Pullin from the Stacks

Sorry to be a bit off-schedule these days - a lot of travel and work making it harder to record mixes! But here's a few things that have made their way into the crates recently. Dig in! Tracklist: Cal State Long Beach Jazz Ensemble, Don Burrows, Astrud Gilberto, Sod, Johnny Walker, Ryo Kawasaki, Flying Island, Lee Brumley Trio

Back with a little tribute to the LEGEND Tina Turner as well as some other funk cuts - switching things up from the usual jazz-centricity this week! Hope you dig. Tracklist: Tina Turner, Tina Turner, Bobby Caldwell, Jose Feliciano, Stephanie Mills, The Rock Flowers, Linda Clifford, Marvin Gaye

Thought it was a good time to do a tribute to one of my favorite indie labels, PM Records. Listening to their music is kind of like a sci-fi-jazz-adventure, where the sound isn't easily labeled but the music is taking the listener in all kinds of directions while keeping a solid groove. Hope you dig it! Tracklist: Steve Grossman, Doug Riley, Stone Alliance, Elvin Jones, Stone Alliance, Steve Gross...

Returning this week with a big stack of jazz and more I picked up last month in NYC, and also a couple selections in tribute to Harry Belafonte, probably one of the most incredible people to ever walk the earth. I recommend everyone go and pick up his autobiography just to see all the things he was involved in and accomplished. He lived an amazing life, and I start and finish this set with two tun...

I came back the other week with a bag full of records I grabbed while in NYC to play for you all, but that will have to wait. In the past few days, two of the best to ever do it have transitioned after living incredible lives and giving all of us so much music and inspiration - Ahmad Jamal and Ivan "Mamao" Conti. It only felt right to pay tribute to them both on this episode. I tried to play some...

For my 45th birthday, I grabbed forty-five 45s and threw together this mix! Ran through most of them pretty quick so it's a little rough but hopefully a fun listen!

Rest in Peace and Power Dave Trugoy the Dove Plug 2. An absolute tragic loss that I'm still in shock over. Sending love and support to his family and friends, and of course all the other fans like myself who literally grew up on De La Soul and Dave's voice and artistry. De La Soul is not dead however. Everyone should go out and buy and support their music when it starts streaming and becoming avai...

Legendary drummer Max Roach's birthday was January 10th, and he would have been 99 yesterday. I decided to pull my small stack of Roach-led records and play a few selections in tribute to one of the greatest to do it. When I took a look on Discogs to see how many records he played on over the decades, it's almost endless - somewhere between 1500 and 2000, starting in the 1940s with Charlie Parker....

Last PFTS for the year! A mix of some of my favorite purchases this past year, especially in regards to older music. Recorded live last night on Twitch. Thanks so much to everyone who tuned in, downloaded, re-posted and listened to even part of an episode this past year - you are much appreciated! Tracklist: Terumasa Hino, Ken Rhodes, Tania Maria, King James Version, Collage, Brian Bennett, Greg F...

Salute to the legend Donald Byrd, who was born December 9, 1932 and would have been 90 this year. I'm a long way from having or hearing everything in his catalogue, but his records are pretty much all guaranteed brilliance and highly recommended. I do think his work gets slightly melded with and possibly overshadowed by the Mizell brothers later in his career, but Byrd was an amazing orchestrator,...

Decided to do a more thematic set this week, dedicated to the incredible Japanese jazz label Three Blind Mice. I don't have a ton of their records but wanted to highlight several I do have, and that might not be as "famous" as some of the other TBM records that have been repressed recently. Hope you dig it! Please subscribe on Apple Pods and leave a rating if you have a moment! Tracklist: Masaru I...

Very mellow episode this week, starting with a great cover of Charles Mingus's classic "Haitian Fight Song." Continuing to dig deep on the old and the new. Thanks so much for tuning in as always. Tracklist: Johnny Cretu-Raducanu, Surprise Chef, Misha Panfilov, Nala Sinephro, Phi-Psonics, Walter Wanderley

Finally back after a several-week hiatus due to my move. Definitely some hard losses these past weeks, with absolute legends Pharoah Sanders and Ramsey Lewis passing away. Ramsey Lewis's records were some of the first jazz and funk records I purchased, and I highly recommend his catalog - it's still pretty affordable, and just as beautiful and funky as many of the "rare" and pricey records from ot...

