Monterey Jazz comes to WHUS

We were honored to have Kenny Barron and Regina Carter, currently with the Monterey Jazz Festival Tour, come to the WHUS studios for a live interview. Kenny Barron, a true grand master of jazz piano, and the wonderfully talented violinist Regina Carter speak about music and the jazz scene with me in between concerts held at University of Connecticut. We start out the show with an inspiring recording form John Coltrane and a Connecticut favorite and friend of the show, pianist Craig Hartley.

Links: More pics, Jazz Note SDP



Playlist
Track * Artist * Album
Love * John Coltrane * Meditations
The Old Country * Craig Hartley, Bob Simonelli, Eric Nebbia * The Old Country
For Someone I Love * Regina Carter * Motor City Memories
Images * Kenny Barron * Images
Voyage * Stan Getz * Soul Eyes
Reverie * Regina Carter * Paganini: After a Dream
Traveler * Kenny Barron * Traveler


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Monterey comes to WHUS
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First Hour Last Week

This is the first hour of last weeks radio broadcast. It's an eclectic mix of different styles. This is modern jazz music using different instrumentation and creative arrangements. We start out the show with Alice Coltrane's harp, followed by modern electric guitar, tuba, voice, and electronics. It brings to mind how diverse, modern and creative the jazz experience is.
Featured album

Ptah The El Daoud from Amazon.com

Playlist
Track * Artist * Album
Blue Nile * Alice Coltrane * Ptah, the El Daoud
Continuance * Adam Rogers * Apparitions
Lingala * SFJazz Collective * Sfjazz Collective
My Son Ra * Arthur Blythe * Focus on amazon.com
Found It * Jason Palmer * Songbook
Principle * Greg Osby * Nine Levels
Married Life * Dave Douglas * Moonshine


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First Hour
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Noah Preminger Live

I had the pleasure of hosting tenor sax artist and composer Noah Preminger for an interview at WHUS on Saturday evening. Noah is one of the young creative jazz artists based in New York City that is defining the future of jazz music. He spoke with us about his background and influences, his method of composition, and some of his current projects. We get to hear from his critically acclaimed album Dry Bridge Road, and some yet to be released recordings. Noah also plays for us live in the studio. We also take the opportunity to promote a couple of live performances coming up this week in Hartford and NYC.



Dry Bridge Road from Amazon.com or iTunes

Track Listing
Today is OK, Dry Bridge Road
Rhythm for Robert, Dry Bridge Road
Sax of a Kind, Dry Bridge Road
My Blues for You, unreleased recording
untitled piano/sax duet
Polka Dots and Moonbeams, live in studio



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Noah Live
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Charlie Parker Tribute Revisited

No radio show this week, so I am republishing a podcast originally posted in August of 2008. This tribute was first aired on the anniversary of Bird's 88th birthday, but its great to hear these tunes any time of the year. This great alto player is often considered the founder of Be-Bop music. Before Bird in the 1940's, Jazz was primarily big-band music, dance music that was perhaps the most popular genre of it's time. Bird featured a hard driving quartet and quintet format with an emphasis on improvisation, freeing the soloist to stretch out. As I listen to the 2 Bird originals on this set, each under 3 minutes, it amazes me how much music is packed into these tracks. The rest of the set features modern day jazz artists that have covered Bird's compositions as well as artists that have been influenced by his music. Actually, every great jazz artist that has played this idiom since Bird, has taken some of his chops from Charlie Parker.


Playlist
Track * Artist * Album
Now's the Time * Charlie Parker * Original Recordings of CP
Donna Lee * Charlie Parker * Bird/The Savoy Recording
Yardbird Suite * Dwight West * Tribute to the Masters
Dewey Square * Barbara Dennerlein * Tribute to Charlie
Ornithology * Barbara Dennerlein * Tribute to Charlie
This I Dig Of You * Greg Abate Quintet * Bop Lives
Bop Lives * Greg Abate Quintet * Bop Lives
Arriving Soon * Cannonball Adderley * Plus
Confirmation * Jackie McLean * 4, 5, And 6
Scrapple From The Apple * Keith Jarrett * Up For It
Time's Lie * Joe Farrell * Moon Germs


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Parker Revisited
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Worldly Guitar

This weeks program features guitarists from around the world. We start tonight's show with some rockin' guitar work from Mike Stern's new album Big Neighborhood. A great title that highlights that through music and the Internet, the world has become one big neighborhood. The second track I play from this album features Richard Bona whose vocals give the tune an African vibe. We hear from Belgium's Django, who perhaps brought the guitar to jazz music in the first place. We also get to hear the mid-eastern influence in guitar jazz from the Rudresh's Indo-Pak Coalition and Rez Abassi, and Faroud Haak. Other guitarists present on this podcast are Ben Monder and Adam Rogers.
Featured Album

