December 23, 2008

"Hypnotist" - Simon Legault Quartet (Misrememberings)
"About time" - Paul Bley (Solo piano)
"Black narcissus" - Joe Henderson (Power to the people)
"Ham and cheese" - Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile (Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile)
"One single chord" - Michel Benita featuring Manu Codjia (Ramblin')
"Jupiter" - Rob Mosher's Storytime (The tortoise)
"Humus - the life-exploring force" - Don Cherry (Actions)
"Better git hit in your soul" - Davy Graham (Folk, blues, & beyond…)
"First light" - Medeski, Martin, & Wood (Radiolarians I)
"One nine two six four two dies" - Mary Halvorson Trio (Dragon's head)
"A twisted little etude" - David Benoit (Heroes)
"Scribble town" - The Peggy Lee Band (New code)
"Ogunnde" - John Coltrane (The Olatunji Concert: The Last Live Recording)
"Atari" - Marco Benevento (Invisible baby)
"Arc for puppy" - Mario Pavone (Double tenor quintet)
"November night"- Jim McAuley (The ultimate frog)

I have to admit, I really liked this show. I played some very long tracks, something that has become a bit of feature of the "around Christmas" Breaking The Tethers programs. I also played some favourites of mine, both tracks that have been played before (e.g. "Humus" by Don Cherry; I last played this in August 2006; it's a fantastic piece that goes to some amazing places!) and that have not (e.g. the live and incredibly intense "Ogunde" by Coltrane and "Better git hit in your soul" by the recently-deceased Davy Graham).

On the subject of Coltrane, it's become traditional to play a long Coltrane track at Christmas. Last year, I played "Om". This year, I played "Ogunde". What should I play in 2010? I'm thinking maybe one of the versions of "Ascension" or perhaps "Kulu Se Mama"? Maybe a long track from the Seattle live album? The disembowelment of "Body And Soul" from that recording could fit the bill, as could several of the other tracks. Suggestions are very welcome.

Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year. For those who have time off in the next couple of weeks, have a great break. I will be on the air on December 30 so please join me then.

Andrew

December 16, 2008

"Archange" - Alain Bedard Auguste Quintet (Bluesy lunedi)
"Birds" - Menahan Street Band (Make the road by walking)
"Do the jangle" - Esbjorn Svensson Trio (Good morning Susie Soho)
"Kalyani" - Rudresh Mahanthappa (Kinsmen)
"In walked Bud" - Fred Hersch (Fred Hersch plays Monk)
"775" - Alan Sondheim (Ritual-all-7-70)
"Hello young lovers" - Leslie Lewis & Gerard Hagen Trio (Of two minds)
"Lil' Victa" - SMV (Thunder)
"Mecanique onirique" - (Galerie Stratique)
"Faux world" - Groove sweet (William Parker Quartet)
"Petit oiseau" - Dynamite at midnight (King Curtis)
"55 years of jazz" - Dance like there's no tomorrow (John Ellis)
"Dance like there's no tomorrow' - La rouge (Torngat)(Nothing on but your radio: live sessions from CJSW 90.9 FM)
"Nothing personal" - Terri Lynne Carrington/Robi Botos/Phil Dwyer/Marc Rogers (One take, volume two)
"Maple leaf rag" - Emerson Lake & Palmer (Works volume 2)
"Nothing serious" - Chris Davis (A night remembered)
"Spectrum" - Andrew Hill (Point of departure)
"Les nuits dea la chapoulie" - Chris Speed/Chris Cheek/Stephane Furic/Leibovici (Jugendstil)
"Paula C" - Danilo Perez (…til then)
"Amarrado a saudade" - Rabih Abou-Khalil (Em portugues)
"J blues" - Anat Cohen (Notes from the village)
"Around again' - Paul Bley Quintet (Barrage)

An average kinda show this week. Next show is Dec. 23; I'll be doing what I normally do on my "Christmas" shows and play some very long tracks. I've got some Coltrane, (recent) Paul Bley, and more on tap. Please tune in.

Andrew

December 9, 2008

"Thru traffic" - Chris Davis (A night remembered)
"25th street" - Kieran Hebden/Steve Reid (NYC)
"Automme" - Florin Niculescu (Plays Stephane Grappelli)
"Grooveyard" - Benny Green (Naturally)
"Rolling son" - Medeski, Martin, & Wood (Radiolarians I)
"You can't lose a broken heart" - Laika (Misery)
"Peace, unknown" - The Royal Hartigan Ensemble (Blood drum spirit: live in China)
"Dona Maria" - Trio da Paz (Black orpheus)
"Hoax" - Simon Legault Quartet (Misrememberings)
"A prayer for my family" - McCoy Tyner (Sahara)
"Saro-Wiwa" - Ted Sirota's Rebel Souls (56 years of jazz)
"Mutt & Jeff"" - James Moody (Honey)
"Nobody" - Pete M. Wyer (Stories from the city at night)
"1920s car chase" - Rob Mosher's Storytime (The tortoise)
"Offshoot 2" - The Peggy Lee Band (New code)
"For another time (1)" - James Davis Quintet (Angles of refraction)
"Secret meeting' - Michel Benita featuring Manu Codjia (Ramblin')
"Escape tones" - Jim McAuley (The ultimate frog)
"Blues clair" - The Bow Djangos (Hot! Swing & gypsy jazz!)
"Scant frame" - Mary Halvorson Trio (Dragon's head)
"Lonesome death of Hattie Carroll" - Michael Moore Trio (De Singel, Antwerpen, Belgium, December 4, 2005)
"Andrew" - Mario Pavone (Double tenor quintet)
"Sempre amore" - Bruno Hebert Trio (Live @ the Cellar)
"Damn Nam (ain't going to Viet Nam)" - Nucleus with Leon Thomas (Montreux, June 20, 1970)
"This is the pig" - Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile (Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile)
"Long ago and far away" - John Abercrombie/Don Wall/Adam Nussbaum (Tactics)

This was an interesting show for a few reasons. There was a wide variety of styles of music played (including two gypsy jazz pieces; how often has this happened on Breaking The Tethers??) and there were a few more tracks played than usual; 26 instead of the regular 22-24 (I've gone higher, over 30, but not for a long while). Who knows what next week will bring.

Faves this week: "25th Street" by Hebden and Reid, "Rolling Son" by MMW, and "A prayer for my family" by Tyner. I also very much liked the Ted Sirota and Rob Mosher tunes.

Andrew

December 2, 2008

"Watercolours" - Altsys Jazz Orchestra (Watercolours)
"Raju" - John McLaughlin (Floating point)
"Lullaby for the naïve ones" - Anat Cohen (Notes from the village)
"Dichotomy" - Michel Camilo (Live at the Blue Note)
"Ictus" - Paul Bley Quintet (Barrage)
"Hand full of five" - Steve Turre (The spirits up above)
"In my morning song" - Kalaparush (57 years of jazz)
"55" - Alain Bedard Auguste Quintet (Bluesy lunedi)
"Zydeco clowns on the lam" - John Ellis & Double Wide (Dance like there's no tomorrow)
"776" - Alan Sondheim (Ritual-all-7-70)
"Money money money" - The Microscopic Septet (Lobster leaps in)
"Waltz for my grandchildren" - Eddie Palmieri (Arete)
"In walked Bud" - Leslie Lewis & Gerard Hagen Trio (Of two minds)
"Re-entry" - Morgan Childs Quintet (Time)
"Presto" - David Lynch/Yorgos Fakanas (Music stories)
"Dancing with aurora borealis" - Aaron Young (Works)
"Tiger rag" - Charlie Parker (Bird in time 1940-1947)
"Everyday hero" - George Duke (Dukey treats)
"Ganesha" - Rudresh Mahanthappa (Kinsmen)
"Karina" - Menahan Street Band (Make the road by walking)
"Song" - Thanos Mirkoutsikos/Gary Burton (Music stories)
"Shifty toe" - Rob Brown with Daniel Levin and Satoshi Takeishi
"Everything is soft" - The Tangerine Awkestra (Aliens took my mom)
"Title " - Barnacled (Charles)
"Watabokkuri" - Yximalloo (Unpop)

This show featured an interesting mix of fairly straight and fairly odd music. Didn't quite plan it that way but that's the way it turned out (and I'm fine with that!). As well, there was a lot of new material but that seems to be the way things are going these days (new releases for the Christmas market maybe?). Also, I was Mr. Butterfingers on the board a bit today. Oh well.

Fave tune this week: "Karina" by Menahan Street Band. Thanks to CJSW Music Director Myke Atkinson who pointed me in the direction of this group.

Andrew

November 25, 2008

"Simple blues" - Oliver Jones (Second time around)
"Mr. Jones" - Javon Jackson (Once upon a melody)
"Dragon's head" - Mary Halvorson Trio (Dragon's head)
"Rabbit cake" - Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile (Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile)
"Mr. Clean" - The Roy Hargrove Quintet (Earfood)
"Tournesol" - Florin Niculescu (Plays Stephane Grappelli)
"Between B & C" - Kieran Hebden/Steve Reid (NYC)
"Soleil d'acier" - Galerie Stratique (Faux world)
"Not a wake up call" - The Peggy Lee Band (New code)
"Reliquary" - Medeski, Martin, & Wood (Radiolarians I)
"All of you" - Laika (Misery)
"Edda" - Bruno Hebert Trio (Live @ the Cellar)
"Forests" - Brazilian Trio (Forests)
"Haufig eine hydraulische metaphertendenz" - Butcher/Muller/Van Der Schyff
(Way out northwest)
"Bell island" - Duane Andrews (Raindrops)
"March of the elephants" - Rob Mosher's Storytime (The tortoise)
"Nephthys" - Jeremy Pelt (November)
"Jump start" - Jim McAuley (The ultimate frog)
"Somebody" - Pete M. Wyer (Stories from the city at night)
"Pachuca" - Mario Pavone (Double tenor quintet)
"Fair enough" - James Davis Quintet (Angles of refraction)
"Breathe" - The Matthew Herbert Big Band (There's me and there's you)
"Caravan" - Dennis Day (All things in time)
"Dennis & Sledge" - Michel Benita featuring Manu Codjia (Ramblin')

This was another "new" show. All the material was "new" in some way; newly recorded and released, newly re-released, or newly dug out from the vaults. As with the other "new" shows I've done recently, this wasn't really planned; it just kinda happened.

I really liked pretty much everything that was played this week. My top faves: "Between B & C" by Hebden & Reid, "Reliquary" by MMW, and "March of the elephants" by Rob Mosher's Storytime.

I was out-of-town and couldn't host Breaking The Tethers last week. Marc from Heads Telling Tales filled in for me. Many thanks to Marc. I am in his debt.

Andrew

November 11, 2008

"Sweet & sour" - Bruno Hebert Trio (Live @ the Cellar)
"The story" - The Matthew Herbert Big Band (There's me and there's you)
"A notice" - Horacio Hernandez (Italuba II)
"You win again (testifyin')" - Chris Greene Quartet (Soul and science 2: electric boogaloo)
"The hollows" - Ralph Towner (Time line)
"Dreaming of Glenisla" - Ken Hyder's Talisker (Wayside sampler 4)
"Friendship suite" - J.J. Johnson (Let's hang out)
"Hippidy hop (drum solo)" - Roy Haynes and the Fountain of Youth Band (Whereas)
"Old devil moon" - Tony Quarrington (Deep river)
"Softly, William, softly" - Dave Brubeck Quartet (London, 1966)
"Too many ties" - Mary Halvorson Trio (Dragon's head)
"Fourth day - plants and trees" - Jan Hammer (The first seven days)
"Omicron" - Morgan Childs Quintet (Time)
"Time has no ending" - The Jazz Crusaders (Old socks, new shoes…New socks, old shoes)
"Heriocredolphysiognomystery" - Gunter Hampel Group (Music from Europe)
"Only the righteous" - Bill King's Rhythm Express (Beat street)
"Almost right" - The Microscopic Septet (Lobster leaps in)
"Danza lucumi" - Bebo Valdez (Bebo)
"Nnuena" - Michael Occhipinti (The Sicilian jazz project)
"Images of us" - George Duke (Dukey treats)
"Yellow submarine" - Franco Ambrosetti (Movies)
"Let me tell you about my day" - Phil Dwyer/Alan Jones/Rodney Whitaker (Let me tell you about my day)
"The peregrine blues" - Don Thompson Quartet (For Kenny Wheeler)

My favourites this week: "The hollows" by Ralph Towner (spooky; should have played it on Halloween); "Softly, William, softly" by Brubeck (I love how he pushes things up a notch or two around the 1:00 left mark); "Too many ties" by Mary Halvorson and trio (I dig messing with the pitch of guitar strings as they are being played); and Franco Ambrosetti's half-crazed take on The Beatles "Yellow submarine".

