In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond

In this episode we get back to a more hard-bop oriented sound, from the 1960's to new releases with roots in that more straight ahead jazz tradition.

Playlist 
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Hank Mobley ~ This I Dig Of You ~ Soul Station
Wayne Shorter ~ Tom Thumb ~ Schizophrenia
Joshua Redman ~ Era's End ~ Words Fall Short
Branford Marsalis Quartet ~ The Windup ~ Belonging
David Borgo ~ Tanpura ~ Cycles
Brandee Younger ~ Discernment ~ Gadabout Season
Kurt Rosenwinkel & Jean-Paul Brodbeck ~ Intermezzo, Op. 118, No. 2 ~ The Brahms Project

Another Fusion set, but this one a bit different. We'll hear jazz fused with pop tunes, string quartets, orchestra, Indian Classical, Ukrainian folk music and hard rock.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Frank Zappa ~ Stolen Moments ~ Broadway the Hard Way
Frank Zappa ~ Murder By Numbers ~ Broadway the Hard Way
Roman Baranskiy | Scott Amendola, Matt Muntz, Friction Quartet ~Chuhayster ~ (YouTube) 
Ben Williams ~ Consciousness ~ Between Church & State
Andrew Renfroe ~ DREAMER ~ POP LOGIC
Mahavishnu Orchestra ~ Lila's Dance ~ Visions Of The Emerald Beyond
Shakti ~ Happiness Is Being Together ~ Natural Elements
Tim Garland ~ Moment O...

Jazz Rock Fusion is on tap to begin this week's show. Headhunters, Return To Forever, and Mahavishnu Orchestra were the innovators in Jazz from the early 70's. After that set we hear new music from saxophonist Joshua Redman and others.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Herbie Hancock ~ Sly ~ Head Hunters
Return to Forever ~ Captain Señor Mouse ~ Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy
Mahavishnu Orchestra ~ Open Country Joy ~ Birds of Fire
Joe Farrell ~ Sound Down ~ Outback
Joshua Redman ~ Icarus ~ Words Fall Short
David Borgo ~ Bright Sun ~ Cycles
Victor Baker Quartet ~ Time R...

A varied playlist of vocals, hardbop, fusion and electronic music ranging from the 1960's to today's modern jazz.

Playlist 
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Cannonball Adderley & Nancy Wilson ~ The Old Country ~ Nancy Wilson & Cannonball Adderley
Cannonball Adderley & Nancy Wilson ~ Unit 7 ~ Nancy Wilson & Cannonball Adderley
Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade ~ La Fiesta ~ Trilogy 2
Eberhard Weber & The Gary Burton Quartet ~ Sea Journey ~ Passengers
Freddie Hubbard ~ Arietis ~ Ready for Freddie
Christopher Hollyday ~ Everything Happens ~ Telepathy
Nicole McCabe ~ A Song To Sing ~ A Song To Sing
Weather Report ~ American Tango ~ Mysterious Traveller
M...

The San Diego jazz scene is well represented in this episode, featuring some of the most respected artists in Southern California. Wofford, Hofmann, Thorsen, Sprague and others are at the top of the show. We have Miles too and more.

Playlist 
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Mike Wofford & Holly Hofmann ~ Soul Street ~ Turn Signal (feat. Terell Stafford)
Rob Thorsen Quartet ~ Beatrice ~ First Impression
Peter Sprague ~ Can't Find My Way Home ~ Sunshine of Your Love: Peter Sprague Plays Cream
Steely Dan ~ Home at Last ~ Aja
Miles Davis ~ Straight, No Chaser ~ Milestones
Miles Davis ~ B...

This episode begins with jazz masters Trane, McCoy and Moody. Then a talented San Diego guitarist Alex Ciavarelli. The show concludes with a set of 70's jazz/rock fusion classics.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
John Coltrane ~ Pt. 1: Acknowledgement ~ A Love Supreme
McCoy Tyner ~ Man From Tanganyika ~ Tender Moments
James Moody ~ Cherokee ~ 80 Years Young: Live at the Blue Note
Alex Ciavarelli ~ This Could Be the Start of Something Big ~ A Tribute to Oscar Peterson on Guitar
Freddie Hubbard ~ Red Clay ~ Red Clay
Herbie Hancock ~ Watermelon Man ~ Head Hunters
Joe Farrell ~...

