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Livestreams every Tuesday from 5 to 6:30pm on Mixcloud featuring DJ Kendo, plus 11 years of playlists and audio from the show "Jazz Greats" on WFCF St. Augustine!
Showing posts with label InstaCollection. Show all posts
Showing posts with label InstaCollection. Show all posts

Thursday, October 1, 2015

InstaCollection - Jazz Inspired By Trains!

InstaCollection! - start or freshen up your jazz collection with DJ Kendo recommendations! Buy downloads for your phone/pc using the handy links below or just load the titles into your favorite music streaming service!


Trains have been inspiring composers since their invention; from the first chugs away from the station to the repetitive, clackity rhythms down the line, or a distant, lonesome whistle. Add to that the relaxed, hypnotic passenger ride and the far-away places the bobbing cars take you to, and you have instant mood-setters that are romantic and fascinating to just about every human on the planet.

Jazz is no exception, with some of its most familiar titles referencing trains: "Blue Train", "Take the 'A' Train" & "Night Train" - heard here as a rocking version by Jimmy Smith & Wes Montgomery, with a glorious Oliver Nelson big band arrangement. (This tune is supposedly an un-credited composition of Duke Ellington!)



Brilliant saxophonist Jeff Rupert's catchy "The Southern Norfolk RR" portrays the driving motion of a train as well as a youthful excitement about all things locomotive. Kenny Drew Jr.'s energetic performance on piano supplies forward motion and spark. Jimmy Giuffre's creative "The Train and the River" is also exuberant with a storytelling, down-home feel featuring Jim Hall on guitar.

"Take the 'A' Train", Billy Strayhorn's fantastic subway tribute, is heard in the swinging version that made it famous - by the Duke Ellington Orchestra in 1941. The Monkees' hit "Last Train to
Clarksville" gets a good-natured turn from George Benson, in prime form on an early CTI recording that features harmonica and country groove. James Moody's "Last Train from Overbrook" from 1958 is forward thinking and appealing with an almost film noir, late-night feel.
 

And finally it's tough to choose between Frank Sinatra's lonelier "Blues in the Night" and Rosemary Clooney's classic recording, so I'll let you decide! Johnny Mercer's lyrics reference a late night train evocatively:


"Now the rain's a-fallin'
Hear the train a-callin'
"Whoo-ee!"(My mama done told me)
Hear that lonesome whistle
Blowin' 'cross the trestle
"Whoo-ee!"(My mama done told me)
A-whooee-ah-whooee
Ol' clickety-clack's
A-echoin' back
The blues in the night."


Whatever your own iron horse dreams might be here are seven tracks for your digital jazz collection that are not only innovative classics but will mix so well with the rest of your library. Enjoy! - Kendo

Tune in this Tuesday (10/6/15) at 3pm eastern to WFCF on iHeart for an hour of train inspired jazz, including the titles mentioned above; plus an extra hour of train songs at 6pm eastern! Listen by clicking here. The show broadcasts every Tuesday from 3-7pm eastern! 





Thursday, September 24, 2015

InstaCollection - The Best of Palm Coast Jazz!

InstaCollection! - start or freshen up your jazz collection with DJ Kendo recommendations! Buy downloads for your phone/pc using the handy links below or just load the titles into your favorite music streaming service!

For this week's installation we have selections from Floridian composers/performers. As the producer of the Palm Coast Jazz podcast I've come across vast amounts of awesome music by jazz artists living down here. These three selections are some of the
Jamie Ousley
finest; go-to tracks both in my mind and for programming the radio shows. Two are fusions of world with improvisation. Jamie Ousley's "Pasaje Tennessee" is nothing short of exquisite, alternating a pensive mood with lilting Latin-American three-quarter dance; a lovely touch is the violin and mandolin work from Jhony Mendoza. After a mysterious keyboard opening, Michael Petrovich's "Sunrise in the Land of the Pharaohs" is immediately contagious and mesmerizing;  a satisfying solo displays his fine taste and skill on classical guitar. Thirdly is a compelling cut from Jeff Berlin; pretty and light melodies alternate with emotional angst, ending with a cool synth solo from Richard Drexler. All three are in my phone - hope they find their way into yours! - Kendo



Sunday, September 6, 2015

InstaCollection - Space Jazz!

InstaCollection! - start or freshen up your jazz collection with DJ Kendo recommendations! Buy downloads for your phone/pc using the handy links below or just load the titles into your favorite music streaming service!

recently discovered Apollo 11 photo ;)


Jazz musicians in general have always been a socially aware bunch, highly sensitive to political and world occurrences, good and bad; their music often reflecting or even portraying these events. The excitement generated from moon missions and the eventual landing on the moon by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin inspired some marvelously spacey jazz (and album covers) from 1959 to 1969. Below are some of the best examples!