The last two tracks feature sax player and pianist Phil Dwyer who will be in Calgary for performances this Friday and Saturday. John Reid from the Canadian Music Centre and the Jazz Is Society joined me to talk about the shows (thanks, John!).

I'll be away next week. Marc from the (new) Monday jazz show, Heads Telling Tales, will be filling in for me (thanks, Marc!). I'll be back behind the boards on Tuesday, November 25.

Andrew

November 4, 2008

After weeks of slackdom, I managed to get a list posted the day of the show:

"The Petty Harbour bait skiff" - Duane Andrews (Raindrops)
"Washingon Square Park" - Anat Cohen (Notes from the village)
"Sub-conscious Lee" - Bill Frisell (History, mystery)
"Kadri-alap" - Rudresh Mahanthappa (Kinsmen)
"Mata" - Jeremy Pelt (November)
"Where's the cat??" - Adam Niewood & His Rabble Rousers (Epic journey)
"Magic clock machine" - Butcher/Muller/Van Der Schyff (Way out northwest)
"Les beautes s'ignorent" - Galerie Stratique (Faux world)
"Lover come back" - Josephine Biundo (Let there be love)
"Strong tears" - Lowell Davidson (Trio)
"Pendulum" - SMV (Thunder)
"I'm not so sure" - The Roy Hargrove Quintet (Earfood)
"Therego" - Chris Speed/Chris Cheek/Stephane Furic/Leibovici (Jugendstil)
"Pent-up house" - Paul Bley (Solo piano)
"Bumpy trail" - Eri Yamamoto Trio (Redwoods)
"Owl's nightmare" - The Royal Hartigan Ensemble (Blood drum spirit: live in China)
"Traneian blue" - The Bob Brough Quartet (Time away)
"The filth" - Ben Wolfe (No stranger here)
"So what" - Miles From India (Miles from India)
"Five peace band" - John McLaughlin (Floating point)
"Joachim is our friend" - Karel Velebny (SHQ)
"Vera cruz" - Brazilian Trio (Forests)

This was the first post-funding drive show. As with the show that preceeded the Funding Drive edition of Breaking The Tethers, everything on this program was newly released. I didn't quite plan it this way, things just kind of headed in that direction. Music-wise, it's good stuff all around. Neat title of the day: "The filth" by Ben Wolfe.

Many thanks again to all who pledged during the CJSW Funding Drive, on my show and on other shows. The grand total for the station was $205,172 (or thereabouts).

Andrew

October 28, 2008

Here's the setlist for the funding drive show:

"Rose rouge" - St. Germain (Tourist)
"Garr" - Jaki Byard (Family man)
"Cambodia" - Paul Motian (Time and time again)
"Cure all" - Robert Walter (Cure all)
"Fiesta" - Ween (La Cucaracha)
"Xibaba" - Duke Pearson (Jazznova Blue Note trip)
"Ben's music" - Wayne Horvitz (Forever)
"Black satin" - Miles Davis (On the corner)
"Movin' Wes - part 2" - Wes Montgomery (Talkin' Verve: roots of Acid jazz)
"Norwegian wood" - Buddy Rich (Blue note plays the Beatles)
"Four folk songs" - Ben Allison & Man Sized Safe (Little things run the world)
"Song of the underground railroad" - John Coltrane (Africa/brass)
"Ich, bin, George" - Flat Earth Society (Presents psychoscout)

All of these tunes had been played on Breaking The Tethers in the past two years. They were also on one of the six CDs that I put together as incentives for the CJSW funding drive.

Andrew

Funding Drive Show Recap

The Breaking The Tethers funding drive edition was yesterday. Things went very well. The pledges amounted to $1355, a record for the show and more than my "pipe dream" goal of $1000. As well, we passed the $98,000 level for pledges for the station as a whole and the 1000th pledge in this year's drive came during the program. Many, many, many thanks to those who pledged (Renee, Ada-Marie, David x 2, Nick, Paul, and more). Thanks also to the guys on the phones (Todd, Philip, Greg, and Bruce) and to my "co-pilots" (Philip, Mark, Megan, and Gordon). I had a great time and am keen for next year already!

Keep in mind that the CJSW funding drive is still going on, until 6 pm on Friday, October 24, so if you haven't pledged yet, there is still ample opportunity :-) Call (403) 220-5000 or go to www.cjsw.com.

I'll post the track list for the program in a separate posting.

Andrew

More Funding Drive

Tomorrow will be the funding drive edition of Breaking The Tethers. Please tune in (90.9 FM, www.cjsw.com). There will be more talk and less music than usual but it should be a great show. Also, pledges during the show are more than welcome. Pledges can be made by calling (403) 220-5000 or online at http://www.cjsw.com/funding/pledge.html. Any amount is welcome - it will go to a good cause - but, at various levels of giving, there is swag:

$25: (1) Friends card.
$60: (1) Friends card + (1) T-shirt or long-sleeved shirt.
$110: (2) Friends cards + (1) T-shirt or long-sleeved shirt + (1) Tote/shopper bag.
$150: (2) Friends cards + (1) T-shirt or long-sleeved shirt + (1) Live Sessions at CJSW CD + (1) Knitted CJSW toque.
$200: (2) Friends cards + (1) T-shirt or long-sleeved shirt + (1) CJSW Hoodie- OR -$200: (2) Friends cards + (2) T-shirts or long-sleeved shirts + "Choice of two" of Live Sessions at CJSW CD, Tote/shopper bag or Knitted CJSW toque.
$250: (2) Friends cards + (1) T-shirt or long-sleeved shirt + (1) CJSW Hoodie + "Choice of two" of Live Sessions at CJSW CD, Tote/shopper bag or Knitted CJSW toque.
$300: (2) Friends cards + (2) T-shirts or long-sleeved shirts + (2) CJSW Hoodies

In addition, during Breaking The Tethers, at the $60 level, pledgers may pick a fine commercially-produced jazz CD featuring music that has been played on the show. At $75, you get a commercial CD plus one of six special Breaking The Tethers mix CDs, A, B, C, D, E, and F (ingeneously named, I know). Each CD features music that has been featured on Breaking The Tethers and each is different; there is also only one of each. At $100, you get your choice of two commerical CDs and also one mix CD.

There you go. Please give the show a listen tomorrow and, if you see fit, please pledge.

Many thanks.

Andrew

October 21, 2008

Another late posting, this one from almost a week ago... My bad...

"Giant things on the side of the road" - Muhledy (Active sleep)
"Ad hoc" - Lowell Davidson (Trio)
"Beat street" - Bill King's Rhythm Express (Beat street)
"Four for Tommy" - William Parker Quartet (Petit oiseau)
"One by one" - Javon Jackson (Once upon a melody)
"Snake!" - Rudresh Mahanthappa (Kinsmen)
"John Hardy" - Bill Frisell (All hat)
"Bees and flowers/Joe Smallwood's'" - Duane Andrews (Raindrops)
"Simmer low" - Morgan Childs Quintet (Time)
"Make love not war to everybody" - Gunter Hampel Group (Music from Europe)
"This is an apple" - Eri Yamamoto Trio (Redwoods)
"Amalgasantos" - Chris Greene Quartet (Soul and science 2: electric boogaloo)
"Jolla" - Michael Occhipinti (The Sicilian jazz project)
"Mickey mouse" - M'Lumbo (Sacrifices to the neon god)
"Light chasers" - The Bob Brough Quartet (Time away)
"The big squeeze" - The Microscopic Septet (Lobster leaps in)
"Waldi on the castle steps" - Karel Velebny (SHQ)
"The dragon gate" - Larry Coryell (Spaces revisited)
"Round midnight" - Sonny Fortune (You and the night and the music)
"Carter variations - I" - Chris Speed/Chris Cheek/Stephane Furic/Leibovici
(Jugendstil)

The operative word with this show was "new". With a few exceptions, everything played this week was new: newly released or newly rereleased. I didn't quite decide to do this but a mess of new CDs came into my possession so, we had a "new" show. The October 28 show will be the funding drive show so the playlist will be different for that day but I will return to the "new" format for the November 4 show. After that, it should be back to the regualr mix of new and old.

Andrew

October 14, 2008

I'm way late with this one... Nothing else to say...

"Deus et machina" - L'Orkestra Des Pas Perdus (Project 9)
"Song before sunrise" - The Joe Harriott-John Mayer Double Quintet (Jazz for meditation)
"No mystery" - Chick Corea and Return to Forever (No mystery)
"Save your love for me" - Scott Hamilton & Friends (Across the tracks)
"Sage & spirit " - Grateful Dead (Blues for allah)
"Heat wave" - Lisa Hilton (Sunny day theory)
"My favorite things" - Alice Coltrane (World galaxy)
"Funeral dance (excerpt)" - Bitter Funeral Beer Band (Live in Frankfurt '82)
"Is there anymore" - Simon Fisk/Chris Gestrin/Jerry Granelli (Vague hotels)
"Village of the pharoahs pt. 1" - Pharoah Sanders (Village of the pharoahs)
"Demented lullaby" - Adam Niewood & His Rabble Rousers (Epic journey)
"Egberto" - Jane Bunnett (Embracing voices)
"Mouse trap" - Delta Sax Quartet (Dedicated to you… but you weren't listening)
"Karuna supreme" - John Handy & Ali Akbar Khan (Karuna supreme)
"Bulldog run" - Robert Walter (Cure all)
"Mirror living" - Elizabeth Shepherd (Parkdale)
"All blues" - Miles From India (Miles from India)
"Fez" - Andy Summers & Ben Verdery (First you build a cloud)
"James eagle eye" - Royal Hartigan (Ancestors)
"Rivers and tides" - Blink (The epidemic of ideas)
"The crossing" - David Murray Octet (Plays Trane: Chicago Jazz Festival, Grant Park, Chicago, IL, September 1, 2000)

The tunes on this show are an odd mix, at least to me. Still liked it though. The "feature" thing this week was that I played an Indian-influenced or Indo-Jazz piece in each hour:

6-7 am: "Song before sunrise" - The Joe Harriott-John Mayer Double Quintet
7-8 am: "Karuna supreme" - John Handy & Ali Akbar Khan
8-9 am: "All blues" - Miles From India

I didn't plan to do this but, when I looked at the CDs I had assembled for the show, I said "hey, I could do..." The last track, "All blues" is the Miles Davis tune, originally made famous on Kind Of Blue. It's a great version (a sitar carries the melody line initially and it works wonderfully!) and is probably my favourite track from this show.

Andrew

Apologies/CJSW Funding Drive

First off, I need to issue a major apology.  I am very late in posting both the October 14 and 21 shows.  I came back from a great holiday and jumped right into almost two weeks of fairly full days at work.  I just keep forgetting to post the lists.   I will put them up on Monday (I'd do them now but the lists are at work and I'm at home... another excuse, I know :-).  

The other (important) thing I need to mention is that we are now in the midst of CJSW's annual funding drive.  CJSW (the station that airs Breaking The Tethers) receives half its funding from the University of Calgary Students Union (via a student levy); this covers the day-to-day expenses only (including the few paid employees, all four of them; pretty much everyone else is a volunteer, including yours truly).  Capital expenditures, equipment upgrades, surprise financial needs, and more are funded solely by the money that is donated by CJSW listeners in the funding drive.  So, this week's activities are crucial to the ongoing operations and programming of the station.  The goal for the station this year is $200,000; my rough goal for the funding drive edition of Breaking The Tethers is $1000.  Anything donated would be very welcome.  The funding drive edition of Breaking The Tethers will take place on Tuesday, October 28, 6-9 am.  There will be some incentives from CJSW for pledges (see http://www.cjsw.com/funding/funding_drive_incentives.html) plus there will be added CD incentives (some commercial jazz CDs, some special mix CDs made by me).  Please listen in and call 403-220-5000.

