He will always be the Quiet Beatle. George Harrison stood still in the background of the Fab Four, perhaps the most musically talented, and likely the deepest and  most spiritual of the band. Today is the eighth anniversary of his death in 2001 from lung cancer, and Podcast 171 is dedicated to his memory.

Considered one of the greatest guitarists of the rock era, Harrison also carved out places in musical history for himself as one of the first Western musicians to play the sitar, and subsequently one of the first to bring world music into rock. He was the first great rock philanthropist, inventing the rock charity concert in 1971 with a benefit for Bangladesh at Madison Square Garden. Diversifying from music, he moved into film production and was instrumental in supporting Terry Gilliam’s film career, both within and without Monty Python. Jazz musicians have been drawn to both the melodic and spiritual nature of Harrison’s work, so click here to listen to:

Nina Simone – “My Sweet Lord/Today is a Killer” from Emergency Ward!  The great singer performed a medley of Harrison’s biggest solo hit, pairing it with a David Nelson poem. Nina was one of the most underrated interpreters of songs from the rock canon, recording masterful versions of songs by Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Harrison and the Bee Gees.

Joel Harrison – “Within You Without You” from Harrison on Harrison. No relation, but the jazz guitarist does have a great sense of George’s music in his improvisation. Here the Sgt. Pepper number gets a modal interpretation, courtesy of Harrison on guitars and voice; David Liebman on saxophone; David Binney on alto saxophone; Uri Caine on piano; Stephan Crump on bass; Dan Weiss on drums and Todd Isleron percussion.

Frank Sinatra – “Something” from Trilogy: Past, Present and Future. The second most covered Beatles song (after “Yesterday”), attracted a great singer like Sinatra, who called it "the greatest love song ever written" and made it a staple of his live shows.

BeatleJazz - “All Things Must Pass” from All You Need. The title track from Harrison’s three lp solo album that stands, along with John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band, as the finest work by an ex-Beatle. The group is Brian Melvin on drums/percussion and David Kikoski on piano. The album added guest spots by Toots Thielemans, Joe Lovano, Richard Bona and Larry Grenadier.

Monty Alexander – title track from Here Comes the Sun. Alexander has a flair for interpreting music from the likes of Bob Marley, and this quartet version of the Beatles classic shows he has a great sense of rhythm and timing. Alexander plays piano, Eugene Wright is on bass, Duffy Jackson plays drums and Montego Joe is on conga drums.

I've blogged about the unique singer-songwriter Jacqui Naylor before, and this weekend I had the pleasure to speak with her in anticipation of her three night run at the Blue Note in New York with her trio.

One of the most versatile performers in jazz today, Ms. Naylor's set is as likely to include reimaginings of R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion" as it is to have Gershwin tunes. And best of all, she and her trio have found a qay to capture the esence of the Great American Songbook with the groove of Classic Rock with something she calls "acoustic smashing". This takes the lyrics of a classic jazz song - say "Summertime" - and plays it out against the music of a classic rock song - in this case, "Whipping Post".

Interested? Click here and listen to the interview, which includes musical selections including:

 "My Funny Valentine" from You Don't Know Jacq. This is not your father's version of the jazz standard. Instead, a violin lead-in takes us to the groove from AC/DC's "Back in Black", while Jacqui croons the familar Rodgers-Hart melody.

"Summertime" from You Don't Know Jacq. As Jaqui points out in the interview, it's the Gershwin Brothers meet the Allman Brothers. And it works!

"Celebrate Early and Often" from You Don't Know Jacq. A Naylor-Art Khu original, which premiered when the singer and her pianist wed two years ago.

"Santa Claus is Coming to Town" from Smashed for the Holidays. After a few egg nogs, cue up Jacqui's version of this holiday classic set to the music of "Sweet Home Alabama". The party won't stop dancing.

Jacqui Naylor and her trio  play the Blue Note at 131 W 3rd Street  New York, New York November 24th-26th at 8pm and 10:30pm. Tickets: $15 Bar / $25 Table. Visit www.bluenote.net or call 212.475.8592.

Miles Davis was working with a large ensemble under the direction of Gil Evans as 1959 came to an end. Captivated by the machismo of bullfighting and charmed by Spanish music, Davis planned an album with Evans that would capture the spirit of that country.

Two weeks earlier, they had made an attempt to record Miles’ version of Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo’s classical piece for guitar and orchestra, “Concerto De Aranjuez”. Dissatisfied with the results, they adjourned and returned five days later. Davis was playing trumpet and flugelhorn, and among the nineteen musicians in the group were Davis regulars Paul Chambers (bass) and Jimmy Cobb (drums). Elvin Jones, who would go on to fame working with Miles’ sax player John Coltrane, played percussion.

Podcast 167 features the result of that session, as well as some background and resulting interpretations of the song. How significant is the recording? Read what Maria Schneider, no slouch as an arranger and conductor, wrote:

This is arguably the finest of Gil's and Miles' collaborations. There are countless details one could highlight, but I would like to touch on ... (one) particular point about this piece. It will be more deeply appreciated if you first take the opportunity to listen to the original guitar concerto as composed by Rodrigo. A comparison will illuminate Gil's unique gifts in writing all parts in a linear fashion. It's most notable that he manages to do this even in the bass line. The bass is never just relegated to playing roots, but rather lines—rich melodic lines. If you listen to the tuba line in the beginning, you'll catch one of these lines right from the start. And if you listen to the bottom parts throughout this work, you'll see that part of the translucence that Gil generally gets in his music is from freeing up the bottom and putting air in these low parts. Such attention to line-writing permeates every layer and can be heard throughout this piece.

Click here to follow along as Ms. Schneider suggests, and listen to:

John Williams –  "Concerto De Aranjuez" Beginning with one of the great classical guitarists of our time, here is a stripped down version of Rodrigo’s classic composition.

Miles Davis – "Concierto De Aranjuez (adagio)"   from Sketches of Spain. It is the adagio section that is the most familar, so Miles concentrated on that section in his reinterpretation. A masterpiece of nuance, and subtlety.

Jim Hall  -  from Concierto. An all-star band does their interpretation of the piece - Jim Hall (Guitar), Chet Baker (trumpet), Paul Desmond (sax), Sir Roland Hanna (Piano), Ron Carter (bass) and Steven Gadd (drums). Arranged for the album by Don Sebensky 

Chick Corea & Gonzalo Rubacala – “Concerto De Aranjuez/Spain” from Rendezvous in New York. Chick Corea, a Davis alumnus, wrote this composition as a variation on the Concerto. It begins with the adagio, and after the intro, the song switches to a fast, steady samba-like rhythm, in which the main theme and an improvisation part are repeated.Corea never goes too far a field, using a chord progression during the improvisation based on the harmonic progressions in Rodrigo's concerto. Originally written for Return to Forever, here it's played as an acoustic piano duet.

It’s Hallowe’en again, and so it must be time for the annual Straight No Chaser Spooky Song Showcase. Podcast 166 features a scary cross section of sinister titles, so click here to enjoy: 

Eldar – “The Exorcist” from Virtue. Hopefully you listened to my interview with this 22 year old piano wizard, who announces himself as a major composer and performer with this new album. 

Dom Minasi – “Just One More Bite” from The Vampire’s Revenge. This 2006 release was inspired by Ann Rice’s “Interview With the Vampire” novel. Guitarist Minasi writes with wit and just a touch of mayhem on this tune.  Steve Swell, Herb Robertson and John Gunther stand out on the track, as do Carol Mennie’s wordless vocals.

Wayne Shorter – “Witch Hunt” from Speak No Evil. The penultimate Blue Note session – Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, Ron Carter and Elvin Jones. So good it’s scary. 

Miles Davis – “Prince of Darkness” from Sorcerer. Miles second great quintet recorded this Wayne Shorter tune in New York in 1967 - Davis on trumpet, Shorter on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums. The title is a reference to Miles himself, and became a nickname of sorts for the notoriously moody artist.

