From the archives, originally posted November, 2020. This episode explores the boundaries of the category of jazz---what defines jazz, and at what point it no longer makes sense to call a piece of music 'jazz'. A fascinating mix of musical artists---as diverse as Louis Armstrong, Annie Lennox, The Modern Jazz Quartet, Wu Tang-clan, Herbie Hancock, Jennifer Scott & Miles Black, The Bad Plus, Al HIrt, Hank Mobley, Jane Bunnett and Maqueque, and a medley of 'smooth jazz' recordings from 2020. I...
Aug 26, 2025•Ep. 124
Taking a short break, and posting a few favourite episodes from my Discovering Jazz archives. This week it's one from June of 2020--another one from when I was living in Victoria, B.C. It starts with a song called "Late Bloomers", and ends with guitarist Wes Montgomery, who at age 19 when training to become a welder heard Charlie Christian. Bye bye welding, hello jazz legend! And between all this---many others, including one who didn't become known until age 51 due to spending much of his earlie...
Aug 19, 2025•Ep. 109
I'm taking a few weeks off from posting new podcasts and re-posting some favourites from the past. This one is Episode 108, originally posted in May of 2020 when I was living in Victoria, B.C. Here I play music personally recommended by people whose opinion I respect. And I chose some recordings or artists that most interested me. You'll hear: Herbert Rostain and his Sextette Chet Baker Richie Cole Alan Pasqua Mike Murley, Ed Bickert, and Steve Wallace Paul Jost Grant Simpson Bill Frisell Renee ...
Aug 12, 2025•Ep. 108
I did a fast perusal of few records on the Jazzweek chart over the past couple weeks. And I made some great discoveries. Some resonated with me and some didn't. But all 10 of the tracks I play on this episode stood out--at least after a quick listen. What gems did I discover? Here's a list: Tyreen McDole...what a voice! His debut album called Open Up Your Senses. Antonio Adolfo and an album called "Carnival, The Songs Were So Beautiful, where he plays tunes that have graced this Brazilian festiv...
Aug 05, 2025•Ep. 329
I'm looking through the recordings that are being played on North American jazz radio and listening to tracks from some of the albums by Canadian artists. Some great music! I've found 10 that I decided to play for this episode. The artists you'll hear include: -Cory Weeds & Nick Hempton -Artemis -George Crotty Trio -Steve Holt Jazz Impact Quintet -William Carn -Jon Bentley -Rachel Therrien -The Toronto Jazz Collective with Norma Winstone & Joe Labarbera -Brad Turner -Joaquin Nuñez...
Jul 29, 2025•Ep. 328
Definitely a few here that might be considered on the 'fringes of the genre'. Three of them are by artists who will be appearing at the Edmonton Folk Festival early August. The artists here are Taj Mahal (playing a Duke Ellington classic), BALTHVS from Colombia, and Haitian Canadian Wesli. I also play three tracks from jazz guitarist Mike Rud and his latest (and delightful) album called The Paranormal Adventures of Uncle Mike. Also the latest offering by one of my favourite modern singers---Swit...
Jul 22, 2025•Ep. 327
This one starts and ends with the great Brazilian composer, Antonio Carlos Jobim. One tune that may have been influenced by a classic Miles Davis recording, and another inspired by Chopin. And speaking of Miles Davis, I also play a track from a fairly modern album that is a re-imagining of one of his Birth of The Cool sessions. It's by Winnipeg trombonist and arranger, Jeff Preslaff. You'll also hear two very similar Benny Golson compositions, one played by Buddy Emmons with Lenny Breau, and the...
Jul 15, 2025•Ep. 326
On feedspot's 100 Best Jazz Podcasts You Must Follow in 2025, Discovering Jazz has toggled between #33 and #35. At one time we were #7. You can also find some other great jazz podcasts through that site. https://podcast.feedspot.com/jazz_podcasts/ This week's Discovering Jazz Podcast again introduces you to a few songs that, at least to my way of thinking, have similarities to other songs. I play a recording of a tune, then another tune that sounds similar. You'll hear music by a host of great j...
Jul 08, 2025•Ep. 325
Sometimes one tune may be influenced by an earlier one, and other times it's pure coincidence. But we find ourselves 'reminded' of another song. In this episode I play a recording of either a well-known or not so well known jazz tune, then follow it with another recording of a totally different tune---but one that tune might remind us of. Or, it may not. It could be that it's just 'me'! But either way....you'll hear lots of great music in this episode, and not too much talk. And for my fellow Ca...
Jul 01, 2025•Ep. 324
This is the last episode of my series on resilient musicians who thrived (at least for awhile) despite mental and/or physical challenges. The podcast starts with something fun....a Bud Freeman and Katie Lee project called Songs of Couch and Consultation, satirizing psychoanalysis and psychiatric jargon. Then we get serious, moving right to Charlie Mingus and an album that was inspired by his time in a psychiatric ward. And speaking of psychiatric wards, the great pianist, Phineas Newborn ended u...