Andrew

September 16, 2008

I'm on a little later than usual with this :-) :

"Ciuri ciuri" - Michael Occhipinti (The Sicilian jazz project)
"Pretty memory" - Nat Adderley (Work song)
"Moonshine" - Dave Douglas (Moonshine)
"Awakening" - Mahavishnu Orchestra (Inner mounting flame)
"Melt down" - Lisa Hilton (Sunny day theory)
"High tea for Stephany" - Joanne Brackeen (Out and out jazz)
"And I love her" - Kevin Hays (Blue Note plays the Beatles)
"Flying" - Glenn Ferris Pentessence Quintet (X actimo!)
"Secret weapon: part II" - Blink (The epidemic of ideas)
"Chanson de rue #6" - Damian Nisenson Trio + 3 (En concert)
"Many thousands gone" - Bobby Hutcherson (Head on)
"Swing out" - Bob Mintzer Big Band (Swing out)
"Blakzilla" - Branford Marsalis Quartet (Braggtown)
"St. Louis blues' - Johnny Lyttle (Jazz for a rainy afternoon)
"Return of the prodigal son" - Stanley Turrentine (Return of the prodigal son)
"Long as you're living" - Elizabeth Shepherd (Parkdale)
"Maracatu-too" - Stan Getz with guest artist Laurinda Almeida (Stan Getz with guest artist Laurinda Almeida)
"The 3/4 tune" - The Peter Evans Quartet (The Peter Evans Quartet)
"74 miles away" - Cannonball Adderley (The best of Cannonball Adderley: The Capitol years)
"Electoral college" - Adam Niewood & His Rabble Rousers (Epic journey)
"Little jump" - Terri Lynne Carrington (Jazz is a spirit)
"La belle affaire" - L'Orkestra Des Pas Perdus (Project 9)

This was a fun show with a fairly varied setlist. It marked a number of first appearances, including both Adderley brothers (Julian "Cannonball" and Nat) as well as Stan Getz (with a pretty cool tune). Perhaps my fave tune this week is "Many thousands gone" by Bobby Hutcherson; very much 1971, kind of experimental, somewhat spacey jazz.

I'm out of town for meetings and vacation for most of the next few weeks and won't be back on air until October 14. In the meantime, Philip from Morning Joy and Stewart from Pound Cake Jazz will more than ably take over Breaking The Tethers in my absence (Philip twice and Stewart once). I am in their debt.

Andrew

September 9, 2008

I'm on time this week! Here's the track list, posted in the same day as the show:

"III Wooster St." - Francois Bourassa Quartet (Rassnotes)
"Minor mood" - The Poll Winners (he poll winners: Barney Kessell with Shelly Manne and Ray Brown)
"Golden eagle dance" - Didier Lockwood & Raghunath Manet (Omkara)
"House of Haynes" - Joel Haynes Trio + Seamus Blake (Transitions)
"Brick steps (part III: fallback plan suite)" - Taylor Eigsti (Let it come to you)
"Monkey waits" - Simon Fisk/Chris Gestrin/Jerry Granelli (Vague hotels)
"The real mcbop" - Arturo Sandoval (Live at the Blue Note)
"Paris of the prairies" - Mark Dejong (The unknown)
"Breaking and entering" - Adam Niewood & His Rabble Rousers (Epic journey)
"Law of balance" - David Gilmore (Unified presence)
"Sway" - Jane Bunnett (Embracing voices)
"There was something in my drink" - Bobby Previte and the New Bump (Set the alarm for Monday)
"El amor en los tiempos de la finca" - Rova Saxophone Quartet (Beat kennel)
"Measure up" - Robert Walter (Cure all)
"Death of a space piper" - Rare Air (Space piper)
"Homage" - Frank Gratkowski Quartet (Spectral reflections)
"Fall song: dusk" - Jan Jarczyk (Fall songs)
"If that's true" - Esperanza Spalding (Esperanza)
"Kitten" - Dave Douglas (Moonshine)
"In a sentimental mood" - The Brooklyn Saxophone Quartet (The way of the saxophone)
"Agur janunak" - Elkanno Browning Cream (Elkanno Browning Cream)

In some ways, this is a fairly "straight" set (for Breaking The Tethers), at least for the first couple of hours. Nothing wrong with that, though. The last hour is more on the freakier side, especially with the Gratkowski Quartet piece and the rock-like "Kitten" by Dave Douglas.

Folks may notice that there were two sax quartets featured this week, Rova and Brooklyn. I didn't plan to play tracks from these similar groups (they have the same instrumentation: soprano, alto, tenor, baritone) but that's the way it turned out. It got me to thinking that there are actually a fair number of saxophone quartets, perhaps the most famous of which is the World Saxophone Quartet.

Next week's edition of Breaking The Tethers will be my last for a month. For a variety of reasons, I'll be unavailable until the October 14 show.

Andrew

September 2, 2008

I'm very, very late with this, close to a week. I really try to get the list for each show posted within a day or two after the show but it just didn't happen this week; I just got snowed under in other aspects of my life (still am!). Anyway, apologies and here's the list:

"Cousin Esau" - Tilden Webb Trio (Cellar groove)
"Glass" - Blink (The epidemic of ideas)
"Green haze" - Miles Davis (Musings of Miles)
"Dakar" - John Coltrane (Dakar)
"Beyond the limit" - Bob Mintzer Big Band (Swing out)
"Bamboo pants" - Billy Martin & John Medeski (Mago)
"Cherokee" - Sharel Cassity (Just for you)
"Mr. Yunioshi" - Ted Nash (The Mancini project)
"Off blue" - The Mark Atkinson Trio (IV)
"Shades of jade" - Mark Johnson (Shades of jade)
"Nine minute (or so) chabad nigun" - Daniel Zamir (I believe)
"Spirit of '76" - Michael Moore & Fred Hersch (This we know)
"The sulpher miner" - Michael Occhipinti (The Sicilian jazz project)
"Gastro funk" - L'Orkestra Des Pas Perdus (Project 9)
"Penske" - Will Bernard (Party hats)
"#42 take 15 (Duke's last soliloquoy)" - Mal Waldron (The cool world)
"I hear voices" - Jane Bunnett (Embracing voices)
"Track 2" - Marion Brown (Koeln, Germany, March 13, 1977)
"!!!!!" - The Peter Evans Quartet (The Peter Evans Quartet)
"Morning mantra" - William Parker (Double sunrise over Neptune)
"Moment" - Francois Carrier/Michel Lambert/Jean-Jacques Avenel (Within)

I think my fave part of this show was the last hour: The first playing of Marion Brown on Breaking The Tethers (more from him in the future!), the crazed "!!!!!" from the Peter Evans Quartet, and I very much liked ending things with the two lengthy "out there" pieces by Parker and the Carrier/Lambert/Avenel team. Earlier on, I was particularly fond of the "Nine minute (or so) chabad nigun" by Zamir, the bit from The Cool World (been meaning to play this for a while), and the track by Martin and Medeski (apparently, there's a new MMW CD coming out, with some sort of a connection to a work by John Zorn; I'll have to get my hands on it somehow).

Andrew

August 26, 2008

"Casual coordinates" - Elaschuk/Ryga Quartet (Cellar live: the first five years)
"Straight-up" - Eric Allison (After hours)
"Four folk songs" - Ben Allison & Man Sized Safe (Little things run the world)
"Interlude" - John Stetch (Standards)
"Rahsaan in the serengetti" - Ari Brown (Venus)
"Sounds like seven" - Marian McPartland (Ambiance)
"Stalker" - Francois Couturier (Nostalghia - Song for Tarkovsky)
"Sniffin' around" - Brubeck Braid (Twotet/deuxtet)
"Deluge" - Taylor Eigsti (Let it come to you)
"Amad" - Duke Ellington (Far east suite)
"Some echoes" - Steve Swallow Ohad Talmor Sextet (L'histoire du clochard)
"Stolen moments" - Gary Bartz Sonny Fortune (Alto memories)
"Dry September" - John Patitucci (Line by line)
"A place to roam" - Simon Fisk/Chris Gestrin/Jerry Granelli (Vague hotels)
"Hey you" - Ethel Ennis (If women ruled the world)
"Chant poo" - Francois Bourassa Quartet (Rassnotes)
"I adore you" - Esperanza Spalding (Esperanza)
"Flood (maqam hijaz kar)" - Amir ElSaffar (Two rivers)
"Men in black" - Mark Dejong (The unknown)
"Five corridors" - Adam Niewood & His Rabble Rousers (Epic journey)
"Minellos (part 2)" - Rubin Steiner (Wunderbar 3)
"The long view: postlude" - Marty Ehrlich (The long view)

Another not too bad show, with plenty of piano and some performers I'd never played before (or, in some cases, even heard of before I pulled the CD from the shelf in the CJSW library). Top tune o' the day has to be "Four folk songs" by Ben Allison; great arrangement, fantastic melody played by the trumpet, possibly my fave jazz track released last year.

Andrew

August 19, 2008

"My soul's been anchored in the Lord" - Paul Neufeld (Walk together)
"Sister Mamie" - Yusef Lateef (Live at Pep's)
"Theme from Night Visitor" - Ted Nash (The Mancini project)
"To whom it may concern" - Tony Williams Lifetime (New York 1969)
"Wow" - Sharel Cassity (Just for you)
"Basswave" - Markus Stockhausen/Ferenc Snetberger/Arild Andersen/Patrice Heral
(Joyosa)
"Always there" - Joel Haynes Trio + Seamus Blake (Transitions)
"Celebration jig" - Bob Brookmeyer/New Art Orchestra (New works)
"Remember Fela" - Gangbe Brass Band (Whende)
"Greasy brain food" - Crash (Candy shop)
"Witch doctor no. 2" - Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars
(Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars: lighthouse at Laguna)
"Experience" - Francois Carrier/Michel Lambert/Jean-Jacques Avenel (Within)
"Bedtime story" - Michael Moore & Fred Hersch (This we know)
"Misadventures" - Blink (The epidemic of ideas)
"Laura" - Coleman Hawkins (The hawk flies high)
"O.G.D."- Jake Langley/Joey DeFrancesco Trio (Sound of jazz series: 30th anniversary collection)
"Seventh day rain" - The Chad Makela Quartet (Flicker)
"Lights of Lake George" - William Parker (Double sunrise over Neptune)
"Going home" - Teddy Edwards (Smooth sailing)
"7 midot" - Daniel Zamir (I believe)

This was my return show to Breaking The Tethers, in a sense, after hosting Pound Cake Jazz on Thursday. Everything went fairly well; this was a fun show to do.

Looking at the music, kudos go to Yusef Lateef, William Parker, and Daniel Zamir though I have to say that I really liked pretty much everything. I should note that "Greasy brain food" (great title!) by Crash was the 2500th track played on Breaking The Tethers, in a little over two years.

Andrew

August 15, 2008

This was a showfill for one of the alternating Friday 6-9 am jazz programs, Pound Cake Jazz (the other show on Fridays is Jazz For Quantum Cats):

"Third invocation" - D.D. Jackson (Suite for New York)
"Night dreamer" - Wayne Shorter (Night dreamer)
"Concrete view" - Nils Wogram, Root 70 (Getting rooted)
"Some other time" - Bill Charlap Trio (Somewhere: the songs of Leonard Cohen)
"A tale begun" - Jan Garbarek (In praise of dreams)
"My bucket's got a hole in it" - Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis (Two men with the blues)
"Coupe" - Robert Walter (Cure all)
"Concorde" - The Modern Jazz Quartet (Concorde)
"Flintstones II" - Herb Ellis/Ray Brown Sextet (After you've gone)
"Vague hotels" - Simon Fisk/Chris Gestrin/Jerry Granelli (Vague hotels)
"Walkin'" - Frank Morgan (Reflections)
"Black Thursday" - Tin Hat Trio (The sad machinery of spring)
"Jaya jaya Rama" - Alice Coltrane (Huntingdon ashram monastery)
"Concerto for George" - The People's Band and Congress of Musicians (B.J. Levy presents ThePeople's Band and Congress of Musicians)
"For Nick/Horn/Know" - Francois Houle 6 and Danielle Hebert (Poor boy: songs of Nick Drake)
"The unknown" - Mark Dejong (The unknown)
"Flute down" - Karl Denson (Dance lesson #2)
"Trap-op" - Ed Littman (Splatt)
"Event horizon" - Assif Tsaher with John Tchicai (Vision one: Vision Festival 1997 compiled)
"Tin tin deo" - Stanley Turrentine (Look out!)
"O'Neal's bridge" - William Parker (Double sunrise over Neptune)
"Blues for" - John Lloyd (Four and five)
"Ellingtonia II" - Rosella Washington & Tyrone Brown (CIMPosium, volume 9)

Not a bad show, I must say. I had to dig into the CJSW library a bit for some of the tracks in the last hour and made some interesting discoveries (the Vision one and CIMPosium CDs; John Lloyd's Four and five). Sometimes when I do this, I find myself struggling to discover anything that will fit the progrsm; other times, it's amazing CD after amazing CD. Such is the way things go.