Sorry for the long delay, been a busy month. Starting to pack the records up now, so this will be my last mix at my current residence, and probably for another few weeks until I get things unpacked on the other side of LA. Kept things thematic for this one though - all jazz-related releases on the Melodiya label, which was the Soviet-era label that released records from not only Russia but other c...

A few beautiful jazz pieces this week, including some great covers of classics. Hope you all enjoy. Tracklist: Clifford Jordan, Dom Um Romao, Woody Shaw, Eldee Young, John Young Trio, Wynton Kelly Trio

As the podcast reaches 200 episodes, I want to again extend my deep appreciation to everyone who's tuned in since 2014! Wouldn't be doing this without all the amazing listeners. Also want to give a huge shout-out to Pipomixes and everyone else who has posted, tweeted, and said nice things about this podcast/mix-series/however you want to define it. Looking forward to the next 100 episodes! Recorde...

I decided to feature legendary NBA coach Gregg Popovich on this Knowledge Breaks mix because, especially for a "rich white guy," as he refers to himself, he is incredibly outspoken on issues of white privilege, police brutality and anti-Black violence. I really appreciate that he pulls few punches and that he talks directly to other white people about confronting our privileges. This tape is a sho...

Another set of new and old, fuzzy fusion pieces for your ears! Enjoy. Tracklist: Soul Surfers, Grupo Fa 5, Cesar Mariano, Sly5thAve and Roberto Verastegui, George Duke, Brian Jackson

Recorded this episode right after the Supreme Court leak of the opinion turning back Roe v. Wade, so I had to start it off with an old spoken-word piece from Digable Planets. "The facists are some heavy dudes / they don't really give a damn about life." Words that continue to ring true. If you're able please donate to these abortion funds listed on my Soundcloud and Twitter. Tracklist: Digable Pla...

Recorded live on a Sunday evening in front of a small Twitch audience, an hour of jazz joints make up the latest episode of Pullin from the Stacks! Stay tuned for future episodes to be streamed live as well starting in May. No episode next week as I'll be traveling but a new Knowledge Breaks before the month is out...thanks for tuning in! Tracklist: Donald Byrd, Hampton Hawes, Jazz Traficantes, Ge...

For the third edition of Knowledge Breaks, I attempt to honor the legendary scholar, teacher, historian, activist, organizer and former political prisoner Angela Davis. As it's Women's History Month, I used only breaks and samples from women artists. It is impossible to encapsulate anyone in a 17-minute mix, but especially someone like Prof. Davis, who has spoken and written on so many critical is...

Set of fusion-y, laid back flavors new and old. Expect a new "Knowledge Breaks" mix next week before the month is out! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts if you're inspired! Tracklist: Azar Lawrence, Allegro Jazz Band, Crusaders, Diasonics, Emma-Jean Thackray, Headhunters

Back at it with a bunch of new digs! Starting this set off with a few pieces that just dropped into the PO box from Cuba, then moving into some private press jazz that I just scooped up in Portland, ending with a classic from the master Herbie Hancock. Enjoy! Tracklist: Ricardo Eddy y Expreso Ritmico, Felipe Dulzaides, Hilton Ruiz Trio, King James Version, Jan Deneau Trio, Bob Szainer Triad, Herbi...

I'm about to head up the coast to see the family but wanted to make sure I got a new episode in before I left! A few from the stacks and a few from recent digs on this one. Tune in! Tracklist: Dick McGarvin, Ken Rhodes, Marcio Montarroyos, Paulo Alencar, Bobby Shew, Marius Popp, Joe Bonner, Salvator Dragatto

The second monthly episode of the Knowledge Breaks series is dedicated to the great Eugene McDaniels aka the Left Rev McD. McDaniels took a turn in the late 1960s from singing more straight-ahead jazz and soul singing to much more politically-themed works, both song by himself as well as written for others, such as the song "Compared to What" made famous by Les McCann and Eddie Harris. I think man...