Jun 24, 2025•Ep. 323
The amazing guitarist, Pat Martino, while he was recovering from his near fatal seizure in the mid 1970's met with a highschooll junior, David K. Israel. They ended up recording a duet album together that was never released. Israel is now a world famous composer author, screenwriter, director, and producer---and a couple months ago this long lost tape of their duets turned up. It involved Martino improvising over Israel's synthesizer tracks. The world premiere of one of these tracks is featured ...
Jun 17, 2025•Ep. 322
For Part 2 of this 4-part series, I talk about the following artists and play 10 musical selections. You'll learn something about: -Bud Powell -Lakecia Benjamin -John Coltrane -Brian Barley -Claude Ranger -Michael Wolff -Kate Hammet-Vaughan -Angela Verbrugge -Art Pepper -Frank London and The Elders And you'll hear 10 great recordings.
Jun 10, 2025•Ep. 321
This is a start of a series where I play and talk about the resilience of jazz musicians facing challenges that would have stopped others in their tracks. Musicians in general have been shown to have the highest level of job satisfaction, but also the highest level of physical ailments and sleep disturbances . They are also five times as likely to suffer from mental illness than the general population. The relationship between creativity and such challenges is a complex one. Does being a musicia...
Jun 03, 2025•Ep. 320
Part two of my two part series on Sonny Rollins, inspired by Saxophon Colossus by Aidan Levy. I play and introduce eight selections, ranging from 1951 up to his last studio album in 2006. It includes two of his first recordings, a recording where he played on a Thelonious Monk album, a selection from his 2001 grammy winning album, and two collaborations with non-jazz stars: Leonard Cohen and The Rolling Stones. And the episode starts with one of his compositions that has become a jazz standard, ...
May 27, 2025•Ep. 319
This episode was inspired by my reading Saxophone Colossus: The Life and Music of Sonny Rollins. Thanks to Mark Vasey for giving me this book. For these two episodes I focus more on the music than on his life....although both are fascinating. Starting with his first recording in 1951, with Miles Davis, I play tracks from some of his 46 + classic albums. You'll also hear something from his Sonny Meets Hawk album of 1963, where he teamed up with his idol, Coleman Hawkins. At the time of recording ...
May 20, 2025•Ep. 318
I listened to this podcast after recording it and really enjoyed it. I think you will too! It consists of tracks from cd's that I acquired over the past month, with some explanation as to why I acquired them. Artists include: -Wynton Marsalis with J.J. Johnson and again with Willie Nelson. Listening to the latter I get a sense as to why each new Willie Nelson album gets played on some jazz radio stations. -A Swiss yodeller named Gabriela Martina. Here she does interesting things with a Wayne Sho...
May 13, 2025•Ep. 317
The last in this series where I talk about the 'meaning' or (sometimes) lack of meaning behind the titles of certain jazz compositions. In this episode I play: Think of One-Thelonious Monk Salt Peanuts--Charlie Parker w. Dizzy Gillespie Elbow Grease--Niacin When Charlotte Osgood Mason Dances the Africane--Allen Lowe and the Constant Sorrow Orchestra Work Song--Nat Adderley with Wes Montgomery First Steps--Kris Davis Wheatland--Oscar Peterson Double Double Toil and Treble (Victor Eijkout)--Thomas...
May 06, 2025•Ep. 316
Along with some great music, I explore some of the difference between jazz titles that are "programmatic" vs those that are more "impressionistic". And then there are those that seem to have nothing to do with the actual music. Compositions I play this week include Well You Needn't (Monk), Original Faubus Fables (Mingus), Lester Lopes In (Allen Lowe), Disco Inferred (Chas Smith), Unconscious (Sandro Dominelli), and Daybreak/Sunbeam (Stu Goldberg), And then there's a fascinating incident where tw...
Apr 29, 2025•Ep. 315
Ever wonder how (and why) jazz composers decide on a particular title for their compositions? I try to answer that question. Sometimes I just have to guess. And other times I'll get some hints from the composers or from jazz scholars. At times the title is a pretty good reflection of the music. And at other times it just seems random. In this episode I play 11 compositions, and speculate as to why it is called what it is called. In one instance the title was changed. I'm referring to a Theloniou...
Apr 22, 2025•Ep. 314
I'm taking a bit of a break and posting a couple episodes from my archives. This is from 2020 when I was living in Victoria. I listened to a few of them in order to find those that would speak to me. And here they are! I also talk a bit about who sent them to me. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
Apr 15, 2025•Ep. 108
From the archives, a program originally published May 2020. Six compositions jazz players like to play, with tidbits of information about each one. Some of the recordings I play are by Ben Braum and his vocal quartet, Alan Pasqua, Tony Bennett w. Nora Jones, Kurt Weill (singing), Barney Bigard, Ed Graham, Miles Davis, Chuck Wayne, Hisatsugu Suzuki Trio, Anita O'Day, Jim Hall, Lenny Breau, Robi Botos. And some of the tidbits of information? Let me make it an informal contest....see which of the t...