My next show is on Tuesday, my usual Breaking The Tethers spot.

Andrew

August 12, 2008

"Couvre-feu" - L'Orkestra Des Pas Perdus (Project 9)
"Composition no 345" - Anthony Braxton Sextet ((Victoriaville) 2005)
"Inner city blues" - Grover Washington, Jr. (Inner city blues)
"Theme for Darfur" - Cosmologic (Eyes in the back of my head)
"Reprise" - Adam Niewood & His Rabble Rousers (Epic journey)
"Relaxin'" - Willie "The Lion" Smith & Don Ewell (Stride piano duets: live in Toronto, 1966)
"One is the water" - Simon Fisk/Chris Gestrin/Jerry Granelli (Vague hotels)
"Concerto de aranjuez" - Buster Williams (Griot liberte)
"Benny's tune" - Lionel Loueke (Karibu)
"Snakes and spiders" - Robert Walter (Cure all)
"Favourite addiction" - Heather Blush and the Uppercuts (Vice)
"Langrage" - Michael Moore & Fred Hersch (This we know)
"Sinopia" - Bill Dixon (17 musicians in search of a sound: Darfur)
"Remember Rockefeller at Attica" - Mark Shim (Mind over matter)
"Chamalongo" - Jane Bunnett (Osian)
"The return" - Frank Vignola and Frank Wess (Without a doubt)
"Falling" - Elliot Sharp's Terraplane (Do the don't)
"Antiquity" - The Chicago Underground Trio (Flamethrower)
"If 6 was 9" - Don Byron (Nu blaxploitation)
"She has information" - Bobby Previte and the New Bump (Set the alarm for Monday)
"Stress talks" - Gone Fission (Phoenix)
"Right balance" - Maciek Grzywacz (Forces within)

This ended up being a more varied show than originally planned. Nothing wrong with that, though. I was also surprised that I managed to fit in 22 tunes, especially considering the first hour featured a lengthy tune (as have the past few shows), Anthony Braxton's "Composition no 345"; I didn't play even half of it, however (it goes on for nearly 70 minutes).

Fun tune of the day: The Hendrix cover, "If 6 was 9" by Don Byron, which incorporates the Turtles' "Happy together", believe it or not.

Guitar solo of the day: "Reprise" by Adam Niewood & His Rabble Rousers. The solo appears about half-way through the track. Good stuff. It reminds me of the guitar work on the Paul Motian Band record Garden of Eden.

Sax solo of the day: "Theme for Darfur" by Cosmologic. It pops up toward the end of the performance.

I'm doing a showfill on Pound Cake Jazz on Friday, August 15, 6-9 am. The regular programmer, Stewart, can't make the show so I'll be filling in. He'll be doing the same for me on September 30 (thanks, Stewart!). I'll still be back with a regular edition of Breaking The Tehters next Tuesday.

Andrew

August 5, 2008

"Levitation" - Nancy Walker (Levitation)
"Core" - Francois Carrier/Michel Lambert/Jean-Jacques Avenel (Within)
"Bees-ees" - Johnny Griffin (Johnny Griffin)
"Allo caveman" - Martin & Fisher (Little man on the boat)
"Exposition sans tableau" - Martial Solal (Exposition sans tableau)
"Ipanema" - Rob Wasserman (Space island)
"Bossango" - Howard Alden and Ken Peplowski (Pow-wow)
"Violet sky" - Eri Yamamoto (Duologue)
"Little anthem" - The People's Band and Congress of Musicians (B.J. Levy presents The People's Band and Congress of Musicians)
"The source in between (latin re-mix)" - Elio Villafranca (The source in between)
"Cro-Magnon" - Sinistrio (Sinistrio)
"Neptune's mirror" - William Parker (Double sunrise over Neptune)
"New orbit " - Matthew Shipp Trio (Rock the net: musicians for network neutrality)
"Hidden haiku" - Eric Hofbauer & The Infrared Band (Myth understanding)
"'Round midnight" - Hein Van de Geyn & Lee Konitz (Meeting again)

I think that this is the show with the shortest number of tracks played, only 15 in three hours. This is because of the two long pieces that I included this week, "Core" by Carrier/Lambert/Avenel (40 min) and "Neptune's mirror" (22 min) by William Parker. I'm particularly fond of the latter, which features a myriad of instruments and goes in all sorts of directions; it also has a great rhythm guitar and bass groove. I was also pleased to be able to throw in some Matthew Shipp; I discovered this on a compilation CD while browsing the other playlist sections in the CJSW booth.

Andrew

July 29, 2008

I'm a day or so late in posting the list for the July 29th show. Apologies to anyone who was waiting:

"Here and now" - Joel Haynes Trio + Seamus Blake (Transitions)
"Intercosmosis" - Sun Ra (Heliocentric worlds vol. 3)
"Hush hush" - Heather Blush and the Uppercuts (Vice)
"Samba de Orpheus" - Vince Guaraldi Trio (Jazz expressions of Black Orpheus)
"King Tut's strut" - Stefon Harris & Blackout (Evolution)
"American dreams" - Charlie Haden with Michael Brecker (American dreams)
"Still in my own prison" - Simon Fisk/Chris Gestrin/Jerry Granelli (Vague hotels)
"Karibu" - Lionel Loueke (Karibu)
"Song of the morrow" - Collin Walcott (Works)
"Cure all" - Robert Walter (Cure all)
"Pritzin'" - Andy Fusco Quintet (Out of the dark)
"Darkest hour" - Mark Dejong (The unknown)
"The dog" - The People's Band and Congress of Musicians (B.J. Levy presents The People's Band and Congress of Musicians)
"Supper's ready" - Damian Nisenson Trio + 3 (En concert)
"Mechanique populaire" - L'Orkestra Des Pas Perdus (Project 9)
"Return of the prodigal son" - Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band (Season of changes)
"Night life" - Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis (Two men with the blues)
"Scattering of the following" - Bill Dixon (17 musicians in search of a sound: Darfur)
"Eyes in the back of my head" - Cosmologic (Eyes in the back of my head)
"Shivers" - New Guitar Summit (Shivers)
"Set the alarm for Monday" - Bobby Previte and the New Bump (Set the alarm for Monday)
"Hostage release party" - Rabnett 5 (Dan's party)

For some reason, I played a fair number of title tracks on this show e.g. three out of the final four pieces were title tracks (all but the Rabnett 5 tune). I've been doing this a lot recently. No idea why.

Faves this week include "King Tut's strut" by Stefon Harris & Blackout (though I wasn't fussed about the rest of the album that it comes from, Evolution) and "Still in my own prison" by Fisk/Gestrin/Granelli. Also, anything by Bobby Previte is always good.

Andrew

July 22, 2008

"Smile" - Mark Dejong (The unknown)
"Down here on the ground" - Grant Green (The finest in jazz: Grant Green)
"Hindustan" - Preservation Hall Jazz Band (The essential Preservation Hall Jazz Band)
"Pivot point redux" - Fieldwork (Door)
"Parts and holes" - Robert Walter (Cure all)
"Circular movement" - Eri Yamamoto (Duologue)
"The sidewinder" - Lee Morgan (The finest in jazz: Lee Morgan)
"I'm glad there is you" - Roland Kirk (The inflated tear)
"Capricorn" - Bob Erlendson (All about jazz)
"I'd advise you not to miss your train" - Bobby Previte and the New Bump (Set the alarm for Monday)
"And/or" - Bob Claire (Another day)
"Don't let the dragon eat your mother" - John McLaughlin (Devotion)
"Allen's alley" - Cy Touff & Sandy Mosse (Tickle toe)
"Drume negrita" - Manuel Valera (Forma nueva)
"Smoke stack" - Andrew Hill (Smoke stack)
"Remy's revenge" - Corey Wilkes (Drop it)
"No bull" - Cory Weeds Quartet (Big weeds)
"The winding way" - Dave Holland Quartet (Dreams of the elders)
"Yellow are the crowd of flowers, II" - Myra Melford (Be bread)
"Flex flux" - Eric Hofbauer & The Infrared Band (Myth understanding)
"Swapan tari" - Devadip Orchestra (Scandinavium, Goteborg, Sweden, November 11, 1978)
"Lulu" - Hutchinson Andrew Trio (Lost but not forgotten)

This was a show with many solid tracks and some great ones, IMHO. Keepers for me were Robert Walter's "Parts and holes" (fave piece this week, maybe), "I'd advise you not to miss your train" by Bobby Previte (the album features titles that are as good as this one), and "The winding way" by the Dave Holland Quartet.

More of the same kind of thing next week (what that will be, I do not know exactly :-)

Andrew

July 15, 2008

"Knocked my socks off" - Heather Blush (Vice)
"Brilliant corners" - Thelonius Monk (Brilliant corners)
"Flying home" - New Guitar Summit (Shivers)
"Conversations" - John Carter (Castles of Ghana)
"Code view" - Cosmologic (Eyes in the back of my head)
"L'homme de fer" - Four Free
"Darfur" - Bill Dixon (17 musicians in search of a sound: Darfur)
"Dos d'ane" - L'Orkestra Des Pas Perdus (Project 9)
"Big weeds" - Ian Hendrickson-Smith (Blues in the basement)
"Seven sides to the story" - Jamie Baum (Sight unheard)
"Time flies" - The Anthony Wilson Trio (Our gang)
"Quest" - Mario Pavone (Trio arc)
"Road hog" - Cinghiale (Hoofbeats of snorting swine)
"Discipline strikes again" - Jason Marsalis (Music in motion)
"Ski-wee" - Von Freeman (The improviser)
"Piegrande" - Damian Nisenson Trio + 3 (En concert)
"Circle in the round" - Miles Davis (The Miles Davis Quintet, 1965-68: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings)
"In retrospect" - Muhal Richard Abrams (Things to come from those now gone)
"A good idea" - Delius/de Joode/van der Schyff (The flying deer)

The main feature of this show was Miles Davis' "Circle in the round", which, at 33:32, took up much of the last hour. It's long, it's controversial but it's probably my favourite Davis track. The late Tony Williams does a great job on this piece; in many ways, his drum work makes the performance. The version of "Circle" featured here is the long version, which appeared on the 1965-1968 Quintet boxed set; there is a shorter version, at 26:19, that appeared on the "odds and ends" compilation of the same name, released in 1979. Check both out if you can.

Andrew

July 8, 2008

"The wobbler" - Joel Haynes Trio + Seamus Blake (Transitions)
"African cookbook" - Randy Weston (Spirits of our ancestors)
"The Holly stomp"- Eric Hofbauer & The Infrared Band (Myth understanding)
"Seven days of falling" - Esbjorn Svensson Trio (Seven days of falling)
"Los guiros" - Chucho Valdes (New conceptions)
"Sunspot" - Bob Claire (Another day)
"Panorama" - L'Orkestra Des Pas Perdus(Project 9)
"Rite shoe" - Chet Doxas Quartet (Sidewalk etiquette)
"Reve pour Louis" - Brad Shepik Trio (Drip)
"Koolbonga" - Mary Lou Williams (Black Christ of the Andes)
"Chucktown" - Steuart Liebig/Tee-Tot Quartet (Always outnumbered)
"Slide by slide" - Roswell Rudd and Archie Shepp (Live in New York)
"Winnipeg at night" - Bob Erlendson (All about jazz)
"Pivot point" - Fieldwork (Door)
"Simply said" - Cory Weeds Quartet (Big weeds)
"Purple people" - Mark O'Leary/Mat Maneri/Randy Peterson (Self luminous)
"Thank you" - Eri Yamamoto (Duologue)
"Firecracker" - The James Danderfer Group (Accelerated development)
"For Roy (Haynes)" - Jay Boehmer (Autumn afternoon)
"A strong glue is not neceesary" - Jean Martin, Evan Shaw (Piano music)

Several tunes with Canadian content today but, by far, my top piece this week was "African cookbook" by Randy Weston. It's an interesting work with lots of good performances all-round but what really sets this apart from the others is the work of the bass players on the track, Alex Blake and Jamil Nasser; they do great stuff throughout, particularly in the last couple of minutes.

