I find that with jazz, like any genre of music, there might be one to five percent of the music that truly resonates with me. With the posts that reach me through facebook or gmail, I end up having to listen to a lot of them in order to find that 1 to 5 %. My discoveries over the past couple months are featured in this week’s episode. Most of the artist were familiar, but the particular recordings weren’t. And there are a few that are brand new to me. Jazz artists’ you’ll hear are: Alan Pasqua (...
May 26, 2020•Season 1Ep. 108
I’ll tell you the stories—-and you can figure out which tune I’m talking about. Or, better yet, listen to the podcast and find out :). 1: The primary writer was a member of the National Association for The Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and was put in jail for refusing to enlist in the U.S. army due to it’s racial segregation policies. Described as a ‘one hit wonder’, in fact, he later became a successful songwriter in France, penning hits for Maurice Chevalier and Josephine Baker. 2: The...
May 19, 2020•Season 1Ep. 107
Six more compositions jazz players like to play and a few tidbits of information about each one. You’ll hear some of the famous Miles Davis composition, Solar, under the name “Sonny”—written and recorded on an acetate 8 years before Miles Davis claimed to have written it. This recording is NOT available anywhere on youtube. I also play a great modern version of the tune by Japanese saxophonist Hisatsugu Suzuki with organist Jun Miyakawa and bassist Dairiki Hara. I also play two versions of Carav...
May 12, 2020
You’ll hear anywhere from one to three versions of each of these 6 jazz compositions. Two of those recordings are also a tribute to two jazz artists who recently died as a result of COVID19: Lee Konitz and Wallace Roney. The tunes are: East of the Sun (West of the Moon), There is No Greater Love, Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most, Desafinado, Airegin, and Hey There. P.S. Upon posting, I learned that Discovering Jazz made it up to #7 on the Hong Kong music podcast charts (it’s currently ridi...
May 05, 2020•Season 1Ep. 105
Today is an exploration of my own jazz roots, a continuation of episode 100 where I first introduced you to some tunes that influenced me to discover more about this interesting musical genre. Most of those ‘root’s are old ones. But I’m also growing new roots….as I keep ‘discovering’ new music. The newer jazz roots include Amy Winehouse and Canadian guitarist Mike Rud. You’ll also hear recordings by Tony Bennett, Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd, Buddy Greco, The Memphis Jug Band, Bob Wills and the ...
Apr 28, 2020•Season 1Ep. 104
Even during the most trying times we deserve to have a bit of fun. This week we’ll make the best of a bad situation and hear some music that relates to what we are going through. I play recordings by the late Bucky Pizzarelli, as well as Karin Plato, Noel Acchote, Warren Vache Sr. & The Syncopatin’ Seven, Yusef Lateef, Eugene McDanels, Kelly Eisenhour, Bob Dorough & Donna Anotow, Wayne Shorter, Tete Montoliu, and Joe Henderson. You’ll experience a nice combination of reality and hope, an...
Apr 21, 2020•Season 1Ep. 103
A lot of jazz and classical music has been inspired by the singing of birds. Including a few Charlie ‘Yardbird’ Parker tunes. Today’s episode includes music of the veery thrush, a song thrush, a loon, and a northern mockingbird. And how they inspired Jeff Silverbush and Victoria pianist Karel Rossingh. Also I play recordings by Blossom Dearie, Charlie Parker, Herbie Hancock ( a Joni Mitchell composition), Bob Dorough, Louis Armstrong, Bobby Darin, Charles Mingus, Sheila Jordon, and Carmen McRae....
Apr 14, 2020•Season 1Ep. 102
Starting with two drums and a fife providing the entertainment at New Orleans picnics and funerals, and finishing with Canadian drummer Claude Ranger. We talk about the development of the drum, and Kelby McNayr takes us through some of the components of the drum set. We also play music by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, talk about Jack Dejohnette and what to listen for as you listen to him playing with Charles Llloyd. I then spin a Fred Hersch Trio track with drummer Eric McPherson. We then ...
Apr 07, 2020•Season 1Ep. 101
With a party! But maintaining distancing. I’m exploring my own jazz roots which I’m pretty sure are pretty different from how most jazz aficionados discovered jazz. It wasn’t the great works of Charlie Parker or Miles Davis that did it for me. Rather it was a lot of ‘b’ sides of 45’s, hits and non-hits from the 50’s and 60’s, and records handed down to me by my parents (who weren’t really into jazz). You’ll hear some terrific recordings in this episode, and at least one that is much less than te...
Mar 31, 2020•Season 1Ep. 100
The great and legendary jazz pianist, known for his recordings with John Coltrane and his original compositions, died March 6th of this year. He had one of the most powerful left hands in jazz–but he actually gained a reputation as a composer even before he made his first record. In this episode you’ll hear lots of music, and not that much talk. We’ll let McCoy Tyner’s playing do the talking. I also play two compositions of his as interpreted by others. You’ll hear Tessa Souter with her interpre...
