In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond

This episode celebrates the coming of Spring. We begin with the classic jazz standard Up Jumped Spring.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Steve Davis ~ Up Jumped Spring ~ We See
Wynton Marsalis ~ The Magic Hour ~ The Magic Hour
Branford Marsalis Quartet ~ Belonging ~ Belonging
Alex Tremblay ~ 280 Starr St. (The Dojo) ~ People and Places
Doug Walker ~ Reality Winner ~ Concurrent Lines
Emmet Cohen ~ Henei Ma Tov ~ Vibe Provider
Ambrose Akinmusire ~ Bloomed (the ongoing processional of nighas in hoodies) ~ honey from a winter stone

This episode features mostly new music released in the first quarter of this year. We begin with my favorite new recording from the band Artemis. Also in this show new releases from Branford Marsalis, Noah Preminger and more.

Playlist 
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
ARTEMIS ~ Olive Branch ~ ARBORESQUE
Jeremy Pelt ~ Afrofuturism ~ Woven
Out Of/Into ~ Synchrony ~ Motion I
Branford Marsalis Quartet ~ The Windup ~ Belonging
Alex Tremblay & Vanisha Gould ~ Your Love Is Home ~ People and Places
Emma Rawicz & Gwilym Simcock ~ The Drumbledrone ~ Big Visit
Noah Preminger ~ Democracy ~ Ballads
Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein & Bill Stewart ~ FU Donald ~ Perpetual Pendulum

One of my favorite days of the year is Opening Day for the Baseball season. It signifies the start of spring and the joys of America's greatest pastime. Here we celebrate baseball with a jazz twist.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Joey DeFrancesco ~ Take Me out to the Ballgame ~ Joey D!
The Les Brown Orchestra & Betty Bonnie ~ Joltin' Joe DiMaggio ~ Baseball! The Ultimate Collection Vol. 2
Nina Simone ~ Baseball Boogie ~ A Single Woman
Count Basie ~ Did You Ever See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball? ~ The Count Basie Story
Alan Pasqua ~ Take Me Out to the Ball Game ~ Baseball's Greatest Hits: Take Me Out to the Ball Game & Other Sports Classics
Carla Bley ~ Baseball ~ 4 X 4
George Carlin ~ Baseball and Football ~ Carlin on Campus
Michael Franks ~ Baseball ~ One Bad Habit
Vince Guaraldi Trio ~ Baseball Theme ~ A Boy Named Charlie Brown
Jeremy Pelt ~ Labyrinth ~ Woven
Keith Jarrett ~ The Old Country ~ The Old Country (Live at the Deer Head Inn)

This show reviews some recordings I picked up at a vinyl fair in San Diego recently. It is a mixture of 70's prog-rock and jazz music. This music will take you back to the great music being created in this era of rock, fusion and free jazz.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Tower Of Power ~ Only So Much Oil In the Ground ~ Urban Renewal
Stanley Clarke ~ Sea Journey ~ Children of Forever
Steely Dan ~ Home at Last ~ Aja
The Doors ~ Break On Through ~ The Doors
John Coltrane Quartet ~ Transition ~ Transition
The Oscar Peterson Big 4 ~ Night Child ~ Freedom Song

A varied playlist for this week's podcast beginning with Kurt Rosenwinkel and Artemis. Later in the set we hear from piano masters Kenny Barron, Chick and McCoy. We conclude the show with alto genius Cannonball.

Playlist 
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Kurt Rosenwinkel & Jean-Paul Brodbeck ~ Hungarian Dance No. 1 ~ The Brahms Project
ARTEMIS ~ Komorebi ~ ARBORESQUE
Sullivan Fortner ~ Tres Palabras ~ Southern Nights
Rob Thorsen ~ Bohemia After Dark ~ Moon Ray
Kenny Barron & Dave Holland ~ In Walked Bud ~ The Art of Conversation
Chick Corea ~ Folk Song ~ Three Quartets
McCoy Tyner ~ Contemporary Focus ~ Today and Tomorrow
Cannonball Adderley Quintet ~ Star Eyes ~ The Quintet Plus

A playlist starting with the great Cannonball Adderley and concluding with honoring the late pioneer of Acid Jazz, Roy Ayers. 

