In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond

More new

After a rousing start from McCoy Tyner, we settle in to mostly new releases. Artists like Kris Allen, Noah Preminger, Petr Cancura are fresh from recent performances in the Hartford area (not new, but Ed Fast and Conga Bop represented here). JD Allen's new release stretches into new teritorry for this great tenor sax player. Terrance Blanchard, Joshua Redman and Dave Douglas also have great new albums featured here.

Featured Album

Grace - J.D. Allen on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Passion Dance ~ McCoy Tyner ~ The Rea McCoy
Star Eyes ~ Kris Allen ~ Circle House
Morgantown ~ Noah Preminger ~ Haymaker
Straight Shot ~ Ed Fast and Conga Bop ~ Straight Shot
Papillon 1973 ~ JD Allen ~ Grace
Selah ~ JD Allen ~ Grace
Pet Step Sitter's Theme Song ~ Terence Blanchard ~ Magnetic
Lush Life ~ Joshua Redman ~ Walking Shadows
Those Were The Times ~ Petr Cancura ~ Down Home
Garden State ~ Dave Douglas Quintet ~ Time Travel

Pre-Fathers day reprise

It's not yet Father's day, but I needed a show to post this week, and I like this one from June 2010. This show featured a release by fusion guitarist John McLaughlin titled "To the One" and is inspired by the work of John Coltrane. Although you can't really point to any of the compostions as having a feeling similar to Coltrane's classics, McLaughlins soloing always had that "Sheets of Sound" feeling that Trane was noted for. Other notable recordings in this podcast are a Fathers day set with Jimmy Greene and Victor Wooten (doing Horace Silvers "Song for My Father), and a Mingus set. Happy Fathers day to all you jazz lovin' Pops.

Featured Album

To The One on Amazon.com or

Track * Artist * Album
Recovery * John McLaughlin & the 4th Dimension * To the One
Get Down and Sruti * Shakti * Natural Elements
To The One * John McLaughlin & the 4th Dimension * To the One
Now! * Noah Baerman * Bliss
Upp a himins blaum boga * Sunna Gunnlaugs * Songs from Iceland
Fathers and Sons * Jimmy Greene * Mission Statement
Song for my Father * Victor Wooten * Palmystery
Pithencantropus Erectus * Charles Mingus * Pithencantropus Erectus
Bird Calls * Charles Mingus * Ah Um
Things Aint What They Used To Be * Mingus Dynasty * Ah Um Legacy Edition

The Allens

It's a family affair on In The Groove featuring the Allen's, Jen and Kris. We talk about their latest recordings, and Kris's upcoming concert in Hartford CT. Then I put them through the Blindfold Test, for which they score a grade A.

Featured Albums

Kris Allen on Truth Revolution Records and Jen Allen on CDBaby

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Riders of the Storm ~ Doors ~ LA Woman
Circle House ~ Kris Allen ~ Circle House
Foti and Limintz ~ Kris Allen ~ Circle House
O Come O Come Emanuel ~ Kris Allen ~ Together
in between the lines ~ Jen Allen ~ pieces of myself
marble hill ~ Jen Allen ~ pieces of myself
Followed by the Blindfold Test

NYC Progressive

This podcast features progressive jazz coming from some great New York City based artists. We kick things off with an explosive hit from Orrin Evan's Captain Black Big Band. From there, we settle into the adventurous sounds of Noah Preminger complete with an interview about his new Palmetto release, Haymaker. Noah is also a contributor to the Rob Garcia 4 and Rob Duguay's Songevity bands featured here. JD Allen and Gerald Clayton are represented with their latest releases furthering the progressive NYC jazz scene.

Featured Album

Haymaker - Noah Preminger on iTunes™

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Art of War ~ Orrin Evans ~ Captain Black Big Band
Haymaker ~ Noah Preminger ~ Haymaker
Tomorrow ~ Noah Preminger ~ Haymaker
Blues for Steve Lacy ~ Noah Preminger ~ Dry Bridge Road
Will ~ Rob Garcia 4 ~ The Drop and the Ocean
Humility ~ Rob Garcia 4 ~ The Drop and the Ocean
Catch You Cats ~ Rob Duguay - Songevity ~ See Dream Blues
Luke Sky Walker ~ JD Allen ~ Grace
Detroit ~ JD Allen ~ Grace
Future Reflection ~ Gerald Clayton ~ Life Forum
Some Always ~ Gerald Clayton ~ Life Forum

For Mom

This podcast concludes with a tribute to Mother's Day with a moving composition by Sean Jones for Momma. Before we hear that one, Mirislav Vitous plays a meditative piece from a great album of the '70s. Speaking of that great decade in jazz, Chick Corea, Lenny White and Stanley Clark reunite for the album Forever. Joshua Kwassman's premier album takes me back to that era with his progressive sound. This podcast is in honor of all the Moms, those with us on this Mother's Day, and in memory of those that have passed.