Mar 24, 2020•Season 1Ep. 99
This week I talk with amazing drummer, composer, and band leader, Kelby McNayr. Kelby has evolved into one of the most important ‘leaders’ in the Victoria jazz scene and is a first call drummer for virtually everybody! This episode features music that employs some of our greatest jazz drummers. Kelby introduces us to each drummer by describing what to listen for, and uses great metaphors to make the music come alive. Each drummer develops his or her skill within a ‘context’. He describes the jaz...
Mar 17, 2020•Season 1Ep. 98
Investigating a ‘story’ about a song can take a lot of time and effort. I do that as I track the interconnection among three Duke Ellington compositions. And the jury is still out. You’ll also hear three great Cole Porter songs, interpreted by Django Reinhardt, Tony Bennett with Art Blakey, Sarah Vaughan, and Makoto Ozone. Cole Porter does ‘build’ his songs—so it’s not surprising that he was inspired by an architect. As well as the Islamic call to prayer. I also talk a bit about Jimmy Van Heusen...
Mar 10, 2020•Season 1Ep. 97
Welcome to a series of “Discovering Jazz” episodes about compositions that jazz musicians play that seem to have an interesting story. So what’s an example of an ‘interesting story’?. How about this one? Today when a new jazz musician to a band or jam session is being ‘tested’ for his or her chops, somebody will yell out “Giant Steps”—-a great tune to test to see if the musician knows it and can keep up. But before Giant Steps, what tune was most commonly used for those kind of ‘tests’? (Listen ...
Mar 04, 2020•Season 1Ep. 96
February as Black History Month has its roots as early as 1915, thanks to being the birthdays of Frederick Douglass–an abolitionist, writer, and statesman who had escaped slavery, and president Abraham Lincoln. In Canada this year the theme is “Canadians of African Descent: Going Forward, Guided by the Past”. This week’s program pays a tribute to the history of jazz, blues, and ragtime. I’ll talk about some of the earliest roots of jazz in America and Europe—celebrating the music of JellyRoll Mo...
Feb 25, 2020•Season 1Ep. 95
The last of this series of some of the best recordings of lesser known tunes found in the jazz student’s ‘bible’—The Real Book, 6th Edition. Here is what you’ll hear today: The Intrepid Fox by Freddie HubbardCentral Park West by John ColtraneI’m All Smiles by Lana CantrellI’m All Smiles by George Cables (w. Essiet Essiet on bass)Full House (Wes Montgomery) by Christian McBride’s Big BandCrystal Silence (Chick Corea) by P.E.I’s Teresa Doyle with Doug RileyBroadway Blues by Ornette ColemanUMMG (Bi...
Feb 18, 2020•Season 1Ep. 94
The Real Book, 6th Edition, is commonly used by jazz musicians and students as a ‘guide’ for learning different well-known and not-so-well known jazz tunes. This current 4 part series focuses on the ‘not-so-well-known’. Another great guide, I’ve discovered, is a website put together by pianist/teacher Ron Drotos, called keyboardimprov.com, and his youtube videos called “Journey Through the Real Book”….where he has taken on a project of playing each of the 400 tunes in the Real Book. In this epis...
Feb 11, 2020•Season 1Ep. 93
One of the best ways to ‘discover’ jazz is to try playing it—on whatever instrument (including voice) that you feel most comfortable. I’ve been trying that with my keyboard and The Real Book, Sixth Edition. When I come up to the pieces that start with ‘g’, there are some real challenges. So here I am listening to (and presenting to you) some great recordings of some of those tunes. The tunes you’ll hear on this episode are: Gloria’s Step, performed by Michel Donato, Frank Lozano, Francois Bouras...
Feb 04, 2020•Season 1Ep. 92
The “Real Book”, Sixth Edition, is sort of like a ‘bible’ for beginning jazz students. It consists of 400 jazz tunes, ranging from compositions written by jazz musicians to some of the great Broadway tunes that have become jazz standards. It is the best selling jazz book of all time, and can be used by instrumentalists or singers looking for charts to provide their accompanists. Yet some of the tunes are pretty obscure—in the sense that not too many musicians and very few ‘audience’ members are ...
Jan 28, 2020•Season 1Ep. 91
I’ve taken some time to explore the 75 best albums of 2019 according to the British publication, Uncut, as well as their top 30 reissues and some top rated albums from the January 2020 issue. The purpose? To see how much jazz one can find in some of the better quality music in the rock, alt country, Americana, and World music genres. Interestingly, I find a lot. Whether or not you call it jazz, I can’t really say, considering how fluid this genre is these days. You be the judge. But there does s...
Jan 21, 2020•Season 1Ep. 90
Today I’m playing a track from each of the seven albums that received a 5 star review in Downbeat Magazine in 2019. As well, there is one album by a Canadian who The Ottawa Citizen jazz reviewer rated as not just the best Canadian jazz album of the year—but the best jazz album period! Most of these artists are ‘new discoveries’ for me–and the jury is out as to whether it is music to which I want to give more time and attention. Ask me next year. But I start the program with something with which ...
