In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond

Ken Laster

Jazz music reviewed spanning many styles and eras from be-bop to fusion and more.

  • 1 hour 18 seconds
    San Diego scene and more

    San Diego's jazz scene takes center stage in this episode! We'll be featuring brand new releases from a jazz legend, saxophonist Charles McPherson and rising star bassist MacKenzie Leighton. We'll also have music from other San Diego favorites Christopher Hollyday and Matt Hall. The show kicks off and wraps up with fantastic vocalese singers LH&R and saxophonists Frahm, Woods, and Farrell.

    Playlist
    Artist ~ Name ~ Album
    Lambert, Hendricks & Ross ~ Everybody's Boppin' ~ The Hottest New Group In Jazz
    Joel Frahm ~ Yesterdays ~ I'm Old Fashioned
    Charles McPherson ~ Ode to Barry ~ Reverence
    Christopher Hollyday ~ Dialogue ~ Dialogue
    Mackenzie Leighton ~ Pm/Am ~ I Remember
    Matt Hall ~ Spearhead ~ I Hope to My Never
    Phil Woods ~ Airegin ~ Musique du bois
    Joe Farrell ~ Sound Down ~ Outback

    28 April 2024, 10:00 am
  • 59 minutes 14 seconds
    420 Celebration

    The opening track was chosen specifically for 420 Day! The rest of the tracks make for a fine 420 celebration for jazz fans as well. Hope you are Groovin' High. Some classics to bookend this show in the first and last tracks, but mostly new music is sandwiched in between. 

    Playlist
    Artist ~ Track ~ Album
    Cannonball Adderley & Milt Jackson ~ Groovin' High ~ Things Are Getting Better
    Ulysses Owens Jr. ~ Better Days ~ A New Beat
    Veronica Swift ~ Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me ~ Veronica Swift
    Joel Frahm ~ Just One of Those Things  ~ I'm Old Fashioned
    Mackenzie Leighton ~ November ~ I Remember
    Dan Pugach ~ Schleppin' ~ Bianca
    Gary Burton & Chick Corea ~ Crystal Silence ~ Crystal Silence
    Hank Mobley ~ Up Over and Out ~ Reach Out!

    20 April 2024, 4:47 pm
  • 58 minutes 13 seconds
    Episode April 14, 2024

    Lots of new releases included in this week's podcast including jazz masters McPherson, Metheny, Manne (remastered). Also notable are tracks from Dave Holland and Hampton Hawes.

    Playlist
    Artist ~ Track ~ Album
    Charles McPherson ~ Come Rain or Come Shine ~ Reverence
    Mackenzie Leighton ~ Western Man ~ I Remember
    Dave Holland Quartet ~ Four Winds ~ Conference of the Birds
    Pat Metheny ~ MoonDial ~ MoonDial
    Pat Metheny Group ~ Airstream ~ American Garage
    Hampton Hawes Trio ~ Evening Trane ~ High In The Sky (Remastered)
    Shelly Manne and His Men ~ Step Lightly ~ Shelly Manne and His Men At the Black Hawk, Vol. 2

    14 April 2024, 10:00 am
  • 59 minutes 54 seconds
    Jazz Covers of Soul

    These are jazz covers of mostly soul tunes of the 60's-70's. The episode ends with a familiar jazz standard as played by Ahmad Jamal, and a great new big band arranger and drummer, Dan Pugach. 

    Playlist
    Artist ~ Track ~ Album
    Dr. Lonnie Smith ~ Trouble Man ~ Jungle Soul
    Billy Childs ~ Stoned Soul Picnic ~ Map to the Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro
    Luke Sellick & Andrew Renfroe ~ Ain't No Mountain High Enough ~ Single
    Hampton Hawes ~ The Look of Love ~ The Two Sides Of
    Kenny Garrett ~ I Say a Little Prayer ~ Pushing the World Away
    The Bad Plus ~ Long Distance Runaround ~ For All I Care (With Wendy Lewis)
    Joe Farrell ~ Too High ~ Penny Arcade
    Ahmad Jamal Trio ~ On Green Dolphin Street ~ Count 'Em 88
    Dan Pugach ~ Discourse This! ~ Bianca

    7 April 2024, 10:00 am
  • 58 minutes 55 seconds
    Fusion 70's to Today

    Today's show is all about jazz/rock fusion. We begin with 70's fusion from Return to Forever and Mahavishnu Orchestra. The latter half of the show is current music influenced by not only decades old jazz and fusion, but rock, beats and hip-hop.

    Playlist
    Artist ~ Track ~ Album
    Chick Corea ~ Shadow of Lo ~ Where Have I Known You Before
    Mahavishnu Orchestra ~ One Word ~ Birds of Fire
    Freddie Hubbard ~ Red Clay ~ Red Clay
    Andrew Renfroe ~ BIG COUNTRY ~ Big Country EP
    Tina Raymond ~ The Emperor ~ Divinations
    Kneebody ~ The Trip ~ Chapters
    Mark Guiliana ~ under the influence ~ the sound of listening

    31 March 2024, 10:00 am
  • 59 minutes 14 seconds
    Episode Mar 24 2024

    Once again we mix the old with the new. Of particular interest is new music by Charles Lloyd and Linda Oh. On the classics there is Rollins, Cannonball, Mobley and Evans. We close out the set with a San Diego favorite John Opferkuch.