Featured Album

Songs of the Brother Spirit - Joshua Kwassman on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
I Will Tell Him On You ~ Mirislav Vitous ~ Infinite Search
No Mystery ~ Corea, Clarke & White ~ Forever
Armando's Revenge ~ Corea, Clarke & White ~ Forever
Our Land ~ Joshua Kwassman ~ Songs of the Brother Spirit
Momma ~ Sean Jones ~ No Need for Words

Spring

This podcast celebrates Spring. Spring represents renewal and re-emergence, and so it is with Jimmy Greene's return to the jazz scene leading his quartet at Smalls jazz club this week. The Spring set also brings to you Freddie Hubbard and Joshua Redman with tunes inspired by this change of season. Also featured on this show is Greg Abate's new album featuring altoist Phil Woods. All that is sandwiched in between John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders beginning and ending this podcast.

Featured Album

Mission Statement - Jimmy Greene on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Mr. P.C. ~ John Coltrane ~ Giant Steps
Nature Boy ~ John Coltrane ~ John Coltrane Quartet Plays
Rocco's Place ~ Greg Abate ~ Greg Abate Quintet featuring Phil Woods
Special K ~ Greg Abate ~ Greg Abate Quintet featuring Phil Woods
YeahYouRight! ~ Jimmy Greene ~ Mission Statement
Love In Action ~ Jimmy Greene ~ Mission Statement
Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most ~ Jimmy Greene ~ Introducing Jimmy Greene
It Might As Well Be Spring ~ Joshua Redman ~ Timeless Tales (for Changing Times)
Up Jumped Spring ~ Freddie Hubbard ~ Backlash
Little Sunflower ~ Freddie Hubbard ~ Backlash
In A Sentimental Mood ~ Pharoah Sanders ~ Crescent With Love

Earl's New Directions

This podcast was inspired from a recent concert in Hartford with the Earl MacDonald's New Directions ensemble. Earl is a fine composer and arranger as well as the Jazz director at the University of Connecticut. Featured are some of the compositions and musicians from that show. From that concert, we hear from Earl MacDonald, Lauren Sevian, Kris Allen. Those musicians were inspired from some of the masters of jazz such as Jackie McLean and Charles Mingus. Also represented here are The Curtis Brothers, Sasha Masakowski and Larry Willis.

Featured Album

re:Visions - Earl MacDonald on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Appointment in Ghana ~ Jackie McLean ~ Jackie's Bag
Woody 'n You ~ Earl MacDonald ~ Re:Visions
A Change Will Come ~ Earl MacDonald6 ~ echoes in the night
Not So Softly ~ Lauren Sevian ~ Blueprint
The Onge ~ The Curtis Brothers ~ Completion of Proof
Star Eyes ~ Kris Allen ~ Circle House
Boogie Stop Shuffle ~ Charles Mingus ~ Mingus Ah Um
Cryin' Blues ~ Mingus Big Band ~ Live at Jazz Standard
Wishes ~ Sasha Masakowski ~ Wishes
Theme from Star Trek ~ Larry Willis ~ The Offering

A Week in 'Nawlins

I just returned from a week in New Orleans. The music here recounts the range of sounds we heard there including brass bands, dixieland, R&B and some of the modern jazz and rock being played in the Big Easy. Most of the tracks heard are from local bands we saw, and from local music that our new friends at WWOZ laid us on to.

Featured Album

Dominick Grillo & The Frenchmen Street All-Stars at the Spotted Cat Music Club, New Orleans, LA

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
What Comes Around ~ Rebirth Brass Band ~ Rebirth of New Orleans
I'm Crazy 'Bout my Baby ~ Louis Armstrong ~ And his Allstars
Joseph Joseph ~ Meschiya Lake & The Little Big Horns ~ No Cover Charge
Jambalaya ~ Ambrosia Brass Band ~ Walking through the Streets
Brer Rabbit ~ Delfayo Marsalis ~ Minions Dominion
Bolivia ~ Pat Casey and the New Sound
The Road Song ~ Pat Casey and the New Sound
In A Sentimental Mood ~ Dominick Grillo ~ The Frenchmen Street All-Stars
Do What You Wanna ~ Dominick Grillo ~ The Frenchmen Street All-Stars
St James Infirmary ~ Sasha Masakowski ~ Wishes
Chicken Dance ~ Khris Royal & Dark Matter ~ Dark Matter
I'm Back ~ Walter Wolfman Washington ~ Doin' The Funky Thing
Six Paper Joint ~ Naughty Professor ~ Until The Next Time
Do You Know What It Means ~ 3 Cohens ~ Family