TOM OSSANA
http://www.kzmu.org/listen.m3u ~ Use this link to access the show online.
Pat Metheny and Chris Potter liven our jazz mojo with an improvising whirlwind around Ray Noble's "Cherokee" from Pat's new Nonesuch The Unity Sessions to get this Thin Edge edition headed in the right direction. Argentine pianist Santiago Leibson's Out of Order /Spanish: Orden/ (KUAI MUSIC 2016) is next with bassist Drew Gress and drummer Devin Gray performing the title track. One of Tim Withee's favorites, "Amethyst," follows with Leni Stern's 1989 Enja Secrets. Mike Stern's wife gets help from Bob Berg's tenor and Dennis Chambers drums. From vibist Warren Wolf's new Mack Avenue Convergence, we'll conclude this half with his "Four Stars from Heaven" featuring Brad Mehldau's piano.
From Music Director Serah we'll hear Swiss Jazz Orchestra ~ Pools ~ Live At Jazzfestival Bern (Mons Records 2016) covering Jaco Pastorius' "Liberty City," a tune recorded by Jaco on his 1983 Warner Bros. Invitation. From Madrid's Juan Duran we'll hear Scott Hamilton's take on Tadd Dameron's "Lady Bird" from his 2015 Blau Records La Rosita featuring Scott's tenor with pianist Dena DeRose. Boris Kozlov's Conversations At The Well (Criss Cross Jazz 2016) covers Bill Evan's "Five" with Boris' bass, David Gilmore (g) and Rudy Royston (d). Closing this half we'll hear Pallemaerts' "Brussel-Parijs" (Brussels-Paris) from Dré Pallemaerts new 52creations Coutances, referring to a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. Favorites Mark Turner (t) and Bill Carrothers (p) impress. Dré is a Belgian drummer. He teaches at the Lemmens Institute in Leuven and the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris.
Thomas Fonnesbaek, whom we heard last week with Aaron Park's Groovements, heads his own group with Lars Jansson (p) and Paul Svanberg (d) covering Jule Styne's "Just in Time" from his 2015 Where We Belong released by Prophone Records. Saxophonist Scott Jeppesen is next with a ensemble cover of Richie Bierach's "Elm" from his new Creative Bottle release, El Guapo. Bänz Oester & The Rainmaikers - Ukuzinikela [Live in Willisau] (2016 ENJA YELLOBIRD) follows with "Alone Again," a tune familiar but written by an unknown composer. It's not "Alone Again, Naturally" penned by Gilbert O'Sullivan. The magnificent/ill-fated trumpeter, Lee Morgan, brings this half to a close with the poetic "Ceora" from his 1965 Blue Note Cornbread featuring an all-star cast, including Herbie Hancock and Hank Mobley.
Also from Juan, we'll get that loving feeling going with Judy Carmichael & Harry Allen (words/music) performing the appropriately titled "June Song" from their 2016 GAC Records' Can You Love Once More?. Manhattan native, Spike Wilner, warms us with his take on Sir Noël Coward's "I'll See You Again" from his new Posi-Tone Records' Koan.
The piano trio includes Tyler Mitchell (b) and Anthony Pinciotti (d) in a performance than leans heavily on Bill Evan's rendition in Verve's Trio 64. I wouldn't normally include Charlie Parker's take on his and Benny Harris' "Ornithology" in the Romantic Half-Hour. Yet, listening to Milton Suggs singing his lyrics to Dameron's "Lady Bird," I noticed that halfway through his performance he began vocalizing probably the most famous solo in modern jazz history: Parker's in the Bird's 1947 recording that included a young Miles Davis and swing veteran, Lucky Thompson. Therefore, we'll hear the listenable 1947 Bird shellac outing preceding Milton's ensemble cover of Dameron's "Lady Bird" from his 2012 Skiptone's Lyrical. Criss Cross Jazz's Spirits and Warriors is next with Luis Perdomo's quintet covering Hermeto Pascoal's "Little Church." We continue to say "Goodbye" to multi-award winning American jazz singer, Mark Murphy, who left us last October.
Here we find him with Sweden's Jan Lundgren and his 2002 Sittel Records' Plays the Music of Jule Styne with an all-star ensemble including Jan's piano, Eric Alexander (tenor), Mattias Svensson (b) and Morten Lund (d). Romance needn't end here; the rest is up to you.
A special thanks to KZMU's Music Director, Serah Mead and the troops @ RoJ for their help putting the show together: Agenor (BRA), Chris do Brasil (BRA), Domi & Victor (SPA), GAB (BEL), JR (SPA), Javi (SPA), Jazzzz61 (SPA), Lira (BRA), Luisa, Menos Que un Perro (ARG), Marcos (BRA), Melokan (VEN), Raz (ISR) and Sonia (SPA). Also friend, Raul Boeira, the Brazilian based in Passo Fundo and Spain's Javier Carrete.
