Jazz Bastard Podcast

Thelonious Sphere Monk turns one-hundred this year, which is approximately the number of albums based on his music released each year. Mike and Pat discuss the master's recently unearthed sound track to Dangerous Liaisons and three fairly recently tribute albums to his deathless music. Thelonious Monk - LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES; (Plays Monk) – PLAYS MONK; John Beasley – MONK’ESTRA VOL. 1; Dav...

Mike and Pat welcome special guest Eric Allen, co-author of 50 Years at the Village Vanguard – Thad Jones, Mel Lewis and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, and discuss the book along with early recordings by the band and a couple other seventies big bands. All three agree - ain't no way Pat's letting Maynard Ferguson into his blanket fort. Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Big Band – LIVE AT THE VILLAGE...

In this banger, Ethan Iverson's "Do the Math" blog inspires Mike and Pat to explore the early years of pianist Geri Allen's career. Pat keeps confusing Ethan with Allen, while Mike illustrates Melanie Klein's "good bassist / bad bassist theory" in his discussion of Geri's appearance in two trio super-groups. Geri Allen - THE PRINTMAKERS, TWYLIGHT, THE LIFE O...

Mike leads us back, back, back into the wilds of pre-LP jazz as we discuss Bud Powell, Mary Lou Williams, and Tadd Dameron. Then Pat goes and ruins it with a selection from Ferit Odman, who at least had the decency to keep it all-analog. Mary Lou Williams – ZODIAC SUITE; Tadd Dameron – COMPLETE CAPITOL AND BLUE NOTE RECORDINGS OF FATS NAVARRO AND TADD DAMERON, DISC ONE; Bud Powell – COMPLETE VERVE...

In this follow-up to the epic "lite jazz" explorations of episode 63, the boys look at three whistle-stops on the Soul train line, and check out a foundational document of lite jazz by George "Pencil-Stash" Benson. Grover Washington Jr. – SOULBOX; Hank Crawford – DON’T YOU WORRY ‘BOUT A THING; George Benson – BREEZIN’; David Sanborn – VOYEUR.

Two avante garde guitars two generations apart are the focus this time, as Mike and Pat look at releases from Sonny Sharrock and Mary Halvorson. Plus, Mike unloads on Pat for his Beach Boys obsession. Sonny Sharrock – GUITAR, ASK THE AGES; Mary Halvorson – MELTFRAME; Tomeka Reid Quartet – SELF TITLED.

You can make all sorts of connections among the four selections discussed in this episode, but Pat & Mike aren't about trying too hard. Listen as Ambrose Akinmusire (and Stan Getz) enter the ranks of artists "lucky" enough to be discussed three times on this venerable show. Stan Getz – SWEET RAIN; Ambrose Akinmusire – A RIFT IN DECORUM – LIVE AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD; Miles Davis...

Peripatetic Pat is in a grumpy mood this episode and can only find a spot of warmth in his cold cold heart for one of the four vocal selections covered. Why can't he not worry and be and/or get happy? Mike has one word for him: Zundoko! Norah Jones – DAY BREAKS; Pink Martini – GET HAPPY; Bobby McFerrin – SPIRITYOUALL; Madeleine Peyroux – SECULAR HYMNS.

Mike and Pat welcome special guest Brent Laidler to discuss his album No Matter Where Noir. Brent plays guitar on the album but he also wrote and arranged the pieces, many of which normal human beings can hum. Brent Laidler - NO MATTER WHERE NOIR; Yuji Ohno – LUPIN THE THIRD JAZZ

Listener suggestions guide the boys this time, with jazz inflected rock and camp infected jazz filling the playlist. Bettye LaVette - INTERPRETATIONS: THE BRITISH ROCK SONGBOOK; Frank Zappa - MAKE A JAZZ NOISE HERE; Joni Mitchell – MINGUS; Ed Palermo Big Band - THE GREAT UNAMERICAN SONGBOOK

The forecast for this cast is . . . well, we're doing a show about four alto sax players named Sonny. Make your own meteorological joke. Sonny Stitt – REARIN’ BACK/ TRIBUTE TO ELLINGTON; Sonny Fortune – SERENGETI MINSTREL; Sonny Criss – SONNY’S DREAM; Sonny Simmons – BURNING SPIRITS.

What do John Pizzarelli, Sun Ra, Jack DeJohnette and Brandford Marsalis have in common? You tell us. We spread the joy and opprobrium in equal measure this time, with kudos for Marsalis, Elling and . . . Sting? and clipped wings for Pizzarelli's all-McCartney effort. John Pizzarelli – MIDNIGHT MCCARTNEY; Sun Ra – THE SINGLES (Evidence 2D); Jack DeJohnette – IN MOVEMENT; Branford Marsalis / Ku...