Part two of the birthday boy’s podcast tributes comes with recordings made by Gordon Sumner

himself, tapping into his jazz vein. He was quoted in 1985 when asked why he drafted jazz musicians for his backing band:

"I want freedom and the privilege to surprise people. With this new band, I want to destroy the old stereotypes that have been built around me. I feel very at home with jazz. This new group has a jazz influence, but it's not a jazz band. It has a polarity of all the best of my music. I try to achieve the cross-pollination in music that happened in the 1960s."

With that in mind, let’s listen to that band and a few others such as:

Sting – “Consider Me Gone” from Bring On the Night. When Sting decided to take his initial solo material on the road, he decided his backing band should have a jazz sound. The result was a lineup starring saxophonist Branford Marsalis, pianist Kenny Kirkland, drummer Omar Hakim (formerly of Weather Report), and Darryl Jones, (Miles Davis).

Sting and Gil Evans – “Strange Fruit “ from Last Session. Sting and legendary jazz composer/pianist/arranger Evans performed at the Perugia Jazz Festival on July 11, 1987. The concert turned out to be Evans’ final performance, as he died shortly thereafter. The repertoire for the show was Police hits alongside a wide array of covers ranging from Jimi Hendrix to Tony Williams to this Billie Holiday classic. The 19-piece ensemble featured George Adams on tenor sax, Lew Soloff on trumpet, Mark Egan on bass, and Branford Marsalis on tenor and soprano sax. The recording has never been released in the US.

Frank Zappa – “Murder By Numbers” from Broadway the Hard Way. Perhaps the strangest collaboration of Sting’s career came with Zappa in 1988, when he performed an unusual arrangement of "Murder By Numbers", set to the tune "Stolen Moments” by jazz composer Oliver Nelson, and for some reason "dedicated" to fundamentalist evangelist Jimmy Swaggart.

Sting –  “My Funny Valentine” from Sting at the Movies, Sting has a soft spot for the standards. He has recorded  “Someone to Watch Over Me” and “My One and Only Love”, among others. This track was recorded with pianist Herbie Hancock to play at the end of the Japanese film Ashura., directed by Yojiro Takita in 2005.

Chris Botti featuring Sting – “What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?” From To Love Again – The Duets. Sting has appeared on a number of Botti studio recordings, and was a guest on the trumpeter’s recent TV special turned DVD turned live CD. This classic ballad has lyrics written by Alan and Marilyn Bergman and music by Michel Legrand. The recording on a 2006 Grammy award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying a Vocalist, the award shared by Billy Childs, Gil Goldstein, and Hector Pereira.

Herbie Hancock featuring Sting – “Sister Moon” from Possibilities. It seemed a natural choice for Hancock to ask Sting to join him on this CD, which enlisted pop and rock performers to sing with a jazz band, often reimaging their own work.

Rock musician Sting – born Gordon Sumner 58 years ago this month – is one of the jazzier pop stars of the past forty years. Although he reached fame first as the bass player of the punk rock-styled band The Police, his first professional gigs during college and during breaks from being a school teacher were in jazz groups. He played with local bands such as the Phoenix Jazzmen, the Newcastle Big Band, and Last Exit in the Newcastle ara of England.

His songwriting from 1977 to the present has tapped into jazz stylings from time to time, and his solo recordings have usually had jazz musicians involved in the sessions. At least two of his songs, “Fragile” and “Fields of Gold”, have to be considered candidates for New Standards,. The former has been recorded by, among others,  Kenny Barron and  Regina Carter, Billy Childs, The Daugherty McPartland Group, Freddie Hubbard and Cassandra Wilson.

So here is another of my occasional  “Jazz Does Rock” series of podcasts, a “Jazz Does Gordon Sumner” salute, with songs made famous by The Police and Sting, recorded here by: 

Cassandra Wilson – "Fragile" from Glamoured. A poignant verion of the anti-war song that became something of an anthem after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  

Dianne Reeves – “Ever Breathe You Take” from Blue Note Plays Sting. Two separate albums of Blue Note artists playing his music have been released., and Miss Reeves graces each of them with a Sting ballad. Here she sings The Police’s biggest hit, with  solos by Bob Belden (who did the arrangements), Mark Ledford and Kirk Whalum. L

Lynne Arriale Trio - "Wrapped Around Your Finger" from Now. Quietly, the Lynne Arriale Trio has been making expceptional music for a number of years, mixing standards, pop songs and jazz classics. This Police song kicked off the latest CD from Lynne Arriale on piano, Jay Anderson on bass, and Steve Davis on drums.

Christian McBride - "Walking On the Moon" from Sci-Fi. This is one of my favorite albums from the polific McBride, mixing covers of Herbie Hancock with those of Steely Dan and the Police. This version comes across as a ballad rather than the reggae sound of the original, That's Jame Carter with the bass clarinet solo, and Ron Blake on tenor and soprano saxophone; Shedrick Mitchell's piano and Fender Rhodes; David Gilmore on guitar, McBride on bass and Rodney Green on drums complete the band.

Kevyn Lettau - "Message in a Bottle" from Walking in Your Footsteps. In her own words: I first learned about The Police in the early 80's from my sister's old boyfriend. At that point I must admit I was a total Rock and Roll ignorant snob. If music wasn't either jazz, Joni Mitchell or old R&B, I couldn't have cared less! But when I really started to listen, I was blown away by the lyrics, the musicianship and the melodies, not to mention Sting's wonderful voice. I was very impressed, but still stayed with the other styles as far as my own singing and studying was concerned. Band members are led by smooth jazz star Russell Ferrante (Piano),  along with Mike Shapiro (Drums), Jimmy Haslip (Bass), Luis Conte (Percussion) and Gary Meek (Saxophone).

“He’s a genius beyond most young people I’ve heard.”
-Dave Brubeck

Heavy words from a jazz master, particularly when he is talking about 22 year old Eldar Djangirov, a keyboard player whose latest CD, Virtue, confirms that he is among the most talented players on the scene today. Born in Kyrgyzstan (what was at the time of his birth part of the Soviet Union), Eldar emigrated to the US wiht his family in 1998. In a short time, he became the youngest guest ever to appear on Marian McPartland's "Piano Jazz" show. Signed to the Sony Classical label, he has released four CDs on the label.

 I had the pleasure of speaking with him last week as he readied himself for a multi-night engagement at Yoshi's in Oakland, California, and Podcast 162 presents that conversation along with music from his releases, including:

"Dream Song“ from Re-Imagination. Recorded three years later after signing with Sony Classical, this CD was nominated for a Grammy award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. Eldar adds some electronic experiments, including the addition of DJ Logic on a few tracks. This recording is a solo piano piece, showing Eldar’s debt to Oscar Peterson, Chick Corea and Dr. Billy Taylor. 

"Lullaby Fantazia" from Virtue.  While keyboard pyrotechnics are Eldar’s strength, this track shows off his soulful side, as he glides through the track with a graceful left hand and melodic right hand, reminiscent in sound to Keith Jarrett’s solo work. 

“Blackjack” from Virtue. Trumpet star Nicholas Payton joins the trio for this up-tempo number, weaving between the strong rhythm section of Ludwig Afonso (drums) and Armondo Gola (bass). Never afraid to move the number along at an accelerated pace, he adds electric keyboards to the sound, showing why he may be the finest young technician in jazz today.

Every year, the Jazz Standard in New York presents a Festival of New Trumpet Music (FONT), conceived and cu­rated by acclaimed player, composer, and bandleader Dave Douglas. This year’s FONT honors the great Bobby Bradford, who will travel from the West Coast to appear on at the Jazz Standard with different combos in weekend performances October 1-4, 2009. Other trumpeters appearing to salute Mr. Bradford will be Jeremy Pelt, Ambrose Akinmusire, Avishai Cohen, Eddie Henderson and David Weiss.

Bradford, who at age 75 stands at perhaps our greatest living avant-garde trumpeter, is best known for his work with saxophonist Ornette Coleman and clarinetist John Carter, both major figures in pushing the limits of their respective instruments. He has also led his own group, the Mo’tet, and been a part of Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra. As an educator, Mr. Bradford has taught at Pomona College in California for four decades. His most famous student may be noted saxophonist David Murray, who will sit in with his former teacher on October 3rd and 4^th. 

