Discovering Jazz

Latest Episodes:

Episode 66: Lots of Music, Not Much Talk. Apr 29, 2019

Show notes

The home base of Discovering Jazz is moving from Peterborough, Ontario to Victoria, B.C.

Today…..due to doing a lot of preparation for our move, I’m just going to relax and listen to some great music. Of course it’s hard to keep myself from talking about the tunes I play…..but I’ll try keep it brief.. So lots of music and a little talk.

Music by Cannonball Adderly and Bill Evans, Joanna Majoko, Miles Davis, Snow Owl, Sam Jones 12 Piece Band with Fred Hersch, Joe Pass & Tommy Gumina, Giovanni Hoffer, Roberto Fonseca w. Faroumata Diawara, Heavyweights Jazz Band, Nestor Torres, Charlie Parker.

You’ll also hear musicologist Michael Morse briefly explain what he finds most interesting about Charlie Parker’s compositions.

Episode 65, International Jazz Day Apr 23, 2019

Show notes

Herbie Hancock, jazz pianist and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador apparently came up with the idea of having April 30 as a day to highlight jazz and its roll of uniting people all over the world. But there was an earlier inspiration—a unifier during the height of the cold war: Louis Armstrong.

I start this program by playing something by each.

The host city this year is Melbourne, Australia. One of Australia’s most prominent jazz artists—who will be playing at that event— is James Morrison, and I play something by him from an album he recorded in 2018,

Peterborough, Ontario has celebrated the weekend of International Jazz Day for five years, and I talk about this year’s celebration and play music by some of the great jazz artists who will be performing this year. I include a track by Mike Francis, and an unofficial ‘live’ recording Biff Hannon and Michael Morse.

Also a special ‘scoop’. I’ll play a track from The Rob Phillips album that we’ve all heard about and haven’t heard.

As an added treat, I interview Susheel Kurien—the director of a film called “Finding Carlton”, which was first screened at the United Nations for the very first International Jazz Day. It’s all about jazz in India. This film will be shown here in Peterborough Friday, April 26, and Susheel will be there to present it. I also play a guitar medley by the main subject of the film, Carlton Kitto.

Last but not least, the feature performance at this year’s International Jazz Day weekend in Peterborough is Jane Bunnett and Maqueque, with jazz flautist/soprano saxophonist Jane Bunnett and five (mostly) Cuban women who are all amazing singers and musicians. I end off with a selection by them.

Episode 64, The Future of Jazz, Part 2 Apr 16, 2019

Show notes

What will jazz look like in the future? Will it be the same as today? Will it have some similarities to yesterday? Will ‘hip-hop’, dance, free jazz, weirdo electronic music, etc. be incorporated? Or will life (and jazz) be simple again?

We also talk about the pluses and minuses of formal training in jazz, as well as some of the best ways to listen to it.

More from Peterborough guitarist Mike Graham.

I also play music by Kendrick Lamar, Flying Lotus, Derek Bailey, Dana Frauzel, Marcus Miller, and as well as Harold Lopez-Nussa, Jeremy Ledbetter, Robi Botos, and even (gasp) Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie.

Episode 63: The Future of Jazz (part 1) w. guitarist Mike Graham Apr 09, 2019

Show notes

What is the future of jazz? Will everything change when the Miles Davis generation dies out? Who will replace them?

In this program, I discuss with Peterborough guitarist, Mike Graham, what jazz might look like in the future—-as well as what it won’t be. Of course, to predict the future, we need to know the past. What past areas of jazz will flourish and develop? What role will modern classical style compositions have? How about hip-hop and sampling? Bebop? Swing?

Just as important, who will be listening to jazz? Will it just be ‘students’? Or will it be so much ‘fun’ that it’s popularity grows and it’s listening base expands?

You’ll hear quite a variety of music today, some of which you might also hear tomorrow and the next day, and some you might never hear again, as it disappears into the ether. Some of it, too, is definitely NOT jazz. But the line between jazz and ‘not-jazz’ is expected to be blurred even more in the future.

Episode 62, Blue Train by Coltrane Apr 02, 2019

Show notes

If you are an amateur or professional jazz musician taking part in a jazz jam, or someone who enjoys listening to those jams, at some point someone will call out tunes like “Moment’s Notice”, or “Lazy Bird”. And, for sure, you’ll hear someone suggest they play “Blue Train”. One thing all those tunes have in common is that they were written by John Coltrane, and, they are also from the same album. The album was released in 1957 and was Coltrane’s only album on the famous Bluenote label.

Blue Train was considered to be one of his most accessible albums, so I thought it was worth featuring it on today’s episode of Discovering Jazz. Also included on the digital release of that classic album (the original lp sells for as high as $1000) are a couple alternate recordings.