Arthur Blythe was Columbia's last major "out" signing, and he gets the full episode treatment now that he's playing with the angels. Horace Tapscott – THE GIANT HAS AWAKENED; Arthur Blythe –LENOX AVENUE BREAKDOWN, LIGHT BLUE; Roots - STABLEMATES. Plus, Pat misses by that much on all four selections of the Mike-citement meter.

After a quick rant / mission statement re: this very podcast to which you're listening, Mike and Pat discuss child prodigies, Bowie sidekicks, french violinists, and a cast of dozens more. Now put that harmonica down and step away from it slowly! Joey Alexander – MY FAVORITE THINGS; Bruno Vansina - THE MORNING FOREST (AKA NOSE UP BOTTOM DOWN); Donny McCaslin – BEYOND NOW; Scott Tixier – COSMI...

Mike and Pat let the snark fly as they take on three vocal albums and one hippity-hop effort with Yakuza connections (allegedly). Al Jarreau – LOOK TO THE RAINBOW; Somi – LAGOS MUSIC SALON; Robert Glasper – ART SCIENCE; Toshinori Kondo – KI-OKU. The show begins and ends with a heartfelt request for podcast topics from our listeners, so please chip in!

Lionel Richie got nothing on Sonny Rollins - as we learn from Newk's 15 minutes solos on the incredible (and sometimes exhausting) Complete Village Gate release, he sure can keep it going all night long. Branford M. solo and Dexter Gordon chip in to provide context and Pat rants about the movie Sing. Branford Marsalis – IN MY SOLITUDE; Dexter Gordon – BOTH SIDES OF MIDNIGHT; Sonny Rollins – C...

Mostly new stuff . . . mostly jazz. Like most of our podcasts, mostly great! Theo Croker – ESCAPE VELOCITY; Thundercat - DRUNK; Fred Hersch / Julian Lage – FREE FLYING; John Scofield – PAST PRESENT.

Collaboration is the name of the game, whether small groups mixing it up or big thinkers painting on bigger canvases. Pop matters is more expansive than usual, so any way you slice it, lots of bastardy to enjoy. Jason Moran – ALL RISE; Stanley Clarke – D STRINGS; THE BAD PLUS JOSHUA REDMAN; John Hollenbeck – SONGS I LIKE A LOT.

It's Mike's turn to rant as he complains about the state of ECM - the storied jazz label based in Germany - and then both boys dig into a buffet of recent releases, some more echo-y than others. Kenny Wheeler – SONGS FOR QUINTET; Keith Jarrett – CREATION; Jakob Bro – GEFIEN; Tim Berne – YOU'VE BEEN WATCHING ME.

Mike's picking all the selections tonight and Pat's picking fights with everyone in sight - Lutherans, banjoists, people who don't 'get' Stairway to Heaven . . . Looks like a caffine intervention may be the only way out. David Sanchez – OBSESION; Tord Gustavson – WHAT WAS SAID; David Sanborn – TIME AND THE RIVER; Chick Corea / Bela Fleck – TWO

Pat's been combing through the bins and another episode focusing on the black stuff results. Also, he almost convinces Mike that irreputable is a real word. Stone Alliance – STONE ALLIANCE; Jane Ira Bloom – MIGHTY LIGHTS; Hannibal Marvin Peterson – NAIMA; Jeff Parker – THE NEW BREED; Los Admiradores - BONGOS, FLUTES, GUITARS.

Third time's a charm - we've finally completed and posted the big-band podcast we attempted twice in ancient 2016. Here we discuss the final winners of the 2015 Downbeat critic's poll winners and the etiquette for podcast seances. Darcy James Argue – REAL ENEMIES; Maria Schneider – THE THOMPSON FIELDS; Michael Formanek – THE DISTANCE; Thelonious Monk - BIG BAND AND QUARTET LIVE

Mike and Pat catch up on a couple of quartets missed on the fourth anniversary show and a couple more poll winners from 2015. Their pledge - this year we make up our own stinkin' list of 2016 releases to cover (by stealing from other lists, naturally). Tom Harrell – FIRST IMPRESSIONS; Henry Threadgill – IN FOR A PENNY, IN FOR A POUND; Harold Land – PROMISED LAND; Plotz – EXTRAORDINARY RENDITI...

OK, this one's kind of weird. What if a band called Mostly Other People Do the Killing did a note for note remake of Kind of Blue? What if Pat and Mike pondered it for a fairly long time? What if postmodernism is kind of spent at this point? Tune in to find out. Miles David - KIND OF BLUE, Mostly Other People Do the Killing - BLUE.

Christmas cheer is in somewhat short supply as the boys consider five more holiday recordings (check out Ep. 54 for their previous plunge into the holiday well). Does Pat have a record-store masochism problem? You be the judge. Bing Crosby – MERRY CHRISTMAS, Diana Krall – CHRISTMAS SONGS, Kenny Burrell – HAVE YOURSELF A SOULFUL CHRISTMAS, Ramsey Lewis – SOUND OF CHRISTMAS, David Axelrod – ROCK MES...