Bradford will perform with a quintet and an octet, but he indicated when we spoke last week that the different band size would not create any special problems. “The music is not scored for a particular instrumentation, so the tunes we play will be the same tunes each night. The additional players are really strong, and they enhance the performance considerably.” He added that finding scores for some of the music he played with the John Carter Octet was difficult, with a certain discrepancy existing in some of the written scores. The band – which each night will include Bradford on trumpet, Marty Ehrlich on saxophones and clarinet, and Andrew Cyrille on drums, supplemented by others – will get just one rehearsal on Friday afternoon, “That’s asking a lot for anyone. No disrespect for New York players – these are the best you could have, but we want to play pieces like (John Carter’s) ‘Castles in Ghana’ and that takes work.”

I spoke with Mr. Bradford last week regarding the upcoming gigs, and while a scheduling error made a recording impossible, Podcast 162 is a tribute to Mr. Bradford and his music, including quotes from our interview and musical selections:

Ornette Coleman – “Down by Law“ from The Complete Science Fiction Sessions. Mr. Bradford chose “Down by Law” as a track he particularly liked from the CDs. However, he didn’t care much about the remastered sound of the set. “I’m not much of what you would call an audiophile, when they change what we had before. I’ve listened to the original over the years, and played in my classes. So since those are the only records I made with Ornette, I’m glad people who weren't familiar with the originals can discover the music.”

The core of the Coleman band had been trumpeter Don Cherry, saxophonists Coleman and Dewey Redman, bassist Charlie Haden, and drummers Ed Blackwell and Billy Higgins. For these sessions, pianist Cedar Walton, guitarist Jim Hall, trumpeter  Bradford, vocalist Asha Puthi, and poet David Henderson, who narrated “Science Fiction” were added. Mr. Bradford was pleased these sessions were reissued, but not because of the remastered sound. “I’m not much of what you would call an audiophile, when they change what we had before. I’ve listened to the original over the years, and played in my classes. So since those are the only records I made with Ornette, I’m glad people who weren't familiar with the originals can discover the music.”  

David Murray – “Woodshedetude” from Death of a Sideman. The record is under Murray’s name, but Bradford wrote all the music, a suite in memory of his long time collaborator John Carter. He spoke fondly of this recording, which featured Murray on sax, Bradford on trumpet, Dave Burrell on piano, Fred Hopkins on bass, and Ornette alumnus Ed Blackwell on drums. 

John Carter & Bobby Bradford’s New Art Jazz Ensemble – “Rosavita’s Dance” from Seeking. A 1969 session adding Nate Morgan on piano, Louis Spears on bass and Ndugu on drums to Carter’s clarinet and alto sax and Bradford’s trumpet, creating a quintet to perform this driving Bradford composition. This album has not, to the best of my knowledge, been released on CD. Thanks to Inconstant Sol for the rip. 

John Carter & Bobby Bradford - on “Portrait of J.B.G.” and “Circle” from Tandem 1. A duo concert recorded  live at the  Piedmont Center for Arts in Worcester,  on April 30, 1982, the evening gave two giants of their respective instruments a chance to play separately and together. Here is a cornet solo by Bradford on “Portrait of J.B.G.”, followed by a duet.  Who or what is “J.B.G.”. Bradford set me straight – “John Birks Gillespie”.

Were live duo performances exceptionally difficult for the two men? “Well yes, but you know we had spent hours playing together in that context. We didn’t have that many gigs, but by playing together we developed a repertory of tunes to play. We didn’t just start blowing! We had a book ready. In fact, we performed with a music stand in front of us many times.”

I asked Mr. Bradford what advice he had for young jazz musicians. “Take a serious look at it (a career), and if you are going to narrow down the type of music you play you have to be ready to miss out on a lot of money. You can be real good in jazz, but there is no guarantee that you’ll get the work you need to pay the bills. There are a lot of great musicians who would be deliriously happy if they could make $50,000 a year playing jazz. There’s a lot of competition. Even when you’re not working, you have to practice. If you’re lucky enough to work in someone’s band, you are still expected to rehearse for free, even when there’s no gig.”

One of the more interesting acts playing this weekend’s free portion of the Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival in Boston is percussionist Yoron Israel’s tribute to his friend and musical mentor, the late David “Fathead” Newman. For much of the last decade, Israel anchored his touring bands, and recorded three CDs with him. Newman, a legendary saxophonist/flutist and composer, was a prominent member of the Ray Charles band in the fifties and sixties and a renowned bandleader in his own right thereafter. He passed away on January 20, 2009 at age 75.

Israel will hit the stage at around 3:00 in Boston, leading a large ensemble, including the always exciting Curtis Fuller (trombone), Howard Johnson (baritone saxophone), Bill Easley (flute, tenor, and alto saxophones), Dave Leonhardt (piano), and John Menegon (bass). 

Israel, Chicago born and now residing in Brockton, MA, is assistant chairman of percussion at Berklee College of Music in Boston. I got the chance to talk to him about his work with “Fathead”, his role as bandleader and educator, and about the many musicians with whom he has recorded. Click here to listen to Podcast 161, which features the interview and music Yoron Israel has had a part in, including:

David “Fathead” Newman – “Here Comes Sonny Man" from Cityscape. This is the band that Yoron had in mind when he put together the tribute: Newman on sax and flute, Winston Byrd on trumpet, Howard Johnson on Baritone Sax, Benny Powel on Trombone, David Leonhardt on Piano, John Menegon on Bass and Yoron on Drums.

Kenny Burrell – “I’m Falling for You“ from Lotus Blossom.  The first of many great guitar players with whom Israel has made great music, this 1995 release has Burrell playing in a number of different settings. Here is one of the trio recordings, with Ray Drummond on bass and Israel on drums.

Kenny Burrell - "Soul Eyes" from Guiding Spirit. A different Burrell quartet featuring Yoron's "musical big brother" Jay Hoggard, the pride of Wesleyan University on vibes, Burrell on guitar, Marcus McLaurine on bass and Israel on drums.

David “Fathead” Newman – “I Can’t Get Started “ from Life. Newman was more than just Ray Charles’ main horn man – he was capable of playing in so many different idioms, and was as accomplished on flute as he was on saxophone. Here he tackles a Gershwin tune, with Peter Bernstein (guitar), Steve Nelson (vibraphone), John Menegon (double bass), and Israel (drums) backing him up.

Going from headliner to artistic director, Terri Lyne Carrington’s involvement with the Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival has reached its apex. A native of Medford, a Boston suburb, her deep musical network and knowledge make her an ideal choice to lead BeanTown as it expands its scope and moves towards becoming one of the nation's premier jazz festivals.  

She is no stranger to multitasking. She has received Grammy nominations both as a performer (for her solo album, Real Life Story) and as a producer (for the Dianne Reeves album, That Day). Her extensive touring career of over 20 years includes stints with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Al Jarreau, and others. Among the acts she has recorded with are Diana Krall, John Scofield, George Duke, and James Moody. She appeared on Hancock’s Grammy winning CD Gershwin’s World, and Shorter’s High Life. Her most recent CD as a band leader is the celebrity-studded More to Say.

"This festival is a testament to Boston's reputation as a music hub and its dedication to jazz and producing and nurturing great artists," the noted drummer said in a written statement. "As a native and recent returnee to the area, I'm thrilled for this chance to give back to the community by throwing a big party for Boston. I hope people come out to fraternize with their neighbors, enjoy the delicious food, and hear some incredible music." 