Big Neighborhood on Amazon.com

Playlist
Track * Artist * Album
Check One * Mike Stern * Big Neighborhood
Reach * Mike Stern * Big Neighborhood
The Chant * Fareed Haque + The Flat Earth Ensemble * Flat Planet
Topsy * Django Reinhardt * The Best of Django Reinhardt
Palika Market * Rudresh Mahanthappa * Apti
Echolalia * Ben Monder * Oceana
Sax of a Kind * Noah Preminger * Dry Bridge Road
Continuance * Adam Rogers * Apparitions
El Cigarrito * Claudia Acuna * En Este Momento
The Jupiter Line * Seamus Blake * Live in Italy


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Worldly Guitar
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More from '09

We continue last weeks retrospective of 2009 releases. Even after 2 shows dedicated to last years music, I still have a stack of music that I did not have the time to get to. I guess you can say that it was a prolific year for new music. Despite reports that jazz is dead, it is indeed thriving with new music and new artists. Check out young talented players like Jimmy Greene, Mike DiRubbo and Lauren Sevian. They are represented here as well as more established artists like Joe Lovano, Steve Davis and Joshua Redman. We end the show with some of the great masters too, in Benny Golson and Mingus.

featured album

Mission Statement on amazon.com

Playlist
Track * Artist * Album
Hitchikers Guide * Joshua Redman * Compass
Powerhouse * Joe Lovano * Folk Art
Love in Action * Jimmy Greene * Mission Statement
Nelsonian * Mike DiRubbo * Repercussion
Not So Softly * Lauren Sevian * Blueprint
Padero Y Pagode * Migues Zenon * Esta Plena
Life Cycle * Sean Jones * The Search Within
Line of Flight * Steve Davis * Outlook
Grove's Groove * Benny Golson * New Time New Tet
Mood Indigo * Charles Mingus * Ah Um


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More from 09
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Spirit of 2009

Tonight's show begins by paying homage to the holiday weekend with Coltrane's Spiritual. From there, I will play some of my favorite releases from 2009 as a retrospective. There were many great albums released, and I found myself not being able to get to them all. I will most likely continue to play these recent CDs in my next broadcast. I try to highlight some of the recordings that were nominated for Grammy Awards, though the grammy organization truly disrespects jazz artists in favor of popular trendy music. I guess America's only original art form doesn't fit with the glitz, glamour and money of popular music. In any case, here on In The Groove, I'll feature some of today's best jazz including some lesser known artists you will probably hear only on our show. Special mention to Miguel Zenon, Robert Glasper, John Funkhauser, Rob Garcia for outstanding CD's that are represented here.
Featured CD

Esta Plena from Amazon.com

Playlist
Track * Artist * Album
Spiritual * John Coltrane * Afro Blue Impressions
Villa Palmeras * Miguel Zenon * Esta Plena
Solutions * Curtis Brothers Quartet * Blood Spirit Land Water Freedom
Downtime * Robert Glasper * Double-Booked
Emancipation * John Funkhouser Trio * Time from CD Baby
Vortex * Rob Garcia 4 * Perennial
Tanktified * Stefon Harris & Blackout * Urbanus
In A Silent Way * Joe Zawinul * 75


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Spirit of 2009
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Happy Holiday 2009

This years pre-holiday show is designed to warm you up on a cold snowy winter eve and get you in the holiday vibe. We just play a short set of Christmas classics from Chris Potter and Marian McPartland. Those tracks are preceeded by a be-bop set featuring Greg Abate, Kent Hewitt and friends and are followed by a set of new modern jazz featuring the likes of Steve Slaigle, Rob Garcia 4 and Ingrid Jensen. Enjoy!
Featured album

Birds of a Feather on Amazon.com

Playlist
Track * Artist * Album
Be-Bop * Greg Abate * Birds of a Feather
Bride of Frankenstien * Greg Abate * Monsters of the Night
How High the Moon/Ornithology * Giacomo Gates * Centerpiece
Ornithology * Ocar Peterson * The Paris Concert
Wild is the Wind * Kent Hewitt * Time on my Hands
Without a Song * Carolyn Hartsfield * Flow Like the River
O Come All Ye Faithful * Chris Potter * A Concord Jazz Christmas
God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman * Marian McPartland * A Concord Jazz Christmas
O, Lady Be Good * Ella Fitzgerald * 75th Birthday Celebration
New New York * Steve Slagle * New New York
Cyberganic * Rob Garcia 4 * Perennial
Night Has a Thousand Eyes * Ingrid Jensen/Project O * Now as Then


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Happy Holiday
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An edgier show

