Now Playing on AccuJazz - 9/29/11

To celebrate (or mourn?) the beginning of Fall, I present you with the bounty of new music now playing on the many channels of AccuJazz. In case you want to catch up, here's the last Now Playing post, from July. This edition features some really great music, including Miguel Zenon's 2nd post-genius-grant album, a fascinating piano duo album by Brad Mehldau and Kevin Hays that straddles the worlds of jazz and classical, and my new favorite Brooklyn indie [jazz] band, The Four Bags. But those are just the beginning. Check 'em all out below!

Most all releases are playing on the main channel and new releases channel on AccuJazz.com; I've also listed the other AccuJazz channels on which you're most likely to hear each CD. Album titles are links to purchase on Amazon.

Roy Haynes - Roy-Alty (Dreyfus)
Straight Ahead, Modern Mainstream, Drummers

Miguel Zenon - Alma Adentro (Marsalis Music)
Saxophone, Latin Jazz, New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York

Wynton Marsalis and Eric Clapton - Play the Blues Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center (Warner Bros)
Guitar, Trumpet, Old School, Live Jazz, Nothin' But the Blues


Brad Mehldau and Kevin Hays - Modern Music (Nonesuch)
Piano, New School, Third Stream

Kyle Eastwood - Songs From the Chateau (Mack Avenue)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Bassists, Fusion, Groove Jazz

Deep Blue Organ Trio - Wonderful! (Origin)
Straight Ahead, Guitar, New School, Modern Mainstream, Chicago, Organ, Pop Composers

Steve Coleman - The Mancy of Sound (Pi Recordings)
New School, Cutting Edge, New York

Harris Eisenstadt - Canada Day II (Songlines)
New School, Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, New York, Good Vibes, Drummers

Phil Woods and Bill Mays - Phil and Bill (Palmetto)
Saxophone, Modern Mainstream, Mellow

Giacomo Gates - The Revolution Will Be Jazz (Savant)
Vocal Jazz

Claudio Roditi - Bons Amigos (Resonance)
Latin, Brazilian Jazz, Modern Mainstream, Trumpet

Tierney Sutton - American Road (BFM Jazz)
Vocal Jazz, Modern West Coast, Women of Jazz

Terri Lynne Carrington - The Mosaic Project (Concord Jazz)
Vocal Jazz, New School, Modern Mainstream, Drummers, Women of Jazz

Dominick Farinacci - Dawn of Goodbye (E1)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, Trumpet

Al Di Meola - Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody (Telarc)
Guitar, New School, World Fusion, Fusion

Warren Wolf - Warren Wolf (Mack Avenue)
Straight Ahead, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, Good Vibes

The Four Bags - Forth (NCM East)
New School, Cutting Edge, New York

Wadada Leo Smith - Heart's Reflections (Cuneiform)
New School, Cutting Edge, Modern West Coast, Avant-Garde, Trumpet, Fusion

Starlicker - Double Demon (Delmark)
New School, Cutting Edge, Chicago, Avant-Garde, Trumpet, Good Vibes

Tim Mayer - Resilience (Jazz Legacy Productions)
Straight Ahead, Saxophone, Modern Mainstream

Brad Shepik - Across the Way (Songlines)
Guitar, New School, Cutting Edge, New York


Gerald Clayton - Bond: the Paris Sessions (Emarcy)
Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York

Orrin Evans - Freedom (Posi-Tone)
Straight Ahead, Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream

David Gibson - End of the Tunnel (Posi-Tone)
Straight Ahead, New School, Modern Mainstream, New York, Organ, Trombone, Groove Jazz

H2 Big Band - You're It! (Jazzed Media)
Big Band, Trumpet

Art Hirahara - Noble Path (Posi-Tone)
Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream, New York

Jim Snidero - Interface (Savant)
Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, New York


Amina Alaoui - Arco Iris (ECM)
Vocal Jazz, European Jazz, World Fusion, Women of Jazz

Dave Valentin - Pure Imagination (HighNote)
Latin Jazz, Modern Mainstream, Fusion

Charlie Apicella - The Business (CArlo Music)
Guitar, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York, Groove Jazz

Travis Sullivan - New Directions (Posi-Tone)
Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, New York


Marc Pompe - Everyone But Me (Self-Released)
Vocal Jazz, Chicago

Shawn Maxwell - Urban Vigilante (Chicago Sessions)
Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, Chicago

David S. Ware, Cooper-Moore, William Parker and Muhammad Ali - Planetary Unknown (AUM Fidelity)
New School, Avant-Garde

