Discovering Jazz

Latest Episodes:

Episode 246: Still Surrounded by CD’s. Sep 26, 2023

Show notes

Still lots of cd’s I need to listen to and file, discard, or listen to again. I played a few last week….and this week I have a few more. Some are old some are new.

Some of the compact discs I’m playing and from which I’ll include a track on this podcast are:

Charles Lloyd: Lift Every voice (double album)

Monk’estra Plays John Beasley

Ivan Lins: My Heart Speaks

Shelly Manne: Steps To The Desert (aka My Son the Drummer)

The Hutchinson Andrew Trio: Tribute to Tommy Banks. W Mallory Chipman, PJ Perry, and Al Muirhead

Oliver Jones: From Lush to Lively

Brandon Seabrook’s Epic Proportions: BrutalLoveChamp

Lee Ritenour: Stolen Moments.

Episode 245: Surrounded by CD’s Sep 19, 2023

Show notes

Time to listen to and sort out some of the cd’s that are surrounding me right now. And I’ll play some tracks from the most enjoyable—or at least the most interesting–ones.

Episode 244:How a Small City in Canada became known as “Jazz City”. Sep 12, 2023

Show notes

How did North America’s first International Jazz festival get established in Edmonton, Alberta? Why Edmonton? And who is the Kansas City Bluesman, Big Miller, after whom a park in this city has been named? And lastly…what famous jazz musician left town in the middle of his concert, absconding with his band’s pay?

More from an interview with Jazz City founder and artistic director, Marc Vasey. Plus some great music by Dizzy Gillespie, P.J. Perry, Franco D’Andrea, Stan Getz, Pepper Adams with Tommy Banks, Freddy Redd, and Big Miller,

IMPORTANT NOTE: Two corrections. The first one is that Marc Vasey did NOT sell those archival tapes such as The Pepper Adams Concert at Room At The Top to Cory Weeds, but gave them to him. He states: ” “I gave him all of the tapes in the hope that for posterities sake they would survive. No money changed hands”.

The second correction is in the account of how Big Miller came to Edmonton. The ‘promoter’ who abandoned him by taking the money and running after they played in Vancouver was Jon Hendricks….who, at the time, had a cocaine addiction.

Episode 243: Jazz City! Sep 05, 2023

Show notes

It’s been claimed to be North America’s first International Jazz Festival. In a city of only half a million. Festival founder Marc Vasey talks about how Edmonton, Alberta, Canada became known as ‘jazz city’. And he talks about some of the challenges and inspiring moments from those early years of 1980 to 1983.
Some of the stories include:

-How Chet Baker had to be locked into his hotel room.

-How an opening night disaster was transformed into an amazing beginning for the festival.

-How playing in a circus tent affected John McLaughlin’s mood.

-A surprise from Etta James.

I also play some great music by some of the the amazing artists who came to that festival. You’ll hear Sonny Rollins, James Blood Ulmer, Joe Pass, John McLaughlin, Chet Baker, Kenny Wheeler, McCoy Tyner, and Etta James.

And the photo? Could be entitled “LarryTheRadioGuy gives John McLaughlin some guitar tuning tips :). Photo by Patrick Hinely., 1982.

IMPORTANT NOTE: A couple corrections:

(1) Marc advised that Joe Pass did NOT put together the ensemble who replaced Oscar Peterson due to his cancellation….although he was a part of it. More information on that concert and the first Jazz City festival in Episode 252.

(2) The piano player who was part of the band that was abandoned and ripped off by Stan Getz at the 1984 festival was NOT Jim McNeeley. Marc remembers it being a man named George from Chicago.

Episode 242: More Folk ‘n Jazz. Aug 29, 2023

Show notes

This is the last of my 4 part series on folk songs ‘jazzified’. I also introduce you to some Western Swing—which combines so many different genres.

I play jazz recordings by The Stanley Clarke Trio with Hiromi, John Coltrane, Vince Guaraldi, Big Miller with Jon Hendricks, Seattle’s Floyd Standifer, and the wonderful Icelandic pianist Sunna Gunnlaugs.

Western Swing recordings are by Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys and Al Bernard.

The Coltrane tune is Song of The Underground Railroad, taken from Follow The Drinking Gourd. You’ll hear Eric Bibb singing the latter.

I close off the program with a re-imagining of a French Canadian folk song (J’entends Le Moulin) by Vancouver orchestrator Daniel Hersog.

