In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond

Jazzy Christmas 2010

Spiritual means different things to different people. I, for one, would not say I am a spiritual person in the conventional meaning of the word. Yet jazz fans regardless of faith recognize the spiritual nature of John Coltrane's voice on saxophone. Trane's spirituality had a major influence on modern jazz music that I tried to represent on this weeks Christmas day podcast. The show begins with some standard holiday fare from Greg Abate as he swings through The Christmas Song and Greensleeves. We follow with what I feel is the highlight of the podcast, Trane's Spiritual. Branford puts on his best Trane covering Resolution from A Love Supreme. Pharaoh rocks the house carrying on the tradition of Coltrane and then we settle down with tunes from early Chick Corea and finish up with a spiritual ballad, This Little Light of Mine, from Noah Baerman.

Featured Album

Afro Blue Impressions on amazon.com

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
The Christmas Song ~ Greg Abate ~ It's Christmastime
Greensleeves ~ Greg Abate ~ It's Christmastime
Spiritual ~ John Coltrane ~ Afro Blue Impressions
A Love Supreme: Resolution ~ Branford Marsalis Quartet ~ Footsteps of our Fathers
You've Got To Have Freedom ~ Pharoah Sanders ~ Pharaoh Sanders Finest
Misty ~ Pharoah Sanders ~ Crescent With Love
Litha ~ Chick Corea ~ Inner Space
This Little Light of Mine ~ Noah Baerman ~ Soul Force

The Warmth of Jazz

Though I had no preconceived theme for this show, as I listen now, it has a certain warmth to all the selections that hopefully will bring some comfort to the cold winter nights ahead. Listen to the horn arrangements and the vibe from the vibraphones on Noah Bearman's Know Thyself (listen to the entire suite here). Noah Preminger's warm breathy tone on his tenor on his fine new release Before the Rain. Rez Abbasi, Rudresh, and Brian Blade all have that deep warming effect on our soul in their own unique ways. Veejay Iyer's rendition of Somewhere will warm your heart as it did mine. Keep warm, my friends, with these fine jazz tunes.

Featured Album

Know Thyself from CD Baby
Know Thyself from amazon.com

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Know Thyself (excerpt) ~ Noah Baerman ~ Know Thyself
Abreaction ~ Noah Preminger ~ Before the Rain (pre-order)
Dream State ~ Rez Abbasi ~ Things to Come
Apti ~ Rudresh Mahanthappa's Indo-Pak Coalition ~ Apti
Somewhere ~ Vijay Iyer Trio ~ Historicity
Monk/Trane ~ John Patitucci ~ Remembrance
Crooked Creek ~ Brian Blade ~ Perceptual
Return of the Prodigal Son ~ Brian Blade & the Fellowship Band ~ Season of Changes

Nickle Bag of Funk

This isn't a particularly funky podcast, but we do start off this show with a Nickle Bag from Digable Planets. We continue from there in a fusion vain with a new CD's from Janek Gwizdala with some hot guitar work from Mike Stern. Ralph Peterson is up next with a great new release with his Unity Project. We'll hear two from that one including contributions from Hartford's own Josh Evans (trumpet) and Jovan Alexander (sax) as well as fine Hammond B3 playing by Pat Bianchi. Of course, the great drumming of Ralph Peterson Jr. lays down a foundation for some smokin' tunes. Later in the show we highlight other great Connecticut jazz heroes with the Curtis Brothers, Craig Hartly, and Noah Baerman.

Featured Album

Outer Reaches on amazon.com

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Nickel Bags ~ Digable Planet ~ Reachin'
Four Brothers ~ Janek Gwizdala ~ The Space Between
Spectrum ~ Ralph Peterson's Unity Band ~ Outer Reaches
Outer Reaches ~ Ralph Peterson's Unity Band ~ Outer Reaches
Villa Palmeras ~ Miguel Zenon ~ Esta Plena
Song to Break the Spell ~ Curtis Brothers Quartet ~ Blood Spirit Land Water Freedom
Wind Dance ~ Dave Holland ~ Pathways
Dial 411 ~ Craig Hartly ~ Dial 411
Atam Bomb ~ Noah Baerman ~ Bliss
Yes, Yes, Oh Yes! ~ Playdate ~ Playdate

Shadow Dance

While this week's show covers a lot of great music by new and perhaps lesser known jazz artists, the jewel of the program is Dave Holland's Shadow Dance from his recent release, Pathways. Dave Holland has had a remarkable career as a band leader, composer, arranger, and bass player. He first came to prominence in the US as a member of Miles Davis's band in the 60's. Since leaving Miles and leading bands on his own, he has released many remarkable recordings, and Pathways is among the best I have heard. I had the honor of interviewing Dave a couple of years ago in Tanglewood, MA. An edited video of our discussion is here:

Also in this podcast are samplings from new CD's by Rudresh Mahanthappa, Ralph Peterson Jr., Albert Rivera, JD Allen and much more.