Playlist 
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Cannonball Adderley Quintet ~ Arriving Soon ~ The Quintet Plus
Cannonball Adderley ~ One For Daddy-O ~ Somethin' Else
Sphere ~ Dual Force ~ Sphere: Live On Tour
ARTEMIS ~ Footprints ~ ARBORESQUE
Mackenzie Leighton ~ Pm/Am ~ I Remember
Andrew Wilcox ~ Old Devil Moon ~ Dear Mr. Hill
Out Of/Into ~ Gabaldon’s Glide ~ Motion I 
Roy Ayers Ubiquity ~ Everybody Loves the Sunshine ~ Everybody Loves the Sunshine

This episode begins by paying our respects to Roberta Flack, who passed away last week. The recording featured here is my favorite track by Ms. Flack. Following that is new music by another fine vocalist Nicole Zuraitis. We have more great jazz in the following tracks. The podcast concludes with a live recording from 70's fusion band Weather Report.

Playlist 
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Roberta Flack ~ Compared to What ~ First Take
Nicole Zuraitis ~ ode to billie jo ~ siren songs volume 1
Wynton Marsalis ~ Black Codes ~ Black Codes (From The Underground)
Miles Davis ~ All Blues ~ My Funny Valentine: In Concert
Joe Farnsworth ~ Someday We'll All Be Free ~ In What Direction Are You Headed?
Kurt Rosenwinkel ~ Minor Blues ~ The Next Step
Weather Report ~ A Remark You Made ~ 8:30

An all Jazz/Rock Fusion podcast episode. This is what introduced me to jazz. These ar classic fusion pioneers from the 1970's. From Miles to McLaughlin and much more. It all began here. Enjoy! 

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Weather Report ~ Havona ~ Heavy Weather
Freddie Hubbard ~ The Intrepid Fox ~ Red Clay
Mahavishnu Orchestra ~ You Know You Know ~ Inner Mounting Flame
Chick Corea ~ Shadow of Lo ~ Where Have I Known You Before
Herbie Hancock ~ Sly ~ Head Hunters
Miles Davis ~ Miles Runs the Voodoo Down ~ Bitches Brew

No real theme to today's show, just music I have been listening to this past week. We start with classic fusion (1975) from Return To Forever with Chick Corea and conclude with West Coast jazz with drummer Shelly Manne. In between, we have modern jazz, mostly released in the last year.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Return to Forever ~ No Mystery ~ No Mystery
Lori Bell Quartet ~ Recorda Me ~ Recorda Me - Remembering Joe Henderson
ARTEMIS ~ Komorebi ~ ARBORESQUE
Charles Lloyd ~ Cape to Cairo ~ The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow
Marquis Hill ~ Meshell ~ Composers Collective: Beyond The Jukebox
Jonathan Barber ~ Can't Call It ~ In Motion (feat. Vision Ahead)
Elvin Jones ~ Lady Luck ~ Elvin!
Shelly Manne and His Men ~ Summertime ~ Shelly Manne & His Men At the Blackhawk, Vol. 1

This week's episode features the Grammy Award winners for the jazz categories. Of special note are the two winners with roots in Connecticut, Dan Pugach and Zaccai Curtis. Several other awards went to alternative modern jazz sounds that make this an interesting show.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Dan Pugach ~ Tolerance ~ Bianca Reimagined
Zaccai Curtis ~ Stromboli ~ Cubop Lives!
Jacob Collier ~ Bridge Over Troubled Water ~ Djesse Vol. 4
Meshell Ndegeocello ~ Trouble ~ No More Water: The Gospel Of James Baldwin
Taylor Eigsti ~ Light Dream  ~ Plot Armor
Akropolis Reed Quintet ~ Strands ~ Are We Dreaming The Same Dream?
Chick Corea & Béla Fleck ~ The Otter Creek Incident ~ Remembrance
Samara Joy ~ Twinkle Twinkle Little Me ~ A Joyful Holiday 
Quincy Jones ~ Killer Joe ~ Walking In Space

This show has new music released in 2025 from Artemis, Nicole Zuraitis and Noah Preminger. Much more as well from pianists Emmet Cohen and Oscar Peterson. There is also a couple of tracks out of San Diego from David Borgo and Rob Thorsen.

