Discovering Jazz

Latest Episodes:

Episode 17, Jazz Vocalists I Like, Part 1 Jan 23, 2018

Show notes

Many real ‘jazzies’ express a rather loud ‘indifference’ to the jazz ‘singer’. “Cheesy lounge singer”, “not needed”, “waters down the music”, “reduces the musician to role of ‘accompanist’: those are some of the comments I hear. Yet I love great jazz vocals…..and relish the creativity that many great players have in playing *with* the singer.

Today and next week I present some of my favourite vocalists—some of whom most will agree are truly ‘jazz’, and others where some might question whether they fit into the category of ‘jazz’.

And I’m still searching for a truly great Canadian male jazz vocalist. Any suggestions of whom I might *discover*?

Episode 16: Making a jazz mix cd Jan 16, 2018

Show notes

I was asked to make a playlist of jazz songs for a non-jazz event—a ‘cabaret’ put on by Peterborough Podcasters, where podcasters are hilighted and their great work presented. So the challenge is to both challenge and appease….some familiar tunes, but also interesting enough to command some attention from this intelligent and creative group of people.

So I start out with the best selling jazz record of all time: Take Five with the Dave Brubeck Quartet with Paul Desmond. Then from jazzes best selling album, Kind Of Blue, I play So What by Miles Davis. Then some Summertime with Oscar Peterson, an obscure but wonderful Cuban group called Interactivo, then the ‘traditional’ St. Thomas performed by Ron Carter with Peter Bernstein and Larry Coryell. And in that last number I correct an error I made in a previous program….the NCRA award winning episode.

I finish off with The Juno award winning Allison Au Quartet, then a collaboration of Duke Ellington and Count Basie.

The rest of the 80 minute jazz mix cd? Maybe I’ll throw some of that in next week’s program. Or maybe not.

Episode 15, First program of 2018 Jan 09, 2018

Show notes

Happy New Year to all of you! I appreciate knowing there are some listeners out there in podcast land. Comments, feedback, or questions is always welcome.

I’m still making lots of ‘discoveries’ about jazz…..enjoying the fact that we all learn together.

This week’s program includes a few selections from albums and jazz artists who sparked my curiosity because either Downbeat Magazine’s critics’ poll or CBC radio ranked them highly this year. You’ll hear the man who was named jazz artist of the year from an album that was rated as Jazz Album of the Year. Also a couple others from that Downbeat poll—-including Cecile McLorin Salvant.

And there’s a saxophonist/flautist from the 70’s who seems to be mounting a huge comeback (although I don’t know if he was ever gone). I play a tune from one of my favourite albums of his from the 1970’s.

Also one of CBC radio’s picks: a Montreal pianist named Getiane Michaud-Gagnon, and the Getiane MG Trio.

Did you Peterborough residents know that you have a master pianist living right in your town who spent years with the Maynard Ferguson Band…..as well as playing with Nancy Wilson and being a regular part of the Doc Severinson band on The Tonight Show? I play a Maynard Ferguson track featuring this Peterborough resident’s amazing piano work.

Also on the program you’ll hear Mongo Santamaria, the Artie Shaw rendition of Stardust, and ending off with a really fine version of Angel Eyes by master guitarist, Howard Roberts.

Episode 14, Jazz for the Holidays Dec 10, 2017

Show notes

This last program of 2017 includes lots of Christmas and winter holiday music. Some great renditions of familiar and not so familiar tunes. Also one for Ramadan, Hannukah, and Chalica (tune in to find out what the latter holiday is).

You’ll hear:

Charlie Parker,

Bill Evans,

Miles Davis with Bob Dorough,

Ella Fitzgerald, John Eidsvoog,

Shuffle Demons,

Carri Coltrane,

Salah Ragab and the Cairo Jazz Band,

Kenny Ellis,

Wesley Collett-Taylor,

Dexter Gordon,

Barbra Lica,

The Darylectones,

Mike Rud,,

Ahmad Jamal.

You’ll also hear the chord that journalist Adam Ragusea claims is used in most Christmas songs and makes them sound “Christmasy”.

