In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond

There have been a slew of new jazz releases over the last few weeks. This podcast and next week's will explore some of these great new jazz albums. This week we feature two young bass players putting their stamp on the jazz scene. Ben Williams and Chris Lightcap bring us their unique sounding compositions. Also of note is Alexandre Silverio, a bassoon player from Brazil and singer Becca Stevens. It all starts off with a new release from veteran saxophonist and session man David Sanborn.

Featured Album

Coming of Age - Ben Williams on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Spanish Joint ~ David Sanborn ~ Time and the River
Entre Mundos ~ Alexandre Silverio ~ Un Tango para El Chico 
Half Steppin' ~ Ben Williams ~ Coming of Age
The Color of My Dreams ~ Ben Williams ~ Coming of Age
Tilley ~ Becca Stevens Band ~ Perfect Animal
Epicenter ~ Chris Lightcap's Bigmouth ~ Epicenter
Stone by Stone ~ Chris Lightcap's Bigmouth ~ Epicenter

Jazz spans the world in this podcast. Beginning with a composition by Jackie McLean inspired by Ghana. Miguel Zenon speaks to the Puerto Rican culture and assimilating into the American jazz scene. Bassist Ehud Ettun brings an Israeli influence to his jazz trio. A Miles classic is covered with a heavy classical Indian influence. There is some great straight ahead jazz tunes here as well.

Featured Album

Identities Are Changeable - Miguel Zenón on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Appointment in Ghana ~ Vin Scialla, Eric Schugren & Brian Charette ~ Wake Up!
Days Gone By ~ Steve Davis ~ For Real
To Wisdom the Prize ~ Eddie Henderson ~ Precious Moment
First Language ~ Miguel Zenon ~ Identities are Changeable
Erev Mul Gilad ~ Ehud Ettun Trio ~ Raw Gestures
Seascape ~ Kenny Barron & Dave Holland ~ The Art of Conversation
So What ~ Various ~ Miles from India

Miles Davis and some fusion classics are featured in this eclectic podcast. Dig how the 1958 recording of Love for Sale fits seamlessly with these electric jazz/rock masterpieces.

Featured Album

In a Silent Way - Miles Davis on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Love for Sale ~ Miles Davis ~ 1958 Miles
Shhh/Peaceful ~ Miles Davis ~ In a Silent Way
125th Street Congress ~ Weather Report ~ Sweetnighter
Watermelon Man ~ Herbie Hancock ~ Headhunters

Art Blakey kicks things off before reviewing some great new music from musicians we saw this week in my travels to New York and Boston. Art Blakey surely was one of the great inspirations to today's modern jazz artists. Here are some of those creative musicians that you can catch live on the East Coast (US) and touring around the world.

Featured Album

Pariah Anthem - Nicole Zuraitis on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
One By One ~ Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers ~ Ugetsu
Give ~ Julian Shore ~ Filaments
Morgantown ~ Noah Preminger ~ Haymaker
Checkmate ~ Jason Palmer ~ Songbook
To the Hive ~ Nicole Zuraitis ~ Pariah Anthem
Shambleau ~ Tom Guarna ~ Rush
It Don't Mean a Thing ~ Helen Sung ~ Anthem for a New Day
Never Let Me Go ~ Helen Sung ~ Anthem for a New Day
Wake Up ~ Vin Scialla, Eric Schugren, Brian Charette, Mike Dirubbo ~ Wake Up!
Sap ~ Ken Fowser & Behn Gillece ~ Little Echo

Classic John Coltrane Quartet to begin this show. This inspires a pair of tunes from Trane's incomperable pianist McCoy Tyner. We cool things down with a slow burn from guitarist Grant Green. Then the intensity is kicked back up with sax wizard Walt Weiskopf and vibe player Behn Gillece.

Featured Album

Song for My Lady - McCoy Tyner in iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
The Night Has a Thousand Eyes ~ John Coltrane ~ Coltrane Sound
Song for My Lady ~ McCoy Tyner ~ Song for My Lady
Ruby My Dear ~ McCoy Tyner ~ Trident
Idle Moments ~ Grant Green ~ Idle Moments
Like Mike ~ Walt Weiskopf ~ Overdrive
Back To Back ~ Ken Fowser and Behn Gillece

A podcast of new music influenced by rock and fusion of days past. Electric guitar trio from Janek Gwizdala kicks things off. Next a couple of Stevie Wonder compositions with a unique arrangement of Sir Duke by SF Jazz Collective. Joshua Kwassman has a prog rock feel. Bill Frisell reaches back to 60's rock. Rez Abassi brings back a Herbie classic and Hiromi rocks us out.

Featured Album

Motion Picture - Janek Gwizdala on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Beachwood Canyon ~ Janek Gwizdala ~ Motion Picture
Love's In Need of Love Today ~ Stevie Wonder ~ Songs in the Key of Life
Sir Duke ~ SF Jazz Collective ~ Music of Stevie Wonder
We Were Kids ~ Joshua Kwassman ~ Songs of the Brother Spirit
Turn, Turn, Turn ~ Bill Frisell ~ Guitar in the Space Age
Butterfly ~ Rez Abbasi Acoustic Quartet ~ Intents & Purposes
Seeker ~ Hiromi ~ Alive

A tribute to the late Clark Terry begins this podcast with a cookin' CT quartet featuring Theloneous Monk. That is followed by a lush sounding octet from Clark's Color Changes album. The rest of the podcast features great new music from lesser known but great talented artists like Walt Weiskopf Jovan Alexandre, Duane Eubanks Ehud Ettun and Adam Birnbaum.

Featured Album

Overdrive - Walt Weiskopf on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
In Orbit ~ Clark Terry ~ In Orbit
No Problem ~ Clark Terry ~ Color Changes
Nahstye Blues ~ Clark Terry ~ Color Changes
The Path is Narrow ~ Walt Weiskopf ~ Overdrive
Waltz for Dad ~ Walt Weiskopf ~ Overdrive
To Music ~ Jovan Alexandre ~ Collective Consciousness
Rosey ~ Duane Eubanks ~ Things of that Particular Nature
Beer and Water ~ Duane Eubanks ~ Things of that Particular Nature
Babylon ~ Ehud Ettun Trio ~ Raw Gestures
Binary ~ Adam Birnbaum ~ Three of a Mind

Some new music by a new young trumpeter Josh Bruneau kicks off this week's show. We follow that with an out-there track from Branford Marsalis, funked up tune by Joshua Redman and a spaced out rocker from guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel. We wrap up the show with a 3 song set from the unique mind of Frank Zappa.

Featured Album

Apostrophe (') - Frank Zappa on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Bright Ideas ~ Joshua Bruneau Septet ~ Bright Ideas
Endymion ~ Branford Marsalis Quartet ~ Four MFs Playin' Tunes
Jazz Crimes ~ Joshua Redman ~ Elastic
Gamma Band ~ Kurt Rosenwinkel ~ Star of Jupiter
Inca Roads ~ Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention ~ One Size Fits All
Cosmik Debris ~ Frank Zappa ~ Apostrophe (')
Montana ~ Frank Zappa ~ Over-Night Sensation