In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond

On this Independence Day holiday weekend we celebrate America's classical music, Jazz. Both patriotic and protest songs are represented here. From Jon Batist's rendition of our national anthem, to Max Roach and Abby Lincoln's Freedom Day, you'll hear a slice of American life. Paul Simon has a couple of compositions that reflect American life, one sung by Kurt Elling the other from Simon & Garfunkel. Ray Charles, Abby Lincoln, Gil Scott-Heron and Cecile McLorin-Salvant give diverse interpretations of the American experience in words and music.

Featured Album

Social Music - Jon Batiste and Stay Human on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Star Spangled Banner ~ Jon Batiste and Stay Human ~ Social Music
An American Tune ~ Kurt Elling ~ 1619 Broadway ‒ The Brill Building Project
AMERICA ~ Simon & Garfunkel ~ Bookends
AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL ~ Ray Charles ~ Ray Charles Forever
Freedom Day ~ Abbey Lincoln & Max Roach ~ We Insist: Freedom Suite
JOHN HENRY ~ Cécile McLorin Salvant ~ Woman Child
COMPARED TO WHAT ~ Roberta Flack ~ First Take
Winter in America ~ Gil Scott-Heron ~ Midnight Band
AMERICA, the BEAUTIFUL ~ Alan Broadbendt and the NDR Big Band ~ America The Beautiful
Chaos In America ~ Salim Washington & RBA ~ Love In Exile
Uprisings and Revolutions ~ Antonio Sanchez ~ NEW LIFE
Maiden Voyage ~ Joel Holmes ~ African Skies

A mix of great jazz from the 60s to the present. We'll hear from some of the masters of hard bop (i.e. Horace Silver, Cedar Walton) to today's modern players like Rob Garcia, Jimmy Greene, Brandee Younger and others.

Featured Album

Smul's Paradise - Gary Smulyan on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Bone Bop ~ Kenny Garrett ~ Black Hope
Nutville ~ Horace Silver Quintet ~ The Cape Verdean Blues
SISTER SADIE ~ Gil Evans Orchestra ~ Out of the Cool
SUNNY ~ Gary Smulyan ~ Smul's Paradise
Beyond All Limits ~ Ralph Peterson's Unity Project ~ Outer Reaches
CRASH ~ Rob Garcia 4 ~ The Drop and the Ocean
Mission Statement ~ Jimmy Greene ~ Mission Statement
Wax and Wane ~ The Brandee Younger Quartet ~ Live @ the Breeding Ground
Bolivia ~ Cedar Walton ~ Eastern Rebellion

We pay tribute to the life and music of Horace Silver, who passed away this week. An important and influential musician, Horace helped found the hard-bop movement with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. His music was firmly rooted in the blues, with a hard driving swing. His compositions are some of the greatest jazz standards, and we will hear from Horace himself as well as covers from Jimmy Smith and Greg Abate. We also get a phone call from Raynel Frasier to tell us about her Umoja Jazz Series of free concerts in Hartford.

Featured Album

Doin' the Thing: The Horace Silver Quintet At the Village Gate - Horace Silver

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Filthy McNasty ~ Horace Silver ~ Horace Silver Quintet:Live at the Village Gate
Nica's Dream ~ Horace Silver ~ Horace-Scope
The Tokyo Blues ~ Horace Silver Quintet ~ Tokyo Blues
Peace ~ Horace Silver ~ Music for Lovers
Sister Sadie ~ Jimmy Smith ~ Damn!
Nutville ~ Greg Abate ~ Horace Is Here: A Tribute to Horace Silver
SONG FOR MY FATHER ~ Greg Abate ~ Horace Is Here: A Tribute to Horace Silver
Happy to be Happy ~ Jay Hoggard ~ Soular Power
The Moontrane ~ Ralph Peterson ~ Alive at Firehouse 12

Chick Corea that is! On the week of Chick's birthday we celebrate with this special podcast. From his early years through the Return to Forever era, and his collaborations with Gary Burton and others. Chick has been a creative force for many decades.

Featured Album

Tone's for Joan's Bones - Chick Corea

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
SPAIN ~ Chick Corea ~ Chick Corea Akoustic Band
Straight Up and Down ~ Chick Corea ~ Tones for Jone's Bones
Windows ~ Chick Corea ~ Inner Space
Now He Sings, Now He Sobs ~ Chick Corea ~ Now He Sings, Now He Sobs
Elucidation ~ Gary Burton ~ Like Minds
Eleanor Rigby ~ Chick Corea & Gary Burton ~ Hot House
500 Miles High ~ Return to Forever ~ Light As A Feather
Captain Señor Mouse ~ Return to Forever ~ Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy
The Shadow of Lo ~ Return to Forever ~ The Anthology
Sorceress ~ Return to Forever ~ The Anthology
Part 2 (Dedicated to John Coltrane) ~ Chick Corea ~ Three Quartets
Song For My Father ~ Horace Silver ~ Song For My Father

After rocking out in last week's 70's podcast, we will stick to modern jazz artists this week. Starting with the Cohen family, new music by Louis Hayes, Kenny Garrett, Linda Oh and Rudy Royston. the last set is Mingus inspired, including Joni Mitchell and The Mingus Big Band.