Snehashish Mozumder - Jazz and North Indian Styles (Random Chance Records)
World Fusion, Fusion

Tim Collins - Castles and Hilltops (Self-Released)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York, Good Vibes

Chris Dingman - Waking Dreams (Self-Released)
New School, Cutting Edge, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York, Good Vibes

The Great Barrier Reefs - Finding Time (Self-Released)
Modern Mainstream, World Fusion, Fusion

Jeff McLaughlin - Blocks (Owl Studios)
Guitar, New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices


Garage a Trois - Always Be Happy, But Stay Evil (Royal Potato Family)
New School, Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, Fusion, Groove Jazz

Meretrio - Meretrio (Self-Released)
Brazilian Jazz, New School, Modern Mainstream, Fusion

Richard Underhill - Kensington Suite (Self-Released)
Straight Ahead, Saxophone, Modern Mainstream

Skip Wilkins - After (Dreambox Media)
Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream

Katrina Wreede - Add Viola and Stir (Self-Released)
Modern West Coast, Third Stream, Women of Jazz

A Festival of Festival Channels

The summer may be inching ever closer to its inevitable and regrettable end, but some might say the best is yet to come. Three of North America's most celebrated jazz festivals are still ahead of us, and we're shining a spotlight on them at AccuJazz.com.

So far this year we've had channels dedicated to SF Jazz, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, and the Montreal and Newport jazz festivals. Still to come are the Chicago, Detroit and Monterey jazz festivals.

The Monterey Jazz Festival, happening September 16-18 this year, is in a class with Newport as a long-standing fest with a much-celebrated history. In fact, Concord Music Group even created a whole separate label, Monterey Jazz Festival Records, to share some of the fest's greatest recorded moments with jazz fans everywhere. Big-name headliners this year include Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock, Terence Blanchard and, ahem, these guys. Some notable acts on smaller stages include Robert Glasper, Donny McCaslin and Steve Coleman. The AccuJazz channel is playing music by most all of the musicians playing, so whether you're planning for a trip to the fest or just wish you could be there, check it out.

For the past few decades, Labor Day weekend has traditionally seen two great Midwestern cities host free, open-to-the-public jazz fests in their downtowns, and this year is no different. The Chicago and Detroit Jazz Festivals are persisting in their populist ideal of bringing world-class jazz to the people at zero cost, and we've got all the artists playing on our channels.

The Chicago Jazz Festival channel features this year's artist-in-residence Orbert Davis (pictured) and his Chicago Jazz Philharmonic as well as a great lineup of local and international artists including Randy Weston, Cassandra Wilson, the Deep Blue Organ Trio, Roy Hargrove, and many more.

The Detroit Jazz Festival channel features their artist-in-residence, drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts, as well as Dave Holland, Jason Moran, Regina Carter, Joe Lovano and many more.

Are you planning on attending any of these festivals? Who are you most excited to see? If you're not going, who do you wish you could go to see?

Check out all of our festival channels at AccuJazz.com.

Now Playing - 7/29/11

As usual, it's been a while since the last Now Playing post. And as usual, there is SO MUCH MUSIC to let you know about. I didn't even bother counting up just how many new releases we've added in the last few months, but you can have a look-see at every last one of them below. The album titles are links to buy, and the AccuJazz channels on which you're most likely to hear them are listed below. Most all new adds are also playing on the Main Channel and New Releases. Why don't you fire one of those up to listen while you peruse?


Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis - Here We Go Again (Blue Note)
Straight Ahead, Vocals, Live Jazz, Trumpet, Pop Composers, Blue Note

Gretchen Parlato - The Lost and Found (Obliqsound)
Vocals, New School, Emerging Voices, New York

Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White - Forever (Concord)
Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream, Live Jazz, Fusion

Pat Metheny - What's It All About (Nonesuch)
Guitar, New School, Pop Composers

Eric Alexander - Don't Follow the Crowd (HighNote)
Saxophone, Modern Mainstream, New York

Ambrose Akinmusire - When the Heart Emerges Glistening (Blue Note)
New School, Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, New York, Modern West Coast, Trumpet, Blue Note

Monty Alexander - Uplift (Jazz Legacy Productions)
Straight Ahead, Piano, Modern Mainstream, Live Jazz

Ben Allison - Action-Refraction (Palmetto)
New School, Cutting Edge, New York, Fusion, Pop Composers

