Nights in L.A.
Orrin Evans & Kevin Eubanks ~ I Don't Know ~ EEE (Eubanks-Evans-Experience)
Luke Sellick & Andrew Renfroe ~ Wichita Lineman ~ Small Vacation
Tony Davis ~ May This Be Love ~ Golden Year
Justin Joyce ~ Placid Pandemonium ~ Story Tales
Chick Corea ~ Admiration ~ Antidote (feat. The Spanish Heart Band)

Women in Jazz

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