Featured Album

Sun Pictures (with Ben Wendel, James Muller, Ted Poor) - Linda Oh on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Shufla de Shufla ~ 3 Cohens ~ FAMILY
TIGER RAG ~ 3 Cohens ~ FAMILY
Without a Song ~ Louis Hayes ~ Return of the Jazz Communicators
Jackie & the Bean Stalk ~ Kenny Garrett ~ Black Hope
Blue Over Gold ~ Linda Oh ~ Sun Pictures (with Ben Wendel, James Muller, Ted Poor)
Deeper Than Happy ~ Linda Oh ~ Initial Here
303 ~ Rudy Royston ~ 303
Goodbye Pork Pie Hat ~ Joni Mitchell ~ Mingus
Bird Calls ~ Charles Mingus ~ Mingus Ah Um
Gunslinging Bird ~ Mingus Big Band ~ Mingus Big Band Live at Jazz Standard

This podcast will take you back to the heady days of 70s Jazz/Rock Fusion as well as some of the progressive rock that is inspired by jazz. It all starts with a classic Santana track and the funk of TOP. Herbie Hancock took that funk sound and added his jazzy keyboard chops on the Fender Rhodes. Larry Coryell shows how fusion is done with guitar jams. Chick took that latin bossa beat and electrified it on his standard, Spain. The rock group War fused funk, R&B and jazz. Weather Report recorded some landmark albums with their own unique electronic sound. The set ends with two great guitarists of that era, John McLaughlin and George Benson, with different approaches to their axe.

Featured Album

Santana on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Soul Sacrifice ~ Santana ~ Santana
Soul Vaccination ~ Tower of Power ~ Tower of Power Live
Actual Proof ~ Herbie Hancock ~ Thrust
The Great Escape ~ Larry Coryell ~ Barefoot Boy
Spain ~ Return to Forever ~ Light As A Feather
Moon Germs ~ Joe Farrell ~ Moon Germs
City, Country, City ~ War ~ The World Is a Ghetto
Birdland ~ Weather Report ~ Heavy Weather
Dawn ~ Mahavishnu Orchestra with John McLaughlin ~ The Inner Mounting Flame
Follow Your Heart ~ John McLaughlin ~ My Goals Beyond
No Sooner Said Than Done ~ George Benson ~ Bad Benson

Monday is not only Memorial Day but Miles Davis' Birthday. A perfect excuse for a podcast based on this incomparable jazz innovator and trumpeter. We will hear from both of his classic ensembles from the late 50's through the 60's, and touch on some of his explorations into Jazz/Rock fusion of his later years. We throw in some Archie Shepp as it is his birthday as well. While we are at it lets bring in Trane to the mix too.

Featured Album
 
'Round About Midnight (Legacy Edition) - Miles Davis

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Milestones ~ Miles Davis ~ Milestones
Dear Old Stockholm ~ Miles Davis ~ 'Round About Midnight
So Near, So Far ~ Miles Davis ~ Seven Steps to Heaven
Cousin Mary ~ Archie Shepp ~ Four for Trane
Blues to Bechet ~ John Coltrane ~ Heavy Weight Champion
Four ~ Miles Davis ~ The Broadcast Sessions
Walkin' (Live) ~ Miles Davis Quintet ~ Live At the 1963 Monterey Jazz Festival
E.S.P. ~ Miles Davis ~ E.S.P.
ON GREEN DOLPHIN STREET ~ Mile Davis Quintet ~ Live in Europe, The Bootleg editions
Directions II ~ Miles Davis ~ Complete in a silent way sessions
Miles Runs The Voodoo Down ~ Miles Davis ~ Bitches Brew

A celebration of Jackie McLeans birthday featuring this jazz master that had such a profound influence on music and the arts in Hartford CT, where this show emanates. After a set of Jackie's music we will hear from some of the artists that were mentored by Jackie at the Artists Collective and UofH. Steve Davis, Jimmy Greene, Mike DiRubbo, Kris Allen, The Curtis Brothers, Dezron Douglas and Lummie Span are represented here.

Featured Album

4, 5 and 6 - Jackie McLean on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Why Was I Born? ~ Jackie McLean ~ 4,5 and 6
The Collective Experience ~ Jackie McLean ~ Rhythm of the Earth
Blue Fable ~ Jackie McLean ~ Jacknife
The Griot ~ Jackie McLean & The Macband ~ Fire & Love
Rites Of Passage ~ Jackie McLean & The Macband ~ Fire & Love
J Mac's Way ~ Steve Davis ~ Images
Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most ~ Jimmy Greene ~ Introducing Jimmy Greene
Mission Statement ~ Jimmy Greene ~ Mission Statement
Eight for Elvin ~ Mike DiRubbo ~ Chronos
The Duke ~ Mike DiRubbo ~ Repercussion
Manifest Destiny ~ The Curtis Brothers ~ Completion of Proof
Passing ~ Kris Allen ~ Circle House
Star Eyes ~ Kris Allen ~ Circle House
Power of One ~ Dezron Douglas ~ Live at Smalls
World of Wonder ~ New Jazz Workshop ~ Underground
Dig ~ Miles Davis ~ Dig