In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond

Walk in the Woods

Most of tonight's show was inspired by an autumn walk through the woods in New England. Its a beautiful time of year, and my iPod's shuffle feature presented me with a great soundtrack during our walk. So take this podcast with you on a walk through the woods of your own, before the harshness of winter sets in. We start this podcast with features from artists that we have seen this past week; Donald Harrison, The Curtis Brothers and Joe Lovano. I particularly love the beautiful ballad, First Time Ever I Saw Your Face by Cyrus Chestnut in this weeks set.

Featured Album

The Survivor from amazon.com

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Nouveau Swing ~ Donald Harrison ~ Survivor
Oriental Folk Song ~ Donald Harrison ~ Survivor
Yubo Citrico ~ Curtis Brothers Quartet ~ Blood * Spirit * Land * Water * Freedom
Us Five ~ Joe Lovano ~ Folk Art
Autumn Leaves ~ Johnny Griffin ~ Return of the Griffin
Shine ~ Ravi Coltrane ~ Blending Times
Calypso ~ Kenny Barron ~ The Traveler
Jenacide ~ Christian Scott ~ Yesterday You Said Tomorrow
Who Knows ~ Steve Lacy ~ Evidence
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face ~ Cyrus Chestnut ~ Genuine Chestnut
Dry Cleaner From Des Moines ~ Joni Mitchell ~ Mingus

Imagine

Had John Lennon not been tragically murdered at age 40, he would have been 70 years old today. This show pays tribute to one of the most influential songwriter, singer, artist and activist of my generation. On this broadcast, I feature Lennon (and Lennon/McCartney) compositions throughout the entire show. Some of these from John Lennon recordings and others by some great jazz musicians covering his works.

Featured Album

BeatleJazz on amazon.com

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Imagine ~ John Lennon ~ Imagine
Piggies ~ BeatleJazz ~ With A Little Help From My Friends:
Julia ~ John Lennon ~ Imagine (Original Soundtrack)
Julia ~ Craig Hartley ~ remixes The Beatles
Mother Nature's Son ~ Joel Frahm and Brad Mehldau ~ Step Inside
How Do You Sleep ~ John Lennon ~ Imagine
Working Class Hero ~ BeatleJazz ~ With A Little Help From My Friends:
Revolution ~ John Lennon ~ Imagine (Original Soundtrack)
Lovely Rita ~ BeatleJazz ~ With A Little Help From My Friends:
She's Leaving Home ~ Brad Mehldau Trio ~ Day Is Done
Imagine/Peace Piece ~ Craig Hartley ~ remixes The Beatles
Gimme Some Truth ~ John Lennon ~ Imagine

2oct2010

This program features some great young players that are moving this musical art form forward in a fresh new direction. Cats like Josh Evans, Mike DiRubbo, Fowser & Gillece, and the Curtis Brothers to name a few. Veteran artists Jackie McLean and Donald Harrison are known for mentoring many young musicians including those represented here.

Featured Album

Cause And Effect on amazon.com

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Get It! Get It! ~ Winard Harper ~ Make It Happen
For Foster ~ Josh Evans Quintet ~ Untitled
Nightfall ~ Mike DiRubbo ~ Repercussion
Melody for Melonae ~ Jackie McLean ~ Let Freedom Ring
Forbidden Fruit ~ Abraham Burton/Eric McPherson ~ Cause and Effect
Sap ~ Ken Fowser & Behn Gillece ~ Little Echo
Maria Cervantes ~ Curtis Brothers Quartet ~ Blood - Spirit - Land -Water - Freedom
Twerk It ~ Donald Harrison ~ The Survivor

Coltrane Birthday Tribute

John Coltrane's influence on jazz cannot be overstated. He freed the music from its traditional forms and injected a new (and at times controversial) improvisational approach to the music. His intensity and dedication to moving jazz forward to a new level of the art form is unmatched. Nearly every sax player (and jazz musician in general) will tell you that John Coltrane has had a profound influence on their playing. His birthday was September 23, 1926. We start with about 40 minutes of uninterrupted Coltrane followed by music from Kenny Garrett, Pharaoh Sanders and Robert Glasper.

Featured Album

Afro Blue Impressions on amazon.com

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
My Favorite Things ~ John Coltrane ~ My Favorite Things
Acknowledgement ~ John Coltrane ~ A Love Supreme
Impressions ~ John Coltrane ~ Afro Blue Impressions Live
Dear Lord ~ John Coltrane ~ Transitions
Lonnie's Lament ~ Kenny Garrett ~ Pursuance: the Music of Coltrane
Crescent ~ Pharoah Sanders ~ Crescent With Love on amazon.com
Wayne's Thang ~ Kenny Garrett ~ Sketches of MD
Open Mind ~ Robert Glasper ~ Double-Booked

A freeform show

A freeform show with no real theme this week. As I look over the playlist I see some great tenor sax players represented with Chris Potter, Joshua Redman, Abraham Burton and Myron Walden. We also have a couple of fine vocalists with Taeko and Lori Carsillo gracing this weeks show. Taeko will be appearing in Hartford this coming Friday at the Masala restaurant for a CD release party.