More in the same vein next week, including what might be my favourite Miles Davis performance (hint: it's very long and somewhat hard to find).

Andrew

July 1, 2008

Happy Canada Day!

"Tempo" - Damian Nisenson Trio + 3 (En concert)
"The gathering" - Pharoah Sanders (Elevation)
"S'wonderful" - Jutta Hipp (Jutta Hipp with Zoot Sims)
"Toronto" - Lenny Breau (Five o'clock bells)
"The rumpus" - Cosmologic (Eyes in the back of my head)
"Chandelier" - Bloom Project (Prismatic season)
"Broken arrow drive" - Liz Story (Escape of the circus ponies)
"Shining tear of the sun" - Elizabeth Shepherd (Parkdale)
"The seven powers" - Bahia Black (Ritual beating system)
"Aquarian moon" - Bobby Hutcherson (Happenings)
"Piano de patio (y bongo)" - Gabriel Alegria (Neuvo mundo)
"Hello again" - Mario Pavone (Trio arc)
"Dragon gate" - Larry Coryell (Tricycles)
"Slots" - Revolutionary Snake Ensemble (Forked tongue)
"Greasy drums" - Joe Dukes with the Brother Jack McDuff Quartet (The soulful drums of Joe Dukes with the Brother Jack McDuff Quartet)
"A long way from Beacon Hill" - Martin & Fisher (Little man on the boat)
"The birds near her house" - The Lounge Lizards (Queen of all ears)
"Intrades" - Bill Dixon (17 musicians in search of a sound: Darfur)
"Stella by starlight" - Kristian Alexandrov (Akoustika)
"Speak in tones" - Speak in tones (Subaro)
"Caravan of winter" - Wadada Leo Smith's Golden Quartet (Tabligh)

I decided not to do anything special for Canada Day; I ended up playing about the usual number of tracks by Canadian performers. Maybe next year I'll do something different.

Fave tunes this week: "The gathering" by Pharoah Sanders and "Speak in tones" by Subaro. Also can't forget "Toronto" by the late Lenny Breau; this and "Ebony queen/Pam's pad" are my favourite Breau pieces.

Andrew

June 24, 2008

"Light heart, dark sky" - Jay Boehmer (Autumn afternoon)
"Cycle I" - Fieldwork (Door)
"Barrelfoot grind" - Steuart Liebig/Tee-Tot Quartet (Always outnumbered)
"A thousand hills" - Bob Claire (Another day)
"Caravan" - Jimmy Smith (Live at the Club Baby Grand, vol. 2)
"Accelerated development" - The James Danderfer Group (Accelerated development)
"I'll remember April" - Erroll Garner (Concert by the sea)
"Raccat" - Bob Erlendson (All about jazz)
"Prometheus" - Charles Lloyd Quartet (Rabo de nube)
"Blue sunset" - New Guitar Summit (Shivers)
"Moose clock" - Jean Martin, Evan Shaw (Piano music)
"The chump killer" - Eric Hofbauer & The Infrared Band (Myth understanding)
"What is hip?" - Marcus Miller (Marcus)
"Track 11" - Ruins (I-Spy, Seattle, WA, March 26, 2001)
"Buy water" - Rabnett 5 (Leopardism)
"Rue prevail" - James Spaulding (Blues nexus)
"Danses et interludes 1" - Brigette Poulin (Edifices naturels)
"Swingin' with Lucy Mae" - Duke Robillard (A swingin' session with Duke Robillard)
"Ross" - Karl Schwonik Quartet (Karl Schwonik Quartet)
"Yves Leveille" - Une nuit de Soho (Soho)
"Pharoah's revenge part 1" - The Roy Campbell Ensemble (Akhenaten suite)
"Etude #5 lame" - Marc Ribot (Exercises in futility)

Not a bad show, I have to say. I tripped over my tongue and blathered on too much but I played some good tunes. My top four were Jimmy Smith's version of "Caravan" (great organ, as expected, but also some great almost-fuzz guitar from sideman Thornell Schwartz), Bob Claire's "A thousand hills" (wonderful work from guitar, piano, and drums), "Moose clock" from Martin & Shaw (almost made me want to hit a Chinese food buffet at 8:30 in the morning; if you listen to this piece, you'll get it), and "The chump killer" by Eric Hofbauer and the Infrared Band (effective yelling halfway through). It was also nice to hear something from the Roy Campbell Ensemble's Akhenaten suite again; dig the violin and vibes!

Andrew

June 17, 2008

"Modal issue" - Cory Weeds Quartet (Big weeds)
"The preacher" - Jimmy Smith (Live at the Club Baby Grand, vol. 1)
"Ivo's ruchenitsa" - Ivo Papsov & His Orchestra (Alternative to what… noise?)
"Tenderly" - Sharon Minemoto Trio (You can see the ocean from here)
"Sen sen sen" - Richard Bona (Bona makes you sweat)
"To seed" - Bloom Project (Prismatic season)
"A soft place to fall" - Kristian Alexandrov (Akoustika)
"Family joy, oh boy!" - Michael Gibbs (Lancaster University 1969)
"Theolonius monster" - Rented Mule (Rented Mule)
"Tempo tantrum" - Kenny Carr (Changing tide)
"Gaviota" - Hilario Duran Trio (New danzon)
"The soothsayer" - Wayne Shorter (The soothsayer)
"Suite for Molde - part one" - Sam Rivers (Trio live)
"Landshark pt. 2" - DK3 (Alternative to what?)
"Impress me" - Joel Haynes Trio + Seamus Blake (Transitions)
"Aspiring to normalcy" - Gonzalo Rubalcaba (Avatar)
"Suivi de dansiere" - Arcan V Abricot
"In the" - Thollem McDonas, Arrington de Dionyso (Intuition, science, and sex)
"Out of" - Lori Freedman & Scott Thomson (Plumb)

This week's program featured mostly solid, straight-ahead (ish) jazz from a variety of styles with a last half-hour of fairly avant-garde stuff. It was also the first time in a few months I've played less than 20 tracks in the show. My favourites of the lot include the Sam Rivers and Wayne Shorter pieces. It was also nice to see the new releases from the Cellar Live label in Vancouver (the Cory Weeds and Joel Haynes Trio + Seamus Blake tracks are from these CDs).

Andrew

June 10, 2008

"Parkdale" - Elizabeth Shepherd (Parkdale)
"Rosa Parks" - Wadada Leo Smith's Golden Quartet (Tabligh)
"Dave sold sesh wan beef" - Rabnett 5 (Leopardism)
"Blues-blues-blues" - Freddie Redd (Shades of Redd)
"The apex is the whole" - Cosmologic (Eyes in the back of my head)
"Water supply" - Cor Fuhler (Corkestra)
"The large s" - Revolutionary Snake Ensemble (Forked tongue)
"Philosophy of the world" - Jean Martin, Evan Shaw (Piano music)
"Nina intro/Come to me, Nina" - The Merlin Factor (The Merlin Factor)
"That night" - The Merlin Factor (The Merlin Factor)
"Buscando a huevito" - Gabriel Alegria (Neuvo mundo)
"Northwood (college campus)" - Rent Romus' Jazz On The Line Quartet (Flimtrax - ROBOT (Rats and other memos))
"07-04-00" - Steuart Liebig/Tee-Tot Quartet (Always outnumbered)
"Ramanujan" - Charles Lloyd Quartet (Rabo de nube)
"Balanced" - Fieldwork (Door)
"Elec-centricity" - The James Danderfer Group (Accelerated development)
"Druse dubke" - Damian Nisenson Trio + 3 (En concert)
"Sweet Georgia Brown" - The Coleman Hawkins All Stars (At Newport)
"Manteca" - Dizzy Gillespie (At Newport)
"52nd street theme" - The Oscar Peterson Trio (The Oscar Peterson Trio at Newport)
"Lazzi" - Mario Pavone (Trio arc)
"(Here come) the brown police" - Stanton Moore Trio (Emphasis! (on paranthesis))
"Hempville" - Martin & Fisher (Little man on the boat)

This was the first show I've hosted since May 13. Many thanks to Philip Barker and Naomi Herback for filling in for me while I was away; I am in their debt.

Lots of new tunes in this edition along with plenty of Canadian content. I was also pleased to feature three tracks from the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival (Coleman Hawkins, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson) plus I actually played two vocal jazz performances (Elizabeth Shepherd, The Merlin Factor). More good stuff next week.

Andrew

May 13, 2008

"Summer night" - Sharon Minemoto Trio (You can see the ocean from here)
"Church music" - Spring Heel Jack (Songs & themes)
"Lolly pop pop" - Rented Mule (Rented mule)
"An eye" - Thollem McDonas, Arrington de Dionyso (Intuition, science, and sex)
"Song for my father" - Victor Wooten (Palmystery)
"The outlaw" - Horace Silver (Live at Newport '59)
"The chase" - Kenny Carr (Changing tide)
"Warren brings his lunch" - Jean Martin, Evan Shaw (Piano music)
"By water" - Rabnett 5 (Leopardism)
"Of" - Fieldwork (Door)
"Midnight in Berlin" - Rita Chiarelli with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra (Uptown goes downtown)
"Corcovado (quiet nights of quiet stars)" - Rebecca Jenkins (Blue skies)
"Son of Mr. Bulldog" - The Mebusas (Variations in time: a jazz perspective)
"Spinner" - Bloom Project (Prismatic season)
"Cool blues" - Lou Donaldson (Here 'tis)
"Almost certainly dreaming" - The Chris Tarry Group (Almost certainly dreaming)
"(Smell my) special ingredients" - Stanton Moore Trio (Emphasis! (on paranthesis))
"Munchin'" - Saskia Laroo (Really jazzy)
"A chant for Monk" - Clifton Joseph (Variations in time: a jazz perspective)
"India" - David Liebman/Mike Murley Quartet (Day and night)
"Candlelight (Margaret's theme)" - Rent Romus' Jazz On The Line Quartet (Flimtrax - ROBOT (Rats and other memos))
"Mercy kitchen" - Steuart Liebig/Tee-Tot Quartet (Always outnumbered)
"Mystic brew" - Ronnie Foster (Droppin' science: greatest samples from the Blue Note lab)
"Ghost dog" - Rob Brown Ensemble (Crown trunk root funk)

This was a notable show in a few ways. Everything played was brand new, fairly new (last few months), newly released though recorded in years past, or newly re-released. So, the operative word was "new". Also, I played two vocal performances one-after-the-other; not being the biggest fan of vocal jazz, I don't think I've done that before.

Fave tracks this week: "Midnight in Berlin" by Rita Chiarelli (yes, it's a vocal track!); "Son of Mr. Bulldog" by the Mebusas (great cheesy organ); and "Candlelight (Margaret's theme)" by Rent Romus. I dug pretty much everything else too.

I'll be away for the next three shows. Naomi from Jazz For Quantum Cats will be taking my show on May 20 and Philip from Morning Joy will be doing the following two. I am in their debt. I'll be back on air on June 10.

Andrew

May 6, 2008

"Café ole" - The Café Ole (Café Ole)
"Structure a la malle" - Aaly Trio + Ken Vandermark (Hidden in the stomach)
"Far east sweets" - Medeski, Martin, & Wood (Let's go everywhere)
"Dish it up" - Paul Renz (ReBop)
"Fireball" - Uri Caine Trio (Blue wail)
"Prettiest town of Goderich" - The Chris Tarry Group (Almost certainly dreaming)
"Fat mama" - Herbie Hancock (Fat Albert rotunda)
"You can talk during this" - Ryan Blotnick (Music needs you)
"Blues migration" - The James Danderfer Group (Accelerated development)
"Howling for Judy" - Jeremy Steig (Droppin' science: greatest samples from the Blue Note lab)
"Bedouin dreams" - The Classical Jazz Quartet (Play Tchaikovsky)
"Red dog" - Duke Robillard (A swingin' session with Duke Robillard)
"Rejoicing" - Geraldine Laurent (Time out trio)
"Triad mutations II" - Steve Coleman and Five Elements (Weaving symbolics)
"With this love" - Gerry Hebert Quartet (The Beat Niq sessions volume 2: constructive interference)
"Olive" - Martin & Fisher (Little man on the boat)
"Bulgarian pulse" - Kristian Alexandrov (Akoustika)
"Two depths" - Lori Freedman & Scott Thomson (Plumb)
"Now" - Chris MacGregor's Brotherhood of Breath (Eclipse at dawn)
"The best is yet to come" - Robert Young and the Big Beat Band (In the key of Frank)
"Ailantus glandulosa" - Amm (In search of Syd)
"Buddha realm" - Brad Mehldau Trio (Live)
"Boogie on reggae woman" - Chris Greene Quartet (Soul and science, voulme one)

A good show all round, I thought. Lots of Canadian content and a wide variety of sounds. The top of my list for this week is "Triad mutations II" by Steve Coleman and Five Elements. What a great sound. I'll have to play "Triad mutations I" and "Triad mutations III" sometime in the not-too-distant future.

