In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond

New releases reviewed in this episode from Yamanaka, Holland, Sprague, E. Cohen and L. Benjamin. Also, we celebrate last week's election in the US with an appropriate tune from Goldings, Bernstein, Stewart. Finally selections from a great Ellington Suite.

Playlist
Artist ~ Track ~ Album
Miki Yamanaka ~ Pre School ~ Breathe
Dave Holland ~ Sextet: Step To It ~ Freedom Call: Sextet - Unity
Joshua Redman ~ A Message To Unsend ~ Words Fall Short
Peter Sprague ~ Captain Bacardi ~ Derradeira Primavera
Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein & Bill Stewart ~ FU Donald ~ Perpetual Pendulum
Emmet Cohen ~ Luck Be A Lady ~ Universal Truth
Lakecia Benjamin ~ Dream Breaker ~ We Dream
Duke Ellington ~ Such Sweet Thunder ~ Such Sweet Thunder
Duke Ellington and His Orchestra ~ The Star-Crossed Lovers ~ Such Sweet Thunder

This week's show reviews new and old releases from Greg Abate, Dave Holland, Miki Yamanaka and Steve Davis along with a classic from Chick's RTF.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Greg Abate ~ Monsters In The Night ~ Monsters In The Night
Greg Abate Quartet ~ Into Somewhere ~ In The Moment
Dave Holland ~ Prism: Choir ~ Freedom Call: Prism - Freedom
Dave Holland Quartet ~ See-Saw ~ Conference of the Birds
John Scofield & Dave Holland ~ Memories of Home ~ Memories of Home
Miki Yamanaka ~ Indigo ~ Breathe
Steve Davis ~ I Could Write a Book ~ Meets Hank Jones, Volume 2
Return To Forever ~ 500 Miles High ~ Light As A Feather

This week's episode begins with flautist Lori Bell and her ensembles from Southern California. Then we have a chugga-chugga train theme from Metheny and Moody. Finally some of my favorite new releases that may show up on my best of album list for 2026. 

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Lori Bell ~ Lower Manhattan ~ Brooklyn Dreaming
Lori Bell Quartet ~ Shade of Jade ~ Recorda Me - Remembering Joe Henderson
Pat Metheny Group ~ Last Train Home ~ Still Life (Talking)
James Moody ~ Last Train From Overbrook ~ Don't Look Away Now!
George Garzone ~ Ripty Boom ~ Themes for Good Friends
Anthony Fung, Andrew Renfroe & Luca Alemanno ~ This is for Albert ~ Common Language
Sullivan Fortner ~ Aria II ~ Leave That In There
Gregory Hutchinson ~ Water Babies ~ Kind of Now - The Pulse of Miles Davis
Dave Holland ~ Quintet: Veil of Tears ~ Freedom Call: Quintet - Synergism

Today's episode is mostly new music with a modern, adventurous twist. The first half of the show in particular feature artists like Akinmusire, Fortner, Hutchinson and O'Farrill that have been exploring a more free form, expressive aspect to the jazz idiom. 

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Ambrose Akinmusire ~ Bloomed ~ honey from a winter stone
Sullivan Fortner ~ Sugarcane ~ Leave That In There
Gregory Hutchinson ~ Fall ~ Kind of Now - The Pulse of Miles Davis
Adam O'Farrill ~ Curves and Convolutions ~ ELEPHANT
Doug Webb ~ Watch Your Step ~ Watch Your Step
Dave Holland ~ Sextet: Modern Times ~ Freedom Call: Sextet - Unity
Danilo Perez & Bohuslän Big Band ~ Suite for the Americas ~ Lumen

This episode is inspired by the San Diego Tijuana International Jazz Festival (SDTJ).  This festival, now in its third year, is the creation of jazz impresario Dan Atkinson and is has performances that cross the US/Mexico border. Much of the festival is free to attend, with the main event held in Escondido. We begin this program with an alto sax player Sarah Hanahan who performed at the festival with the Mingus Big Band. That is followed by new music from Emmet Cohen and David Borgo. The SDTJ festival is then highlighted by headliners Danilo Perez, Mingus Dynasty and Brian Bade Fellowship.

Playlist
Artist ~ Name ~ Album
Sarah Hanahan ~ Welcome ~ Among Giants
Sarah Hanahan ~ NATO ~ Among Giants
Emmet Cohen ~ Budo ~ Universal Truth
Emmet Cohen ~ Gingerbread Boy ~ Universal Truth
David Borgo ~ Flow ~ Panta Rhei
Danilo Perez & Bohuslän Big Band ~ Across the Crystal Sea ~ Lumen
Mingus Dynasty ~ Goodbye Pork Pie Hat ~ Live At Village Vanguard
Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band ~ Kings Highway ~ Kings Highway