Artist - Tune - Album
Steve Khan - Darlin’, Darlin Baby - Tightrope
Benny Maupin & Dr. Patrick Gleeson - The Work - Driving While Black
Lonnie Smith - Journey to Within - Gotcha
Art Tatum - Gershwin Medley - The Tatum Solo Masterpieces – Vol.4
Keith Jarrett - Diatribe - Shades
Roberta Flack - To Love Somebody - Quiet Fire
Chuck Mangione - Bellavia - Bellavia
Buster Williams - Sophisticated Lady - Something More
Joni Mitchell - Shine - Shine
Ray Charles - Diane - Essential Classics
Norman Connors - Carlos II - Love From The Sun
Autorickshaw - Save Me - Meter
John Abercrombie, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette - Sing Song - Gateway II
St. Germain - Sittin’ Here - Electronic
Johnny Griffin & Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis - Blues Up and Down - The Toughest Tenors
The ode to musical styles past and present that introduces Jazz Gumbo is “Music Evolution” by Branford Marsalis and Buckshot LeFonque.
Playlists for all past Sets of Jazz Gumbo will be found at jazzgumbo.blogspot.ca
A very weird Set this was. I didn’t feel like I had any consistent direction or inspiration to it. Had no idea whether it would flow or not. Still don’t know, really. If you have an opinion on that, please feel free to let me know.
Regardless, some of the music really stuck in my head, both around the time I recorded the Set, and during this last week of editing it bit by bit, while on my commute to and from work. It was edited with about the same lack of focus that went into the recording.
Autorickshaw is I group I’d only experienced via fm radio until recently, and even that hasn’t been anytime recently. Frankly, I hadn’t realized they were still performing. Not until I came out of Union Station one day, at the end of my late morning commute, to find them performing as part of a Summer Lunchtime Concerts series at that location. The music stopped me in my tracks. I arrived at work half an hour late, and with a new vinyl purchase under my arm. I got to hear them play this “Save Me” live, as well as a very interesting cover of Paul Simon’s “……”.
Another surprise was to recognize Ed Hanley, the most excellent tabla player there on the stage. I’ve had a CD of his table solos for the last few years, and have even featured one or two on this show. I’d never realized that he was a founding member of this unique trio. Anyway, this tune of theirs has been on a replay loop in my mind for weeks now.
I love Lonnie Smith and what he can do. That goes for the cut “Journey to Within” featured here. I love that lazy, droopy bass line. But I’ll admit that I otherwise really dislike the album it comes from. I won’t bother to get into why. But it’s one of those not uncommon experiences of the music lover: to encounter that work by an admired artist that has little-to-none of the essence of what makes that artist so beloved. But there is this one cut!
A sentence of admiration and appreciation to Aretha Franklin. She will be missed. The outpouring of love, the way people everywhere have been playing and singing her music, in remembrance and tribute, has been heartwarming. I played favorites of mine on the shows that immediately preceded and followed her death, but I’m not likely to have them up for weeks yet. There will never be another like her!
Thrive!
Kirby
