In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond

New and Near

This podcast features some fine debut recordings by young jazz artists with roots in CT and MA. We start with Jen Allen's CD Pieces of Myself. Jen is a fine pianist well known to CT jazz fans. Her CD features her own compositions and arrangements with a mostly straight-ahead jazz romp with some of the areas best musicians. Josh Evan's CD shows his great chops on trumpet as well as his writing skills with a fiery sextet including two tenors. Geoff Vidal from Western Massachusetts delivers a uniquely creative sound with original compositions and some haunting arrangements with his quintet of Brooklyn based musicians. The show also features tunes from recent releases by Brooklyn bassist Michael Feinberg, post-modern jazz pianist Vijay Iyer, and vocalist Tammy Scheffer.

Featured Album

Jen Allen, Pieces of Myself on CDBaby

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
The Repercussions ~ Jen Allen ~ Pieces of Myself
Pining ~ Jen Allen ~ Pieces of Myself
Beatnik ~ Josh Evans ~ Portrait
Tehran ~ Josh Evans ~ Portrait
Different Planes ~ Geoff Vidal ~ She Likes That
FreeDiver ~ Geoff Vidal ~ She Likes That
The Hard Stuff ~ Michael Feinberg ~ With Many Hands
Duality ~ Vijay Iyer-Prasanna-Nitin Mitta ~ Tirtha
Kum, Shan ~ Tammy Scheffer ~ Wake up Fall Asleep

Newport Wrap

This is our wrap-up of the Newport Jazz Festival coverage. For this podcast we present some of the lesser known artists that appeared, which also accounted for some of the most compelling performances of the two day event. Of particular note are Ambrose Akinmusire, John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble, and Avishai Cohen. For me, the highlight of the festival belonged to Charles Lloyd's Sangam, a trio also featuring tabla master Zakir Hussein and Eric Harland on drums. More coverage of Newport 2011:

• See my photo gallery here.
• My Newport Jazz Festival Review on WHUS web site.
• NPR's excellent coverage with audio and video.

Featured Album

When the Heart Emerges Glistening - Ambrose Akinmusire

Track * Artist * Album
Jaya ~ Ambrose Akinmusire ~ When the Heart Emerges Glistening
Regret (No More) ~ Ambrose Akinmusire ~ When the Heart Emerges Glistening
Guarana ~ John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble ~ Eternal Interlude
Edge ~ Hiromi ~ Spiral
The Fast ~ Avishai Cohen ~ The Trumpet Player
64 Paths Binding ~ Steve Coleman & Five Elements ~ On the Rising of the 64 Paths
On Green Dolphin Street ~ Joey DeFrancesco ~ The Authorized Bootleg
Sangam ~ Charles Lloyd ~ Sangam
Home is Where My Laptop Is ~ Tammy Scheffer ~ Wake Up, Fall Asleep

Newport Jazz Fest Preview part2

Here is part 2 of the Newport Jazz Festival Preview show. For those who plan on attending this historic jazz event, here is a taste of what you will be seeing and hearing. For those unable to attend, I hope you dig this selection of tunes. If you are there, make sure to keep an eye out for the guy in the WHUS tee shirt, and come over and say "hi!". I'll be running a live Twitter feed @digginjazz . You can get more information on the Newport Jazz Festival at their website.

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Being and Becoming ~ Charles Lloyd Quartet ~ Mirror
Shine ~ Ravi Coltrane ~ Blending Times
The Journey ~ Rudresh Mahanthappa & Bunky Green ~ Apex
In the 6th ~ Trombone Shorty ~ Backatown
Smoking Gun ~ Dayna Stephens ~ The Timeless Now
The Lost and Found ~ Dayna Stephens ~ The Timeless Now

Newport Jazz Fest Preview Pt 1

This is Part 1 of this year's Newport Jazz Festival preview (part 2 will be published mid-week). Claire and I will be covering NJF for WHUS next weekend. We will be Tweeting, blogging, Facebooking from the event live. It is a great lineup including Regina Carter, Hiromi, Wynton Marsalis, Esperanza Spalding, James Farm (featuring Joshua Redman) and much much more. The complete schedule and all the information can be found at the Newport Jazz Festival website.

