In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond

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

Episode Mar 20 2022

We start this show with swingin' "soul-jazz", with a new release from trombonist Matt Hall and classic sax from Dexter G. Next that slick CTI sound from Stanley Turrentine and Joe Farrell. Finally, back to Southern California with local favorites Gilbert and Holly.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Matt Hall ~ Biscuits & Gravy ~ I Hope to My Never
Dexter Gordon ~ Society Red ~ Doin' Allright
Stanley Turrentine ~ Sugar ~ Sugar
Joe Farrell ~ Great Gorge ~ Moon Germs
Gilbert Castellanos ~ This Is for Horace ~ Underground
Holly Hofmann ~ Jack of Hearts ~ Low Life

New music from SoCal

We begin with new music from San Diego jazz artists Peter Sprague (guitar) and Matt Hall (trombone), followed by jazz icon Charles McPherson from his latest album Jazz Dance Suites. I haven't forgotten my Hartford music roots, Steve Davis and John Hasselback III are represented here too.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Peter Sprague ~ Going with Me ~ Peter Sprague Plays Pat Metheny, Vol. 2
Matt Hall ~ Spearhead ~ I Hope to My Never
Charles McPherson ~ Tropic of Capricorn ~ Charles McPherson's Jazz Dance Suites
George Garzone, Peter Erskine, Alan Pasqua & Darek Oles ~ I Want To Talk About You (Night #2) ~ 3 Nights in L.A.
John Hasselback III ~ Robert's Run ~ Entrance
Steve Davis ~ Inner Glimpse ~ Correlations
Herbie Hancock ~ Cantaloupe Island ~ Empyrean Isles

Pepper Revisited

A look back at the iconic album Sgt. Pepper's LHCB, with unique covers from jazz artists, and finally George Harrison's classic composition on that record. That is followed by three fine San Diego jazz artists, Lori Bell, Holly Hofmann and Matt Hall. A new single from Jamile & Tony Davis, playing one of my favorite tunes and concluding with a John Coltrane classic.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
San Francisco String Trio ~ Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds ~ May I Introduce to You
Peter Sprague & Leonard Patton ~ With a Little Help from My Friends ~ Dream Walkin'
Brandee Younger ~ Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! ~ A Day in the Life: Impressions of Pepper
The Beatles ~ Within You Without You ~ Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Lori Bell ~ Harlem Nocturne ~ Brooklyn Dreaming
Holly Hofmann ~ Farmer's Trust ~ Low Life
Matt Hall ~ No Going Back ~ I Hope to My Never
Jamile & Tony Davis ~ Never Will I Marry ~ Never Will I Marry - Single
John Coltrane ~ Lonnie's Lament ~ Crescent

Episode Feb 27 2022

This week's podcast takes us to the West Coast again featuring jazz artists from the Bay area, San Francisco String Trio, and down the coast to SoCal with guitarists Peter Sprague and Bob Boss, and trombonist Matt Hall. Also featured are internationally revered jazz artists Horace Silver, Art Pepper and Michael Brecker. Enjoy!

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
San Francisco String Trio ~ Getting Better ~ May I Introduce to You
Peter Sprague ~ Going with Me ~ Peter Sprague Plays Pat Metheny, Vol. 2
Matt Hall ~ The Tiger's Ritual ~ I Hope to My Never
Bob Boss ~ Our Delight ~ 3 Trios +
Horace Silver Quintet ~ Nutville ~ The Cape Verdean Blues
Art Pepper & The Hollywood All-Stars ~ Bernie's Tune ~ Art Standards
Michael Brecker ~ Naked Soul ~ Tales from the Hudson

Presidents Day 2022

The show begins with an audio montage of the historic President Obama innaugural speech from 2009 combined with Sonny Rollins Freedom Suite (1960). Of special note is San Diego's Peter Sprague (g) and Leonard Patton (vo). 

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Ken Laster ~ Obama Freedom Suite ~ In The Groove Podcast
Dr. Lonnie Smith ~ Freedom Jazz Dance ~ Jungle Soul
Abbey Lincoln & Max Roach ~ Freedom Day ~ We Insist!
Peter Sprague & Leonard Patton ~ Shenandoa / Your Smiling Face ~ Dream Walkin'
Clifford Brown & Max Roach Quintet ~ Joy Spring ~ Clifford Brown's Finest Hour
Johnathan Blake ~ Rivers & Parks ~ Homeward Bound