Jan 21, 2014
This installment of Notes From The Jazz Underground features the playlist based on the December 13th show.Since it was Friday the 13th, host Paul Abella chose to start with an appropriate tune: Stanley Turrentine's big band arrangement of Spooky with an all star group. It was put out on a 45, and that was the...
Jan 21, 2014
Chicago is a world class jazz city. That means it has world class jazz venues. But that doesn't mean they're all created equal. Some are 100% dedicated to the form. Others program jazz as a part of a more diverse lineup. Just as there are many permutations of the music, there are plenty of ways to...
Jan 21, 2014
This is the seventh edition of the The Barns These Are My Jams series. To see what this is all about, check out Volume One and for more jams check out the entire My Jams series.1. "War Pigs" is standard issue cover for bands looking to get in touch with a bit of their heavier...
Jan 21, 2014
Keith Jarrett is a true mastermind of improvisation on the piano. The performer is infamous for his hatred of distractions, be it coughing, photography or basic noise from the audience, so recordings dont show up as often as many desire.This set from 2010 shows the pianist doing what he does best, an intense spattering of...
Jan 21, 2014
Words / Photos: Alex WoodFriday nights installment of the Chicago Bluegrass & Blues festival offered two very different takes on blending folk-rock and country.To the surprise of many, the presumed headliner Justin Townes Earle came out before The Felice Brothers.Paul Niehaus added sparse electric and slide guitar backing, making Earles band two members short...
Jan 17, 2014
This installment of Notes From The Jazz Underground features the playlist based on the December 6th show.After offering two themes in the previous week's broadcast, NFTJU host Paul Abella returns to free form no-rules jazz programming. No theme at all. Not even a little bit.Hightlights include new(ish) stuff from Trombone Shorty and...
Jan 17, 2014
Sun Ra, an eclectic and beyond-prolific musician, has deep roots in Chicago -- his tenure in the city during the 1960s led to some of his best recordings.Yet shortly after moving from Chicago Sun Ra became significantly more experimental, with larger percussion sections, longer improvisation and a wider use of electronic technologyThis brings us...
Jan 17, 2014
Shemekia Copeland gets a lot of love in the Chicago area. Besides being in constant rotation on WXRT, the blues and soul vocalist was crowned the Queen of Blues at the 2011 Chicago Blues Festival.Copelands 2013 performance at Jay Pritzker Pavilion finds the vocalist in top form, her live performance boasting more grit and soul than...
Jan 15, 2014
This installment of Notes From The Jazz Underground features the playlist based on the November 29th show.From the previous weeks unthemed set, host Paul Abella provides two themed shows in one.The first hour was the barrier breakersBenny Goodman was the very first (major) jazz artist to integrate his band, heard here with Charlie...
Jan 15, 2014
A sure fire way to get your infographic some attention is to find a way to squeeze your info into a Periodic Table. It''s even better if you can use the format to imbue a little meaning on into your data (check out this Periodic Table of Phish).That's just what the designers at Red...