    Playlist 
    Artist ~ Name ~ Album
    Eberhard Weber & The Gary Burton Quartet ~ B & G (Midwestern Nights Dream) ~ Passengers
    Linda May Han Oh ~ Phosphorus ~ The Glass Hours
    Sonny Rollins ~ Wonderful! Wonderful! ~ Newk's Time
    Cannonball Adderley & Nancy Wilson ~ The Old Country ~ Nancy Wilson & Cannonball Adderley
    Hank Mobley ~ Lookin' East ~ Reach Out!
    Charles Lloyd ~ Monk’s Dance ~ The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow
    Bill Evans ~ The Peacocks ~ You Must Believe In Spring
    John Opferkuch ~ Amerique ~ The Kennedy Files

    24 March 2024, 10:00 am
  • 1 hour 11 seconds
    An Eclectic Mix

    This show features an eclectic mix, beginning with new releases followed by 70's fusion and concluding with classic 50's jazz.  

    Playlist
    Artist ~ Track ~ Album
    Mike DiRubbo ~ The Moment Before Sunrise ~ Inner Light
    Charles Lloyd ~ Booker’s Garden ~ Booker's Garden - Single
    Samara Joy ~ Round Midnight ~ Linger Awhile
    David Liebman ~ Within You Without You ~ Sweet Hands
    Return to Forever ~ Game Maker ~ Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy
    Eberhard Weber & The Gary Burton Quartet ~ B & G (Midwestern Nights Dream) ~ Passengers
    Sonny Rollins ~ Wonderful! Wonderful! ~ Newk's Time

    17 March 2024, 10:00 am
  • 1 hour 4 seconds
    Episode Mar 10 2024

    This episode begins with new music from guitarist Andrew Renfro and vibraphonist Joel Ross. We then work our way back to the 1950's with classic Brubeck, Wes and Trane.

    Playlist
    Artist ~ Track ~ Album
    Andrew Renfroe ~ BIG COUNTRY ~ Big Country EP
    Joel Ross ~ nublues ~ nublues
    Dezron Douglas & Brandee Younger ~ This Woman's Work ~ Force Majeure
    Samara Joy ~ Misty ~ Linger Awhile
    Shelly Manne and His Men ~ Our Delight ~ Shelly Manne & His Men At the Blackhawk, Vol. 1
    The Dave Brubeck Quartet ~ The Duke ~ Jazz: Red, Hot and Cool
    Wes Montgomery ~ Four On Six ~ The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery
    John Coltrane ~ Moment's Notice ~ Blue Train

    10 March 2024, 10:00 am
  • 58 minutes 19 seconds
    Episode Mar 3 2024

    Brand new music and familiar standards in this week's episode. New releases from Ulysses Owens, Nicole Zuraitis and Chris Potter, interspersed wth blasts from the past from trumpeter Jim Rotondi and Herbie Hancock. The show concludes with a fusion masterpiece with lush orchestrations by Mahavishnu Orchestra.

    Playlist
    Artist ~ Track ~ Album
    Ulysses Owens Jr. ~ Bird Lives ~ A New Beat
    Jim Rotondi ~ Little B's Poem ~ Excursions
    Herbie Hancock ~ Oliloqui Valley ~ Empyrean Isles
    Nicole Zuraitis & Gilad Hekselman ~ Save it for a Rainy Day (single)
    Chris Potter ~ Dream of Home (single)
    Mahavishnu Orchestra ~ Vision Is A Naked Sword ~ Apocalypse

    3 March 2024, 8:03 am
  • 59 minutes 25 seconds
    For Bob Boss

    This episode is dedicated to Bob Boss; a fine guitarist, teacher and friend. Bob wasn't well known outside of the San Diego area, but he was a mentor to many young jazz guitarists and an icon in the jazz community. He suddenly, unexpectedly passed away last week. 

    Playlist
    Artist ~ Name ~ Album
    Bob Boss ~ Soul Eyes ~ 3 Trios +
    Ed Kornhauser ~ Praxis ~ The Short Years
    Peter Sprague & Leonard Patton ~ Can't Buy Me Love ~ Dream Walkin'
    Bobby Hutcherson ~ Little B's Poem ~ Components
    Paul Horn Quintet ~ Mr. Bond ~ Something Blue
    Wes Montgomery ~ Four On Six ~ Incredible Jazz Guitar
    Art Blakey ~ Nica's Dream ~ The Jazz Messengers

    25 February 2024, 11:00 am
  • 59 minutes 43 seconds
    Episode Feb 17, 2024

    This episode begins with the original version of a great jazz standard, Freedom Jazz Dance by Eddie Harris. From there, we have recordings by two alto sax players that cut their chops at University of Hartford's fine Jackie McLean Institute for jazz; Mike DiRubbo and Sarah Hanahan. The podcast concludes with music from Chick Corea who passed on three years ago this month.

    Playlist
    Artist ~ Name ~ Album
    Eddie Harris ~ Freedom Jazz Dance ~ The In Sound
    Swiss Jazz Ambassadors ~ Ugetsu ~ Swiss Jazz Ambassadors feat. Sarah Hanahan
    Peter Martin ~ Groove Echo Chamber ~ Peter Martin & Generation S
    Mike DiRubbo ~ JK in NYC ~ Inner Light
    Joel Ross ~ equinox ~ nublues
    Chick Corea ~ Matrix ~ Now He Sings, Now He Sobs
    Chick Corea ~ Friends ~ Friends

    18 February 2024, 11:00 am
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