Playlist 
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
ARTEMIS ~ The Smile of the Snake ~ ARBORESQUE
Nicole Zuraitis ~ brand new key ~ siren songs volume 1
Emmet Cohen ~ Henei Ma Tov ~ Vibe Provider
Oscar Peterson ~ C-Jam Blues ~ Night Train
Oscar Peterson ~ Georgia On My Mind ~ Night Train
Noah Preminger ~ Carry Me Ohio ~ Single
Rob Garcia ~ Dark Blue Horse Power ~ Natural Bounce
David Borgo ~ Senescence ~ Persistence
Rob Thorsen Quartet ~ The Intimacy of the Blues ~ Evolution
Wayne Shorter ~ Armageddon ~ Night Dreamer

John Coltrane provides this week's Welcome with his heartfelt tenor playing. Another jazz great, Charles Lloyd is on deck with his latest release at age 86. From there we play some of the great young players of today with Gerald Clayton, Glenn Zaleski, Jahari Stampley and more. The show is ended as we began with jazz legends, Wes and Wayne.

Playlist 

Artist ~ Name ~ Album
John Coltrane Quartet ~ Welcome ~ Transition
Charles Lloyd ~ Booker’s Garden ~ The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow
Out Of/Into ~ Synchrony ~ Motion I
Glenn Zaleski ~ Two Days ~ Star Dreams
Jahari Stampley ~ Power ~ Still Listening
Ed Kornhauser ~ Celadon ~ The Short Years
Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein & Bill Stewart ~ FU Donald ~ Perpetual Pendulum
Wes Montgomery ~ Bumpin' On Sunset (Alternate Take) ~ Tequila (Expanded Edition)
Wayne Shorter ~ Ana Maria ~ Native Dancer

A mix of classic and new releases on this week's show. A couple of supergroups (Out Of/Into and MTB) and guitarist Andrew Renfroe are featured along with classic Trane, Shorter and more. Enjoy!

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Out Of/Into ~ Radical ~ Motion I
John Coltrane ~ A Love Supreme, Pt. 2: Resolution ~ A Love Supreme
Wayne Shorter ~ Night Dreamer ~ Night Dreamer
MTB ~ Solid Jackson ~ Solid Jackson
Andrew Renfroe ~ LONELY CASTLE BLUES ~ LONELY CASTLE BLUES - Single
Andrew Renfroe ~ MOVING ON, Pt. 1 ~ MOVING ON, Pt. 1 - Single
Keith Jarrett ~ The Old Country ~ The Old Country (Live at the Deer Head Inn)

For the past two week's we have played mostly new releases. This week we go back to the 50's and 60's with classics from Ben Webster, McCoy Tyner, Wayne Shorter, Horace Silver and Miles.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Ben Webster & Oscar Peterson ~ Bye Bye Blackbird ~ Ben Webster Meets Oscar Peterson
McCoy Tyner ~ A Night In Tunisia ~ Today and Tomorrow
Wayne Shorter ~ Virgo ~ Night Dreamer
Immanuel Wilkins ~ Lighthouse ~ The 7th Hand
The Dave Brubeck Quartet ~ Tokyo Traffic ~ Jazz Impressions of Japan
Horace Silver ~ The Tokyo Blues ~ The Tokyo Blues
Miles Davis ~ Dear Old Stockholm ~ Round About Midnight
Miles Davis ~ Frelon brun ~ Filles de Kilimanjaro

This first episode for the New Year continues where we left off last week with reviews of some of my favorite 2024 releases. 

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Ulysses Owens Jr. ~ Better Days ~ A New Beat
Lori Bell Quartet ~ Recorda Me ~ Recorda Me - Remembering Joe Henderson
Roy Hargrove ~ Lake Danse ~ Grande-Terre
Emmet Cohen ~ Vibe Provider ~ Vibe Provider
Joel Ross ~ equinox ~ nublues
Duke Ellington ~ Blues for New Orleans ~ New Orleans Suite
SFJAZZ Collective ~ God Bless The Child / That's The Way Of The World ~ New Works & Classics Reimagined 

This is the time of year where we review some of my favorite releases from 2024. Many of these are from  Hartford CT where I lived for 40+years, and my current home in San Diego. 