One more program and then I'm gone for three weeks. More on this in next week's posting.

Andrew

April 29, 2008

"Sosumi" - Mark Eisenmann (Sweet & lovely)
"Pot pourri pour parce que" - Raymond Boni (Pot-pourri pour parce que)
"(Sifting through the) African diaspora" - Stanton Moore Trio (Emphasis! (on paranthesis))
"Flex" - Victor Wooten (Palmystery)
"Joshua" - Miles Davis (Seven steps to heaven)
"Sleep is for tomorrow" - Rabnett 5 (Leopardism)
"Akhenaten (Amenophis, Amenhotep IV)" - The Roy Campbell Ensemble (Akhenaten suite)
"Elevation of love" - Esbjorn Svensson Trio (Seven days of falling)
"That's what you want" - David Liebman/Mike Murley Quartet (Day and night)
"Blues in F (in 'n out)" - Joe Henderson (The standard Joe)
"Eupen" - Spring Heel Jack (Songs & themes)
"Which way to Domino's?" - Jean Martin, Evan Shaw (Piano music)
"Senor blues" - Horace Silver (Live at Newport '58)
"Monterey mist" - Monterey Jazz Festival 50th Anniversary All-Stars (Live at the 2007 Monterey Jazz Festival)
"Rocking horse" - Rob Brown Ensemble (Crown trunk root funk)
"Charthel hill" - Jeff Coffin & Charlie Peacock (Arc of the circle)
"Afro green" - Caribbean Jazz Project Featuring Dave Samuels (Afro bop alliance)

This show featured perhaps the smallest number of tracks played (17). This was probably because of the Raymond Boni track which goes on for 20+ minutes. I've actually been trying to play this for a number of weeks but I haven't been able to find enough time to squeeze it in; no problem today.

Andrew

April 22, 2008

"Semaphore" - Mike Gauthier Quartet (Reflections in blue)
"Black hole sun" - Brad Mehldau Trio (Live)
"Detras de las rejas…!" - Dino Saluzzi (Senderos)
"Ritual dance" - Michael Hedges (Platinum & gold collection)
"Airto" - Charlie Watts Jim Keltner Project (Charlie Watts Jim Keltner Project)
"Skylark" - Geraldine Laurent (Time out trio)
"Father's time" - Gerry Hebert Quartet (The Beat Niq sessions volume 2: constructive interference)
"Peace in the valley" - The Jazz Passengers (Implement yourself)
"La primera" - Cumako (No borders)
"Naphtalys feilach" - Arcane V
"When you hear music" - Out To Lunch (Excuse me while I do the boogaloo)
"Triangle sun" - Cor Fuhler (Corkestra)
"LR (come to me)" - Doug MacDonald (Beautiful friendship)
"Bajo del sol" - Bill Bruford's Earthworks featuring Tim Garland (Random acts of happiness)
"Chorales for America: walkabout" - Kamikaze Ground Crew (The scenic route)
"Pierre et le loup" - Stefano Bollani (Smat smat)
"Thinning air" - Ryan Blotnick (Music needs you)
"Dragon fly" - Keefe Jackson's Project Project (Just like this)
"Where's the music" - Medeski, Martin, & Wood (Let's go everywhere)
"Refraction 2" - Jason Moran (Artist in residence)
"Summer" - Elisabeth Kontomanou (Back to my groove)
"Space Erna: Part I - Erna in space" - Association P.C.
"Pare cochero" - Hilario Duran Trio (New danzon)

Kind of an odd show today. Two jazz performances by rock drummers (Charlie Watts, Bill Bruford) and some European jazz-prog music (Arcane V and Association P.C.), not that I minded any of it. Fave new tune on this show: though it owes a lot to Bill Frisell and Paul Motian, I liked "Thinning air" by Ryan Blotnick.

Andrew


Andrew

April 15, 2008

"MacBain's/The sailor's bonnet" - Duane Andrews (Crocus)
"La fiesta (CD 1)" - Chick Corea & Gary Burton (The new crystal silence)
"Hamp's blues" - The Oscar Peterson Trio with Herb Ellis (Hello Herbie)
"Pharoah's revenge (Tutankhamen) intro part 2" - The Roy Campbell Ensemble (Akhenaten
suite)
"Hunting wabbits" - Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band (XXL)
"Rice dice mice" - Jeff Coffin & Charlie Peacock (Arc of the circle)
"Sambatude" - Paul Renz (ReBop)
"Thankfulness" - Mem3 (Pennsylvania grey)
"Mano libre" - Cumako (No borders)
"Elvin's empire" - John Fedchock New York Big Band (Up & running)
"Roll credits" - Ben Allison & Man Sized Safe (Little things run the world)
"From the lonely afternoon" - Flora Purim (Carry on)
"The lesson" - Victor Wooten (Palmystery)
"Etheric cleanse" - Jim Ryan's Forward Energy (Configurations 2002)
"Stolen moments" - Caribbean Jazz Project Featuring Dave Samuels (Afro bop alliance)
"The man who fell from earth" - Flanger (Outer space/inner space)
"First snow" - Brian Buchanan (Avenues)
"Exuberance" - Rob Brown Ensemble (Crown trunk root funk)
"Sunrise in Montreal" - Rabih Abou-Khalil (The sultan's picnic)
"Noodle rave" - Trey Anastasio (The horseshoe curve)
"Perpetual motion" - Jacob Varmus (All the things we can still can be)
"Saturday morning church" - Tuatara (Breaking the ethers)
"4.23" - Chris Greene Quartet (Soul and science, voulme one)
"1,000 yards" - Spring Heel Jack (Songs & themes)

Like last week, there was a fair amount of new material today. I suspect that next week will feature more older tracks though it depends on what crosses my path in the next seven days.

My favourites this week are "Pharoah's revenge" by the Roy Campbell Ensemble, "Rice dice mice" by Coffin and Peacock, and "Roll credits" by Ben Allison. Most of the rest are very good too.

Andrew

April 1, 2008

OK, I got my hands on an April 1 list. One week late (sorry), here are tracks I played:

"Changes" - Gerry Hebert Quartet (The Beat Niq sessions volume 2: constructive interference)
"Ecstatic little porpoises" - Jacob Varmus (All the things we can still can be)
"Birds of a feather" - Caribbean Jazz Project Featuring Dave Samuels (Afro bop alliance)
"Blues for C. Piff" - Sabertooth (Dr. Midnight: live at the Green Mill)
"Folk players" - Spring Heel Jack (Songs & themes)
"Cherokee" - Jacky Terrasson (Mirror)
"Her smile" - Gilad Atzmon (Refuge)
"Alien blueprints" - The Chris Tarry Group (Almost certainly dreaming)
"Four folk songs" - Ben Allison & Man Sized Safe (Little things run the world)
"Evenrude-fifty (trembling)" - Brian Blade Fellowship (Perceptual)
"Spectacular" - Campbell Ryga (Spectacular)
"Pharoah's revenge part 2" - The Roy Campbell Ensemble (Akhenaten suite)
"Forgotten world" - Tigran Hamasyan Trio (New era)
"Seven steps to heaven" - The Matt Savage Trio (Hot ticket)
"Mugshot" - Russell Malone (Live at Jazz Standard volume two)
"Sonic ecosystem" - Rob Brown Ensemble (Crown trunk root funk)
"Tragic interrruption" - Mem3 (Pennsylvania grey)
"No mystery" - Chick Corea & Gary Burton (The new crystal silence)
"A good move" - Moutin Reunion Quartet (Sharp turns)
"Sensei-tions" - Andy Milne (Solo piano)

Lots of new stuff here, both recently released and hot off the press. Falling into the "cool new stuff" category are "Pharoah's revenge part 2" by The Roy Campbell Ensemble (featuring great violin by Billy Bang), "Four folk songs" by Ben Allison, and "Folk players" by Spring Heel Jack. Also great, at least in the last section, was the track by the Brian Blade Fellowship; it's not often that you hear pedal steel played in a jazz (ish) context. The cool title award goes to "Alien blueprints" by the Juno award-winning Chris Tarry Group.

Andrew

April 8, 2008

If you follow the dates in the title fields for these posts, you'll notice that one date is missing, April 1, 2008. I completely forgot to post the info last week and then when I remembered, I couldn't find my notes. I will endeavour to dig up the setlist and post it. In the meantime, here's the list for April 8:

"At my critical counterpart" - Ganesh Anandan, John Gzowski (Shruti project)
"Countdown" - Brad Mehldau Trio (Live)
"The wanderer " - Floratone (Floratone)
"Moonbird" - Larry Goldings (Organ-ized: an all-star tribute to the Hammond B3 organ)
"Aquarian groove"- Sadao Watanabe (Rememberance)
"What a life" - Elisabeth Kontomanou (Back to my groove)
"Landshark pt. 2" - DK3 (Alternative to what?)
"Not a spec of cereal" - Barry Romberg's Random Access Part Three (Barry Romberg's Random Access Part Three)
"Ich, bin, George" - Flat Earth Society (Presents psychoscout)
"Jermoe the negligent nanny" - Out To Lunch (Excuse me while I do the boogaloo)
"Yemenja" - John Hicks/Elsie Wood, Inc. (Luminous)
"Room #251" - Campbell Ryga (Spectacular)
"Bow river falls" - Dave Douglas (Bow river falls)
"Nastissimo" - Gregg August Sextet (One peace)
"Funk in deep freeze" - Doug MacDonald (Beautiful friendship)
"Watt" - Bernard Falaise (Clic)
"Same clothes, different day" - The Chris Tarry Group (Almost certainly dreaming)
"The goldhearted miner" - Esbjorn Svensson Trio (Tuesday wonderland)
"Green peppers" - Cor Fuhler (Corkestra)
"Segment" - Hilario Duran Trio (New danzon)
"El nino perdido" - Cumako (No borders)
"Tijuana gift shop" - Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis (Don't be afraid…)
"Down by the river" - The National Parks (Timbervision)
"Iron man" - The Bad Plus (Give)

The last hour of the featured a special guest, Pat Maiani from C-Jazz, talking about the Calgary Jazz Festival, which will run from June 24-29, 2008. We talked about some of the performers who will be part of the event (and other upcoming C-Jazz concerts) and played some of their music. It was a pleasure to have Pat join me. The website for the Festival is www.calgaryjazz.com/2007/Festival/cjazzfestival.htm.

Andrew

March 25, 2008

"Verona's story" - Hutchinson Andrew Trio (Music box)
"Follow your heart" - Joe Farrell Quartet (Joe Farrell Quartet)
"My little humidor" - Galactic (Organ-ized: an all-star tribute to the Hammond B3 organ)
"Purple" - William Parker (Alternative to what… noise?)
"Which well" - Keefe Jackson's Project Project (Just like this)
"Juju" - Jerry Leake (Vibrance)
"Don't let it bring you down" - Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey (Sameness of difference)
"La papa" - Roberthino Silva (Shot on goal (perigo de gol))
"Bedford celebrities" - The Chris Tarry Group (Almost certainly dreaming)
"For the rabbit" - Cecil Taylor (For Olim)
"Xibaba" - Duke Pearson (Jazznova Blue Note trip)
"Around the corner" - Eero Koivistoinen Music Society (Jazz from Finland 2008)
"Contradiction" - Gregg August Sextet (One peace)
"The magilla" - Stanley Turrentine (The spoiler)
"Past things we don't recall" - Ganesh Anandan, John Gzowski (Shruti project)
"Daxaar" - Steve Reid Ensemble (Daxaar)
"Five and dime" - Brad Shepik (Places you go)
"Elegy for a duck" Oliver Nelson (Sound pieces)
"Blue at midnight" - Panthelion (Life after 339)
"The tick tock club" - Golden Arm Trio (Alternative to what?)
"Clic" - Bernard Falaise (Clic)
"Between the devil and the deep blue sea" - Mike Walbridge's Chicago Footwarmers Featuring Kim Cusack (Crazy rhythm)
"Cielo azul" - Negroni's Trio (Father & son)
"Story writing" - Ornette Coleman & Joachim Kuhn (Colors)
"Happy disillusion"- Susie Ibarra & Assif Tsahar (Home cookin')

I have to say that this was a pretty good show. I didn't trip over my tongue too badly and lots of great tunes were played. Two particular favourites of mine were "Follow your heart" by the Joe Farrell Quartet and Duke Pearson's "Xibaba". I also managed to play sets of four or more this week (and last, actually); one set stretched to six (short) tunes, something that is hard to do with jazz tracks (many shows, I play six things - or less - in an hour, never mind in one set).