Featured Album

Taeko - Voice at CDbaby

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Yes, I'm Country (And that's OK) ~ Robert Glasper ~ Double-Booked
O ~ Tarbaby ~ Tarbaby
Nudnik ~ Chris Potter ~ Underground
Insomnomaniac ~ Joshua Redman ~ Compass
Dad ~ Abraham Burton-Eric McPherson ~ Cause and Effect
Some Cats Know ~ Lori Carsillo ~ bittersweet
Infant Eyes ~ Taeko ~ Voice
Big Kids ~ Corey Christiansen Quartet ~ Outlaw Tractor
Peace Pipe ~ Ben Allison ~ Think Free
Double Dippin' ~ Myron Walden ~ Countryfied
The Radio Tower Has a Beating Heart ~ The Bad Plus ~ Never Stop

Nine Eleven

We start out this week's podcast with a 9/11 memorial. My selections of Christian Scott, McCoy Tyner and Dana LeonG all evoke the feelings and memories of the attacks that occurred 9 years ago today. The last part of the show features our in-studio guest and talented vocalist Karen Frisk. She will be appearing at Szechuan-Tokyo on Friday September 17 with a great trio, Kent Hewitt on piano, Phil Bowler bass, and Bernard "Pretty" Purdie on drums. Along with Karen, we feature tracks from Kent and Bernard Purdie. Find out more about Karen Frisk at her website.

Featured Album

Leaving New York on amazon.com

Track ~ Artist ~ Album
Angola, LA & The 13th Amendment ~ Christian Scott ~ Yesterday You Said Tomorrow
Search For Peace ~ McCoy Tyner ~ The Real McCoy
Poem Featuring MC Baba Israel ~ Dana Leong Quintet ~ Leaving New York
Mother Nature Suite Pt 1. ~ Dana Leong Quintet ~ Leaving New York
Residencial Llorens Torres ~ Miguel Zenon ~ Esta Plena
Fifth House ~ Pat Bianchi ~ Back Home
Little Boat ~ Karen Frisk ~ How Little We Know
Softly As a Morning Sunrise/Alone Together ~ Karen Frisk ~ How Little We Know
Time On My Hands ~ Ken Hewitt ~ Time on My Hands
The Okiedokie ~ Masters Of Groove ~ Masters of Groove

15 Albums

Going around on Facebook is an interesting "game" called 15 Albums. You make a list of albums that have "stuck in your mind". Place it in your notes on Facebook and tag 15 friends. Sure enough, I was tagged and proceeded to make my list. I got lots of comments, and others made lists. The game is still spreading, so check me out on Facebook. Friend me and let me see your list too. You can find my 15 Albums list here: http://bit.ly/9AzlJK

Featured Album

Pat Metheny Group on amazon.com

Track * Artist * Album
Phase Dance ~ Pat Metheny ~ Pat Metheny Group
Rainy Day, Dream Away ~ Jimi Hendrix Experience ~ Electric Ladyland
Up From the Skies ~ Jimi Hendrix Experience ~ Axis: Bold as Love
In a Silent Way/Shhh/Peaceful ~ Miles Davis ~ In A Silent Way
Giant Steps ~ John Coltrane ~ Giant Steps
Law Years ~ Ornette Coleman ~ Science Fiction
Boogie Stop Shuffle ~ Charles Mingus ~ Ah Um

Katrina plus 5 years

This show goes in many musical directions with one set dedicated to the Katrina anniversary with some New Orleans sounds and Terrance Blanchards memorial to the hurricane and the disaster that ensued. A Tale Of God's Will (A Requiem For Katrina) is Terrance's touching tribute and one selection from an entire suite he composed dedicated to the events of 2005 in New Orleans. Beyond that set, we get a little funky with tracks from Stefon Harris and Liquid Soul, we go Indian with Mynta, go free-jazz with Sky Steele, and finish up with some latin jazz from Chucho Valdez. How's that for going all over the map.

Featured Album

A Tale Of God's Will (A Requiem For Katrina) on amazon.com

Track * Artist * Album
Expansions ~ Lonnie Liston Smith ~ Expansions
Three Legged Tango in Jackson Square ~ John Ellis ~ Dance Like There is No Tomorrow
Tall Drink of Water ~ John Ellis ~ By a Thread
In Time of Need ~ Terence Blanchard ~ A Tale of God's Will
Shake it For Me ~ Stefon Harris & Blackout ~ Urbanus
The Fineness of You ~ Michele Rosewoman and Quintesence ~ The In Side Out
First Summer ~ Mynta ~ First Summer on amazon.com
Fuzzy ~ Mynta
Peanut Head ~ Liquid Soul ~ One-Two Punch
East Boogie ~ JD Allen ~ Shine!
Pepperoni Pizza ~ The Skye Steele Quintet ~ Late Bloomer
Both Sides ~ Chucho Valdez and the Afro Cuban Messengers ~ Chucho's Steps on Amazon