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Sarah Hanahan ~ We Bop! ~ Among Giants
Chris Potter ~ Indigo Ildikó ~ Eagle's Point
David Borgo ~ Peace of Mind ~ Persistence
Lori Bell Quartet ~ Shade of Jade ~ Recorda Me - Remembering Joe Henderson
Charles Lloyd ~ Booker’s Garden ~ The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow
Andrew Renfroe ~ BIG COUNTRY ~ BIG COUNTRY EP
Zaccai Curtis ~ Jazzin' ~ Cubop Lives!
Mackenzie Leighton ~ The Obfuscator ~ I Remember
Steve Davis ~ To Wisdom, the Prize ~ We See

This episode begins by paying tribute to tabla master Zakir Hussain who passed away last week. He is one of the greatest musicians of my generation, and brought Indian Classical Music awareness to many in the jazz scene. That is followed by a set of music from some of the most influential Hartford jazz mentors.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Shakti & Shakti ~ Mind Ecology ~ Natural Elements
Dave Holland, Zakir Hussain & Chris Potter ~ Island Feeling ~ Good Hope
Zakir Hussain ~ Zakir ~ Making Music
Zaccai Curtis ~ 52nd Street Theme ~ Cubop Lives!
Steve Davis ~ What Is This Thing Called Love ~ Say When
Rich Goldstein ~ What a Difference a Day Makes ~ Into the Blue
George Benson ~ Take Five ~ Bad Benson
Terell Stafford ~ Hey, It's Me You're Talking To ~ Fields of Gold
The Ed Palermo Big Band ~ Peaches En Regalia ~ Plays the Music of Frank Zappa
Miroslav Vitous ~ Bamboo Forest ~ Universal Syncopations

This week's show starts with 3 guitarists; Goldstein, Bernstein and McLaughlin. The show ends with a couple great trumpet players in Hubbard and McGhee. Lots of great jazz in between.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Rich Goldstein ~ Hard Days Night ~ Into the Blue
Peter Bernstein ~ You Go to My Head ~ Better Angels
John McLaughlin ~ Binky's Dream ~ Extrapolation
David Borgo ~ Segmented ~ Persistence
Joe Zawinul ~ In a Silent Way ~ Zawinul
Gretchen Parlato ~ Holding Back The Years ~ The Lost And Found
Freddie Hubbard ~ Weaver of Dreams ~ Ready For Freddie
Howard McGhee ~ Maggie's Back In Town ~ Maggie's Back In Town!

After kicking off this episode with classic Miles, we delve into some of jazz's best and most creative pianists. The show ends with Indian/Jazz fusion from McLaughlin's Shakti.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Miles Davis ~ Seven Steps to Heaven ~ Seven Steps to Heaven
Renee Rosnes ~ Frevo ~ Crossing Paths
Brad Mehldau, Mark Turner & Peter Bernstein ~ Ditty for Dewey ~ Solid Jackson 
Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock & Jack DeJohnette ~ All the Things You Are ~ Standards, Vol. 1
Billy Childs ~ Master of the Game ~ The Winds of Change
George Cables ~ Helen's Song ~ My Muse
John McLaughlin & Shakti ~ India ~ A Handful of Beauty

Thanksgiving dinner is great, but we also dig chowing down on leftovers. The first set is inspired by those great ingredients transformed. We also have new music by Kenny Barron, Samara Joy and a re-release of early Miles. 

Playlist 
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Atla DeChamplain ~ Soul Food ~ Pause
Matt Hall ~ Biscuits & Gravy ~ I Hope to My Never
Zaccai Curtis ~ Black Rice ~ Cubop Lives!
Matt Dwonszyk ~ Softly as in a Morning Sunrise ~ Donny Time
David Borgo ~ Tabula Rasa ~ Persistence
Billy Childs ~ The Black Angel ~ The Winds of Change
Kenny Barron ~ The Nearness of You ~ Beyond This Place
Samara Joy ~ Day By Day ~ Portrait
Miles Davis ~ Four ~ Miles '54: The Prestige Recordings