Jan 14, 2020•Season 1Ep. 89
Today you will learn a lot about absolute or ‘perfect’ pitch, and hear selections by jazz musicians who possess this faculty. Also a demonstration from a child who has it, and some descriptions by musicians as to how it has been helpful as well as limiting. As well, I’ll discuss how it differs from ‘relative’ pitch, and why the two so often end up being confused. You’ll hear music by Ryan Keberle, Bing Crosby and Joe Sullivan, Keith Jarrett, Oscar Peterson, Charlie Puth, Paul Shaffer w. Gil Parr...
Jan 07, 2020•Season 1Ep. 88
This is the last of the five part series on Time Life’s Giants of Jazz—28 three record sets with huge booklets featuring swing era musicians who helped define jazz. This week you’ll hear and hear about James P. Johnson, Fats Waller, Johnny Hodges, Lester Young, Henry Red Allen, Red Norvo, and more Teddy Wilson. In my quest to find any Canadian equivalents to these jazz giants, I’ve made a wonderful discovery: a Montreal based ragtime and jazz pianist/composer who helped introduce jazz to the Can...
Dec 31, 2019•Season 1Ep. 87
Something from the Archives. One from my favourite series of the past year—The Jazz Solo, Part 3. I give examples of solos that have been considered by ‘experts’ to be exceptionally amazing. And one by a great jazz artist that is considered to be not at all up to par. You’ll hear solos by Bill Evans, Fredie Hubbard, Jaco Pastorious, Robi Botos, Charlie Parker, Ron Carter and Ella Fitzgerald. Guess who botches theirs….at least according to some jazz critics? As well, I’ll play two different vocal...
Dec 24, 2019•Season 1Ep. 54
This is Part 4 of my five part series on Time Life’s Giants of Jazz. Today you’ll hear Teddy Wilson, Earl Hines, Benny Carter, plus six tracks from one set called “The Guitarists”. The latter includes six of the earliest jazz guitarists who pioneered the use of this instrument in dances and records. You’ll hear recordings by Charlie Christian, Lonnie Johnson, Django Reinhardt, Oscar Aleman, Eddie Durham, and Eddie Lang. As usual, I add a Canadian entry, imagining what it might look like if there...
Dec 17, 2019•Season 1Ep. 86
This is a program I put together two years ago…Episode 14—of holiday music. Mostly Winter holidays: Christmas, Channukah, New Years, Chalica (you probably have no idea what that one is, eh?), one Spring holiday (Ramadan)—and quite a few just celebrating the joys of winter. Lots of music here, and not much talk. You’ll hear Bill Evans, Ahmad Jamal, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Bob Dorough, Carri Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Wesley Collett-Taylor, Dexter Gordon, Mike Rud, The Darylectones, Salah Rag...
Dec 10, 2019
I asked Victoria vocalist and studier of ‘swing’ style jazz, Angela Verbrugge, to send me names of some great jazz vocalist that would likely be new to me. She did. Thank you! This program, as well as last week’s, has me playing music by those singers and talking to her about the singers and the music. I also introduce to her my favourite vocalist, the late great Gene (aka Eugene) McDaniels. I play three tracks by him showing three very distinctive phases of his jazz vocal and songwriting career...
Dec 03, 2019•Season 1Ep. 85
Special guest, singer and songwriter Angela Verbrugge, has sent me (upon my request) some recordings from jazz singers I probably never heard of. These recordings are the subject of this week’s and next week’s podcast. I make it an exchange by presenting one or two to her that she’s probably never heard of. This week you and I will discover the delightful singing of Lucy Yeghizaryan, Gabrielle Stravelli, Greta Matassa, Camille Thurman, Susannah McCorkle, and Dave Tull. Recordings I chose to pres...
Nov 26, 2019•Season 1Ep. 84
Part 3 of Time-Life’s Giant’s of Jazz series, this time featuring Sidney Bechet, Coleman Hawkins, Jelly Roll Morton, Jack Teagarden, Ben Webster, plus Canadian born orchestrator Gil Evans. You’ll also hear Dizzy Gillespie’s first recorded jazz solo. And How Art Tatum, at age 16, changed the course of jazz using Coleman Hawkins as a vehicle. And a very famous jazz tune that was originally called “Blue Balls”.
Nov 19, 2019•Season 1Ep. 83
More from that great Time-Life series, The Giants of Jazz, with such fascinating information about each of the 28 early jazz giants. This episode features Bix Beiderbecke, Art Tatum, Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday, Coleman Hawkins, and—surprisingly—the unorthodox clarinet of Frank Teschemaker. I also explore the mystery as to why Teschemacher was included as one of the 27 jazz ‘giants’, especially when Artie Shaw stated that he wasn’t very good and had no influence on the development of jazz. In ...
Nov 12, 2019•Season 1Ep. 82
This week I’m catching up on some cd’s that I recently acquired, many of which feature great piano playing. One of them by Victoria pianist Tom Vickery includes a version of Manha de Carnaval (Black Orpheus), which inspired me to play a few versions of that great tune. One of my favourites is by McCoy Tyner and Freddie Hubbard. You’ll also hear Renee Rosnes, Bellita, Kelley Johnson & John Hansen, Wes Carroll Confabulation, some amazing scat singing by Sarah Vaughan, and Fred Hersch....
Nov 05, 2019•Season 1Ep. 81