I spoke with Ms. Carrington last week, and so Podcast 160 is a shout out to the BeanTown Jazz Festival and Ms. Carrington, including musical selections from: 

Friday Night Headliners:

 David Sanborn – “Slam!” from  Closeup.  His blues roots go back to Woodstock in 1969. Yes, Sanborn was a member of the Butterfield Blues Band horn section, making him perhaps the only current jazz headliner to perform that weekend. Headlining on Friday night, Sanborn is capable of some terrific R&B soloing. Check out this scorching Marcus Miller composition, with Miller taking the bass and keyboards, with Sanborn on sax, Vinnie Colaiuta on drums and Paul Jackson Jr. on guitar. 

 Kevin Mahogany – “Route 66” from You Got What It Takes.. Possessed of one of the great bass voices in jazz, Mahoganey should make quite an impression singing the blues Friday night. Here he is on a classic uptempo number. 

 Amina Claudine Myers appearing with Charlie Haden’s Liberation Orchestra – “Spiritual” from Dream Keeper.  A Haden composition dedicated to Martin Luther King, Medgar Evers and Malcolm X is given a large ensemble performance, under the baton of Carla Bley. Solos on this number are by Ray Anderson (trombone), Branford Marsalis (sax), Charlie Haden (bass) and Ms. Myers is on vocals. Other standouts on the cut are Tom Harrell on trumpet, Paul Motian on drums and Joe Lovano on sax. 

Saturday Acts include:

 Donald Harrison – “Dancehall” from Nouveau Swing.   A graduate of Art Blaey’s Jazz Messengers, Harrison produces great post-bop with a touch of New Orleans soul. This comes from one of my favorite Harrison release, with Christian McBride on bass, Carl Allen on drums, and Albert Wonsey on piano.  

Joe Louis Walker – “Uhhh!” from The Preacher and the President. A 1998 release on jazz label Verve,  the San Francisco native shows his debt to Delta and Chicago Blues with some down home playing.   

And finally….

Terri Lyne Carrington – “No Not One (For Helen)” from More to Say.  Her latest release is full of guest artists from Christian McBride to Everette Harp to Nancy Wilson. This track is a large group Afro-Cuban stomp of a number, featuring pianist Danilo Perez.

Chico Hamilton is 88 years young today, and I had the pleasure of chatting with the legendary drummer last week. Podcast 159 is that interview, along with some of the most memorable music he recorded during his career that has covered the length of what he likes to call "contemporary music" of the last 8 decades.

Gerry Mulligan Quartet- "Bernie's Tune". the first recording ever made for Pacific Records was cut in 1952 in Phil Turetsky's house in Los Angeles. The great "piano-less"quartet was Mulligan on baritone sax, Chet Baker on trumpet, Bobby Whitlock on bass and Chico on drums.

Gerry Mulligan and his Ten-tette - "Walkin' Shoes" from Gerry Mulligan and his Ten-tette. Mulligan loved to play with different group sizes, including this large group whihc included Baker and Chico from his Quartet, along with West Coast standouts like Bud Shank (Alto Sax) and Bob Enevoldsen (Trombone).

Chico Hamilton Quintet - "The Sage" from The Complete Pacific Recordings of Chico Hamilton Quintet. His first great quintet - Chico, Buddy Collette (saxophone), Jim Hall (guitar), Carson Smith (bass) and Fred Katz on cello.

Chico Hamilton Quintet - "I'm Beginning to See the Light" from The Complete Pacific Recordings of Chico Hamilton Quintet. A young Eric Dolphy (saxophone) got his big break when Chico's brother discovered him and turned Chico on to his flute and sax playing. The rest of the quintet is John Pisano (guitar) Nathan Gershman (cello) Hal Gaylor (bass) and Chico. Recorded in Los Angeles April, 1958.

 Chico Hamilton - "Forest Flower" from Man From Two Worlds. From Dolphy to Charles Lloyd, Chico has always been able to spot the top players. Lloyd on sax and flute, Hungarian guitar whiz Gabor Szabo, bassist Albert Stinson and Chico make up the band.

Chico Hamilton - "Larry of Arabia" from The Dealer. Chico moved to Impulse! Records in the Sixties, and cut this classic with Larry Coryell making his recording debut on guitar. Chico on drums, altoist Arnie Lawrence, and bassist Richard Davis complete the band.

Strick Muzik is a family affair. Marcus Strickland, in collaboration with his twin brother E.J. found that after years of either recording for small labels or being passed over by larger labels afraid to take a chance on his talent, in order to make the music he wanted the way he wanted, he'd have to go the D.I.Y. approach and create his own label.

Enter Strick Muzik, which is featuring two formidable releases this month. Marcus, who has recorded two CDs under his own name in addition to working with Jeff "Tain" Watts, Dave Douglas, Roy Haynes and Will Calhoun, has assembled a trio album entiteld Idiosyncracies (although to read the title on the CD, it's "Id I O Syn Crasies"). Recording covers from the likes of Bjork, Stevie Wonder and Andre 3000 alongside his originals, Strickland has made a powerful recording, stripping the songs down to their basic elements.

E.J. Strickland's long overdue debut as a band leader is a solid quintet CD. All originals, the music has a strong spiritual sound, the band meshing on song after song, sometimes soaring, sometimes whispering. After years of working with Wynton Marsalis, Christian McBride, Herbie Hancock, and Cassandra Wilson, it's good to see him stepping out on his own.

Podcast 158 is a conversation with Marcus Strickland, discussing the "indie scene" in jazz recordings, why he thinks the soprano sax might get a bad rap, and what's next for the brothers and their label. Featured are two tracks form each of their new CDs, including:

Marcus Strickland - "Middle Man" from Idiosynracies. A Marcus original features his powerful sax style, working hand in hand with drummer/brother E.J. Strickland and bassist Ben Williams.

Marcus Strickland - "Scatterheart" from Idiosynracies. Marcus spoke about taking this Bjork tune, which was highly produced as her original, and stripping it down to "the bare essentials" for his trio. Mission accomplished.

E.J. Strickland - "Abandoned Discovery" from In This Day.  The Quintet brother E.J. put together takes on a whole different sound that Marcus' CD. Jaleel Shaw is on alton, Marcus on tenor, Luis Perdomo on piano and Hans Glawischnig on bass. Ravi Coltrane, with whom E.J. often plays, is the producer for the sessions.

E.J. Strickland - "Eternal (intro)/Eternal" from In This Day. Several of E.J.'s compositions feature spoken or vocal introductions. Here the band is joined by Cheray O'Neal's spoken voice reading the poem she co-write with E.J. and Charenee Wade on vocals.

Imagine a nightclub in New York fifty years ago, where Billie Holiday, sadly past her prime at the age of 44, is performing in what will become her last public concert. The award-wining Hartford Stage Company in Hartford, Connecticut is bringing us just that, mounting a production of Reenie Upchurch's play "Yesterdays - An Evening with Billie Holiday". Jazz singer Vanessa Rubin is cast in the title lead role, backed by a jazz trio of Levi Barcourt (piano), Bernard Davis (vocalist/drums), and David Jackson (bass).

Born and raised in Cleveland, Miss Rubin's  first public brush with Billie Holiday's oeuvre came while competing in the Miss Black Central Ohio Contest. She received a standing ovation for her performance of “God Bless the Child”, which convinced her that her true calling was to sing in the jazz tradition. From her early dates with Pharoah Sanders and Barry Harris to her headlining performances, she has shown herself to be a singer of great depth and variety.

By taking on the challenging role of Lady Day herself in the "Yesterdays - An Evening with Billie Holiday", Ms. Rubin also shows she has acting chops. She is called upon to play a foul-mouthed, slowly burning out singer, and to tell stories of her upbringing, loves and musical influences, while sprinkling in a steady stream of Holiday classics. Dressed in a  long, white halter dress with the trademark gardenia in her hair, Miss Rubin succeeds admirably in bringing the legend to life, using her talents not to mimic Billie Holiday, but rather to bring across her spirit, through the turn of a phrase, the trill of a note, or a subtle turn of the head while clutching the microphone. She nails "Strange Fruit" near the show's close, wringing angst and sorrow from every note.