This has been one of my favourite series of episodes on Discovering Jazz. I hope you’ve enjoyed listening to it as much as I’ve enjoyed putting it together.

Episode 241: Folk Music and Jazz, Part 3 Aug 22, 2023

Show notes

The first 12 minutes of this podcast takes you to Sweden. Three tracks with Swedish jazz musicians playing folk music from Russia, U,S,A,, and Hungary.
That’s followed by Django Reinhardt playing a traditional Russian tune.

Then we have more jazz interpretations of Spirituals by Nina Simone, Bevely-Glenn Copeland, Ramsay Lewis, Don Shirley, and Albert Ayler.

I think the most exciting track in this episode is Clifford Jordan’s jazz interpretation of Goodnight Irene. Although Shelly Manne playing Hava Nagila is also pretty wild. I also like Oscar Peterson’s version of Greensleeves.

I also play one recording that I don’t particularly like…..but it’s by an excellent and much heralded jazz saxophonist and the album (that tries to ‘swing’ tunes that to me just aren’t swingable) and it did get some great reviews and high ratings. You’ll have to listen to the podcast to hear what it is….and I’m curious if you agree with me.

One more episode of jazzified folk music to go!

-Larry

Episode 240:Jazz Interpretations of Folk Songs Part 2 Aug 15, 2023

Show notes

Did you know that Sonny Rollins didn’t actually write “St. Thomas”. And that Randy Weston recorded this traditional folk song before Rollins, but under the name of “Fire Down There”?
And another piece of information: Thelonious Monk’s “Japanese Folk Song” wasn’t really a folk song—as the writer was known. But it has entered an oral tradition within Japan.

In this episode you’ll also hear jazz versions of three spirituals: Deep River, Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child, and Glory Glory. Other traditional tunes are Tiramakhan from Gambia (as interpreted by Daniel Janke), Danny Boy by Chris Botti, and Shelly Manne’s wonderful rendition of Tzena Tzena!
One more tune from that delightful new Fergus McCreadie album, too. It’s not folk, but you’d swear it was a Scottish or Irish Folk tune.

Episode 239: Folk Music and Jazz, Part 1 Aug 08, 2023

Show notes

A lot of folk songs—and I’m talking mostly about traditional tunes—have been adapted into jazz. And in a lot of cases the results have been spectacular!

Right from the earliest years of jazz when Louis Armstrong with Earl Hines had the 1929 hit of St. James Infirmary.

And today, 94 years later, we have the Daniel Hersog Orchestra from Vancouver and their “Folk Songs Reimagined” album. You can hear what they do with Red River Valley.

Lots more, too. Even some Flatt and Scruggs style bluegrass jazzified. Then there’s something called DAWG music. And the traditional Swedish song arranged and retitled by Stan Getz that has become a Miles Davis ‘standard’.

The program is rounded out with selections by John Sccofield, Patrick Boyle, Cecille McClorin Salvant with Aaron Diehl, and Carol Welsman with a bit of a ‘twinkle’ in her eye.

The highlight, to me, isn’t even a folk song—but you’d swear it was. It’s by Scottish pianist Fergus McCreadie who was much influenced by the folk ballads of the British Isles.

Episode 238: Tribute to Tony Bennett Aug 01, 2023

Show notes

I’m back with new episodes after a three week break.

There have been many well-deserved tributes to Tony Bennett, who we lost July 21st of this year. Here is another one, focusing mostly on his ‘jazz’ side.

A number of great jazz musicians played with and respected Tony Bennett, and I feature a few of what I think are the best recordings. The players include Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Brubeck, Stan Getz, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Elvin Jones, Bill Evans, Phil Woods, and a few others. And, of course, his long-time accompanist and music director, Ralph Sharon.

I also tell a few stories about him and some of the songs he popularized—some of which you may have heard before, and others not.

Archives: Episode 50, Top Rated Albums of 2018 Jul 25, 2023

Show notes

This program, originally posted January of 2019, features tracks from 2018 albums that Downbeat Magazine reviewers–and a few others–raved about.

You’ll hear:

-singer Stacey Kent

-Polish bassist Wojtek Masolewski and his Quintet

– Canadian trumpet player Ingrid Jensen

-More trumpet from Ambrose Akinmusire

-Downbeat Hall of Fame pianist Kenny Barron

-Guitarist Steve Tibbets

-London’s Sons of Kemet featuring Shabaka Hutchings