Playlist for 9-19-2023 - Extreme Chill Jazz

 

A set of extra relaxing jazz for those extra stressful days! Art Farmer, Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Wes Montgomery, Victor Feldman, Miles Davis, MJQ and plenty more with limited announcing. The set starts out a bit quiet and grows louder so leave your volume settings at a normal setting. Originally mixed live on 9-19-2023. If you like these sets, follow me on Mixcloud to be notified of upcoming livestreams! Listen on the player below. Thank you for stopping by! - Kendo

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Paul Desmond - "Embarcadero" - Take Ten (1963)

Wes Montgomery - "Trust In Me" - A Day In the Life (1967)

Victor Feldman - "Have a Heart" - Plays Everything In Sight (1967)

Walter Murphy - "Sunflower" Rhapsody In Blue (1977)

Jack Murphy - "All In Love Is Fair" - The Fourth Dimension (1974)

Chet Baker - "Tangerine" - She Was Too Good To Me (1974)

Gerry Mulligan - "What Is There To Say" - What IS There To Say (1959)

Modern Jazz Quartet with Laurindo Almeida- "One Note Samba" - Collaboration (1966)

Cal Tjader - "Similau" - Along Comes Cal (1967)

Blue Mitchell - "Mona's Mood" - The Thing to Do (1964)

Mongo Santamaria - "No Pises Mi Lagra" - Fuego (1973)

Grant Green - "Samba de Orfeu" - Iron City (1967)

Art Farmer - "Saudhade" - Something You Got (1977)

Bucky & John Pizzarelli - "Meditation" - Passionate Guitars (1997)

Herbie Mann - "Claudia Pie" - Muscle Shoals Nitty Gritty (1969)

Miles Davis - "Teo" - Someday My Prince Will Come (1961)

Image by Andrea Piacquadio.

Playlist for 9-1-2023 - Soul Jazz Vinyl Show VI

An hour of delicious soulful jazz grooves from Melvin Sparks, Herb Alpert, Caspian, George Benson, Art Pepper, lots more! Originally mixed and hosted live on Epix Radio by yours truly. Listen in the player below! Thanks for stopping by - Kendo 

Melvin Sparks - "Thank You (Falettin' Me Be Mice Elf Again) - Sparks! (1970)

Herb Alpert - "Rotation" - Rise (1980)

Caspian - "Otoño Perpetuo" - Om Lounge 4 (2000)

Walter Murphy - "Fish Legs" - Rhapsody in Blue (1977)

Wilbert Longmire - "Starflight" - Sunny Side Up (1978)

Joe Farrell - "Disco Dust" - La Catedral y El Torro (1977)

Art Pepper - "Diane" - The Art Pepper Quartet (1956)

Lalo Schifrin - "Frances Theme" - Towering Toccata (1976)

George Benson - "Thunder Walk" - Giblet Gravy (1967)

Lonnie Smith - "Love Bowl" - Live at Club Mozambique (1970)

Image by Armin Rimoldi.

Playlist for 4-18-2023 Jazzploration - Chill Jazz Set!

 

This week the music was selected to bring ease to your soul and mind; relaxing jazz with just enough groove and funk to keep you awake if you're at work, but not too much if you're trying to chill or sleep. De-stress with some classics and some neat, mesmerizing sounds that might be new to you! Listen in the player below. Join me for future live streams like this one over at Mixcloud. Thanks for stopping by! - Kendo

Wes Montgomery - "Willow Weep for Me" - A Day In the Life (1966)

Jimmy McGriff - "Time Waltzes On" - A Bag Full of Blues (1967)

Mongo Santamaria - "Primavera" - Fuego (1972)

Bossacucanova/Os Cariocas - "Berimbau" - Revisited Classics (1998)

Cal Tjader - "Canto De Ossanha" - Hip Vibrations (1967)

Spacetime Continuum - "The Ring" - Double Fine Zone (1999)

Eric Gale - "Touch of Silk" - Touch of Silk (1980)

Sarah Vaughan - "Sneakin' Up on You" - The New Scene (1966)

George Cables - "5 Will Get Ya 10" - Shared Secrets (2000)

Herbie Mann - "Claudia Pie" - Muscle Shoals Nitty Gritty (1969)

Joe Henderson - "Good Morning Heartache" - Black Narcissus (1975)

Gabriel Rene with Nicole Weisberg - "Don't You Cry" - Om Lounge 2 (1999)

Catalyst - "New Found Truths" - Catalyst (1972)

Walter Murphy - "It Ain't Necessarily So" - Rhapsody in Blue (1977)

Gonzalo Rubalcaba - "Here There and Everywhere" - Suite 4 y 20 (1992)

Playlist for 11-22-2022 Jazzploration - Unboxing!