Andrew

March 18, 2008

"All or nothing at all" - Richard Whiteman Trio (All or nothing at all)
"Day trip" - Pat Metheny (Day trip)
"Just squeeze me (but please don't tease me)" - Monterey Jazz Festival 50th Anniversary All-Stars (Live at the 2007 Monterey Jazz Festival)
"Big Phil" - Henri Texier (Strings apart)
"These boots are made for walking" - The Gordon Beck Quartet (Explorations in pops)
"The burning bush" - Gilad Atzmon (Refuge)
"Steamed juicy little bun" - Kaki King (Everybody loves you)
"Absorbed" - Gerry Hebert Quartet (The Beat Niq sessions volume 2: constructive interference)
"Tiger rag" - Nicholas Payton (Dear Louis)
"Father's day" - The Matt Savage Trio (Hot ticket)
"Part 2: new era" - Tigran Hamasyan Trio (New era)
"Don't point that over here" - Russell Malone (Live at Jazz Standard volume two)
"Bachafillen" - The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra (Can I persuade you?)
"It's surely gonna flop if it ain't got that bop" - Sabertooth (Dr. Midnight: live at the Green Mill)
"Funky boots march" - Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath (Eclipse at dawn)
"Movie trivia (intermission 2)" - Antizario (It's great to be fine)
"Trane's medley" - Moutin Reunion Quartet (Sharp turns)
"Stay with me" - Jean-Luc Ponty (Le voyage: the Jean-Luc Ponty Anthology)
"Mirror " - Jacky Terrasson (Mirror)
"Swan song" - The Herbie Nichols Project (Dr. Cyclops' dream)
"Sway" - Stockhausen/Andersen/Heral/Rypdal (Karta)
"The very thought of you" - Brad Mehldau Trio (Live)
"Toiling in obscurity" - Campbell Ryga (Spectacular)
"Nufunk" - Dennis Geaney (The DG project)

This was a particularly good show in that it featured a nice mix of music. I also played a surprising amount of short tunes; one set consisted of five pieces and I don't think I've played five-in-a-row for months, maybe longer. My favourites this week include the bass tunes "Big Phil" by Henri Texier and "Trane's medley" by the Moutin Reunion Quartet; "The burning bush" by Gilad Atzmon; "Absorbed" by the Gerry Hebert Quartet; "Bachafillen" by the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra; and "Steamed juicy little bun" by Kaki King (which works very well played in a jazz context).

Andrew

March 11, 2008

"Trio I" - Dylan Van Der Schyff (Definition of a toy)
"500 miles high" - Chick Corea and Return to Forever (Light as a feather)
"Variations on a theme" - Larry Koonse (What's in the box?)
"Les" - Eric Dolphy (Stockholm sessions)
"Change of course" - Gregg August Sextet (One peace)
"50 years" - Negroni's Trio (Father & son)
"The other tune" - Trilok Gurtu (The definitive Trilok Gurtu: twenty years of talking tabla)
"Rasch" - Baptiste Trotignon (Solo)
"Music box" - Hutchinson Andrew Trio (Music box)
"Cantaloupe island" - Freddie Hubbard/Joe Henderson/Herbie Hancock/Ron Carter/Tony Williams (One night with Blue Note)
"Fiery flight" - UMO Jazz Orchestra (Jazz from Finland)
"My very first solo" - William Street and Roger Admiral (My very first solo)
"Zumbi" - Kenny Barron (Canta Brasil)
"Same clothes, different day" - The Chris Tarry Group (Almost certainly dreaming)
"Hajj (the journey)" - Abdullah Ibrahim (The journey)
"We would hesitate and fumble" - Ganesh Anandan, John Gzowski (Shruti project)
"Wild flower" - Jerry Leake (Vibrance)
"Hard latin" - Kenyon Hopkins (Sounds from Verve hi-fi compiled by Thievery Corporation)
"Creator has a master plan" - Babatunde Lea (March of the jazz guerillas)

I was butterfingers all over the dials today and not much smoother on the microphone. Oh well. Maybe it was because of the time change ("Spring back", earlier than usual); it seems to have put the spin on most folks. Regardless, I still managed to fit in some good tunes. My fave for the week is the lengthy "Hajj (the journey)" from Abdullah Ibrahim - good stuff!

Andrew

March 4, 2008

"Coo coo" - Paul Donat (Rio bossa)
"Seven minds" - Cedar Walton (One flight down)
"So groovy" - Manu Katche (Playground)
"Midnight blue" - Nigel Kennedy (Blue note sessions)
"Trip in the white scarf" - Omar Sosa (Ayaguna)
"The grass is greener" - Keefe Jackson's Project Project (Just like this)
"Ink" - Panthelion (Life after 339)
"Five glimpses: IV" - Ralph Towner (Time line)
"Danny Boy" - Dennis Geaney (The DG project)
"Rose rouge" - St. Germain (Tourist)
"The bride" - Chris MacGregor's Brotherhood of Breath (Eclipse at dawn)
"Black-key magic" - The Matt Savage Trio (Hot ticket)
"Zada es (you're an ill-fated girl)" - Tigran Hamasyan Trio (New era)
"El camino" - Diego Urcola (Viva)
"Forced on matters" - Gerry Hebert Quartet (The Beat Niq sessions volume 2: constructive interference)
"When we were free" - Pat Metheny (Day trip)
"Wonderwall" - Brad Mehldau Trio (Live)
"Odd couple" - Sabertooth (Dr. Midnight: live at the Green Mill)
"Luna" - Bernard Falaise (Clic)
"Streams of expression: streams (pt. I)" - Joe Lovano (Streams of expression)

Plenty of interesting stuff in this week's episode, including the great groove of "Rose rouge" by St. Germain, the great piano work of Brad Mehldau ("Wonderwall"), and the free-jazz freak-out of the Brotherhood of Breath's "The bride". Looking at the last of these, this comes from the first official release (I think) of a Nov. 4, 1971 concert in Berlin. I played the first half of this concert from a not-so-legal recording last September but it's nice to hear a legit outing of this performance.

Andrew

February 26, 2008

"So twentieth century" - Joe Coughlin (Things turn out that way)
"Kahru" - Ilmiliekki Quartet (Jazz from Finland)
"Back in the woods" - Stanley Clarke (The toys of men)
"Ward one" - Pamela Hines Trio (Return)
"Olhos de gato" - Jerry Leake (Vibrance)
"Vix 9" - Bela Fleck and the Flecktones (Live art)
"Enum" - Hamiet Bluiett (With eyes wide open)
"Modal tune" - Gregg August Sextet (One peace)
"Movin' Wes - part 2" - Wes Montgomery (Talkin' Verve: roots of Acid jazz)
"Frack" - Hutchinson Andrew Trio (Music box)
"Jack rabbit" - Herbie Hancock (Inventions & dimensions)
"After 12 weeks" - Derek Bailey (Carpal tunnel)
"Jessica too" - Enrico Rava (Tati)
"Life wants you to love" - Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble (Black unstoppable)
"Rocket science" - Tribal tech (Rocket science)
"Cajun waltz" - Larry Koonse (What's in the box?)
"Duke's in town" - Joe Sealy (Africville suite)
"Africa" - SF Jazz Collective (SF Jazz Collective 2)
"'Blue motel room" - Mother of Pearl (SheBop!)
"Moon" - Nordic Trinity (Jazz from Finland)
"Jo" - Satoko Fujii Orchestra (Jo)
"Ah, but if" - Ganesh Anandan, John Gzowski (Shruti project )
"Kylie's lullaby"- Ari Brown (Live at the Green Mill)

This show featured the 2000th piece of music played on Breaking the Tethers, "Ward one" by the Pamela Hines Trio. A small but notable milestone, I say. In the "never heard before but I like it" category, I would put "Rocket science" by Tribal Tech; this is from their 10th album but, surprisingly, I'd never come across them before. Good stuff, though.

Andrew

February 19, 2008

Unlike like last week, I managed to get this list posted within two hours of the end of the program!

"Breakfast samba" - Paul Donat (Rio bossa)
"Fables of faubus" - Charles Mingus Sextet With Eric Dolphy (Cornell 1965)
"Clever shoes" - David Brandom (No way out)
"Carta de amor" - Egberto Gismonti Trio (Zigzag)
"Crazy rhythm" - Mike Walbridge's Chicago Footwarmers Featuring Kim Cusack (Crazy rhythm)
"Can you feel it?" - Antizario (It's great to be fine)
"Dabronxxar" - Steve Reid Ensemble (Daxaar)
"The red one" - Pat Metheny (Day trip)"China cat sunflower" - Sabertooth (Dr. Midnight: live at the Green Mill)
"El feugo" - The Matt Savage Trio (Hot ticket)
"Flickers" - Kenny Burrell (All day long & all night long)
"To be or not to be" - Maceo Parker (Roots & grooves)
"On the back of a tiger" - Chris Gestrin (After the city is gone: quiet)
"Aparani par (the dance of Aparani)" - Tigran Hamasyan Trio (New era)
"Ufoff" - Yamataka Eye & John Zorn (Naninani II)
"The banana quintet: five banana" - Carla Bley (The lost chords find Pablo Fresu)
"Titled" - Keefe Jackson's Project Project (Just like this)
"Painter's way" - Dave Douglas (Meaning and mystery)

Plenty of new and interesting music in this week's episode. I give props to "Dabronxxar" by the Steve Reid Ensemble (nifty electric piano + electronics + african influence), "On the back of a tiger" by Chris Gestrin (mellow piano + interesting percussion), "Aprarani par" by the Tigran Hamasyan Trio (Armenian instrumentation), "Titled" by Keefe Jackson (horn-heavy free jazz)and "Five banana" by Carla Bley (a goldilocks performance; shows that you can have a nice meolody but not turn things into smooth jazz). Kudos also to the pretty much totally crazy "Ufoff" by Eye and Zorn and, for the Deadheads among us (including yours truly), Sabertooth's version of the Grateful Dead's "China cat sunflower" (I half expected them to continue into "I know you rider"!).

BTW, I am now four tracks away from playing 2000 tunes on Breaking the Tethers! The 2000 mark should be hit within the first hour of next week's show.

Andrew

February 14, 2008

This was a showfill for Morning Joy, Philip Barker's program on CJSW. Again, my apologies for being slow in getting this posted:

"Ghost lines" - Michael Blake Sextet (Amor de cosmos)
"Say you're mine" - Donald Byrd (The cat walk)
"El bajo negro" - Stanley Clarke (The toys of men)
"Acetnam" - Louis Bellson and His Big Band (Their time was the greatest)
"3" - Shradda (Merdeka Hall, Putra World Trade Center, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, September 7, 2002)
"Thanking the universe" - Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble (Black unstoppable)
"Still unsure" - Oddarrang (Jazz from Finland 2008)
"Mambo a la savoy" - The Harlem Experiment (The Harlem Experiment)
"Resolution - Hutchinson Andrew Trio (Music box)
"Softly as in a morning sunrise" - Albert Mangelsdorff (In Asia, 1964)
"The arc of a day" - Chris Potter 10 (Song for anyone)
"One for Skip" - Ari Brown (Live at the Green Mill)
"A fine piece of sound" - Antizario (It's great to be fine)
"Write by return to your longing" - Chris Gestrin (After the city is gone: quiet)
"Old man river" - Malachi Thompson and Africa Brass (Lift every voice)
"Chasing yellow" - Klima Kalima (Jazz from Finland 2008)
"Gossip" - Carmen Lundy (Come home)
"This is not America" - Charlie Haden and the Liberation Music Orchestra (Jazz Fest 2005, Haus der Berliner Festpiele, Berlin, November 3, 2005)
"Rememberings" - Brad Turner Quartet (Small wonder)
"Back home again" - Fraser MacPherson Trio (Live at Puccini's 1977)

I thought this show featured a nice mix of old and new, wild and mellow. I point to "The arc of a day" by Christ Potter 10 and the Jazz from Finland 2008 tracks as particular high points from my perspective. The prize for neatest title goes to Antizario's "A fine piece of sound", which it was.