I got the chance to speak with Miss Rubin about the challenges of the role and other aspects of the show  this week, so please enjoy the interview as this week's Podcast. I celebrate Vanessa Rubin and the cast of "Yesterdays" and Billie Holiday with songs performed in the show and other tunes, including:

Billie Holiday - "Deep Song" from The Complete Commodore Recordings. Since Billie's cataloge from Decca and Columbia get the most attention, many singers (including Ms. Rubin) were unfamiliar with her version of this plaintive ballad.

Kenny Burrell -"Raincheck" from  Pieces Of Blue And The Blues. Bassist David Jackson from the Hartford Stage production anchors the rhythmn section for this live session with drummer Kenny Washington. Burrell joins two other guitarists, Rodney Jones and Bobby Broom for a three-headed monster.

Vanessa Rubin - "I Only Have Eyes for You" from Pastiche. Vanessa has recorded several songs that Billie Holiday recorded, although noen of the tunes Lady Day was best known for, including this standard.  This bass heavy version includes Tarik Shah on bass, Aaron Walker on drums, Aaron Graves on piano and a horn section that includes Steve Turre on trombone and Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet.

Vanessa Rubin - "Our Love Is Here To Stay" from Vanessa Rubin Sings. The Gershwins' classic gets a romping rendition backed by an all-star group, including Robert Hurst on bass, Marvin "Smitty" Smith on drums, Kevin Eubanks on guitar and Turre on trombone and conch shell.

Vanessa Rubin - "But Not for Me" from Girl Talk. Two fun-filled duets with the late Etta Jones were highlights of this 2001 Telarc release. These were the last sessions Ms. Jones would record before succumbing to cancer, and Vanessa points out in our interview that few singers captured the quality of Billie Holiday's voice as well as Miss Jones did. Cedar Walton is on piano, Steve Davis on trombone, Javon Jackson on saxophone, David Williams on bass and Lewish Nash on drums.

Billie Holiday - "Gimme a Pigfoot (and a Bottle of Beer)" from The Complete Decca Recordings. One of the highlights of the Hartford Stage production comes when Vanesa as Billie tells the story of her devotion for Bessie Smith and her frustrating encounter with the blues legend in a nightclub early in her career. A rousing finale to the podcast.

I've had some fun in the past with "theme shows", like the one I did a few years back on songs with the word "Jungle" in the title. This week, its a visit to the crisper bin in the refridgerator with songs titled after vegetables.

Click here to get your daily dose of necessary vitamins and roughage from:

Wes Montgomery - "Green Peppers" from California Dreaming. By the time Wes recorded this number in 1966, his days of burning it up seemed past him, as he concentrated on pop tunes. You could have fooled me with this funky one, powered by percussion by Ray Barretto and Grady Tate, and piano by Herbie Hancock.

Cal Tjader - "Sally's Tomato" from Sona Libre.  The latin music playing  vibraphonist teams with Clare Fischer on organ, Fred Schneider on bass, Johnny Rae on drums, and Bill Fitch on conga for a 1963 Verve session. And yes, I know the tomato is a fruit, not a vegetable. My blog, my rules of inclusion.

Hank Marr - "The Squash" from Greasy Spoon.  Blues great Albert King gives Hammond B-3 player Marr a boost in a 1960 recording. Rusty Bryant adds the distinctive saxophone.

Freddie Roach - Title Track from Mo' Greens Please.  One of Blue Note Record's best B-3 players, Freddie's band for this funky number includes Eddie Wright on guitar, Clarence Johnston on drums, and Connie Lester on sax.

Art Pepper - "Red Pepper Blues" from Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section.  An absolutely classic album matches the troubled bop saxophone player with an all-star supporting cast - the Miles Davis rhythm section of pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Philly Joe Jones. The song is credited to Garland.

Weather Report - "Cucumber Slumber" from Mysterious Traveler.  The 1974 version of the seminal fusion group was Wayne Shorter on saxophone, Joe Zawinal on keyboards, Alphonso Johnson on bass and Ishmael Wilburn on drums. A funky electric ending to a fun podcast!

 Special thanks to Funky16Corners for some of the vegetables used in this podcast.

 At the age of 91, pianist Marian McPartland shows no signs of slowing down. I spoke to her by telephone last week, and found that she was still composing, still practicing and still working on her radio show Piano Jazz, now in its 30th year on NPR.  Podcast 155 is a portrait of the great piano player and her music.

From her days as a child prodigy in England, to her Trio's influencial long-term residency at the Embers (1950) and the Hickory House (1952-1960) to her current recording and radio schedule, Ms. McPartland has consistently been a dynamic pianist and personality. She still works primarily with a piano trio, a format she finds is a "comfortable way of playing. First you have the bass as one source of support, then the drummer as another...From there you can play different kind of things, whether straight ahead or playing something as a bossa nova or somethign else entirely."

Ms. Partland has a full schedule of guests for the summer on "Piano Jazz", a show that continues to grow in popularity. Crossover guests like Elvis Costello and Steely Dan's Donald Fagen and Walter Becker jump at the chance to spend an hour with her. She claims there are a few guests she still has never had; she would like to have Sonny Rollins ("He said he would; I just have to get him pinned down on a date.") and Stevie Wonder as guests before she's done with the show.

She credits her development of a feel for jazz to listening to teh great players of her childhood. "When I was in England there were the swing bands, and Benny Goodman had a great piano player in Teddy Wilson,  so ther was always someone to listen to. Fats Waller, Art Tatum - these are all people who are forever engraved in my mind. I try to lsiten to new people of course, to try to keep up with what is new and different".

She urges serious jazz students to listen to as much jazz as they can, "play a lot, experiment with harmony, just try to play." She claims to have dozens of half finished compostiions on her piano, songs that she looks at from time to time to consdier compelting. "One or two of them are not so bad at all", she said with a laugh. An understatement if there ever was one.

Podcast 155 includes the following:

Marian McPartland - Title Track from Twilight World. Her latest album on Concord Records revisits her older compositions and some songs she never got around to recording by Ornette Coleman, John Lewis and Miles Davis.The songs  "chose her", she claims, rather than the other way around. "Twilight World" was performed after its initial composition for Johnny Mercer, who asked Marian's permission to write a lyric for it. She was bowled over and delighted to collaborate. When Tony Bennett decided to record the song, she couldn't believe her good fortune.

The trio on this version is Ms. McPartland on piano, Gary Mazzaroppi on bass and Glenn Davis on drums. She dedicated the album to her late husband, Jimmy McPartland.

Marian McPartland - "Ambiance" from With Strings - Silent Pool. Marian took one of the compositions of which she is the proudest and had Alan Broadbent write string arrangements for this 1996 album.  She said she wrote the song while spending the summer in Norman, Oklahoma, working with other jazz musicians on an education program. At the time she was listening to a lot of Herbie Hancock, and inspired by his harmonic palette, decided to write something that the students would enjoy performing in his style. After that, it all fell together and was very easy to complete.

Eden Atwood - "In the Days of Our Love" from There Again. Marian and I share a fondness for the singer Eden Atwood, who recorded this McPartland original with Marian sitting in. She credits singers with helping her approach material, whether classics or her originals. She finds that she concentrates on the lyrics or thinks of a singer's approach to lyrics when interpeting a song, and with that in mind, finds she can improvise in a manner that allows a deeper emotional connection with the listener. "A beautiful ballad certainly gives extra poignancy", she said, "Certainly if you know the lyric you can give the song more feeling."

Marian McPartland - "Lush Life" from Plays the Music of Billy Strayhorn. Among the composers she has paid tribute to with album long recordings are Leonard Bernstein, Duke Ellington, Alec Wilder and Strayhorn. I asked her if she was intimidated by this classic tune, which so many jazz musicians, especially singers, have begged off from recording. She shrugged off the thought that it was anything other than a very simple tune with a very deep lyric.

 "Portrait of Stephane Grappelli" from Piano Jazz with Stephane Grappelli.  Many of her "Piano Jazz" shows are available on CD, so you can listen over and over again to her ability to make great musicians relax and perform with her in a most intimate setting. This recording of the show with the hot jazz violin master included one of her "musical portraits", an improvised song that captures the essence of her guest.  "It sounds corny", she said, "But that's jazz. If you can improvise on a particular theme, and have a person to work on, the results just happen." Among the shows she is most proud of are those with Bill Evans and Dave Brubeck.