Karrin Allyson - 'Round Midnight (Concord)
Vocals, Women of Jazz

Terrell Stafford - This Side of Strayhorn (Max Jazz Records)
Straight Ahead, Modern Mainstream, New York, Trumpet, Composers: Ellington

Freddie Hubbard - Pinnacle: Live and Unreleased From the Keystone Korner (Resonance)
New School, Live Jazz, Trumpet, 80s

Ben Williams - State of Art (Concord)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York, Bassists, Groove Jazz

Gerald Wilson - Legacy (Mack Avenue)
Big Band

Yellowjackets - Timeline (Mack Avenue)
Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, Fusion

Fred Hersch - Alone at the Vanguard (Palmetto)
Piano

Joshua Redman, Aaron Parks, Matt Penman and Eric Harland - James Farm (Nonesuch)
Saxophone, New School, Cutting Edge, Modern Mainstream, New York

Captain Black Big Band - Captain Black Big Band (Positone)
Straight Ahead, Modern Mainstream, Live Jazz, Big Band

Charlie Haden Quartet West - Sophisticated Ladies (Emarcy)
Saxophone, Vocals, Mellow

Branford Marsalis and Joey Calderazzo - Songs of Mirth and Melancholy (Marsalis Music)
Piano, Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, Mellow Jazz, Third Stream

Stefon Harris, David Sanchez and Christian Scott - Ninety Miles (Concord Picante)
Saxophone, Trumpet, Good Vibes, Latin, New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices

Vinicius Cantuária & Bill Frisell - Lagrimas Mexicanas (Ent. One Music)
Guitar, Vocals, Latin, Brazilian Jazz

Kenny Werner - Balloons (Half Note)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Live Jazz, New York

Gary Burton - Common Ground (Mack Avenue)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Good Vibes

Eliane Elias - Light My Fire (Concord Picante)
Vocals, Latin, Brazilian Jazz, Women of Jazz

Brian Lynch - Unsung Heroes (Hollistic MusicWorks)
Straight Ahead, Modern Mainstream, Trumpet

Sachal Vasandani - Hi-Fly (Mack Avenue)
Vocals, Emerging Voices

Benny Green - Source (Jazz Legacy Productions)
Straight Ahead, Piano

Randy Brecker With the DR Big Band - The Jazz Ballad Song Book (Halfnote Records)
Modern Mainstream, Big Band, Trumpet

Klang - Other Doors (Allos Documents)
New School, Chicago, Avant-Garde, Good Vibes

BANN - As You Like (Jazz Eyes)
New School, Modern Mainstream

Etienne Charles - Kaiso (Culture Shock Music)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York, Trumpet

Noah Haidu - Slipstream (Positone)
Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York

Sean Jones - No Need for Words (Mack Avenue)
New School, Modern Mainstream, New York, Trumpet

Larry Gray Trio - Three Equals One (Chicago Sessions)
Guitar, Modern Mainstream, Chicago, Bass

Tom Harrell - The Time of the Sun (HighNote)
New School, Modern Mainstream, New York, Trumpet

Hiromi - Voice (Telarc)
Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, Fusion, Women of Jazz

Marika Hughes - Afterlife Music Radio (DD Records)
New School, Cutting Edge, New York, Women of Jazz

Jambalaya Brass Band - It's a Jungle Out There (890 West Music)
New School, New York, Groove Jazz

Dave Juarez - Round Red Light (Positone)
Guitar, New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York

Darren Lyons - Evil Genius (Self-Released)
Fusion

Mike Reed's My Silence - It Only Happens at Night (482 Music)
Cutting Edge, Chicago, Avant-Garde, AACM

Andrew McCormack and Jason Yarde - My Duo (Joy and Ears)
Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, Europe

Jessica Pavone - Army of Strangers (Porter)
New School, Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices

Alex Skolnick Trio - Veritas (Palmetto)
Guitar, New School, Fusion, Groove Jazz

Slumgum - Quardboard Flavored Fiber (Accretions)
New School, Cutting Edge, Modern West Coast

Odean Pope - Universal Sounds (Porter)
Avant-Garde

Sonic Liberation Front - Sonic Liberation Front Meets Sunny Murray (High Two)
New School, Avant-Garde

Don Stiernberg - Swing 220 (Blue Night Records)
Guitar, Old School

Larry Goldings - In My Room (BFM Jazz)
Piano, Modern Mainstream, Mellow

Roseanna Vitro - The Music of Randy Newman (Motema)
Vocals, Pop Composers, Women of Jazz