1 of the 11 in the random Ebay lot! A classic.

We had some fun and adventure this livestream listening to a random lot of 11 albums I got on Ebay, as well as excellent jazz from the likes of Ron Carter, Stanley Turrentine, Hank Crawford and Anita O'Day! Thanks to all who stopped in and kept it fun! To follow me on Mixcloud and join us for the next livestream, click here. You can listen to this broadcast on the player below. Have a great one! - Kendo

Hour One:

Stanley Turrentine - "River's Invitation" - Joyride (1965)

Ray Bryant - "Shake-a-Lady" - MCMLXX (1970)

Ray had no problem
staying current...

Johnny Hammond Smith - "Smokin' Kool" - What's Going On (1971)

Herb Ellis - "Detour Ahead" - Softly... But With That Feelin' (1961)

Anita O'Day/Cal Tjader - "That's Your Red Wagon" - Time for Two (1962)

Ron Carter - "Doctor's Row" - Etudes (1982)

Hank Crawford - "Soul Shoutin'" - After Hours (1966)

Rahsaan Roland Kirk - "Day Dream" - Natural Black Inventions: Root Strata (1971)

Walter Murphy - "Ain't Necessarily So" - Rhapsody in Blue (1977)

Bobby Hutcherson - "Poor People's March" - Spiral (1968)

Kenyon Hopkins - "Santa Monica Blues" - The Yellow Canary (1963)

Hour Two:

Grover Washington Jr - "You Are the Sunshine of My Life - Soul Box 2 (1973)

Another Grammy winner
for RTF.

Grover Washington Jr - "Take Me There" - Winelight (1980)

Return to Forever - "The Magician" - Romantic Warrior (1976)

Pieces of a Dream - "Mount Airy Groove" - Pieces of a Dream (1982)

Wayne Henderson - "Big Daddy's Place" - Big Daddy's Place (1977)

Norman Connors - "I Have a Dream" - Invitation (1979)

Al Jarreau - "Tell Me What I Gotta Do" - L is for Lover (1986)

Stanley Turrentine - "Plum" - Straight Ahead (1984)

Herbie Mann - "A Whiter Shade of Pale" - London Underground (1973)

Something about this cover I love.

Playlist for 5-20-2014 WFCF - Jazz Greats!

"The Boy and the Piano" - Angela Tang
painting
Visit the artist's website!

This week we're gonna have a listen to a few tracks from a 'guilty pleasure' album: Walter Murphy's (yes, that Walter Murphy) "Rhapsody in Blue". I still have my original copy, but picked up a fresh one with some birthday moolah. Other name-day selections include Gabor Szabo's "Spellbinder" (killer!), "The Great Kai & J.J.", "Prelude" by Jack McDuff, and the "Brothers" release on Prestige, pictured below. This year's haul is just plain obscene, and it'll take a few weeks to get through. Plenty of slots for new jazz! Oh yeah, I got a brand new vinyl copy of "Something You Got" from Art Farmer. Sounds amazing! We'll spin that too! For all this and more tune in online by clicking here on Tuesday, May 20th, between 3-7pm eastern.  See you then - Kendo



Hour One:

Monty Alexander - "People Make the World Go Round" - Harlem-Kingston Express Vol 2 (2013)

Alfredo Rodriguez - "Veinte Anos" - The Invasion Parade (2013)

    3:15 Jazz Coffee Break

Sarah Vaughan - "Lullaby of Birdland" - Sarah Vaughan (1954)

37 minutes of bliss!