Dave Brubeck Quartet - "Marian McPartland" from So What's New. Speaking of Brubeck, the great pianist turned the tables and recorded a portrait of Marian on this 1998 CD. Brubeck owes her though - he stole drummer Joe Morello from her trio in 1957, and his Quartet took off to fame from there. This version of the Quartet is Brubeck on piano, Bobby Militello on saxophone, Jack Six on bass and Randy Jones on drums.

Readers of this blog know that I am a huge fan of organ jazz, and include on my list of its greatest practitioners Hammond B-3 aces such as Jimmy Smith, Jack MacDuff and Jimmy McGriff.  These soulful players are all gone now, but their spirit lives on with a slew of contemporary masters.

So Podcast 154 is a tribute to the Hammond Heroes  of Today. I’ve intentionally left out well-known players like Sam Yahel and Joey DeFrancesco, choosing to focus on acts you might not yet have discovered. So click here, and listen to tracks in an organ way including:

Deep Blue Organ Trio - "Raspberry Beret" from Deep Blue Bruise.  From Chicago comes Chris Foreman (organ), Greg Rockingham (drums) and Bobby Broom (guitar), better known as the Deep Blue Organ Trio. They skillfully mix covers of pop tunes, like this Prince song, with originals that remind me of the best of Jack MacDuff’s recordings with George Benson. If you’re near the Windy City, they appear at the noted jazz club The Green Mill every Tuesday if they are in town.

Organissimo - "Jimmy Smith Goes to Washington" from Waiting for the Boogaloo Sisters. The title alone justified inclusion in the podcast. Jim Alfredson is  organ player behind this trio from Michigan .  Add to him guitarist Joe Gloss and drummer Randy Marsh, and you’ve got the foundation for a group that has traces of everyone from Bernard Purdie to Frank Zappa in their sound.

Barbara Dennerlein - "I Miss You" from In A Silent Mood. Shirley Scott was the torch bearer for female Hammond B-3 players in the 1950’s and 60’s, and now Ms. Dennerlein seems poised to carry it in the new century. While Ms. Scott had here roots firmly in soul music, ms. Dennerlein seems to be more of an experimental performer, her B-3 outfitted with foot pedals that engage her MIDI synthesizer settings, allowing for a wholly different sound.

Akiko Tsuruga - "These Are Soulful Days" from Harlem Dreams. From Osaka, Japan, Ms. Tsuruga was the “go-to” organist for visiting American jazz musicians before hitting the New York scene in 2001. This was her debut album as a leader, and included important sidemen like Grady Tate and Frank Wess. For those interested in a compare and contrast, Joey DeFrancesco recorded the same number on this Ballads & Blues CD.

Nick Peck Organ Trio - "The Chicken" from Fire Trucks I Have Known.  The Nick Peck Organ Trio from San Francisco sounds like the more traditional organ groups of the 1960’s. Peck plays Hammond organ and electric piano, Bill Wolter is on guitar,  and Peter Thomas on Drums and percussion  When they need a horn player, Erik Hoagland guests on tenor and alto sax.

One New England's largest free jazz festival takes place this weekend in Hartford, Connecticut  as the Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz brings over twenty-five hours of music performed by internationally acclaimed artists. Wonderful world-class musicians will grace the mainstage of the Thomas Harris IV Pavillon in Bushnell Park during the 2009 Festival. Local and regional artists will dazzle with their talents on the Arch Stage located in the market place adjacent to Trinity Street.

The festival's main stage entertainmentis  thematically divided between Latin Jazz on Friday night, Smooth Jazz on Saturday, and Straight Ahead Jazz on Sunday. This year's headliners, and some of their representative music, is featured in Podcast 153, and includes:

Charlie Sepulveda - "Mastery of All Situations" from Algo Nuestro (Our Thing).  A hot time is guaranteed in the park Friday night! One of the best and most sought after Latin Jazz sideman in the business, Sepulveda can crank it up as a bandleader as well. Here her teams with tenor saxophonist David Sanchez, in a sextet that includes pianist Edward Simon, bassist Andy Gonzalez, drummer Adam Cruz, and Richie Flores on congas and bongos.

Bob Baldwin - "Seems Like One of Those Daze" from New Urban Jazz.com. Quietly Baldwin has emeregd as one of my favorite smooth jazz artists. This 2008 release shows the many facets of his talents, ranging from funk to gospel to R&B. Organ player Ike Stubblefield is a key member of the band, with vocals by Tyrone Iris.

The Rippingtons - "Take Me With You" from Curves Ahead. The 1991 edition of the smooth jazz pioneers was led by Russ Freeman, their founder, writing all this song and playing guitar and synthesizer. He had two powerhouse companions at that time, Steve Reid on percussion and Jeff Kashiwa on saxophone. Both have gone on to successful solo careers, but the group that will take the stage Saturday night should not disappoint, including Bill Heller on keyboards and synthesizers, Dave Karasony on drums, newcomer Rico Belled on bass, Kashiwa and Freeman.

Azar Lawrence - "My Favorite Things" from Legacy and Music of John Coltrane.  A powerful and underrated saxophone player who has worked with Miles Davis and Earth Wind & Fire, and led his own group through a variety of sounds and phases. His band will be performing a tribute to John Coltrane, so this track seems a perfect appetizer for his main course on Sunday. 

Bobby Lyle - "Groove (Ain't No Doubt About It)" from New Warrior.  The festival ends on a funky, if somewhat commercial, note with Bobby Lyle taking the stage. Artists as varied as Sly & the Family Stone, Gerald Albright, George Benson, and Bette Midler have called for his services, so expect a solid set.

Podcast 152 gives listeners a chance to hear from a man behind the scenes - Nick Phillips, one of the key archivists, producers and project coordinators working today. He works the extensive Prestige and Fantasy Records vaults now owned by Concord, and has produced a number of important reissues. Click here to listen to a conversation with Nick, as well as musical contributions from:

Kenny Burell & John Coltrane - "Why Was I Born" from Kenny Burell & John Coltrane. A track selected for The Very Best of Prestige 2-CD set, this came from Coltrane's final sessions as a sideman for the label. What a session it was - Coltrane on sax, Burrell on guitar, Miles Davis stalwarts Paul Chambers on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums, and Tommy Flanagan on piano.

Karrin Allyson - "A Long Way to Go (Equinox)" from Footprints. Nick Phillips produced, and played a little trumpet, on this album from the talented singer. This is a vocal treatment of the John Coltrane tune, with lyrics added by Chris Caswell, who works often with Ms. Allyson. She plays piano as well as sings, with support from Frank Wess on flute, Peter Washinton on bass and Todd Strait on drums.

Red Garland - "Crazy Rhythm" from Dig It!. Red Garland on Piano, John Coltrane on Tenor Saxophone, Donald Byrd on Trumpet, George Joyner on Drums, and Paul Chambers on Bass. This album will get the Rudy -Van Gelder Remasters treatment in September.

George Benson - "Shadow Dancers" from The New Boss Guitar of George Benson. One of the albums Nick says he regretted leaving a track off from was this debut as a leader of the 21 year old guitar whiz George Benson. He's matched with his mentor Jack MacDuff on organ, and Ronnie Boykins (bass), Red Holloway (tenor sax), Joe Dukes (drums) and Montego Joe (percussion) round out the band.

Charles Earland - "More Today Than Yesterday" from Black Talk. "The Mighty Burner" actually had a hit record with this recording, a soul-jazz winner from 1969. Earland is on hammond B-3 Organ, backed by Virgil Jones on trumpet, Melvin Sparks on guitar, Houston Person on sax, Idris Muhammad on drums, and Buddy Caldwell on conga.

