Discovering Jazz

I play a track from eight different jazz albums—seven of them from 2018. They include five recordings that Downbeat Magazine, in their January 2019 issue, claim are the “Masterpiece Albums of 2018”.   They may or may not coincide with y

Hello.   I’m taking a break from Discovering Jazz programs for a few weeks—but I’ll see you in 2019. If you want something to tide you over until the next program, give my last year’s holiday special a listen.  It was Episode 14.

Part 2 of the formative recordings of jazz musician, fan, and organizer, Craig Paterson.   You’ll hear some Miles, some Keith Jarrett, Wayne Shorter, John Coltrane, Liberation Music Orchestra, and Phil Dwyer.  Great music! And some great stories&#8

Jazz bassist and concert organizer Craig Paterson talks about some of the albums that formed his excitement about jazz.   Craig also tells some great stories about those albums and the concerts those albums spawned. And I play a recommended track from ea

Contrafact refers to a new melody written over the chord sequence of an older tune.  And there are a lot of very popular jazz tunes that have done just that! In this program I play a few of them. You’ll find out what old tune has had the most jazz

Today was a day to catch up on some of my listening and play a few records, cd’s, and downloads that I came across over the last couple weeks.  Then I learned about the death of one of my favourite trumpeter/fluegelhornists, Roy Hargrove.  He was o

The focus on today’s episode is the relationship between improvisation and spontaneity in life.  It all involves a willingness to say *yes*.   I start with a statement from Vancouver jazz writer, drummer, and choral director, Brian Tate, where he c

Includes two great but obscure Canadian jazz artists.

Today, I play a few jazz 78rpm records from my collection.  78’s were popular from the turn of the century up into the late 1950’s. One unique thing about 78’s is that you could eat them.   Technically at least!  As well as some great m

Lots of discoveries over the summer.  Some of them records, some cd’s, and a lot of them being music posted by friends and friends of friends. And one discovery begats another….such as when Peterborough bassist  Craig Paterson posted somethin

The first part of this episode addresses the inroads female jazz artists have made over the years, as I start with a track by the amazing trio of Geri Allen, Teri Lyne Carrington, and Esperanza Spalding,  followed by something from the new album by Molly

Jazz has always been political in some form.  Right from its earliest beginnings, this African American music was taken over by the dominant American middle class ‘white’ culture with no credit going to the black originators.  That’s po

Oppression and Liberation----Jazz and Politics.

This is the beginning of a series illustrating the connection between jazz and social or political activism. On today’s episode I play and talk about the following:  Oscar Peterson’s Hymn to Freedom, which has been embraced by people around t

The mathematical mind of Bach shares similarities with the mindset of great jazz composers and improvisers.   Peterborough Saxophonist Al Baggs talks about this—and also talks about music as ‘sonic energy’.   He then speculates (tongue

Micah Barnes, Toronto jazz singer and voice teacher, talks about what makes a vocal a jazz vocal.  Also the late Gene McDaniels demonstrates singing ‘inside the changes’. You’ll hear some of the singers who inspired Micah Barnes. Also a

I start by featuring Lonnie Johnson—who played the first guitar solo ever on record, in 1927.  And we hear him playing with a Toronto Dixieland band from 1965.   Plus two very early recordings with his guitar. I also talk about pianist McCoy Tyner,

I’ve discovered some wonderful cd’s and individual downloads over the past spring and summer—-and I want to play you some of the highlights. My favourite cd I’ve bought is by a 19 piece Toronto big band—Chelsea McBride&#8217

Mary Halvorson, Orquesta Akokan, Danfis Prieto, Lina Allemano’s Titanium Riot, Greg Spero (with an illustrarion of 17/16 metre), Elio Villafranca, Renee Rosnes, Francois Moutin & Kavita Shaw, and Fred Hersch.  All talked about in either the May

Anybody who takes a major interest in jazz is probably familiar with Downbeat Magazine.  I talk a little bit about its early days, then focus on the May, 2018 edition.  I play some of the music referred to in this issue—at least the records that so

Songwriter, pianist, and singer, Bob Dorough, died April 23, 2018 at age 94.  He had become one of my favourite jazz artists, leaving a legacy of great tunes and great records.  He was the musical presence and songwriter for Schoolhouse Rock,  doing such

Today’s podcast features eleven selections that I just felt like playing.  Most of them are records, cd’s, or downloads that are pretty recent, the only exception being Hoagy Carmichael’s piano solo version of Stardust. The other piano

This is a ‘travel guide’ to Peterborough’s International Jazz Day weekend, April 28-29.   Even if you’re not from Peterborough and know you won’t be there that weekend—no problem.  Listen to this program anyway.  You&#

Special guest for this program is Al Baggs, a jazz saxophonist who is equally fascinated by ‘classical’ or what is often termed ‘serious’ music.  With his gems of information and droll British humour, you’ll get an idea of h

You’ll hear a couple of the jazz musicians recruited to play on Van Morrison’s classic “Astral Weeks” album.  And a jazz saxophonist who played with both Carole King and The Doors. Zoot Sims and Teddy Wilson back Phoebe Snow.  Bra