Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show

The genesis of musical composition comes from so many sources and muses, books have been written on the topic. For Toronto native Andrew Rathbun, a talented saxophonist, composer and educator, that source has routinely been poetry. In 1998, his recording  Jade  set to music the verse of Cathy Song, while his 2000 follow-up True Stories  focused on the work of fellow Canadian Margaret Atwood.  The...

I can't say that I often turned to the music of Cecil Taylor when I wanted something to listen to. To me, Taylor, one of the three great avant-garde pioneers (along with Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane) did not make music that was in any way welcoming or accessible. But what he did do, often playing his piano as anything other than an instrument capable of melody, opened up worlds of possibiliti...

The start of Holy Week for the Christian faith is my cue to put together a podcast of Spiritual Jazz. Whether it has specific religious overtones, as songs in this year's podcast do when referencing the Muslim or Jewish faith; or are built on Spirituals from the African-American lexicon, this is some of the most thrilling and moving music around, It can also be among the most challenging, as tradi...

Mark Murphy's latest CD, Pocketful of Rainbows , continues a trend of merging the singer-songwriter sense with jazz sensibilities. On one level, there is Mark's smooth voice and lilting acoustic guitar performing songs written by Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan and Hank Williams. On another there is the richness and subtlety that the finest jazz musicians – like drummer Jeff Ballard, keyboardist Jon Cow...

While Winter may officially be dead today, it sure doesn't seem like Spring in my neck of the woods. Here in Western Massachusetts we're bracing for another heavy winter storm tomorrow, the fourth in the past month. It seems like the song of the day will be "Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year". Or maybe "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most"? I think it's Michael Franks' recording of "Why It...

A new album from vocalist Kurt Elling always gives his listeners a chance to follow him further on his unique musical journey.  The 13-time Grammy nominee (he won in 2009 for his tribute to the classic album John Coltrane and  Johnny Hartman , entitled Dedicated to You ) never fails to go deeper into the musical canon in search of tunes to interpret, as well as instrumentals for which he can add l...

You don't pass up and opportunity to speak with Bill Frisell. The legendary guitar player has been among the most talented and versatile musicians of the past twenty years, performing in almost any jazz idiom, his trademark telecaster creating a sound that is uniquely his.  Most of Frisell's recorded output for the past few years has been composed of albums written by others ( All We Are Saying ,...

Whether you think its a commercial enterprise or a day for the expression of true love, you have to admit - Valentine's Day is everywhere. So on a day like this - and it's mid-week this year, making celebration just a tad harder than usual - how about an hour of jazz guaranteed to bring out the lover in you and your partner(s)? Then Podcast 612 is for you - and the musical selections include: Stev...

It feels earlier than ever, but Mardi Gras is sweeping New Orleans with the greatest party in America once again. The great food, great crowds, parades, costumes, liquor... and the music! Oh that music! Which brings once again to the time to bring you an hour plus of New Orleans' finest in Podcast 611. Bon Ton Roulez! Musical selections include: Jambalaya Brass Band - "Congo Square" Christian Scot...

With six critically acclaimed CDs and a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Vocal CD Kate McGarry has become recognized as a jazz artist who brings authenticity and vitality to every song regardless of genre. Downbeat Magazine cited McGarry as 'Rising Star' vocalist for the past 9 years, including a recent   #1 Rising Star Female Vocalist. In addition to her own work, her 2013 collaboration with John...

One of the oft-overlooked stars of the ECM roster is pianist Bobo Stenson. The Swedish composer-performer has been the anchor of a series of outstanding piano trios over the past forty years, and his latest band has produced one of his finest recordings yet, Contra la Indecision mixes originals with 20th century classical music re-imaginings, all with that distinctive ECM sound. Stenson has been w...

We kick off Black History Month with a conversation with pianist-organist-composer James Weidman, who plumbs the depth of the Negro Spiritual, the "sorrow songs" of slavery on his new album Spiritual Impressions . "Impressions" is an important word, as he and his band, featuring vocalist Ruth Naomi Floyd, spin new and different arrangements for familiar tunes. In the hands of this group, even a cl...

Renowned photographer and recording engineer Jimmy Katz is launching Giant Step Arts, an innovative, artist-focused non-profit organization with a very simple goal - to help jazz musicians get the support they need for their most creative work. Giant Step Arts will launch with two nights at New York City's Jazz Gallery on January 21-22, presenting four sets by The Johnathan Blake Trio featuring sa...