 
Brother Jack McDuff - "Oblighetto" from "Moon Rappin'" (1969)
Modern Jazz Quartet - "Visitor from Venus" from "Space" (1969)
Quincy Jones - "Killer Joe" from "Walking in Space" (1969)
Collins/Shepley Galaxy - "Module 3" from "Time, Space and the Blues" (1970)












Saturday, August 29, 2015

InstaCollection - The Jazz Classics

InstaCollection! - start or freshen up your jazz collection with DJ Kendo recommendations! Buy downloads for your phone/pc using the handy links below or just load the titles into your favorite music streaming service!

Here you go! This week's installation of the Instacollection features 5 of the
most renowned jazz tracks of all time, just in case you're a newbie to jazz or
Dave Brubeck
photo by William "PoPsie" Randolph
just in case you overlooked one of them! Not to mention it's 37+ minutes of the best jazz for $5.

"Blue Rondo ala Turk" from Dave Brubeck Quartet's
deservingly ultra-famous "Time Out" album is both a marvel and a thing of beauty. Highly original usage of 9/8 time is mixed with the blues and performed with grace and coolness. Saxophonist Paul Desmond and Brubeck both demonstrate high musicality and an ease with the (then) new and foreign meter. | Bobby Timmon's gospel infused "Moanin'" took Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers to a new level of stardom. Catchy & memorable with it's "amen" responses, high energy and Blakey's relentless swing groove, making this blowing session a winner. | "Kind of Blue" is the most popular jazz album of all time by the most famous jazz musician of all time. Miles Davis' "So What" also uses call and response, but with a whole new level of subtlety and cool. From Bill Evans/Paul Chambers dramatic opening, to the famous bass riff, on to Coltrane at the height of his own self-discovery, to Miles' economical drama; this cut introduced the whole world to the best facets of modal jazz. | Charles Mingus' "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" features 3 tenor saxes in tribute to the recently departed Lester Young. Showcasing Mingus' genius for usage of the blues scale over a vast array of harmony, his sharp ability as a bandleader and his firm grasp of jazz past - this tune never loses it's fascinating appeal. | Everything he had been experimenting with, reaching for and discovering came together in John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme: Acknowledgement". Beautiful melodies, intensity, and a spiritual searching mark this track as most people's favorite Coltrane recording, backed with his classic quartet of McCoy Tyner on piano, Elvin Jones on drums and Jimmy Garrison on bass - all giving full support and enthusiasm. Be prepared to have the vocal hook stuck in your head. These tracks will make you something of a expert on what makes jazz so wonderful, as well as someone who is able to recognize the sound of these five jazz household names. Enjoy!










Monday, August 17, 2015

InstaCollection - Goin' Back Some!

InstaCollection! - start or freshen up your jazz collection with DJ Kendo recommendations! Buy downloads for your phone/pc using the handy links below or just load the titles into your favorite music streaming service!

This week here are 3 choice jazz cuts from way back. Technically, these would all be "sides" since they all originally were released on 10 inch 78rpms.




Louis Armstrong's Hot Five - "Struttin' With Some Barbecue" -one of those "must hear before you die" recordings, Armstrong's arrangement of his first wife's strong composition is wildly entertaining start to finish; his own trumpet playing already so distinguished and rich, his improvisatory skills matched with a rare rhythmic genius that spilled over abundantly into his singing later on. Johnny Dodds - clarinet, Kid Ory - trombone, Johnny St. Cyr - banjo and Lil Hardin (Armstrong) - piano. Recorded in Chicago 12-9-1927.

Dizzy Gillespie - "Salt Peanuts"
- aside from being a classic that features Charlie Parker on alto; this is an astonishing display of Dizzy's creativity, squeezing so much music into 3 minutes with careful arranging and a serious adeptness at swinging (as well as a place for Dizzy's unique humor!) The 2-28-1945 recording also features Clyde Hart on piano, Slam Stewart on bass, Eddie Palmieri on guitar and Cozy Cole plays drums. Groundbreaking then, and still remarkable!


Duke Ellington - "Just Squeeze Me" - sass and sophistication, no one did it better! Duke is on piano and lead trumpeter Ray Nance takes the vocal. Taft Jordan and Shorty Baker also are in the trumpet section. Several ensemble crescendos with a repeated riff (and fairly experimental harmonies) build a unique tension and add to the foot tapping. Recorded 7-9-1946.