This show ventures into an edgier ground than the usual In The Groove. We will highlight some of the original innovators of the genre like Ornette Coleman, Eric Dolphy and Cecil Taylor. We will hear some established players that have stretched the boundries of jazz such as Joe Lovano and Mario Pavone. Newer jazz artists on the scene such as Rez Abbazi and Noah Preminger are using this freedom in their compositions and improvisations and are breaking new ground in their music establishing their own voice and style.
Featured Album

Dry Bridge Road from Amazon.com

Playlist
Track * Artist * Album
Four Winds * Dave Holland Quartet * Conference of the Birds
Chronology * Ornette Coleman * The Shape of Jazz to Come
17 West * Eric Dolphy * Out There
Why Me Why Them * Rez Abbazi * Things to Come
A Dream * Noah Preminger * Dry Bridge Road
Today is OK * Noah Preminger * Dry Bridge Road
Tweeter's Little Adventures * Thomas Chapin * Night Bird Song
Blue Rex * Mario Pavone Quintet * Orange
Things Ain't What They Used to Be * Cecil Taylor * New York City R&B
Etterno * Joe Lovano * Folk Art


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Edgier
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Latin Jazz Experience

This show is a Latin-Jazz special featuring pianist and band leader David Gonzalez of the Latin Jazz Experience. He is here in our studio to kick-off the release of his new CD Dreams, and a gig this week in Hartford. We start off the show with jazz greats Ray Baretto, Jerry Gonzalez, and Willi Bobo.
Featured Album

buy Dreams from David Gonzalez website

Playlist
Track * Artist * Album
Mags * Ray Barretto * Time Was-Time Is
Earth Dance * Jerry Gonzalez and the Fort Apache Band * Calle 54
Spanish Grease * Willi Bobo * Uno Dos Tres
On the Strip * Pucho and His Latin Soul Brothers * Groovin' High
Dance * David Gonzalez and the Latin Jazz Experience * Dreams
Obsession * David Gonzalez and the Latin Jazz Experience * Dreams
BRB * David Gonzalez and the Latin Jazz Experience * Dreams
Things Change * David Gonzalez and the Latin Jazz Experience * Dreams
Bouncin' with Bud * Curtis Brothers * Blood Spirit Land Water Freedom


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Latin-Jazz
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Thanksgiving

This is my post Thanksgiving show. We'll run through a set that is inspired by my favorite holiday. Food, Family and giving thanks for the all of the wonderful things in our life, and jazz music is one of those for sure. Also in this podcast is a surprising enchanted vocal arrangement of Spain by Manhattan Transfer from a new release entitled the Chick Corea Songbook.
Featured Album

The Chick Corea Songbook on Amazon.com

Playlist
Track * Artist * Album
Double Jeaopardy * Joshua Redman Electric Band * Momentum
Stuffy Turkey * Arthur Blyth * Focus on amazon.com
Home Bass * Rob Duguay * Pulo-Du-Guay-To
Big Fat Hen * Wynton Marsalis * the magic hour
Soul Food * Cyrus Chestnut * Soul Food
Give Thanks * Jimmy Greene * Mission Statement
Prayer #2 (Thanksgiving) * Miguel Zenon * Looking Forward
Family Extension * Albert Rivera * Re-Introduction
Alkalinity * Curtis Brothers * Blood * Spirit * Land * Water * Freedom
If I Were a Bell * Dana Lauren * Stairway to the Stars
Prelude * Manhattan Transfer * Chick Corea Songbook
Spain * Manhattan Transfer * Chick Corea Songbook
Maya's Waltz * Wayne Escoffery * Uptown
** End of Podcast **
Yasashiku (Gently) * Eric Alexander * Rivival of the Fittest
Hidden Fondness * David Berkman Quartet * Live at Smoke
The Black Hole, The Lasso & Loophole * New York Electric Piano * King Mystery
The Wheel * Chris Potter * Underground
Grab 'Hole the Dish * Charles Earland * Funk Fantastique


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Thanksgiving
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The Masters Part 3

This is the final installment of a 3 part series celebrating the Jazz Masters. It was a pleasure to feature greats like Miles, Trane, Ornette, J-Mac, Pepper, Henderson and Blakey for this show. These are Jazz music's Hall of Famers, in my opinion. If you missed any of the previous segments, you just need to scroll down on my web page for the other two shows.
Featured Album

Miles Smiles on Amazon.com

Playlist
Track * Artist * Album
Mode for Joe * Joe Henderson * Mode for Joe
26-2 * John Coltrane * Coltrane Sound
Lonely Woman * Ornette Coleman * Shape of Jazz to Come
Appointment in Ghana * Jackie McLean * New Wine in Old Bottles
Foot Prints * Miles Davis * Miles Smiles
A Bit of Basie * Art Pepper * Smack Up
One by One * Art Blakey * Ugetsu


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Jazz Masters Part 3
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