Judy Wexler - Under a Painted Sky (Jazzed Media)
Vocals, Women of Jazz

Bryan Carter - Enchantment (Imaginate Records)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York, Chicago, Drummers

Jane Bunnett and Hilario Duran - Cuban Rhapsody (Alma Records)
Piano, Saxophone, Latin, Modern Mainstream, Women of Jazz

Gerald Clayton - Bond: The Paris Sessions (Emarcy)
Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York, Modern West Coast

Les Doigts de L'Homme - 1910 (Alma Records)
Guitar, Old School

Blue Cranes - Observatories (Meester Records)
New School, Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, Modern West Coast

Diane Schuur - The Gathering (Vanguard Records)
Vocals, Pop Composers

Dr. Michael White - Adventures in New Orleans Jazz: Part 1 (Basin Street)
New Orleans

Marquis Hill - New Gospel (Self-Released)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, Chicago, Trumpet

Steve Khan - Parting Shot (Tone Center)
Guitar, Latin, New School, Modern Mainstream, Drummers, Fusion, Groove Jazz

Jared Gold - All Wrapped Up (Posi-Tone)
Straight Ahead, Modern Mainstream, New York, Organ, Groove Jazz

Tiempo Libre - My Secret Radio (Sony)
Latin

Ernest Dawkins - The Prairie Prophet (Delmark)
New School, Chicago

Taylor Ho Bynum, Joe Morris and Sara Schoenbeck - Next (Porter)
Avant-Garde

Club D'Elf - Electric Moroccoland (Face Pelt Records)
World Fusion, Fusion, Groove Jazz

Tara Davidson - View (Self-Released)
Saxophone, New School, Cutting Edge, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, Women of Jazz

Benjamin Drazen - Inner Flights (Positone)
Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, New York

Alex Pinto - Inner State (Pursuance Records)
Guitar, New School, Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, Modern West Coast

John Vanore and Abstract Truth - Contagious Words (Acoustical Concepts)
Modern Mainstream, Big Band, Trumpet

Blue Cranes - Cantus Firmus (Self-Released)
Cutting Edge, Modern West Coast, Pop Composers

Seabrook Power Plant - Seabrook Power Plant II (Loyal Label)
Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, New York, Avant-Garde

T.K. Blue - Latinbird (Motema)
Latin, Modern Mainstream, New York, Composers: Bird and Diz

Come Sunday - Crosscurrents (Self-Released)
Chicago, Vocals, Spiritual

Luis Conte - En Casa De Luis (BFM Jazz)
Latin, Modern Mainstream, World Fusion

Carlo de Rosa's Cross Fade - Brain Dance (Cuneiform)
New School, Cutting Edge, New York, Bassists

Larry Coryell - Larry Coryell With the Wide Hive Players (Wide Hive)
Guitar, New School, Modern Mainstream, Modern West Coast, Fusion, Groove Jazz

Matt Haimovitz and Uccello - Meeting of the Spirits (Oxingale Records)
New School, Third Stream

Khan Jamal - Cool (Porter)
Avant-Garde, Good Vibes

Irvin Mayfield - A Love Letter to New Orleans (Basin Street)
New Orleans, Trumpet, Groove Jazz

Michael J. Miles - Col-lage (Right Turn on Red Music)
New School, Third Stream

Darius Jones and Matthew Shipp - Cosmic Lieder (AUM Fidelity)
New School, New York, Avant-Garde

Dado Moroni - Live in Beverly Hills (Resonance)
Piano, Modern Mainstream, Live Jazz, Europe

Jason Parker Quartet - Five Leaves Left: A Tribute to Nick Drake (Broken Time Records)
Vocals, New School, Modern Mainstream, Modern West Coast, Trumpet, Pop Composers

Profound Sound Trio - Opus De Life (Porter)
Avant-Garde

Rebirth Brass Band - Rebirth of New Orleans (Basin Street)
New School, New Orleans, Groove Jazz

The Nightcrawlers - Down In the Bottom (Cellar Live)
Straight Ahead, Big Band, Organ, Groove Jazz

Matthew Shipp - Art of the Improviser (Thirsty Ear)
New School, New York, Avant-Garde

Sinistrio - Ride the Dragon (Chronograph)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, Organ, Groove Jazz

Nate Wooley, Fred Lonberg-Holm and Jason Roebke - Throw Down Your Hammer and Sing (Porter)
Avant-Garde

Renee Yoxon and Rene Gely - Let's Call It a Day (Self-Released)
Vocals, Emerging Voices, Women of Jazz

Weasel Walter, Mary Halvorson and Peter Evans - Electric Fruit (Thirsty Ear)
Emerging Voices, Avant-Garde

Ralph Bowen - Power Play (Positone)
Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, New York

Colorlist - The Fastest Way to Become the Ocean (Serein)
Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, Chicago

Led Bib - Bring Your Own (Cuneiform)
New School, Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, Europe, Fusion

Louie Belogenis Trio - Tiresias (Porter)
Avant-Garde

Older Releases Just Added:

Air - Live (1977) (Black Saint)
Chicago, Avant-Garde, AACM

Kurt Rosenwinkel - Our Secret World (2010) (Word of Mouth Music)
Guitar, New School, Modern Mainstream, Big Band

David Sanchez - Cultural Survival (2008) (Concord)
Saxophone, Latin, New School, Modern Mainstream

Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman and Ravi Coltrane - Saxophone Summit: Seraphic Light (2008) (Telarc)
Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, Spiritual

Bill Carrothers Trio - Joy Spring (2010) (Pirouet)
Straight Ahead, Piano, Modern Mainstream

R.I.P. Frank Foster

Frank Foster, a veteran saxophonist, composer, arranger and bandleader, died in his sleep Tuesday morning. He will primarily be remembered as a pillar of the Count Basie band during its celebrated "New Testament" period from 1953 to 1964, but Foster maintained a busy schedule of recording and touring as both a leader and sideman throughout his life. Besides his work with Basie, Foster worked with a who's who of jazz legends including Thelonious Monk, Elvin Jones, Ella Fitzgerald, Milt Jackson and Sarah Vaughan.

Foster's great contributions to the Count Basie Orchestra in the '50s and '60s led to his taking over as the band's leader after Basie's death two decades later. Foster also led his own ensemble called the Loud Minority Big Band which was something of a labor of love throughout his career. On his motivation for starting a big band, Foster said, "I have to make a statement with a big band, or there ain't going to be no statement."

A handful Foster's compositions, notably "Shiny Stockings," "Simone," and "Blues in Hoss Flat," have become well-loved and oft-played jazz standards, especially among high school and college big bands.

News of Foster's death comes a year after some good news for the Foster family: after nearly 5 decades of missing out on collecting royalties for "Shiny Stockings," his most famous composition, he won back the rights to the song. Now, Frank Foster's family will continue to benefit from his legacy by collecting royalties after his death.

The jazz press and blogosphere has already produced a number of worthy obits and tributes to Foster. Click on the links below:

-The New York Times
-NPR's A Blog Supreme
-Some great YouTube selections from Jim Macnie
-A personal remembrance from Doug Ramsey

New Channels Round-Up

If you haven't been to AccuJazz.com in a while, you'll notice a handful of recently-added channels now being offered for your listening pleasure. In the past month or so, we've added five channels to the already possibly overwhelming array of AccuJazz listening options. But, somehow, not one of the channels was commemorated in a blog post. It's due time to put an end to this negligence and give a little coverage to our deserving new channels.

AACM

The AACM is the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, and if you don't know what that is, there's an award-winning, 690-page book that can fill you in. If you don't have the time for that, however, let me give you the short version: in 1965 a group of experimentally-inclined, Chicago-based jazz musicians founded the organization to promote and present their distinctly un-commercial music to the Chicago and the world. Founders and early members included such avant-garde jazz legends as Muhal Richard Abrams, Henry Threadgill, Anthony Braxton, Jack DeJohnette, Wadada Leo Smith and the Art Ensemble of Chicago (pictured).

Over the decades, the influence of the AACM has grown far beyond what the founders likely imagined and dozens more musicians have been admitted as official members. Our channel is playing hundreds of tracks by AACM-affiliated musicians, ranging from classic Art Ensemble recordings to brand new music by AACM Vice Chairperson Mike Reed. If your ears are in need of a trip away from the ordinary, hop on this channel.

Montreal Jazz Festival 2011

MJF 2011 is the newest member of our festival channel category, and the one that probably should have been created first; MJF is the world's biggest jazz festival. It attracts millions (yup, you read that right) of fans every summer to see concerts by the biggest names in jazz as well as plenty of rock, pop and R&B acts. With so many artists performing at the fest, it wasn't hard for me to hand-pick a pretty great mix of music for the channel, from cutting-edge young musicians like Darcy James Argue to Gen-X stars like Brian Blade to all-time legends like Dave Brubeck.

Unfortunately, the fest already happened, so you're out of luck if the great mix on our channel triggers an impulse to hop on a plane to Montreal for this year's fest. But you'll be able to keep listening to the channel, which is almost as good... right?

World Fusion

Mixing jazz with music from around the world is nothing new, but in the last few decades, there has been an increasingly greater output of music that references different "world" music and jazz at the same time. Foreign elements in the music might be as small as adding an unusual ethnic instrument like an Oud to an otherwise conventional improv setting or as considerable as basing the whole piece on ancient Indian beat cycles.

I found a great deal of music in the AccuJazz collection that fit squarely into the "world fusion" category: not mainstream jazz, not jazz-rock fusion, but definitely jazz of some sort. You'll hear examples of this beautifully unique music by artists like Vijay Iyer, Fareed Haque, Miguel Zenon and many others.

Spiritual Jazz

It's no mystery that many great musicians, in jazz and virtually every other style, grew up playing in church (including yours truly). For a lot of those musicians, their music never quite left the church. There's a long tradition of jazz musicians re-interpreting hymns and spirituals like "Just a Closer Walk With Thee," "Amazing Grace," and "Wade in the Water." Our channel features great versions of this timeless music from musicians like Charles Lloyd, Cyrus Chestnut, John Scofield and Hank Jones. But there are also some original, faith-centric, compositions by musicians like Terence Blanchard, Brian Blade and Deanna Witkowski.

A few minutes with this channel and you will be convinced that jazz is most definitely not the devil's music. Rev. Ronald V. Myers even found a Bible verse that establishes a precedent for Christian jazz: Amos 6:5.

Composers: Wayne Shorter

I get requests for new artist-based channels pretty often, but it's a rare musician who has composed enough timeless music that the legions of cover versions, in addition the the originals, can make up an entire listenable channel. Wayne Shorter, in addition to the other five jazz composers already honored with their own channels, is one such musician. Generally regarded as jazz music's greatest living composer, Shorter has been producing his distinctive brand of post-bop jazz for five decades. He is still making exciting, urgent new music with his excellent quartet, proving an exception to the rule that septuagenarian jazz masters often become little more than pale imitations of their younger selves.

The channel features over 60 different artists digging in to Shorter's material, including plenty of recordings under Wayne's own name. He is also heard as a sideman with groups like Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, the Miles Davis Quintet and Weather Report. Listeners will hear plenty of takes on "Footprints," Wayne's most oft-covered tune, but keep listening for lesser-played but equally-genius compositions like "Black Nile," "Night Dreamer," "Juju," and "Fall" (one that shows up surprisingly often).

Now Playing on AccuJazz - 3/3/11

As usual, it's been a little while since the last Now Playing post. Also as usual, there is a great deal of great new music playing on AccuJazz's channels to let you know about. This most recent batch includes lots of random stuff that has been sent my way as well as music specifically acquired for the Best of 2010 channel. Album titles are links to purchase, and I've listed the AccuJazz channels on which you're most likely to hear each album. Most all new releases are also playing on the Main Channel and the New Releases channel. Why not go ahead and launch the New Releases channel right now as your soundtrack to perusing the blog post?

Various Artists - Everybody Wants to Be a Cat: Disney Jazz, Vol. 1 (Disney)
Modern Mainstream, Straight Ahead

Russell Malone - Triple Play (MaxJazz)
Straight Ahead, Guitar, Modern Mainstream, Groove Jazz

Jason Moran - Ten (Blue Note)
Piano, New School, Cutting Edge, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York, Best of 2010, Blue Note

Kurt Elling - The Gate (Concord)
Vocals, Chicago, Pop Composers, Mellow Jazz

Marcus Miller - A Night in Monte Carlo (Concord)
New School, Live Jazz, Bass, Third Stream

Jeremy Pelt - The Talented Mr. Pelt (HighNote)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York, Trumpet

Donny McCaslin - Perpetual Motion (Greenleaf)
Saxophone, New School, Cutting Edge, New York, Fusion

Trio of Oz - Trio of Oz (OZmosis)
Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream, Pop Composers

Henry Threadgill Zooid - This Brings Us To, Vol. 2 (Pi Recordings)
New School, Avant-Garde, Best of 2010

Noah Preminger - Before the Rain (Palmetto)
Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York, Avant-Garde, Mellow Jazz

Eric Reed - The Dancing Monk (Savant)
Straight Ahead, Modern Mainstream, Composers: Monk

Jerry Bergonzi - Convergence (Savant)
Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream

Vijay Iyer with Prasanna and Nitin Mitta - Tirtha (ACT)
Guitar, New School, Cutting Edge

Grace Kelly and Phil Woods - The Man With the Hat (Pazz)
Straight Ahead, Saxophone, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, Women of Jazz

Jonathan Kreisberg - Shadowless (NFN Music)
Guitar, New School, Modern Mainstream, Fusion

Chantale Gagne - Wisdom of the Water (Self-Released)
Straight Ahead, Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, Vibes, Women of Jazz

Wayne Wallace - To Hear From There (Patois)
Latin, Modern West Coast, Trombone

Steve Gadd and Friends - Live at Voce (BFM Jazz)
Straight Ahead, Modern Mainstream, Live Jazz, Organ, Drummers, Groove Jazz

Paquito D'Rivera - Panamericana Suite (MCG Jazz)
Latin, New School, Live Jazz, Best of 2010

Peter Hum - A Boy's Journey (Self-Released)
Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream

The Microscopic Septet - Friday the 13th: The Micros Play Monk (Cuneiform)
Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, New York, Best of 2010, Composers: Monk

Marc Ribot - Silent Movies (Pi Recordings)
Guitar, Best of 2010, SFJazz

Hristo Vitchev - Perperikon Suite (First Orbit Sounds Music)
Guitar, New School, Modern Mainstream, Modern West Coast

Doug Webb - Renovations (Posi-Tone)
Straight Ahead, Saxophone, Modern Mainstream, Modern West Coast

Chris Lightcap's Bigmouth - Deluxe (Clean Feed)
New School, Cutting Edge, New York, Bassists

Nancy Marano - Magic (Laughing Face Productions)
Vocals, Women of Jazz

Chris Speed's Endangered Blood - Endangered Blood (Skirl)
Saxophone, New School, Cutting Edge, New York

Scott Amendola Trio - Lift (Sazi)
New School, Cutting Edge, Modern West Coast, Drummers

Matt Nelson - Nostalgiamaniac (Chicago Sessions)
Piano, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, Chicago

Ehud Asherie - Organic (Posi-tone)
Straight Ahead, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York, Organ

Bizingas - Bizingas (NCM East)
New School, Cutting Edge, New York, Avant-Garde

James Moody - Moody 4B (IPO)
Straight Ahead, Saxophone, Best of 2010

Jane Ira Bloom - Wingwalker (Outline)
Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, Women of Jazz

David Cook - Pathway (Brooklyn Jazz Underground)
Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream, New York

Joseph Daley Earth Tones Ensemble - The Seven Deadly Sins (JoDa)
New School, Big Band, Third Stream

Mike DiRubbo - Chronos (Posi-Tone)
Straight Ahead, Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, New York, Organ

Kermit Driscoll - Reveille (Nineteen Eight)
Guitar, New School, Cutting Edge, Bassists

Kellylee Evans - Nina (Plus Loin)
Vocals, Mellow Jazz, Women of Jazz

John Geggie - Across the Sky (Plunge)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Bassists

Gutbucket - Flock (Cuneiform)
New School, Cutting Edge, New York, Fusion

Kelly Harland - Long Ago and Far Away (Origin)
Vocals, Women of Jazz

Peter Paulsen - Goes Without Saying (SquarePegWorks)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Bassists

Dana Lauren - It's You or No One (Self-Released)
Vocals, Emerging Voices

Robert Hurst - Bob Ya Head (Bebop Music)
Fusion, Bassists

Robert Hurst - Unrehurst, Vol. 2 (Bebop Music)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Live Jazz, Bassists


Leslie Pintchik - We're Here to Listen (Pintch Hard)
Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream, New York, Women of Jazz

Steven Lugerner - These Are the Words / Narratives (Self-Released)
New School, Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, New York, Avant-Garde

Eric Person - The Grand Illusion (Distinction)
Saxophone, New School, Fusion

Plunge - Tin Fish Tango (Immersion)
Saxophone, New School, Modern Mainstream, New Orleans, Trombone

Craig Pilo - Just Play (Rue De La Harpe)
Modern West Coast, Drummers, Fusion, Groove Jazz

Nelson Riveros - Camino al Barrio (Nelsongo Music)
Guitar, Latin, Brazilian, New School, Modern Mainstream, New York