Apr 08, 2025•Ep. 106
As I type this description, I'm listening to this episode and so enjoying it! The music is both interesting AND accessible. I'll give you a list of the album's I'm playing here: Lisa Hilton: Lucky All Along Don Moretti and Brazilia: Live at the Pumphouse Celebrating Wayne Shorter Malfada Minnozzi w. Paul Ricci: Riofonic Dave Stryker With Strings: Strings Goes To The Movies Willie Morris: Unbound Inner Jacob Wutzke: You Better Bet Nanami Haruta: The Vibe Judy Wexler: No Wonder Oz Noy: Fun One Tor...
Apr 01, 2025•Ep. 313
I was interested in listening to a few of the albums that jazz radio are featuring so far in 2025, and playing a few that stood out for me. This week you'll hear tracks by Eugenie Jones, Scott Hamilton, Joe Alterman with Houston Person, Renee Rosnes, Ben Patterson, Yellowjackets, Artemis, Claire Martin, Ben Paterson, and a saxophone blowing session with Nick Hampton and Cory Weeds.
Mar 25, 2025•Ep. 312
Part 3 of pianists described by Robert Doerschuk in his book 88-The Giants of Jazz Piano. I start by talking about Art Tatum who is " by consensus the greatest jazz pianist who ever lived". Then I move on to the man that Tatum himself considered his 'heir apparent'. Montreal's Oscar Peterson. Then the recently desceased Geri Allen, with her 'bracing rhythmic interactions'. Her ability to separate her left and right hands was astounding! Lastly....a pianist considered to be one of the most import...
Mar 18, 2025•Ep. 311
Four more pianists as described by Robert L. Doerschuk in his book 88: The Giants of Jazz Piano. You'll hear two tracks from Jelly Roll Morton and what to look for as you listen to them. Then I play 3 1/2 tracks from Thelonious Monk, including a couple from very early in his musical career when he was just developing his style. I talk about and play three recordings from Mary Lou Williams--who was described as a "gifted and delicate appreciator who distills what affects her in the work of other ...
Mar 11, 2025•Ep. 310
"An outstanding example of freedom built on form and of the possibilities suggested when romanticism and abstraction find each other". Guess what pianist is being described here? And what do you think that description might actually sound like? Or how about this one: "tantalizing interruptions of the rhythmic flow in the improvised line and his dissonant leaps twisting the melody into a moonscape of peaks and valleys". To what piano player might that description be refferring? This is Part 1 of ...
Mar 04, 2025•Ep. 309
It's important to remember, especially during Black History Month, that jazz is music born of the African American experience---and it is now played and listened to all over the world. To quote Randall Cline, Artistic Director of SF Jazz: "The birth of jazz, and its evolution is rooted in black artists fighting against systemic oppression. Jazz musicians have always been on the front lines of change". So in this episode, originally posted and presented 4 years ago, I play music celebrating that ...
Feb 25, 2025•Ep. 110
Taking a couple weeks off and posting programs from the archives. This week it's Jazz and Black History Month....originally posted February of 2020. Now, despite the efforts of certain racist politicians to eliminate our honouring black history, this episode is in honour of that history. I play music by James Reese Europe and his Paragons Ragtime Orchestra, Jellyroll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson & Harry Sweets Edison, Charles Mingus, Joe Williams, Louise Rose (from Victoria, B.C.)...
Feb 18, 2025•Ep. 95
To conclude what has turned out to be an 8 part series on The Best of 2024---I've randomly selected some albums that were chosen by one or more 'experts'. There are a lot of artists of whom I was totally unfamiliar...and randomly selecting a few certainly aids my own jazz 'discovery' process, and I hope it will also aid yours. By concidence it turns out that three of these have a Latin (Spanish or Portuguese) flavour. Then there's one artist from Italy, one from England, one 'historical' album f...
Feb 11, 2025•Ep. 308
Of the albums that reviewers and jazz aficianados placed on their "Best of 2024" list---here are what I feel right now are my nine favourites. Kenny Barron: Beyond This Place Danae Olano: Children's Corner Bria Skonberg: What It Means Matt Wilson's Good Trouble: Good Trouble Alex Tuomarilla Trio: Departing The Wasteland Verneri Pohjola: Monkey Mind Oded Tzur Quartet: My Prophet Jeremy Ledbetter Trio: Gravity. And my all-time favourite: A 4 cd set (with booklet) by Allen Lowe called Louis Armstro...
Feb 04, 2025•Ep. 307