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Artistiya ~ Regina Carter ~ Reverse Thread
I've Got Rhythm ~ Hiromi ~ Beyond Standard
Speak Low ~ Joey DeFrancesco ~ Organic Vibes
Free to Be ~ Wynton Marsalis ~ The Magic Hour
Nefertiti ~ Michel Camilo ~ Spirit of the Moment
Giant Steps ~ Michel Camilo ~ Spirit of the Moment
Chim Chim Cher-Ee ~ Esperanza Spalding ~ Disney Jazz - Everybody Wants to be a Cat
1981 ~ James Farm ~ James Farm

Too Hot

It's been way TOO DAMN HOT here in Connecticut as well as other parts of the country. This podcast, and a tall iced lemonade will help you to chill out in this heat. Dr. Lonnie Smith brings it on with a slow groove aptly named for tonight's show. Joshua Redman picks it up with his version of the Summertime classic. We also feature some great young pianists making the jazz scene in Joel Holmes, Hartford's own Jen Allen, and Taylor Eigsti (also accompanying Gretchen Parlato on a couple tracks). Another fine pianist, Warren Byrd is represented here doing some Monk, with some cool trumpet work from Saskia Laroo from their brand new CD.

Featured Album

African Skies - Joel Holmes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Too Damn Hot ~ Dr. Lonnie Smith ~ Too Damn Hot!
Summertime ~ Joshua Redman ~ Timeless Tales (for changing times)
Summersong ~ Teneke Postma ~ For the Rhythm
Summer Night ~ Joel Holmes ~ African Skies
Impressions ~ Joel Holmes ~ African Skies
Reprecussions ~ Jen Allen ~ Pieces of Myself on CD Baby
Daylight ~ Taylor Eigsti ~ Daylight at Midnight
Blue in Green ~ Gretchen Parlato ~ The Lost and Found
The Lost and Found ~ Gretchen Parlato ~ The Lost and Found
As The Sun Peaks ~ Myron Walden ~ Hypnosis
Well You Needn't ~ Saskia Laroo and Warren Byrd ~ Two of a Kind

Some new stuff

The jazz shelves at WHUS just got restocked with some new stuff. I wanted to feature these CD's on the show so we will hear new releases from artists like Gretchen Parlato, Karrin Allyson, Ben Williams, Noah Preminger, Sean Jones, and more. These are some great CD's and I will feature more from these albums in the coming weeks. Noah Preminger will be appearing here in Hartford, CT at Black Eyed Sally's Monday July 18. It's a show you don't want to miss.

Featured Album

The Lost and Found - Gretchen Parlato on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Tombo in 7/4 ~ Steven Kroon ~ Without a Doubt
Better Than ~ Gretchen Parlato ~ The Lost and Found
All I Can Say ~ Gretchen Parlato ~ The Lost and Found
April Come She Will ~ Karrin Allyson ~ 'Round Midnight
The Shadow of Your Smile ~ Karrin Allyson ~ 'Round Midnight
Midnight in Harlem ~ Tedeschi Trucks Band ~ Revelator
Spirit of the Air ~ Pat Metheny ~ Orchestrion
Part Time Lover ~ Ben Williams ~ State of the Art
Toy Dance ~ Noah Preminger ~ Before the Rain
Where or When ~ Noah Preminger ~ Before the Rain
Something Beautiful ~ Trombone Shorty ~ Backatown
What Goes Around ~ Rebirth Brass Band ~ Rebirth of New Orleans
Momma ~ Sean Jones ~ No Need for Words

Unknown Cats

There are so many great talented jazz artists that don't get the notoriety of Joshua Redman, Marsalis Family, Chick, and others. We try to feature these musicians on In The Groove as much as possible. This show is comprised entirely of these artists. We start out with some Rochester cats, Mike Melito and Paradigm Shift. Then head to Boston's Akashic Record and Jared Sims and back to New York City with where Assf Kehati and Michael Feinberg are making some waves in the Jazz Scene.

Featured Album

Flowers and Other Stories - Assaf Kehati Quartet

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Tailwind ~ Mike Melito ~ The Right Time
Just This ~ Paradigm Shift ~ Street Expressionism
Mr. Han's Island ~ Akashic Record ~ Theosophy
You're Not One ~ Jared Sims Trio ~ Convergence
Blank Slate ~ larry gray trio ~ three equals one
The Most Beautiful Flower ~ Assaf Kehati Quartet ~ Flowers and Other Stories
Fighting Monsters ~ Michael Feinberg ~ With Many Hands

Part 2 from last week

Traveling in upstate New York for the holiday weekend, so I am publishing the second hour of last weeks show. We feature a new album and new quartet from Joshua Redman and some other tunes I've been listening to lately.

Featured Album

James Farm on iTunes

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Polliwog ~ James Farm ~ James Farm
Chronos ~ James Farm ~ James Farm
St Thomas ~ Joshua Redman ~ Spirit of the Moment
Polaris ~ Eldar Djangirov ~ Re-Imagination
Highter Vibe ~ Kurt Elling ~ Man In The Air
Katrina's Eyes ~ Christian Scott ~ Anthem
Mr. Mario ~ Assaf Kehati Quartet ~ Flowers and Other Stories