Ho Ho Ho!!! Here we are—last episode of the year—268 deep… and what a great year it was (for music on the radio specifically :). This year’s holiday episode features new offerings from Canadian pianist/singer/songwriter extraordinaire Laila Biali; Brooklyn psych keyboard pioneer Frank LoCrasto; NYC string magician Jon Graboff (via Santa Fe); a fresh xmas recording direct from Mexico City by Victoria Reed and Erik Deutsch; + an anti-holiday anthem from the brightest star in western Mass, Erin McKeown; and finally, a smattering of legends: Donny Hathaway, Vince Guaraldi, Counting Crows, and the chairman himself, FRANK. Happy Holidays everyone! See you in ‘21!!
Episode #267
Featuring a slinky new jam from organ maestro Adam Scone and the Scone Cash Players on Daptone Records; a beautiful single from BK pianist/songrwriter Damon Smith; more music from Deutsch & Thorn’s fresh release “Tangled Sea”; another cut from icon Norah Jones’ 2020 release “Pick Me Up Off the Floor”; Harrington, Gustin, and Zahn’s brand of modern hipster jazz on “Tura Lura”; Congolese pianist/bandleader Tyson Meya; prolific film score legend Terence Blanchard; outer space jams from Michael Rocketship (interpreting Ben Goldberg); and finally, Earl “Fatha” Hines live at Dinkler’s Motor Inn in Syracuse—1973.
Episode #266
Featuring the fresh release “Tangled Sea” by Deutsch & Thorn (w/special guest Victoria Reed); haunting stuff from the “Lovecraft Country” soundtrack showcasing my old friend Alice Smith; a creatively imagined cover of Nancy Sinatra from drummer/vocalist Alwyn Robinson; CO pianist Adam Bodine shows off his orchestration skills on his latest release “Scenes of Changery”; the wonderful Allison Miller and her long-running ensemble Boom Tic Boom; the pride of Raleigh, NC…Tthe Hot at Nights; CDMX super couple Jenny Beaujean and Benjamin Garcia; and finally, a couple of old friends from the Island of Staten, Miss Patty and Mr. V.
Episode #265
Featuring fresh beats from my Bay Area boys Scott Amendola and Wil Blades; a new bop from Brooklyn indie legend Beyondo; vibey stuff from NYC composer/bassist/bandleader extraordinaire Ben Allison’s guitar-based quartet; the brand new single from underground BK sensation Casual Male aka Tim Lappin; an unreleased track from the Charlie Hunter Trio in 2008 at World Cafe Live; jazz legends Carmen McRae + the MJQ; the pride of France, Air; and finally my mentor, brother, and baseball guru: the great Art Lande.
Episode #264
Featuring NYC/Bay Area guitar hero Will Bernard’s latest recording; heady jams from indie geniuses Bridget Kearny and Benjamin Lazar Davis; the downtown sounds of Analog Players Society featuring Amon Drum; Rockaway songstress extraordinaire Sasha Dobson; the uplifting sonic world of sitarist Anoushka Shankar; Walking Distance with one of the most gifted pianists alive, Jason Moran; drummer/composer/guru Ted Poor; CDMX hipsters JAB & Jenny Beaujean; and finally, the latest (and perhaps final) recording from arguably the finest living master, Keith Jarrett.
Episode #263
Featuring a rad bop from BK legends Jordan McClean and Zach O’Brien; a swinger from Mike McGinnis’ large ensemble showcasing the talents of iconic trombonist Brian Drye; a a Texas/Brooklyn mashup on the EP from Ybanez; another beautiful release from modern piano master Fred Hersch; Flatbush meets CDMX on saxophonist/producer Sly5thAve’s fresh jams; unreleased music from film score giant Ennio Morricone; another dip into the urban soundscape of NOLA’s Tank and the Bangers; a cut from the epic new Ella Fitzgerald release on Verve; and finally side B from my recent release with Spencer Zahn, ‘Chrsanthemum’.
Episode #262
Featuring a variety pack of jams produced by NYC bassist Ben “ benny cha cha” Rubin including the Analog Players Soctiety (with Amon Drum), Walking Distance feat. Jason Moran, and a fresh cut from NYC sax legend Donny McCaslin; the title track from my Pique-nique Records 7” release with Spencer Zahn “Chysanthemum”; a brand new single from pop diva KAYE; Theo Bleckmann’s latest collab with a modern brass ensemble called The Westerlies; a selection from emerging artist Caroline Kuhn’s latest release; the outer-galactic vision of Eulipion Corps; Seattle indie maestra Rae Isla; a solo piano and vocal prayer from Victoria Reed; and France’s greatest non-dairy export, AIR.
Episode #261
Featuring a brand new joint from NYC rising star Karina Rykman; Flatbush meets CDMX (by way of Austin) on Sly5thAve’s epic new record ‘What It Is”; the inspiring sounds of Congolese pianist Tyson Meya; Toronto superstar piano/vocalist Laila Biali chanelling Joni Mitchell; GDL music legend Sara Valenzuela’s super fresh release; another track from Spencer Zahn’s 2020 modern jazz masterpiece ‘Sunday Painter’; Joshua Redman’s 2020 quartet reboot (of his 90’s classic); and finally, upstate reggae masters 10 Foot Ganja Plant.
Episode #260
Featuring a fresh cut from CDMX indie maestro Salvador y El Unicorn; NOLA swamp-hoppers Tank and da Bangas; NYC avant garde legends Bobby Previte + Jamie Saft w/guitar icon Nels Cline; Brooklyn indie songstress Raia Was; Travis Laplante’s new collab with modern piano/percussion innovators Yarn/Wire on New Amsterdam Records; another track from drummer/composter Billy Martin’s fantastic ‘20 record ‘Guilty’; and the one and only Nora Jones from this year’s ‘Pick Me Up Off The Floor’.
Episode #259
Featuring brand new jams from Brooklyn one-man-band Andrew Fox; a killer new west coast collaboration between guitarist Marcel Camargo and vocalist Destani Wolf; a fresh release on Decca from jazz diva Melody Gardot; a stunning new gem on Impulse showcasing the Thelonious Monk Quartet live at Palo Alto HS in ‘68; the first single from pianist Dave Brubeck’s final recording (solo piano lullabies); the latest Ella Fitzgerald release on Verve rom 1962 live in Berlin; another track from Frank LoCrasto’s modern classic “Lost Dispatch”; and finally bonafide legends of Memphis and ‘Strong Island’, the Mar-Keys and De La Soul.