This episode I feature the music of Norwegian bass player and composer Arild Andersen.  He had his beginnings with the Jan Garbarek Quartet back in ’67 and as you could imagine that early ECM Records sound has permeated his own recordings as well.  I would have to say though that he is not as ethereal or experimental as we might hear from some of the other ECM artists heard on the show.  Nonetheless his recordings are well worth listening to as his bass playing is extraordinary!  He has a great list of recordings both as leader and sideman with some of the legends of jazz, Don Cherry, Dexter Gordon, Phil Woods, Sonny Rollins, Chick Corea and more.  I know you will love his style, his sound and his compositions – I certainly do!  Enjoy!!

This Week’s Featured Recording:

This Weeks Playlist:

Jazz ODC #251 Playlist

Check out Arild Andersen Live:

 

Here we are at episode #250!!  I was wondering what to call this episode, My Favorites, Best of The Best, Fan Choices, but all I kept coming back to was that this show should illustrate some of the great music played over the last 249 episodes, those favorites that I just truly enjoyed more than all the rest; you know “Some Favorites”.  So there it is.  I think reaching a milestone like 250 is a great accomplishment for me and a testament to all the great jazz music being written and recorded everyday around the world.  I am so happy to bring it you each week, I hope to bring you 250 more, heck 1000 more shows.  Stay tuned – more great music ahead.  Thank you all for listening!!  Enjoy!

This Week’s Featured Album:

 

This Week’s Playlist:

Jazz ODC #250 Playlist

Check Out David Torn’s Cloud About Mercury Live:

Well it’s the beginning of a whole new year – some say our last.  For me, and hopefully for you, a new year gives you the chance for a new start, new hope, new paths and new challenges.  Maybe not life changing or earth shattering but maybe a way to spark things into new directions.  For me, I have many goals – some I actually hope to achieve.  One is to make the show, website and content in general more in depth and provide all of you with more of the Jazz ODC experience.  I also hope to introduce a cool contest later, that could spark some new creativity – more later!!  So this first 2012 show is all about NEW, you’ll get that from the titles and hopefully from the sounds.  Everything from Robert Miles to Avishai Cohen, to Beegie Adair to Mulatu Astatke, a nice NEW assortment.  Have a great BEGINNING and as always, ENJOY!!

This Week’s Featured Album:

Check out Avishai Cohen LIVE:

The weather turns cold, the snow falls, the year comes to a close and we celebrate the Holiday season.  Something most of us look forward to every year, getting together with family, sharing the war stories from the past year and giving and receiving gifts of thanks.  Whether you celebrate Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukah or Festivus – I am sure you can find some joy in this week’s music.  Grab some Hot Cider, Curl up by the fire and switch on Jazz ODC! Happy Holidays to all!  Enjoy!!

This Week’s Playlist:

Jazz ODC #248 Playlist

We mourn the loss of another great jazz musician – Drummer Paul Motian.  He started playing with Bill Evans and it would seem his sound was strongly shaped in those early formative years.  His style emphasized light rhythms, well placed accents and always interesting embellishments to melody and improvisation.  For years he was an ECM Record label staple, with over 30 recordings as a leader and many more as a sideman.  A great drummer, a visionary on freeing drummers from simple timekeeping, a great influence for many of us.  He will be missed.  RIP Paul!

This Week’s Playlist:

Jazz ODC #247 Playlist

It seems like every show that I do I talk about how that particular artist, group or recording is one of my favorites.  It’s true, I really like all this music!!  Well here is another one!!  Back when I was studying percussion in college I heard of Steve Tibbetts and Marc Johnson.  The way the two of them blended minimal amounts of instruments into thick,  distinctly deep and interesting compositions intrigued me.  I loved that Tibbetts could switch from a folk sounding acoustic to a  Hendrix sounding electric in the middle of the same piece.  I loved how Anderson could play gentle bell or gong sounds and switch to raucous rhythms on tablas or other world percussion instruments.  A blend of two distinct visions that made so much sense together.  Well, they still make sense, I still love their music and I know you will also!!  If you haven’t heard of them then I suggest Exploded View – my ultimate favorite recording by the pair.  There is a lot to like about the recording and the pair – check them out and Enjoy!!

This Week’s Playlist:

Jazz ODC Playlist #246

Each year we celebrate being thankful for what we have and what we have achieved over the past year.  Music is such a big part of my life and I am ever so thankful I can continue to play, listen and bring music to you.  Check out tunes of peace, thankfulness, togetherness, appreciation, and contemplation.  I’ll even through in a few tunes about the upcoming snow that some of use will see and hopefully enjoy in the coming months.  Thanks to you, thanks to jazz, thanks to music in general – I’m glad to be here and hope you are too!  Enjoy!!

This Week’s Featured Recording:

This Week’s Playlist:

Jazz ODC Playlist #245

Once again it’s my pleasure to bring the music that I am listening to and enjoying this month to you.  It’s a hard process trying to decide what makes it into this two hour show, there is so much good music and so little time to play it.  While not everything I play will please all – I am sure there is something in here for everyone!!  Some great artists in this week’s show include: The Christian McBride Big Band, John Zorn, Tony Grey, Jason Adasiewicz, Trilok Gurtu, Ryan Blotnick, Phronesis, Blockhead, Big Bud, Mr. Scruff and more!  Relax and Enjoy!!

This Week’s Featured Recording:

This Week’s Playlist:

Jazz Odyssey Playlist #244

If you have listened to the show for very long you know that one of my all time favorite record labels is ECM or Edition of Contemporary Music from Mucih Germany. The output of this label is amazing – probably more than any other  label of it’s kind on a monthly basis.  Every once in a while I like to showcase the latest releases from the label as they are always pushing the jazz and music boundaries.  They are always recording new experimental and innovative sounds, something we hear less of all the time in the corporate music world.  This time check out music by Michael Formanek, Iro Halla, Nik Bartch’s Ronin, Paul Motian, Mathias Eick, Julia Hulsmann and a lot more.  It’s always my pleasure to show off the music from ECM – I hope you like it as much as I do!!  Enjoy!!

Featured Album:

This Week’s Playlist:

Jazz Odyssey Playlist #243

One of the most versatile guitarists I know plays music in all styles – classical, country, folk, experimental and of course Jazz.  Bill Frisell has been a staple of new and interesting sounds for decades.  His beginnings with the ECM label in Germany set the stage as he “filled” in for Pat Metheny who couldn’t make the session.  He never looked back and for our sake, thank goodness!  From the early recordings with Paul Motian and Jan Garbarek to his current recording of the music of John Lennon  - there is more than enough material to please all listeners.  I’m pleased, I think you will be too.  Enjoy this journey in sound!!

This Week’s Playlist:

Jazz ODC Playlist #242