Much of this week's show is inspired by music I heard performed at local jazz clubs in San Diego. The show begins with McCoy and ends with Miles. They bookend the set of tunes performed at local jazz venues and performed by Matt Hall at the Jazz Lounge and Gilbert Castellanos at Panama 66. More info is contained in the podcast.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
McCoy Tyner ~ Contemporary Focus ~ Today and Tomorrow
Jon Faddis ~ The Hunters & Gatherers ~ Teranga
Michael Brecker ~ Midnight Voyage ~ Tales from the Hudson
Matt Hall ~ Spearhead ~ I Hope to My...

Just returned from vacation is Japan, so this week's podcast is inspired from my trip. The episode begins with Japan impressions from two iconic jazz artists, Brubeck and Silver. Then we here from a couple japanese players Takura Kuroda (tr) and Yasuke Sato (as). 

Playlist 
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Horace Silver ~ Sayonara Blues ~ The Tokyo Blues
The Dave Brubeck Quartet ~ Tokyo Traffic ~ Jazz Impressions of Japan
Takuya Kuroda ~ Car 16 15 A ~ EVERYDAY
Yosuke Sato & Jan Lundgren ~ Kagome Kagome ~ Furusato
Hampton Hawes Trio ~ Suddenly I Thought Of You ~ The Seance 
Kenny Barron ~ Softly As...

The second of two episodes that are being rebroadcast from last year due to being away on vacation from my home studio. I will return next week for a new In The Groove.

After the opening track, we feature the music of Greg Abate and Kenny Barron, both as leaders, and a collaboration between the two. Other great music covers classic jazz, hard bop and fusion.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Wayne Shorter ~ Angola (Alternate Take) ~ The Soothsayer
Greg Abate & Paul Del Nero Quartet ~ Clare's Ostinado ~ Reunion - Live at WICN
Greg...

Away on vacation this week, so this episode is a reprise of one that originally aired in May of 2024. This is the first of two.

A playlist inadvertently populated with San Diego artists like Matt Hall, Lori Bell, Christopher Hollyday and Steph Johnson. Also of note is a debut recording by Sarah Hanahan, and Pulitzer Prize recipient Tyshawn Sorey.

Playlist
Artist ~ Track ~ Album
Matt Hall ~ Biscuits & Gravy ~ I Hope to My Never
Sarah Hanahan ~ We Bop! ~ Among Giants
Jackie McLean ~ Climax ~ Jacknife
Lori Bell Quartet ~ Serenity ~ Recorda Me - Remembering...

This show begins featuring James Moody on his centennial year of his birth. Also new music from Greg Abate (sax) and Alex Trembley (bass). The show concludes with a classic from Chick Corea and the original Return To Forever. 

Playlist 
James Moody ~ The World Is a Ghetto ~ The World Is a Ghetto
James Moody ~ Moody's Mood ~ The World Is a Ghetto
Greg Abate ~ Deep Seated Reality
Alex Tremblay ~ Late Night Walk in Madrid ~ People and Places
Christopher Hollyday ~ Paid Time Off ~ Dialogue
Steve Davis ~ Minor Contention ~ Eloquence
Charles Mingus ~ Dizzy Mo...

Today's show features many of my favorite trumpeters; Hargrove, Hubbard and Morgan along with a San Diego favorite Gilbert Castellanos. That set follows new music from N. Zuraitis and D. Pugach and a new release from alto sax great Greg Abate. Another fine jazz artist represented is SoCal is flautist Holly Hofmann. 

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Nicole Zuraitis & Dan Pugach ~ Jolene ~ Jolene - Single
Greg Abate ~ Positive Energy ~ Positive Energy
Roy Hargrove ~ To Wisdom the Prize ~ Earfood
Freddie Hubbard ~ Arietis ~ Ready for Freddie
Lee Morgan ~ Ceora ~ Cornbread
Gilbert Castellanos ~ Bilad a...

Lots of new music on today's episode beginning with Gerald Clayton on his new album One's and Two's and a collaboration on Out Of/Into. That is followed by more new releases from Lovano and Branford. 

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Out Of/Into ~ Ofafrii ~ Motion I
Gerald Clayton ~ For Peace ~ Ones & Twos
Gerald Clayton ~ More Always ~ Ones & Twos
Joe Lovano & Marcin Wasilewski Trio ~ Golden Horn ~ Homage
Branford Marsalis Quartet ~ ‘Long As You Know You’re Living Yours ~ Belonging
Pat Metheny & Charlie Haden ~ The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress ~ Beyond the Misso...

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 B...

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...

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...

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

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 ~ M...

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...

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 S...

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 G...

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 Dre...