Next week, it's back to just one show for me, my regular set on Tuesday, 6-9 am. Please join me then.

Andrew

February 12, 2008

I'm a few days late with this. I had hoped to get this up on Feb. 12 or 13 but, things happened... Anyway, here's the track list for the Feb. 12 show:

"Sweet 'n' sour (take 4)" - Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers (Caravan)
"For Alec Wilder" - Larry Koonse (What's in the box?)
"Mandela" - Carlos Santana & Wayne Shorter Band (Live at the 1988 Montreux Jazz Festival)
"Blue Tuesday" - Jessica Williams (The best of Jessica Williams on Jazz Focus)
"Opening statement" - Carl Allen & Manhattan Projects (The dark side of Dewey)
"No idea" - Brad Goode (Nature boy)
"Gato Gato" - Gato Barbieri (The Impulse Story)
"The wash away" - Michael Blake Sextet (Amor de cosmos)
"Take five" - Kashmere Stage Band (Texas thunder soul 1968-1974)
"Waltzin'" - Jerry Leake (Vibrance)
"Minor mind" - Walter Davis, Jr. (Davis cup)
"The path places" - Jan Garbarek (Alta trinita, 193. NDR Jazzkonzert, St. Johannis Kirche, Hamburg Harvestehude, November 25, 1984)
"Early move " - Timo Lassy (Jazz from Finland 2008)
"Shock and awe" - Antizario (It's great to be fine)
"Against the wind" - Chris Potter 10 (Song for anyone)
"Ojos de rojo" - Pamela Hines Trio (Return)
"Fire dance" - Richard Underhill (Kensington suite)
"Tease" - Jarmo Saari Solu (Jazz from Finland 2008)
"Spontaneous impression" - Mike Ruby (Play time)
"You and me" - Zakir Hussain (Making music)
"With your intuition and instinct" - Ganesh Anandan, John Gzowski (Shruti project)

Lots of brand new and fairly new music featured during this show; I seem to be playing a lot of new material as of late. My faves this time include the two tracks from Jazz from Finland 2008 and the super-funky "Take five" from the Kashmere Stage Band (which is not new but was re-released in 2006). Zakir Hussein is always good to hear too.

Andrew

February 5, 2008

"Many skies" - Chris Gestrin (After the city is gone: quiet)
"April in Paris" - Thad Jones (The magnificent Thad Jones)
"Let's move" - Pat Metheny with Christian McBride and Antonio Sanchez (Day trip)
"Cause and effect" - Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble (Black unstoppable)
"Very" - Pamela Hines Trio (Return)
"6th man" - Avi Granite (6: red tree)
"Emily's song" - Alex Clements (Waiting for you…)
"Bass folk song no. 6" - Stanley Clarke (The toys of men)
"Circles" - Hutchinson Andrew Trio (Music box)
"This is it" - Panthelion (Life after 339)
"Frost mohawk" - Michel F. Cote ((juste) Claudette)
"Harlem river drive" - The Harlem Experiment (The Harlem Experiment)
"Ocean waves" - Shankar (M.R.C.S.)
"Shorter's vibes" - Ari Brown (Live at the Green Mill)
"Power " - James Carney (Green-wood)
"Pieces of emotion" - Manu Katche (Playground)
"Ee-gypt-me" - Tony Wilson 6tet (Pearls before swine)
"Jiggy jiggy" - Steve Reid Ensemble (Daxaar)
"My wedding vow" - Carmen Lundy (Come home)
"Honeysuckle rose" - Keith Jarrett (My foolish heart)
"The elements II" - David Sanchez (Coral)
"Analog moment" - Steve Lehman Quintet (On meaning)
"Man and dog" - Wilson/Lee/Bentley (Escondido dreams)

Lots of very new or almost-new tunes in this week's edition of Breaking The Tethers. I liked pretty much everything equally so nothing specific to point out; check it all out.

This was my first show back after last week away. Thanks to Philip Barker for filling in for me on January 29.

Two shows for me next week: Breaking The Tethers on February 12 and a showfill for Morning Joy on February 14.

Andrew

January 22, 2008

"Too marvelous for words" - Miles Black Trio (Some enchanted evening)
"Nightmare of the mechanized world" - Brad Goode (Nature boy)
"Khalid of space part two" - Larry Young (Lawrence of Newark)
"Hymn of the orient (alternate take)" - Clifford Brown (Memorial album)
"Lost in San Rafael" - Carmen Lundy (Come home)
"Progress Is made" - Michel F. Cote ((juste) Claudette)
"Canyon song" - Oregon (Essential Oregon)
"Promosexual" - Tanya Kalmanovitch Hut Five (Out where the trains don't run)
"Young and foolish" - Fraser MacPherson Trio (Live at Puccini's 1977)
"Caribbean fire dance" - Joe Henderson (Mode for Joe)
"Evod" - Ari Brown (Live at the Green Mill)
"Shame" - James Carney (Green-wood)
"Lover man" - Roger Kellaway/Red Mitchell (Life's a take)
"The wait" - Mike Ruby (Play time)
"Monkey tree/Just stories" - Wilson/Lee/Bentley (Escondido dreams)
"Just in time" - Murley, Bickert, & Wallace (Live at the Senator)
"Black unstoppable" - Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble (Black unstoppable)
"Christmas time is here" - Simon Fisk/Stephen Fisk/Tim Fisk (Calm abide: Christmas reflections)
"Dance of the harlequins" - Lalo Schifrin (Esperanto)
"70 mile" - Brad Turner Quartet (Small wonder)
"ABACADEF" - Degenerate Art Ensemble (Cuckoo crow)
"Vendome" - The Modern Jazz Quartet (Pyramid)

Favourites from this show include "Khalid of space part two" by Larry Young (and his mighty organ), "Canyon song" by Oregon, and "Black unstoppable" by Nicole Mitchell. I played a fair amount of mellower, more "normal" jazz during this show, even though it's not really my taste; I do try to cover a lot of ground and today, the coverage went in this direction. So be it.

I'll be out of the country for a week so Philip Barker will be taking the reins of Breaking the Tethers on January 29. He will do a fine job, as always. I'll be back for the February 5 show.

Andrew

January 15, 2008

"Some hail caesar" - Steve Hilliam (Inside the lines)
"Oleo" - Keith Jarrett (My foolish heart)
"Greasy feets music" - Josh Roseman (New constellations)
"Yesterdays" - Paul Chambers (Bass on top)
"Hand in hand" - Mulgrew Miller (Hand in hand)
"Somewhere between good and evil" - Jay Crocker (A sound experiment: live sessions from CJSW 90.0 FM)
"In 4 scenes" - Avi Granite (6: red tree)
"Leap frog" - Charlie Parker (Une anthologie 1948/1953)
"Ozymandias" - Altered Laws Quartet (Metaphora)
"Tabula rasa" - The Brecker Brothers (Sneakin' up behind you)
"Esher sketch (a tale of two rhythms)" - Michael Brecker (Now you see it… (now you don't))
"Autumn in our town" - Dave Brubeck (Indian summer)
"Freedom" - 3 Cohens (Braid)
"Amnesia" - Jazz Pharmacy (Amnesia)
"The swing and I" - Eric Reed (The swing and I)
"Suspended variations II" - Tomasz Stanko Quartert (Suspended night)
"Green shift" - Richard Underhill (Kensington suite)
"Concierto de Aranjuez: movement II: allegro" - Ted Nash & Odean (La espada de la nocha)
"Improvisation 1" - Thurston Moore and Rashied Ali (Cooler, New York, March 1, 1997)
"Clear blue lou" - Jessica Williams (The best of Jessica Williams on Jazz Focus)
"Tony's solo" - Wilson/Lee/Bentley (Escondido dreams)
"Let's carve forever together" - Fond Of Tigers (Release the saviours)

Not a bad show. I liked pretty much everything, save, perhaps, for the lead-off track (too slick for me). The setlist does go places, from Charlie Parker through to the Thurston Moore/Rashied Ali improvisation (which almost got played on Christmas Day but there was only so much time).

Andrew

January 8, 2008

My first show of the new year (Philip Barker from Morning Joy subbed for me on Jan. 1st):

"The other one" - Manteca (Onward!)
"Wailin' with Hank" - Art Farmer (Farmer's market)
"Horn'in in" - Tony Wilson 6tet (Pearls before swine)
"There comes a time" - Bobo Stenson (Goodbye)
"He said what?" - Russell Malone (Live at Jazz Standard)
"Scuffle" - Brad Turner Quartet (Small wonder)
"Great plains of Algiers" - Steve Lehman Quintet (On meaning)
"Pretty out" - John Scofield (This meets that)
"Play time" - Mike Ruby (Play time)
"Knives out" - Brad Mehldau Trio (Day is done)
"Architect of time" - Tom Harrell (Light on)
"Stretch" - Peter Lerner (Cry for peace)
"Drum battle" - Ginger Baker and Art Blakey (Munich Olympics, Munich, West Germany, 1972)
"Chelsea bridge" - Fraser MacPherson (Encore)
"The devil theory" - Antizario (It's great to be fine)
"Improvisation 2" - John Zorn, Milford Graves, Bill Laswell (Tribute to Derek Bailey, The Barbican, London, June 17, 2006)
"Alice in my fantasies/Cosmic slop" - Spaceways Incorporated (Thirteen cosmic standards)
"Free and equal: preamble" - John Surman (Free and equal)
"Western lies" - The David Joel Quartet (Spiral sky)
"Trou du jour" - Michel F. Cote ((juste) Claudette)
"Gemini (phase 1)" - Sean Jones (Gemini)

This was a pretty good show, I have to say (at least music-wise; I wasn't too fond of my on-air patter, though). It featured a fair amount of new music plus an inadvertently high number of guitar-centred tunes, not that there's anything wrong with that. A few things that I particularly liked were "The devil theory" by Antizario, the improvisation from Zorn, Graves, and Laswell, and the drum battle between Baker and Blakey (gotta keep the drum freaks happy!).

Andrew

December 25, 2007

This year, there was a Christmas Day show:

"2005 05 27 08:13:55" - Bitchin' (Dig your roots/Découvre tes racines)
"Om" - John Coltrane (Om)
"Raccuorcir en sechant" - Michel F. Cote ((juste) Claudette)
"Dreaming big dreams" - Richard Underhill (Kensington suite)
"The child within" - Jessica Williams (Arrival)
"Altered laws" - Altered Laws Quartet (The outsiders)
"Wheatland" - Oscar Peterson Trio (Canadiana Suite)
"Eleanor Rigby" - Oscar Peterson (Motions and emotions)
"Invisible paths" - Steve Coleman (Invisible paths: first scattering)
"God rest yet merry gentlemen jam" - Jerry Garcia and David Grisman (Santa's boots)
"Magic elixir" - George Koufogiannakis (Explorations in improvised music)
"Sweet misery" - Wilson/Lee/Bentley (Escondido dreams)
"Mock pollock" - James Cohen (High side of lowdown)
"It could happen to you" - 3 Cohens (Braid)
"J.P.'s tune" - Tony Wilson 6tet (Pearls before swine)
"Space is the place" - Sun Ra (Space is the place)
"Lloro tu despedida" - Ike Quebec (Bossa nova soul samba)
"Rock the clock" - Ornette Coleman (Belgrade, Yugoslavia, November 2, 1971)
"New rose neurosis" - Avi Granite (6 red tree)
"Song of the underground railroad" - John Coltrane (Africa/brass)

My original plan for this program was to play mostly jazz from the avant/experiment/freaky side of the tracks. This did happen (there's plenty of wild stuff in the list above) but some mellower tunes snuck in. This is OK; I'll put the tracks I had lined up for the 25th but did not play in later shows. Also, with Oscar Peterson's death on December 23, it seemed appropriate to play a track or two in his honor, which I did.

BTW, my apologies for not getting this list up earlier. I had hoped to post it in the days immediately after Christmas but it just got away from me.

Philip Barker (the regular host of "Morning Joy" on CJSW) kindly did the January 1, 2008 edition of "Breaking the Tethers" for me (I am in his debt). I'll be back on the air on Tuesday, January 8.

Andrew