Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show

Yesterday was Podcast 595, a celebration of the music of Thelonious Monk, as played by Monk solo, and in various groups. Today, it's Podcast 596, where some of the greatest jazz musicians of all time tackle some of the greatest jazz compositions of all time. Enjoy!   Musical selections include:  Paul Motian - "Ruby My Dear" from Monk in Motian Danilo Perez - "Bright Mississippi" from PanaMonk John...

One hundred years ago today, the man who would forever change the way jazz piano was played was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Thelonious Sphere Monk would go on to be that rare artist whose career spanned almost all of the important historical genres, and who earned the right to be called the "Genius of Modern Music." But it took a long time for the world to catch up with him. Monk's family...

New and innovative ways to distribute music has been utilized by any number of jazz entrepreneurs over the past few years. Think of new and exciting models like SmallsLIVE , a repository of live club performances that can be accessed live or from archives through streaming, or Newvelle Record s, with its limited vinyl-only releases by subscription. Add to the list JazzPress.com. The new venture is...

The music of Israeli-born saxophonist Uri Gurvich weaves a wonderful tapestry of world-wide sounds. Sure, the music in distinctly jazz, but Uri and his quartet, which has been performing together for the past decade, features some of the most prominent voices on the international jazz scene. Besides the Tel Aviv native Gurvich, he has played for more than a decade with Argentinian pianist Leo Geno...

Jazz musicians have drawn on a myriad of sources for tunes with which they can hone their craft. Whether its Broadway shows, the Great American Songbook, or European Art music, inspiration can stroke from any source. Chicago-based bassist Joe Policastro and his Trio (guitarist Dave Miller, and drummer Mikel Avery) have made current pop songs and the entire score of Leonard Bernstein's West Side St...

One of last year's finest releases was John Beasley's Big Band album MONK'estra, Vol. 1.  A master arranger, Beasley put together a who's who of musicians to turn the Thelonious Monk library of tunes into something more innovative and thought provoking than they had been in years. A pair of Grammy nominations followed, so it was hoped that an encore set would soon appear. Wait no longer. MONK 'est...

It's past the midpoint in summer in New England, so why not some summer themed music for these lazy, hot days? Today is August 16th, the feast day of Saint Roch, the patron saint of Dogs, so why not celebrate the "Dog Days"? The Romans referred to the dog days as  diēs caniculārēs  and associated the hot weather with the star Sirius. They considered Sirius to be the "Dog Star" because it is the br...

If the question is, what bass player has played with Elvin Jones and McCoy Tyner for a longer period of time than anyone else, the answer would be… Gerald Cannon. Yes, the name might not be as familiar to you as those of his iconic bandmates, but for the past thirty years, Cannon has been the bass mainstay for bands led by Roy Hargrove, Jones (until his death in 2004) and currently with Tyner. He'...

Seventy-five years ago today, one of the great drummers and percussionists of the modern jazz era was born in Chicago, Illinois. Jack DeJohnette has gone on to play with most of the important jazz musicians who lean toward the genres of the avant-garde and fusion, syncopating the wildest electric music and most controlled acoustic sounds of our time. DeJohnette cut his teeth in the Chicago Avant-G...

It was about 18 months ago that I spoke with pianist-singer Ariel Pocock (check Podcast 505) about her long-delayed first album, Touchstone . A graduate of the prestigious University of Miami Frost School of Music and a double-award winner at the Essentially Ellington Competition at Lincoln Center for Outstanding Pianist and Outstanding Vocalist, Ariel and her first album showed real promise, and...

The Summer Jazz Festival season is in full swing, and the first weekend in August will bring us  the Newport Jazz Festival (presented by Natixis) August 4-6 at Fort Adams State Park in Newport, Rhode Island. One of the oldest and most important Jazz Festivals in the US, this year's festival seems to be building on the injections of young talent and new ways of presenting music that marked the past...

There will be no podcasts posted for the next few weeks, as Nancy and I head "across the pond" to England for a much needed change of scene.  The British jazz scene has more than its share of history and current artists of note. Some may be obvious to you, while others less so. So, what better way to kick off my vacation than giving you an hour plus of music from jazz artists hailing from the UK?...

The passing this week of pianist Geri Allen has taken the jazz world by surprise. Still at the top of her game as performer, composer and educator at the age of 60, it seemed that few knew of her illness, and even fewer of its severity. She will be sorely missed. Her legacy is substantial – 19 albums as a leader; dozens more as sideperson for the likes of Paul Motian, Steve Coleman, Oliver Lake, a...