You’ll hear spectacular (and one not so spectacular) Coltrane solos, as well as great playing by trombonist Curtis Fuller, trumpeter Lee Morgan (19 years old at the time), Kenny Drew on piano (great solo he does on Lazy Bird), Paul Chambers-bass, and one of the world’s greatest drummers, Philly Joe Jones.

Episode 61, Clifford Brown and Joy Spring Mar 26, 2019

Show notes

In a documentary called “Brownie Speaks”, all about trumpeter Clifford Brown, one unidentified jazz personality states “I can’t say that Miles was intimidated by Cliff, but Miles wouldn’t play when Cliff was there”.

Clifford Brown was known for his fat smooth tone and a unique melodic genius with a warm round sound, consistent across the full range of the instrument. He had the ability to articulate perfectly every note, even at the fastest tempos.

He was clean living—no drugs, alcohol, or even cigarettes. Unfortunately, he died in a car crash at the age of 25.

Known as ‘Brownie’, he has become a jazz legend, with many thinking the course of jazz history might have been changed had he lived. Part of his legend is through his many great compositions, the most famous being “Joy Spring”.

In this program I will play a number of different recordings of Joy Spring, as well as two other Clifford Brown tunes. You’ll also hear a beautiful tune that was written as a tribute to him, a couple other Clifford Brown recordings, and a recording by the trumpeter who most influenced him.

Episode 60: Jazz Spring Mar 19, 2019

Show notes

So many jazz tunes have been written about the seasons—and Spring is a big one! We might even get one this year.

This week’s program is nice and mellow….just to ease use gently into the new season. Even if spring will be a little late this year. Doesn’t that remind you of a song?

You’ll also hear two jazz instruments you may never have heard before. One is called an E.V.I. The other is a teapot.

I play some of the spring ‘standards’ like April in Paris (w. Ella and Louis), It Might As Well Be Spring, Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most, Up Jumped Spring, You Must Believe in Spring, and Spring is Here. As well, I discovered two of the most ‘alive’ Spring songs ever that you may not have heard before. One is by Antonio Carlos Jobim (he sings it), and the other by Nina Simone. The latter is an amazing ‘healing’ song for seasonal affective disorder.

And lastly…..Stravinsky’s ‘Rite of Spring’ has been interpreted by a number of jazz artists. Here is a rendition by Don Sebesky.

Episode 59: Lesser Known Jazz Standards Part 1 Mar 12, 2019

Show notes

Some of these ‘standards’ are written by jazz artists. Others are from popular music written by film and Broadway composers.

I’m finding them as I go through The Just Real Jazz Book and the infamous “The Real Book 6th edition”. These are also called ‘fake books’ as they have only the chords and the melody. As I go through these books from A to Z (I’m only to letter “B”), I listen to a few of them that aren’t so familiar to me. And I’m playing them on this program, even including a couple different versions of some of them.

On this episode you’ll hear Airegin, Alice in Wonderland, Bernie’s Tune, Black Nile, Au Privave, and Nica’s Dream. t

The last one I’m playing as a salute to the amazing Canadian guitarist who left this earth February 28—Ed Bickert.

Episode 58: More Cuban Jazz–Jane Bunnett & Maqueque Mar 05, 2019

Show notes

This is the last episode of the Cuban Jazz series. And I’ve decided to feature a Juno award winning Cuban-Canadian group of women.

I play music from both their albums, as well as spotlight some of the individual musicians in the group—including Yissy Garcia, Melvis Santa, Danae Alano, and, of course, Jane Bunnett herself. I also talk about former group member, Dayme Arocena, who has become an international star on her own.

Jane Bunnett and Maqueque are on a world tour as we speak—and Peterborough, Ontario, is the ‘last leg’ of it. So the group should be really hot when they play at International Jazz Day, April 28. They’ll have already played several dates in Germany, as well as Austria, Switzerland, and Massachusetts.

Addendum: Two new members to the group. On bass and vocals is Tailin Marrero. And a spectacular new lead singer (originally from Zimbabwe) is Joanna Majoko, replacing Melvis Santa, You can hear Joanna on Episode 66.

Episode 57, Cuban Jazz Part 3 Feb 26, 2019

Show notes

This week’s episode starts by talking about how resilient Cuban jazz musicians were able to forge a brand new style of music. It was their way of making the best out of being told they weren’t allowed to play the music of “imperialist America”. It evolved into Iraquere, and formed the basis of what people today call ‘salsa’.

The leader of Iraquere, Chucho Valdez, is still playing amazing piano—and you’ll hear two tracks from the latest cd where he collaborates with Arturo O’Farrill and other family members.

You’ll also hear Eliel Lazo and the Cuban Funk Machine, Okan (out of Toronto), Bobby Carcasses, Sexto Sentido, and the most unusual and creative jazz pianist you’ll ever hear—Jorge Luis Pacheco.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected