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 last it was heard of until it made its way onto The Lost Grooves in the mid 90's.
The Chris Potter is from a fairly obscure album featuring his electric band, Underground, called Ultrahang. Abella laments, "It's a crying shame that this album is as unknown as it is, because it's awesome."
He also praises Donny McCaslin , "He is one of my favorite guys making music right now - truly on the cutting edge of jazz without falling into the 'avant garde'"
We also feature a cut from Ben Allison's latest -- really modern, rippin' stuff. Unfortunately, he's on an anti-Spotify kick, which is unfortunately since more people need to hear his music. That said, a lot of these tunes are not available on Spotify, so there are plenty of YouTube links in this edition.
The Mingus cut was a dedication to Nelson Mandela. The album was released after Mingus returned from his 1964 European tour. Dolphy stayed behind in Europe and had passed away not too long after. Praying with Eric is actually "Meditation on a Pair of Wire Cutters" and it's Mingus' take on the idea that blacks in Jim Crow America were essentially in concentration camps. It's telling that on his '65 tour, when he would perform this song, he would start it off with the Martin Niemoller poem "First They Came For the Communists."
Too heavy for you? Well John Scofield playing Chipmunk's Christmas should warm your heart's cockles.
The second hour was a stream of consciousness set. Larry Coryell's Eleventh House -> Gary Burton Quartet (which featured Larry Coryell) -> Gary Burton & Keith Jarrett -> Keith Jarrett's European Quartet -> Keith Jarrett's American Quartet. The stream was broken by John Zorn doing a tune he wrote called "Santa's Workshop", which got us back to more 70's laid back goodness, with Jazz is Dead doing Billy Cobham's "Red Baron". That inspired more early 70's funkiness with Herbie Hancock, and then Ray Charles sends us home with "Let's Go Get Stoned."
Notes From The Jazz Underground runs Friday nights on WDCB 90.9 FM.
Complete Playlist
HOUR ONE
Spooky - Stanley Turrentine - The Lost Grooves (V/A)
Time's Arrow - Chris Potter - Ultrahang
Says Who - Donny McCaslin - Casting For Gravity
D.A.V.E. - Ben Allison - The Stars Look Very Different Today
Praying with Eric - Charles Mingus - Town Hall Concert (1964)
Chipmunk Christmas - John Scofield - Yule Struttin' (V/A)
HOUR TWO
Birdfingers - Larry Coryell - Introducing Eleventh House with Larry Coryell
Good Citizen Swallow - Gary Burton - Lofty Fake Anagram
Grow Your Own - Gary Burton & Keith Jarrett - (self titled)
New Dance - Keith Jarrett - Sleeper
De Drums - Keith Jarrett - Fort Yahwuh
Santa's Workshop - John Zorn - A Dreamer's Christmas
Red Baron - Jazz Is Dead - Blue Light Rain
Fat Mama - Herbie Hancock - Fat Albert Rotunda
Let's Go Get Stoned - Ray Charles - Anthology