Episode 13, Autumn Acquisitions Part 3 Dec 05, 2017

Show notes

Today’s program starts with B.B. King and Kenny Burrell playing together…..along with organist Jimmy Smith and a host of other great musicians. Then Emilie-Claire Barlow rhythmically transforms a Donovan tune into …what’s the time signature anyway? More vocals from Mel Torme, Tony Bennett, Diana Krall, Roberta Flack, and Bob Dorough. You just *have* to hear Dorough’s rendition (with bassist Bill Takas) of I’m Beginning to See The Light. Then I throw in some Thelonious Monk and Bill Evans just for good measure.

At the end I play my “Discovering Jazz” theme song from start to finish, but I don’t introduce it. So consider this a contest. The prize? Well, you can be a ‘guest’ talking about any jazz related topic you want, on a 2018 episode of this program. Or I could give you a couple jazz lp’s or cd’s. The question? What is the title and the artist of my theme song with which I end this week’s program?

Episode 12, Learning Jazz…with Sean Hully Nov 28, 2017

Show notes

An illustration of how some people learn and learn about jazz. We hear the perspective of Peterborough jazz saxophonist, Sean Hully. Sean tracks the development of jazz, from King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Coleman Hawkins and Charlie Parker. He then moves on to how the playing of Wayne Shorter, Hank Mobley, and Joe Henderson inspired Sean. He gives us an inside look at his own improvisation process. We also hear about finding that balance between accessibility and creativity. Then there is the difference between thinking ‘vertically’ and thinking ‘horizontally’: do you know it? And, of course, lots of interesting music.

Musical Artists You Will Hear:

King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Parker, Susie Arioli, Weather Report, Sean Hully with Federico Pontani, Hank Mobley, Joe Henderson, Glenn Miller

Episode 11, Autumn Acquisitions (vinyl records) Part 2 Nov 21, 2017

Show notes

Live from Trent Radio Studios (92.7 fm in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada), more 2nd hand vinyl records I bought this fall. You’ll hear some great vibes from a 1962 British film about jazz, Mel Torme with Janis Ian, an incredible trumpet blowout with Roy Eldridge and Dizzy Gillespie, the first black singer to sing regularly with a white band, some new age meets jazz-bluegrass-Roma-Caribbean, blues with Billy Eckstine and Dizzy, the mellowest tenor sax ever (guess who?), and a local jazz ensemble from the 90’s featuring Mark Davidson and Steve McCracken.

Episode 10, Autumn Acquisitions, Part 1 Nov 14, 2017

Show notes

Today….from a live feed from Trent Radio in Peterborough….I play some 2nd hand jazz lp’s I bought at a pawn shop recently just to see which ones I’ll put in with my collection and which ones I’ll give away. I’ll try out some Pat Martino, Mel Torme, Gene Roland w. Jimmy Knepper (great trombone!), George Benson, Buddy Spicher & Lenny Breau, Tete Montoliu, Manteca, and Chuck wayne & Joe Puma. Plus a couple cd’s inspired by an earlier program on Thelonious Monk…..one of studio recordings with John Coltrane, and another of Carmen McRae singing Monk tunes.

This podcast will sound a bit different from my other podcasts because instead of recording it in my home studio, this is recorded right from the radio broadcast.

Episode 9, Newer Jazz Albums Nov 07, 2017

Show notes

There is a great jazz instruction blog and podcast called LearnJazzStandards.com, hosted by a guitarist named Brent Vaarstra. One of his posts was called “92 Modern Jazz Albums You Need to Listen To”, with ‘modern’ being anything after the year 2000. I went through the first few, and also found (elsewhere) a couple Canadian jazz albums……and decided to play a track from a few of them. You’ll hear Anna Maria Jopek & Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Tarek Yamani, Larry Goldings and Peter Bernstein, Paul Novotny and Robi Botos, Poncho Sanchez & Terence Blanchard, Bruce Forman, David Kikoski w. Christian McBride, Bria Skonberg, John Abercrombie, and Eldar Djangirov. Let me know if any of them ‘stand out’ for you.

Episode 8, All About Thelonious Monk (with Michael Morse) Oct 31, 2017

Show notes

Special guest for this episode is jazz bassist and ethnomusicologist, Michael Morse, talking about the great pianist and composer, Thelonious Monk, in honour of the 100th year of his birth. He addresses why people who don’t think he’s a great pianist are wrong. And explains the intricacies of some of his compositions in a way that even I can understand! And in the process we play a lot of his music….including an incredible vocal version of the most recorded jazz composition ever. (Guess who wrote it).

And for the piano student you have a good retort for your teacher’s command to ‘curve your fingers’.

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