Gabor Szabo - "My Foolish Heart" - Spellbinder (1966)

Herbie Mann - "One Note Samba" - Do The Bossa Nova (1962)

[music behind announcements: Gary McFarland - "Flea Market" - Does the Sun Really Shine on the Moon (1968) ]

Grant Green - "Green Jeans" - Matador (recorded 49 years ago today on 5/20/1965)

Band of Bones - "How Deep is the Ocean" - Caravan (2013)

Gerry Mulligan & Chet Baker - "My Funny Valentine" - Gerry Mulligan-Chet Baker Timeless (recorded 61 years ago today on 5-20-1953)

Hank Mobley - "Three Way Split" - No Room for Squares (1963)

Hour Two:

Stan Getz - "Five Brothers" - Stan Getz Vol 1(1949)

Walter Murphy - "Fish Legs (Getdown Town) - Rhapsody in Blue (1977)

Mehliana - "Swimming" - Taming the Dragon (2013)

JC Styles - "United" - Blakey Grease (2013)

Jack McDuff - "English Country Gardens" - I Got a Woman (1965)

Michel Camilo - "Oye Como Va" - Thru My Eyes (1997)

J.J. Johnson & Kai Winding - "Judy" - The Great Kai & J.J. (1960)

Walter Murphy - "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" - Rhapsody in Blue (1977)

Thelonious Monk - "Epistrophy" - Monk's Music (1957)

Hour Three:

[Music behind announcements: Henri Rene - "Punctuated Performance" ]

John Coltrane - "Like Sonny" - Coltrane Jazz (1959)

Gabor Szabo - "Gypsy Queen" - Spellbinder (1966)

Miles Davis - "Ah-Leu-Cha" - 'Round About Midnight (1955)

Alan Broadbent and NDR Big Band - "Between the Lines" America the Beautiful (2013)

Michael Brecker - "Song for Bilbao" - Tales from the Hudson (1996)

Walter Murphy - "It Ain't Necessarily So" - Rhapsody in Blue (1977)

Dave Stryker - "Money" - Eight Track (2013)

Harvey Mason - "Chameleon" - Chameleon (2013)

Hour Four:

Art Farmer with Yusef Lateef - "Flute Song" - Something You Got (1977) CTI Moment

Larry Coryell - "Torchlight" - Larry Coryell with the Widehive Players (2010)

lots of extras on this one!

Stan Getz - "Invitation" - My Foolish Heart (recorded 39 years ago today on 5-20-1975)

Craig Handy & 2nd Line Smith - "High Heel Sneakers" - Craig Handy & 2nd Line Smith (2011)

Joe Beck Trio - "Georgia on My Mind" - Get Me Joe Beck (2006)

Medeski, Martin & Wood - "Syeeda's Song Flute" - It's a Jungle In Here (1993)

Wynton Kelly Trio/Wes Montgomery - "Unit 7" - Smokin' at the Half Note (1965)

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Playlist for 7-16-2013 WFCF - Jazz Greats Summer!

"Summer" - Piotr Olech
oil on linen
visit the artist's website!

This week's themed show had to do with summer - starting with the coffee break. Tracks from Ella, Cal, Konitz, Tatum, Dexter, Getz plus a few rarities from Walter Murphy and the group Profile (with Don Sands on organ!) Thanks for listening! - Kendo



Hour One:

Gonzalo Rubalcaba – “Giant Steps” – The Blessing (1991)

Etienne Charles - "Close Your Eyes" - Creole Soul (2013)

    3:15 Jazz Coffee Break

Shelly Manne – “Summer Night” – Vol 1 The West Coast Sounds (1955)

Duke Jordan – “Sultry Eve” – Trio and Quartet (1955)

Shirley Horn – “Estate” – Here’s to Life (1992)

Joe Henderson (with Chaka Khan) – “Summertime” – Porgy and Bess (1997)

Lee Konitz – “Ice Cream Konitz” – Subconscious-Lee (1950)

Walter Murphy – “Sunflower” – Rhapsody in Blue (1977)

Yellowjackets – “Summer Song” – Dreamland (1995)

Cal Tjader – “Solar Heat” – Solar Heat (1968)

Stanley Clarke

Hour Two:

Stanley Clarke – “Hot Fun” – School Days (1976)

Art Tatum – “Heat Wave” -  Solo Masterpieces Vol II (1954)

Ella Fitzgerald – “Too Darn Hot” – Sings the Cole Porter Songbook (1956)

Freddie Hubbard – “The Summer Knows” – Skagly (1979)

Dave Brubeck – “Summer Song” – Jazz Impressions of the USA (1956)