Thursday, August 6, 2015

InstaCollection - Cool Wes Cuts!

InstaCollection! - start or freshen up your jazz collection with DJ Kendo recommendations! Buy downloads for your phone/pc using the handy links below or just load the titles into your favorite music streaming service!




This weeks installment features 3 cuts from Wes Montgomery you may not have but should! "Beaux Arts" is actually a Montgomery Brothers recording from 1961, but this is the quasi-Latin trio version (with Monk Montgomery on bass) where Wes lays down statement after statement of relentless grooving mixed with astonishing expressiveness. "Dearly Beloved" has both killer B3 man Melvin Rhyne and Wes delivering rapid-fire soulful bop lines over the clever arrangement while Jimmy Cobb drives this way-uptempo swinger. How did Wes play these lines with his thumb?? "Willow Weep For Me" is a tremendously satisfying reading of Ann Ronnell's standard, Wes in prime form, often overlooked since it comes off a late CTI release. Don't miss it! 




Thursday, July 30, 2015

InstaCollection - Current Dreamy Vocal Numbers

InstaCollection! - start or freshen up your jazz collection with Kendo recommends! Buy downloads for your phone/pc using the handy links or just load the titles into your favorite music streaming service!

This week's additions focus on dreamy jazzy vocal ballads from newer releases,
Annie Lennox
Photo by Mike Owen
ones that I happen to spin a lot on the shows. La Lucha's "The Way You Look Tonight" is simply stunning, reharmonized but with reverence for the melody and lyrics, and profound performances from both vocalist Jun and pianist John C. O'Leary III. You may not have heard of them, but I consider this an essential recording. Diana Krall's "I'm Not In Love" also shows respect for the original recording by 70's band 10cc, but with modern emotion and a breathtaking production. Hardly jazz... but great music! It's hard to pick just one cut from Annie Lennox's "Nostalgia" album, but her heart-on-sleeve crooning for "You Belong to Me" is gripping and the arrangement is fresh & lush; this album also wonderfully recorded. Ah - I just realized these are all love songs. Always a plus! Enjoy!! - Kendo




 

Friday, July 17, 2015

InstaCollection - That Sound!

InstaCollection! - start or freshen up your jazz collection with Kendo recommends! Buy downloads for your phone/pc using the handy links or just load the titles into your favorite music streaming service!

circa 1965 photo: Francis Wolff
These are 3 Blue Note recordings from 1964, 1965 & 1966, respectively, that feature Bobby Hutcherson on vibes - a regular at the label who brought freshness and a distinguishing mood to their catalog; defining a big part of the sixties mainstream jazz sound in the process. "Somewhere in the Night" is a mellow swing number with a very appealing melody. Grant Green sounds inspired by the heavy company: Larry Young, Elvin Jones and Hutcherson! Dexter Gordon's irresistible "Le Coiffeur" is one of his best; a perky quasi-cha-cha that has Bobby front and center and a great groove from drummer Billy Higgins. "Maiden Voyage" is from Bobby's own classic "Happenings" album, and sports the composer Herbie Hancock on an atmospheric, gently driving version of this great composition!

Grant Green - "Somewhere In the Night"
Dexter Gordon - "Le Coiffeur"
Bobby Hutcherson - "Maiden Voyage"






Sunday, July 12, 2015

Instacollection! - Music for Insomniacs!

InstaCollection! - start or freshen up your jazz collection with Kendo recommends! Buy downloads for your phone/pc using the handy links or just load the titles into your favorite music streaming service!

This week's recommends are four long, evolving tracks that are especially good for late night listening by those who are trying to sleep but can't. Interesting enough to fight the boredom and overthinking, but dreamy enough to let you nod off when it's time!


Stan Getz - "Times Lie"
Freddie Hubbard - "Sky Dive"
Miles Davis - "Bag's Groove"
Hal McKusick - "I'm Glad There Is You"

 







ps - another great cut for late night listening is Miles Davis' "Tout de Suite". It's not available online as an independent track, but you can program it into your streaming playlist :)

Saturday, July 4, 2015

InstaCollection - July 4th!!

Starting another new thing here on the blog - "Instacollection"! Pretty much recommends for those who are either new to jazz or just want some fresh music in their lives. Buy downloads for your phone/pc from the link or just look the titles up on your favorite music service!

Since it's July 4th - here are some American themed selections. Carl Saunders version of "America the Beautiful" is exceptionally inspiring and swings, Metheny's "American Garage" is an uplifting classic and Bill Evans "Washington Twist" is inventive and fun trio stuff - a perenial favorite for me on Independence Day! Enjoy! - Kendo