I've wanted to have Sean Jones on the show for a long time. A talented trumpeter and composer, he was mentored by the greatest of all trumpet teachers, William "Prof" Fielder at Rutgers University. After graduating, he quickly became a fixture in New York big bands, most notably the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Based on a strong showing at a Gerald Wilson Orchestra recording session for Mack Ave...

"Ted Chubb is a very talented trumpeter, composer, improviser, bandleader and educator. Ted is the total package, and most of all, he is just one great guy." - Christian McBride Ted Chubb's Gratified Never Satisfied allows the seasoned New Jersey trumpeter a chance to broaden his horizons, and he makes the most of it. Backed by a band that can sound throwback at one moment and perfectly modern in...

If it's June, then it must be time for the Freihofer's Saratoga Jazz Festival, at the lovely SPAC in Saratoga Springs, New York. 2017 marks the 40 th anniversary of the weekend-long event, and it promises to live up to past triumphs once again. The festival has two stages, the Amphitheatre for headliners, and the newly-renovated Gazebo Stage for up-and-coming and under the radar talent. Saturday J...

A Musical Celebration of Life for the renowned Latin jazz flautist Dave Valentin will take place Monday, June 12, beginning at 6 PM at Saint Peter's Church , 619 Lexington Avenue at 54th Street in Manhattan. The Grammy Award winning-artist passed on March 8 after a long illness at 64 years of age. In addition to remarks from family and friends, Valentin's long time group will perform, led by piani...

Mostly Other People Do the Killing – easily the best name in jazz these days – is a quartet that has one foot securely in the past, while another in the adventurous future. Ever since the band came together in 2003, MoPDtK – easily the best acronym in jazz these days – has ventured into areas of classic jazz from the 20's and 30's, spinning familiar styles into something new and different with the...

I've pointed out before that we may be living through a golden age for trombone players in the world of jazz. Over the past few years rising stars like Ryan Keberle, Joel Yennior, Charlie Halloran and Michael Dease have joined the ranks of talents like Wycliffe Gordon, Conrad Herwig, Steve Turre and the legendary Roswell Rudd. These guys lead bands, not just hold down a chair in a big band horn se...

Is Kathleen Potton's new album a tribute to a tyrannical Roman emperor? She's quick to laugh that off. NERO , her debut CD which is available this week, is intended to be a nod to the great female singer-songwriters she has learned to admire.   The Australian born Potton became entranced with the music of Laura Nyro after hearing Billy Child's CD Map to the Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro last ye...

Ever since I learned of the amazing breath of his talents with his stint in the Pat Metheny Group, I've been a fan of Cuong Vu. A trumpet player with a decidedly avant-garde style, Cuong is able to use his talents in any number of ways. Whether he is leading one of his groups, or serving as sideman for Metheny, Dave Douglas, and Myra Melford; or guesting on a David Bowie session, his presence seem...

I'm saying it here and now – Reach is the album that makes Christian Sands a star. Those "in the know" in jazz are already familiar with the 28 year old pianist, who has been a key member of Christian McBride's Inside Straight band for the past five years.  With the release of his first album for Mack Records (also McBride's home), he shows that he is ready to be a leader in his own right.\ It was...

The idea of International Jazz Day is just so wonderful/ Imagine for one day, artists from all over the globe, playing a universal language of music, to celebrate the sheet joys of playing something TOGETHER. It is what the world needs now, my friends. This Sunday, April 30, International Jazz Day will culminate with the International Jazz Day All-Star Global Concert live from Havana Cuba streamed...

  My first exposure to Ella Fitzgerald was in a television commercial for Memorex audio recording tape. Their slogan was "Is it live or is it Memorex?" and the ad showed Ella breaking a glass with her incredible singing voice. Then a recording of her voice on a Memorex cassette was played, and again the glass was shattered. Since then, I've come to appreciate her not just for the amazing power of...

I'm a huge fan of the greasy, soulful sound of the Hammond B-3 organ. Few instruments have so distinct a sonic impression, and even fewer have such an iconic physical presence on stage, particularly when paired with the famous rotating Leslie speaker. Ever since Medeski, Martin & Wood deconstructed the organ trio, there have been fewer traditional practitioners of the art making recordings. Gary V...