Gene Ammons - "The Real McCoy" from The Big Sound. A Mal Waldren tune recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ
January 3, 1958. Quite a saxophone front line here: Gene Ammons (tenor sax), John Coltrane (alto sax), Paul Quinichette (tenor sax). and
Pepper Adams (baritone sax), with Jerome Richardson (flute), Mal Waldron (piano), George Joyner (bass) and Arthur Taylor (drums). This track will be part of a new five CD set due next year entitled Side Steps, collecting all of Coltrane's sessions as a sideman for artists such as Ammons, Mal Waldron, Red Garland and Tadd Dameron.

Miles Davis - "Airegin" from Bag's Groove. Miles Davis (trumpet) Sonny Rollins (tenor sax) Horace Silver (piano) Percy Heath (bass) and Kenny Clarke (drums) were the all-stars recording at the Rudy Van Gelder Studio, in Hackensack, NJ, on June 29, 1954. A seminal recording of a Rollins' clasic, this is on The Very Best of Prestige, and  will be included in one of Phillips' next reissues, Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins: The Classic Prestige Sessions, 1951-1956.

History Lesson from Wikipedia:

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, hip-hop DJs (starting with Kool DJ Herc) began using several breaks (the part of a funk or jazz song in which the music "breaks" to let the rhythm section play unaccompanied) in a row to use as the rhythmic basis for hip-hop songs. Kool DJ Herc's breakbeat style was to play the same record on two turntables and play the break repeatedly by alternating between the two records (letting one play while spinning the second record back to the beginning of the break). This style was copied and improved upon by early hip hop DJs Afrika Bambaataa and Grand Wizard Theodore^. This style was extremely popular in clubs and dance halls because the extended breakbeat was the perfect backdrop for breakdancers to show their skills.

There are dozens of collections of breakbeats for disc jockeys to collect, including a wonderful set called Blue Note Breakbeats, specializing in sounds from that prestigious label. I stumbled across a set called Breakzilla Beats on Zona-Musical featuring more than few top jazz artists. And so, Podcast 151 is a shout out to their work, including the following songs, including the rappers who have sampled them.

Jeff Lorber Fusion - "Rain Dance" from Water Sign. Sampled by Erykah Badu - "On and On", Lil' Kim - "Crush on You", MC Eiht ft Techniec - "Me & My Bitch" and SWV ft Lil' Caesar - "Love Like This".

Monk Higgins - "Little Green Apples" from Extra Soul Perception. Sampled by GangStarr - "Code of the Streets"

Ahmad Jamal - "Ghetto Child" from Jamalca. Sampled by GangStarr - "The Illest Brother" and Hieroglyphics - "The Who".

Herbie Hancock -  "Fat Mama" from Fat Albert Rotunda. Sampled by Chi-Ali - "Step Up",  Mad Flava - "Bump Ya Head", Mellow Man Ace - "Babulu Bad Boy", Skoolbeats - "Fat Mama", and Tupac Shakur- "If My Homey Calls".

Milt Jackson - "Enchanted Lady" from Memphis Jackson. Sampled by De la Soul - "Dinninit", Large Professor - "I Juswannachill", Pete Rock & CL Smooth - "Carmel City",  Pete Rock & CL Smooth - "Escapism", and Third Eye - "360".

Idris Muhammed - "Crab Apple" from Turn this Mutha Out. Sampled by DJ Honda ft Syndicate - "Every Now and Then", Ghostface Killah - "Daytona 500", Grand Puba ft Mary J. Blige - "Check it Out", Jeru - "Mind Spray", K-Solo - "Renee, Renee", Kwest - "Blase Blase", Run-DMC - "Beats to the Rhyme", Schoolly D - "Black Jesus",  Shyheim - "Napsack", Syndicate - "Every Now and Then", and Tupac Shakur - "Crooked Ass Niggas".

The passing of Michael Jackson yesterday at the age of 50 leaves decidely mixed emotion. First, given that my 50th birthday looms ahead this Fall, an increased sense of mortality hits me. Next, a sense of relief that a tortured soul may finally have been given some measure of rest.

It's not easy to separate the public persona and acts performed by an artist from his work, but in considering Michael Jackson, I think its imperative. Poets like T.S. Eliot and Ezra Pound (and I am NOT comparing their work to Jacko's in any way) were a blatant anti-semite and fascist supporter, respectively, and yet their art will live forever and holds a special place in my heart. So I would prefer to remember his prepubescent enthusiasm and his days as a moonwalking megastar to the horrors of the last fifteen years, when he became a world-wide punchline and then, pariah.

The writer Greil Marcus used a quote from a William Carlos William poem in reference to Elvis Presley that I think serves Jackson well - "The pure products of America go crazy." An appropriate epitaph.

A Jazz Salute to Michael Jackson includes the following songs associated with the Jackson Five or Jackson's solo career:

Charles Earland - "Never Can Say Goodbye" from Funk Fantastique.

Lou Donaldson - "I'll Be There" from Cosmos.

Ramsey Lewis - "She's Out of My Life" from Three Piece Suite.

Miles Davis - "Human Nature" from The Complete Miles Davis at Montreaux.

Stanley Jordan - "Lady In My Life" from Stolen Moments.

Susan Wong - "Billie Jean" from 511.

For me, the official start of summer comes the last weekend in June, when the cozy confines of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) open up for the annual Freihofer's Jazz Festival. I'll be headed there this weekend, and as always, have put together a preview of the many acts that will grace the two stages on the grounds. This way, even if you can't attend, you can get a decent feel for how varied and exciting the music can be.

Podcast 149 has just some of the performers I'll get to see, both up and coming acts and certified legends like:

Kendra Shank Quartet - "Life's Mosaic" from Mosaic. I've had her CD for several months now, and for no good reason haven't given you a taste of it. Kendra tackles standards with finesse and confidence, finding new and exciting ways to make the listener take notice of old chestnuts. She subtly links tunes for medleys, with her "Reflections in Blue" perfectly connecting to Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies". This track is a Cedar Walton tune, and Kendra is backed by Frank Kimbrough on piano, Dean Johnson on bass, and Tony Moreno on drums. Guest appearances are made by Bill Drewes on saxophone and clarinet, and Ben Monder on guitar.

Gary Burton Quartet Revisited with Pat Metheny - "Walter L" from Quartet Live.  You've heard a lot about this one here already, so let's jsut say that this is a Gary Burton original written for the first guitar player he ever worked with, Walter L. "Hank" Garland. The band? Burton on vibes, Pat Metheny on guitar, Steve Swallow on bass and Antonio Sanchez on drums.

SMV - Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller, Victor Wooten - "Tutu" from Thunder. If the Jeopardy! answer is "Thunder", then the question must be, "What do you get if you put three three bass giants on stage together?" This should be a real crowd pleaser. The song was written by Miller for Miles Davis, and features him on bass clarinet, saxophone and synthesizers along with bass.

Aaron Parks - "Karma" from Invisible Cinema.  A track from a welcome new piano player's debut album. He's been a key playerin Terence Blanchard's quintet, now setting out with his own band - Matt Penman on bass, Mike Moreno on guitar, and Eric Harland on drums.

Bonerama - "Hard Times" (single). A New Orleans export that takes calls itself "brass funk rock"; I call it a good time. No fewer than four trombone players make up the band, including Mark Mullins,
Craig Klein, Steve Suter, and Greg Hicks. Matt Perrine on tuba, Bert Cotton on guitar, and Eric Bolivar on drums round out the band.

Bettye LaVette - "You Don't Know Me At All" from The Scene of the Crime. One of the best stories of the past few years was the resurrection of the career of blues/soul singer Bettye LaVette. A veteran of 1960's "Northern Soul" movement, she came back with a vengeance in 2005. This track comes from her most recent album, which finds her backed up by southern rockers the  Drive-By Truckers.

George Benson - "Nature Boy" from In Flight. Benson will perform a tribute to Nat "King" Cole to end the festival Sunday night. Therefore, it seemed appropriate to go back 30 years ago for this Cole classic. The band includes Benson on guitar and vocals, Stanley Banks on bass, Jorge Dalton on keyboards,  and Harvey Mason and Ralph MacDonald on drums and percussion.