Featured Album

Pathways on amazon.com

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Chronic Mistakes ~ Winard Harper ~ Make It Happen
East Boogie (Kolby's Theme) ~ JD Allen ~ Shine!
After All ~ Christian Scott ~ Yesterday You Said Tomorrow
Keeping a Balance ~ Albert Rivera ~ Inner Peace
Zoltan ~ Ralph Peterson Jr. ~ Outer Reaches
Soft ~ Rudresh Mahanthappa ~ Apex
Shadow Dance ~ Dave Holland Octet ~ Pathways
Follow Your Heart ~ Joe Farrell ~ Joe Farrell Quartet

Post-Thanksgiving jazz feast

On this Thanksgiving weekend we feast on some great new jazz that has come through the Hartford area recently for us to savor. Sharel Cassity came with her quintet a couple of weeks ago and showed us her amazing talents on alto and soprano sax. Albert Rivera came to town for a pre-thanksgiving show that blew us all away. Here is a taste of what we got from Albert that evening:

Next up is Tarbaby the hot new group led by Eric Revis and Nasheet Waits representing a new wave of free jazz. From that point on we rock out with some fusion from Wayne Krantz and Mike Stern. Finally we close out this week's podcast with an epic recording from the 70's from Yes.

Featured Album

Relentless on amazon.com or

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Say What? ~ Sharel Cassity ~ Relentless
Song of Those Who Seek ~ Sharel Cassity ~ Relentless
Exalibur ~ Albert Rivera ~ Inner Peace
The New York Hartford Connection ~ Albert Rivera ~ Re-Introduction
Heads ~ Tarbaby ~ The End of Fear
November '80 ~ Tarbaby ~ The End of Fear
Its No Fun Not To Like Pop ~ Wayne Krantz ~ Krantz Carlock Lefebrvre
Tumble Home ~ Mike Stern ~ Who Let The Cats Outs
All Heart ~ Mike Stern ~ Play
Close to the Edge ~ Yes ~ Close to the Edge

For Harry Whitaker

This show is in memory of Harry Whitaker who passed away last Wednesday. He was a great composer and arranger as well as a jazz pianist. Featured here is a rare and creative composition called Black Renaissance as well as a couple of tracks in a trio setting. According to what I have read, Harry died poor and without health insurance and never received the care he should have gotten in the last years of his life. This show is also dedicated to our friend Andres Chaparro who introduced me to Mr. Whitaker and has brought so many great artists to Hartford. One of those is Sharel Cassity, a young talented alto sax player who is also heard on this podcast.

Featured Album

Thoughts (Past and Present) on amazon.com

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
The Children and the Warlock ~ Harry Whitaker ~ Thoughts (Past and Present)
Black Renaissance ~ Harry Whitaker ~ Black Renaissance-Body, Mind & Spirit
Flights of Mind ~ Harry Whitaker ~ Thoughts (Past and Present)
Call to Order ~ Sharel Cassity ~ Relentless
Monks Mood ~ Charles Lloyd Quartet ~ Mirror
Green Dolphin Street ~ John Funkhouser Trio ~ Time

Today's Jazz

This show features some of today's most talented jazz artists. I wanted to feature John Funkhouser and Ben Allison as they have performed in the area just this weekend. Listen to Dan Arcamone's originality and modern sound on guitar. I particularly dig the fine saxophone work and compositions from artists like Ravi Coltrane, Noah Preminger, JD Allen and Rudresh Mahanthappa who are broadening the boundaries of the jazz idiom. All of this music represents the various facets of jazz as it is being performed today and into the future.

Featured Album

Time on amazon.com

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Fugue In A Minor ~ John Funkhouser Trio ~ Time
Emancipation ~ John Funkhouser Trio ~ Time
Peace Pipe ~ Ben Allison ~ Think Free
Tides ~ Dan Arcamone ~ In Motion
Shine ~ Ravi Coltrane ~ Blending Times
Today is Okay ~ Noah Preminger ~ Dry Bridge Road
K ~ Noah Preminger ~ Before the Rain
Marco Polo ~ JD Allen ~ Shine!
Sap ~ Ken Fowser, Behn Gillece ~ Little Echo
Eastern Echoes ~ Rudresh Mahanthappa & Bunky Green ~ Apex

06 November 2010

We start and end this show with contributions from jazz artists with a Connecticut connection. Dan Arcamone begins the show with some fine guitar work on his own haunting composition. The show then ends with a new release from the Cyrus Chestnut Trio that includes Hartford's talented bassist Dezron Douglas. In between we hear vintage Herbie Hancock's Headhunters band and some great re-issues from Stanley Turrentine and Freddie Hubbard on CTI records.

Featured Album

Journeys from amazon.com or

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Adrift ~ Dan Arcamone ~ in motion
Sly ~ Herbie Hancock ~ Headhunters
Butterfly ~ Herbie Hancock ~ Thrust
Red Clay ~ Freddie Hubbard ~ Red Clay
Impressions ~ Stanley Turrentine ~ Sugar
So What ~ Various CTI artist ~ California Concert
Little John ~ Cyrus Chestnut Trio ~ Journeys
Eyes of An Angel ~ Cyrus Chestnut Trio ~ Journeys