It's time once again for me to close out the year with my annual "A Few of My Favorite Things" podcast. This is the chance I get to go back through the music I have had the privilege to listen to during the year, and present some of my favorites to you. I prefer not to think of this as a true "Best of" list, but rather a way of commenting and making recommendations to you on those that caught my f...

Straight No Chaser is getting into the holiday spirit with this Podcast post! I don't call it "Nuthin' But Christmas" for nuthin ' – here's an hour of Christmas themed jazz for you to enjoy while running those holiday errands, decorating the house, or best of all, sitting before a fire and sipping a cocktail with a loved one. This year's mix includes tracks from some new Holiday releases like Cham...

The use of poetry by jazz artists as inspiration or collaboration is one of the most welcome trends of the past few years. There is often a great link between the poet and the musician, as they play with shaded tones and meanings, textures and allusions, following or breaking rules as suits their artistic goals.  Jane Ira Bloom's Wild Lines: Improvising Emily Dickinson matches one of our great sop...

Adam Rudolph continues to create new and wonderful soundscapes with every project in which he gets involved. This year has seen him finish his trilogy that began with U: Vibrational presents The Epic Botanical Beat Suite , by releasing Morphic Resonances and The Glare of the Tiger . While each of these three albums has a different vibe, and is performed by different musicians, there is a commonali...

Roswell Rudd is an undisputed master of the trombone. For me, he is that rare musician who can simultaneously straddle two wildly different musical worlds. He can keep one foot firmly in the musical school where he started, playing Dixieland and Standards; while at the same time being able to play Free Jazz with the wildest cats out there today.  As he moves through his Eighties, he is still a for...

Dave Bennett's first album for the Mack Avenue label, Don't Be That Way , established the clarinetist as a talented throwback, the kind of player who could still get you excited to hear "Sing. Sing, Sing" for the umpteenth time. A great entertainer, where he shows his prowess on guitar and piano, Bennett still had to show me that he could do more than bring swing into the 21st century. Blood Moon...

I can't think of a musician with whom I'd rather celebrate Podcast 600 than Rudresh Mahanthappa. Long one of jazz's top saxophone players, he has helped build a jazz program at Princeton University, while helping raise a young family. He's also extremely articulate, and a delightful person with whom to have a give and take conversation. Rudresh toured steadily behind his last CD, Bird Calls , whic...

When you look at Gary Meek's name on this podcast, you might wonder if you had heard him play before. The answer is an emphatic yes – a session and sideman par excellence, Meek has spent most of his career playing saxophone and other reed instruments for the likes of Airto Moreira & Flora Purim, Jeff Lorber, Brian Bromberg, and Dave Weckl. As a leader, he now has six albums to his credit, the most...

After something of a hiatus, Podcast 598 marks the return to Straight no Chaser of another set of Spooky Songs for Hallowe'en. Some years I've focused on a theme (2014 had a Devils theme), and other years it's just been a grab bag of musical tricks and treats. If you are interested in checking out previous year's selections for a Hallowe'en soundtrack, you can download Podcasts  452 ,  387  ,  309...

If you are a fan of the female trio Duchess – and readers of this blog know that I am among them – you know that the three talented ladies who make up the band also have solo careers.  One of them, Hilary Gardner, has just released a set of duets with pianist Ehud Asherie on Anzic Records entitled The Late Set . The title is apt, as the record is permeated by that late night club feel, as the sign...

Someone on my Facebook feed recently lamented that while we have had epic celebrations of the Birthday Centennials this year of Ella Fitzgerald and Thelonious Monk, the fact that this is Dizzy Gillespie's Birthday Centennial seems to have gone under the radar. It's been suggested that the heartbreaking story of his friend Charlie Parker, culminating in Bird's early death, has pushed Gillespie to t...

It hasn't looked much like autumn here in Western Massachusetts until very recently. Here we are almost a month into the season, and Columbus Day weekend has come and gone. The colors just haven't had the type of vibrancy that we have come to expect. With Hallowe'en just ten days or so away, here's hoping for some late leaf peeing opportunities. Autumn has been a popular subject for jazz compositi...