Happy Father's Day to my Dad and all other jazz loving fathers in the world. Here's a Podcast of tunes on the topic of fatherhood, including:

Deane Kincaide's Band - "Take a Tip From Father" from Classic Capital Jazz Sessions. This 12 disc compilation includes selections from Big Bands well-known (Benny Carter, Cottie Williams, Bobby Hackett) and less known, like this track. Kincaide was primarily known not as a leader, but as a member of the Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey and Woody Herman Big Band. Recorded in 1950, and unissued until the compilation came out on Mosaic Records, it's chock full of good advice.

Abbey Lincoln - "Story of My Father" from Devil's Got My Tongue. Abbey both wrote and sings this tale from her highly personal 1992 Verve album. Lincoln said that she composed the song because there were a few things she still needed to write down and to say. "It is like a letter to my mother and my father to say to them, 'Listen I really got it, I really appreciate all you did to help me to live,'" she says. "In a way, it's a monument to myself." Among those given credits are J.J. Johnson on trombone, Max Roach on drums, and Babatunde Olatunji on percussion. 

Stanley Clarke - "Father and Son" from At the Movies.  This 1995 collection of material from the bass ace's movie soundtracks includes this short but sweet piece from John Singleton's film Boyz n' the Hood. 

Lydia Allen - "Song For My Father" and Horace Silver - Title Track from Song For My Father.  A vocal version followed by the classic 1964 Blue Note version by the "Hard Bop Grandpop". Personnel for the instrumental are Horace Silver on piano, Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Joe Henderson on sax, Teddy Smith on bass and Roger Humphries on drums.

Dave Valentin - "Danzon for My Father" from Tropic Heat.  Flutist Valentin suplemented his quartet of pianist Bill O'Connell, bassist Lincoln Goines, and drummer Robbie Ameen with extra percussionist and a horn section, with the result being this dynamic tribute to his Dad.

The hot jazz reunion tour of the summer will undoubtedly be a revisited edition of the classic Gary Burton Quartet. Their tour, and new live CD features three original members of the important group, certified jazz legends Burton, Pat Metheny and Steve Swallow, along with one new member, and perhaps one of the most prominent drummers of his generation, Antonio Sanchez.  The 11-song album Quartet Live was recorded at Yoshi's Jazz Club in Oakland and was released on May 26, 2009.

Burton has always had a strong proclivity for working with guitarists. His 1967 album Duster was arguably the first jazz fusion album, powered by a young Larry Coryell on guitar. That group included bassist Steve Swallow and Roy Haynes on drums. Bob Moses replaced Haynes from the follow-up Lofty Fake Anagram, and the original quartet’s final studio album, A Genuine Tong Funeral (featuring the compositions of Carla Bley) completed 16 months of epic recording. After the release of a quartet live album, Coryell would go on to work with Herbie Mann, and then establish a seminal jazz-rock band, the Eleventh House. Burton went in different directions, making duet and trio albums with Chick Corea, Ralph Towner, Keith Jarrett, Paul Bley and Swallow.

Burton returned to the quartet setting with the new quartet of 1973, composed of guitarist Mick Goodrick, bassist Abraham Laboriel and drummer Harry Blazerc. However, Burton soon tapped one of his Berklee students,  19-year old guitarist Pat Metheny to work with, and then replace, Goodrick. This would be the start of a 35-year musical friendship between the vibist and guitarist that continues today.

Podcast 147 traces the history of the Burton-Metheney collaboration with selections from several of their releases, including:

“The Colours of Chloe” from Ring, featuring bassist Eberhard Weber along with Swallow.

“Vox Humana” from Dreams So Real. An album of Carla Bley compostions.

“B and G (Midwestern Night's Dream)” from Passengers. Future PMG drummer Danny Gottlieb joined the Burton group for this song.

“B and G (Midwestern Night's Dream)” from Quartet Live! A different reading of a Metheney composition.

“Question and Answer” from Quartet Live! One of my favorite Metheney compositions, originally heard on his collaboration with Roy Haynes and Dave Holland.

Lisa Sokolov does not approach a song like most jazz singers. For her, singing is both an art of listening and making sound, of reaching deep inside a song and wringing out of it levels of meaning that she along can find. Her approach is more avant-garde than middle of the road, and her performances are often fascinating displays of vocal improvisation. When she sings, she is, as she says in this interview, searching for the mystery of what lies within and behind a song.

Arriving on the New York scene in 1977, Lisa began collaborating with bassist William Parker, a collaboration that continues to this day.  She was also was heard regularly with pianists Wayne Horvitz and Robin Holcomb in the days of Studio Henry.  Over the years she has worked with many new music and jazz notables including Cecil Taylor, Rashid Ali, Gerry Hemingway, Hilton Ruiz, and Jim McNeely.

Sokolov is the originator of the method of Embodied VoiceWork, a vocal improvisation method which she teaches at The Experimental Theater Wing at New York University, Tisch School of the Arts where she is a full professor.  She was also on the faculty of The Graduate Program of Music Therapy at NYU for ten years.   In case all that is not enough, her work as a lay cantor has been featured in A CBS Special, "Sacred Art; Ancient Voices."

While she is not well known in best-selling jazz circles, her past albums Angel Rodeo, Lazy Afternoon and Presence have all received Best CD of the Year citations and press kudos. DownBeat magazine gave Presence a rare rating of 5 stars, along with Best New Release of 2004. Their 2005 critics poll adds Sokolov onto their “Rising Star” vocalist  list.

Her latest album, A Quiet Thing, (Laughing Horse Records) was released last week, and I got a chance to speak with her about the new CD, her upcoming appearance at New York’s Vision Jazz Festival and how she picks her material, from “Ol’ Man River” to “Kol Nidre”.

Ms. Tolstoy is on vocals, with Jacob Karlzon on piano and keyboards, Hans Andersson on acoustic bass, Peter Danemo on drums and percussion, Xavier Desandre Navarre on percussion, Tore Brunborg on saxophone and fluteand Lars Danielsson on cello.

Eric Dolphy – “The Prophet” from Live at the Five Spot. Richard Davis was the anchor of the Astral Weeks band, and here he is anchoring the group on one of Eric Dolphy's greatest live recordings. Dolphy is on clarinet, with Booker Little on trumpet, Mal Waldron on piano, the Davis on bass, with Ed Blackwell on drums. Basically a blues number, in the hands of these forward thinking players, its nothing short of a revelation. Check out Davis' playing near the end of the song, just before Dolphy and Little jump in to bring it home.

Some of my favorite music released in 2008 - includes tracks from notable releases from Patricia Barber, McCoy Tyner, James Carter, Melody Gardot, George Duke and Dianne Reeves.

Sorry for the delay - my microphones have been giving me trouble, so I've decided to go ahead and publish the music only for a while.

This one is a belated birthday shout out to the late great Thelonius Monk!

Jazz musicians, including Barney Kessell, Larry Coryell, Stanley Jordan and of course, the MJQ, take a crack at classical compositions. Real Long Hair stuff!

Israel celbretes its 60th anniversary today, and we celebrate Israeli jazz musicians like Anat Cohen, Avishai Cohen, Yuval Cohen, Anat Fort, and Sophie Milman, among others.

A look at the music of guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, featuring his new double-CD live album from the Village Vanguard.

Celebrate the vernal equinox with a Spring-themed show featuring the music of Ike Quebec, Dave Brubeck, Spyro Gyra, Gary Burton and Jane Monheit.

"Something For You: Elaine Elias Sings and Plays Bill Evans" is the subject of the podcast, featuring tracks from the new CD and music from Elias, Evans, and Keith Jarrett.

To celebrate the 100th podcast, here are four different versions of Thelonius Monk's composition "Straight No Chaser", from whence the title of this humble blog comes. Versions are by Joe Henderson with the Wynton Kelly Trio, the Ginger Baker Trio, Carmen McRae, and Cannonball Adderly. www.straightnocahserjazz.blogspot.com