Kermit Ruffins - Happy Talk (Basin Street)
Vocals, New Orleans, Trumpet

Matt Savage - Welcome Home (Savage Records)
Piano, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices

Undivided - The Passion (W. Zimpel)
European Jazz, Avant-Garde

Jason Stein's Locksmith Isidore - Three Kinds of Happiness (Not Two)
New School, Emerging Voices, Chicago, Avant-Garde

Josh Lawrence - Roots (Self-Released)
Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, Trumpet, Groove Jazz

Ben Syversen - Cracked Vessel (Self-Released)
New School, Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, New York, Avant-Garde Jazz

Mostly Other People Do the Killing - Forty Fort (Hot Cup)
Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, Avant-Garde, Best of 2010

Randy Weston - The Storyteller (Motema)
Piano, Latin, Modern Mainstream, Live Jazz, Best of 2010

Dee Dee Bridgewater - Eleanora Fagan (1915-1959): to Billie with Love from Dee Dee (Emarcy)
Vocals, Best of 2010, Women of Jazz

Lorraine Feather - Ages (Jazzed Media)
Vocals

Helio Alves - Musica (Jazz Legacy Productions)
Piano, Latin, Brazilian, New School, Modern Mainstream, New York

Pablo Aslan - Tango Grill (Zoho)
Latin, Modern Mainstream, Bassists, Third Stream

John Beasley - Positootly! (Resonance)
Straight Ahead, Piano, Modern Mainstream, Modern West Coast

Stanley Clarke - The Stanley Clarke Band (Heads Up)
Bassists, Fusion

Jeff Lorber - Now Is the Time (Heads Up)
Fusion, Groove Jazz

Magnetic Ear - Aliens of Extraordinary Ability (Self-Released)
New School, New Orleans, Trombone

Hector Martignon - Second Chance (Zoho)
Latin, New School, Modern Mainstream

John McLaughlin - To the One (Abstract Logix)
Guitar, New School, Fusion

John Scofield and the Metropole Orchestra - 54 (Heads Up)
Guitar, New School, Modern Mainstream, Big Band

Mingus Big Band - Live at Jazz Standard (Jazz Workshop)
Modern Mainstream, Live Jazz, New York, Big Band

Chucho Valdes - Chucho's Steps (Four Quarters Entertainment)
Latin, New School, Modern Mainstream, Best of 2010, Groove Jazz

Sam Trapchak's Put Together Funny - Lollipopocalypse (Raw Toast Records)
New School, Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, New York

Dan Rufolo Trio - Novelty (Self-Released)
Piano, New School, Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, New York

Tal Babitzky - Moments (Self-Released)
New School, Modern Mainstream, European Jazz

The Either Orchestra - Mood Music for Time Travelers (Accurate)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Big Band, Best of 2010, Groove Jazz

Phil Hawkins - The Sugarcane Suite (P. Note Music)
Latin, Modern Mainstream, Modern West Coast

Mario Pavone - Arc Suite t/pi t/po (Playscape)
New School, Cutting Edge, New York

Sofia Rei Koutsovitis - Sube Azul (World Village)
Vocals, Latin, New School, Modern Mainstream, New York

Mike Pride's From Bacteria to Boys - Betweenwhile (AUM Fidelity)
New School, Emerging Voices, New York, Avant-Garde, Drummers

Scanner with the Post-Modern Jazz Quartet - Blink of an Eye (Thirsty Ear)
Cutting Edge, New York, Avant-Garde, Fusion

James Falzone - Lamentations (Allos Documents)
New School, Cutting Edge, Chicago

Jordan Young Group - Jordan Young Group (Self-Released)
Straight Ahead, New School, Modern Mainstream, New York, Organ, Drummers

Arthur Lipner & Nanny Assis - Brazilian Vibes (MalletWorks)
Latin, Brazilian, Vibes

No BS! Brass - No BS! (Self-Released)
New School, Cutting Edge, Emerging Voices, Trumpet, Trombone, Fusion, Groove Jazz

Mike Reed's Loose Assembly - Empathetic Parts (482 Music)
Avant-Garde, Chicago

Alison Ruble - Ashland (Origin)
Vocals, Chicago, Pop Composers

Wide Hive Players - Players II Guitar (Wide Hive)
Guitar, New School, West Coast, Fusion, Groove Jazz

Patrick Williams - Aurora (ArtistShare)
New School, Modern Mainstream, Modern West Coast, Big Band

Mosaik - Metrization (Self-Released)
Modern Mainstream, Emerging Voices, Vibes, Chicago