Michael Dease – “The Shade of the Cedar Tree” – Coming Home (2012)

Kristin Korb - "Flamingo" - What's Your Story (2012)

Kristin Korb - "Them There Eyes" - What's Your Story (2012)

Jack Mouse Group - "The Breezeling" - Range of Motion (2013)

Marc Cary - "My Love is You" - For the Love of Abbey (2013)

Hour Three:

Modern Jazz Quartet – “Summertime” – MJQ plays George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess (1965)

Anita O’Day – “Indian Summer” – Incomparable! (1960)

Christian McBride – “Summer Soft” – Family Affair (1998)

Herbie Hancock – “Watermelon Man” – Headhunters (1973)

Miles Davis – “Backyard Ritual” – Tutu (1986)

Gary Burton – “June the 15th, 1967” – Lofty Fake Anagram (1967)

George Benson - "Ballerina" - Inspiration (2013)

Marc Johnson – “Summer Running” – The Sound of Summer Running (1998)

Cal Tjader – “Agua Dulce (Cool-Ade)” – Agua Dulce (1971)

Profile – “99 Baseball” – Sands of Time (1973)

Duke Jordan

Hour Four:

Dexter Gordon – “August Blues” – Tangerine (1972)

Jack McDuff – “Summer Dream” – Sophisticated Funk (1976)

Stan Getz – “Summer Poem” – Children of the World (1976)

Grant Green – “Things We Did Last Summer” – Nigeria (1962)

Duke Jordan – “Summertime” – Trio & Quintet (1955)

Michel Camilo – “Suntan” – Suntan (1986)

Guilty Pleasure Album 1

Walter Murphy on the Private Stock label

I know, who in their right mind would buy an album with that cover. <raises hand sheepishly> I was thirteen or thereabouts. The album was already a cutout, not even touching the popularity of Walter Murphy's prior smash "A Fifth of Beethoven" - which, at the time, I hated. It must have been curiosity that prompted me to purchase it - or maybe it was the leisure suit.

First off, as if you didn't know - it's a disco album. Although there are moments that actually sound like the cover, ones that might even make you wince and feel awkwardly, it is overall a surprisingly good album peppered with truly inspired playing and fun ideas.

The worst song "Could It Be the Music" (also the 2nd single) is loaded with extraordinarily hokey (and cliché) orchestrations that, if you are of the sort, will make you bust out into very bad, animated choreography with lots of 'jazz-hands'. The lyrics are some of the worst known to man ("I let the music take me, I feel it start to shake me, it's really got me out of control!") - bringing to mind Mary Tyler Moore dressed-up in giant wig as "Kinky Dee" singing "Get Dancing" (remember that?).

Still, the execution is spot on and it's completely white funkiness is sufficient enough that one walks away thinking "That was a joke, but I liked it!": that's the Murphy magic! After all, he's the music man behind "Family Guy". He's also an excellent keyboardist, his Dr. John-styled piano solo on this one makes hanging in there worth while.

Of more note are the Discofication of "Rhapsody in Blue", a tight and funky "It Ain't Necessarily So" and Richard Rodgers "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue"; part of Murphy's "New York City Suite" - a very fine disco mood piece, often stark and surprising; with brilliant sax solos by George Young. 

The musicianship is top-notch - Tom Scott solos and is reunited with the LA Express on "It Ain't Necessarily So" (drummer John Guerin taking some mean trades as well). LA Express sans Scott also perform on the album's most smokin' track "Fish Legs"; where Murphy displays extremely tasteful Hammond B3 chops with adequate soul; Peter Maunu also letting loose. Great horn chart, but beware the disco-girls and their "doo-doot-doot-doo"s.

Other cats include Steve Kahn, Jon Faddis, Harvey Swartz, Bill Watrous and Lew Soloff - who is featured on the prettiest track "Sunflower" - a fairly smooth but irresistible downtempo latin number. Soloff's flugelhorn is recorded beautifully and makes the track. Finally there's "The Only Two People In the World" - which, as a pop song, is nearly perfect - sung convincingly by Lani Groves. I'm not sure how this one eluded the record company or radio stations for a single, but such is life.

If you see it at a garage sale or thrift store, snap it up. It'll make you chuckle for sure, but you'll also probably really like it. - DJ Kendo