Episode 76:: Record Store Day

In a tradition remarkably reminisce of Hallmark's founding of Valentine's day as a way to boost card sales, in 2007 a group of local music store owners conceived of and launched Record Store Day, an international celebration of local music - and specifically vinyl music - shops. The idea was to raise awareness about local record shops, and also spark the emerging, but not especially lucrative, record store industry. It was a moderate success, and now every year on the 3rd saturday of April, more and more stores, artists and labels are coming up with special ways to drive business on Record Store Day.

Still being a relative newcomer to Washington DC, I elected to participate and become more familiar with my local vinyl scene. Sadly, after visiting 4 of the 5 vinyl stores in DC, I still had yet to find any Jazz records of note (several had the recent Blue Note 80000-series, new-press vinyl, but those can be bought direct online for like $5, so spending $15 on them at a local store is the antithesis of cool). While I commend DC for its vibrant punk/new age/ afrobeat vinyl repertoire, it wasn't until I hit the last spot - Som Records on 14th & U street - that Record Store Day 2011 was even remotely successful.

But what a haul! The following records were obtained with minimal elbows thrown, and almost no haggling, for a total of $21. Worth it? Listen on, and you be the judge.

Audio

Playlist

1. Dave Pike - Why Not? - Pike's Peak
2. Walter Perkins - Big Hands - MJT+3
3. Terry Gibbs Big Band - You Don't Know What Love Is - Live at the Summit
4. " " - Sweet Georgia Brown - Live at the Summit
5. " " - T. and S. - Live at the Summit
6. Vivian Garry - Where You At? - Central Avenue Breakdown, vol. 1
7. " " - Tonsilectomy - Central Avenue Breakdown, vol. 1
8. Dodo Marmarosa - Rain Drops - Central Avenue Breakdown, vol. 1
9. Charles Lloyd - Love Ship - Dream Weaver
10. " " - Bird Flights - Dream Weaver

::WSRP:: Proud Financial Supporter of Used Record Shops Nation-wide.

Episode 75:: Billy Bang (in Memoriam)

On April 11, 2011, the Jazz world lost one of its more unique voices, in a field that is over-crowded with genius, ability, and artistry. It's not that violinist and composer Billy Bang was, or ever had been, an essential part or nexus of modern Jazz. In fact quite the contrary - up until April 11th, he existed, as he ever has, more comfortably on the fringes: without a major record label, playing most often in bars and small clubs, and working with young unknown sidemen.

And yet Billy Bang was an important figure in modern Jazz - the living legacy of Jazz violin, a scion of the 1970s New York avant garde loft scene, and a musician who led the final sessions of such luminous contemporaries as Sun Ra and Frank Lowe.

Billy Bang had the rare gift to bring every ounce of his humanity into his music, and to share his challenges, triumphs, peace and joy with those willing to listen.

Are you?

Audio

Playlist

1. Billy Bang - Rainbow Gladiator - Live at Carlos'
2. Billy Bang Sextet - The Nagual Julian - The Fire From Within
3. Billy Bang - Saigon Phunk - Vietnam: Aftermath
4. Billy Bang - Reflections - Vietnam: Reflections
5. Billy Bang - Silent Observation - Big Bang Theory
6. Billy Bang Quintet feat. Frank Lowe - At Play in the Fields of the Lord - Above & Beyond
7. Billy Bang - Dance of the Manakin - Prayer for Peace

::WSRP:: Bang on!

Episode 74:: RxTX - Live From Studio A

For many years (2001-2008), in addition to my school work, part-time job, social activities, anti-social mischief, and eventual full-time employment, I had the great (and often frustrating) honor to be the Executive Producer for a weekly radio concert series called Live From Studio A.

While it was only rarely broadcast live, and in fact was recorded in Studio B since fall 2002, the name otherwise accurately captures the gist of what it was: a group of amateur sound techs and music fans brought in bands from the South Texas region (San Antonio, Austin, Houston); setup a bevy of microphones in a large, empty room; pressed the record button, and an hour later slapped the resulting audio onto the airwaves at 91.7 fm.

As you might imagine, the bands - and us technicians - had our good, and not-so-good weeks. Things broke, people were late, and the show must go on. In looking back, now 3+ years removed from my last session, I realized a few things:
1) I have probably listened to these 200-ish local bands more than anyone except their rotating drummers or ex-girlfriends (combined).
2) There was some darn fine music that I was lucky enough to sneak my way into experiencing.

After some ego desensatizing (the audio quality is not amazing, and at times embarrassing bad for someone who made a career in radio) and some soul-searching (the songs I love most are not necessarily the best), I am endeavoring to share them with you in recurring subseries of this radioblog we'll call Recommended Texas, or RxTx, devoted exclusively to this hyper-niche.

I don't expect to "change your mind" about TX music, or to "open new worlds" of musical possibility. These are local bands - some more talented than others - but none of them the next Beatles, Sex Pistols or (god forbid) Vampire Weekend.

My point is to commend the scores of struggling, often very talented musicians, across the country who continue to define their own respective scenes against the harsh reality of limited expectations, and few substantial returns.

I do hope you enjoy.

Audio

::WSRP:: Surprisingly grassroots for a disembodied inorganic webradioblog.

Episode 73:: Vote Jazz

On the eve of the 2010 midterm elections, we focus on the universality of well-crafted tunes and deft improvisation. Good music from great musicians, with an occasional flair for the unexpected, and an overwhelming majority abundance of groove.

Audio

Playlist

1. Max Roach & Clifford Brown - George's Dilemma - A Study in Brown
2. Dr. Lonnie Smith - Freedom Jazz Dance - Jungle Soul
3. Larry Goldings - Jackie-ing - Quartet
4. Duke Ellington - Sidewalks of New York - Masterpieces of 1929-1949
5. Eric Alexander - Sundays in New York - Sundays in New York
6. Oscar Peterson - Moten Swing
7. Miles Davis All-Stars - Half Nelson - The Complete Dial & Savoy Recordings
8. Keith Jarrett trio - Only the Lonely - My Foolish Heart
9. Dave Holland - Wind Dance - Pathways

::WSRP:: we're conducting a nonpartisan poll. Press 1 if you support WS and 2 for RP. All mistyped votes will be disqualified.

Episode 72:: Slipped Discs

It is not uncommon for many devoted Jazz fans, after years of collecting, cataloging, and storing their triumphant libraries of original and reissued Jazz LPs to finally break under the constant strain of moving and protecting them, especially as alternative ways to access Jazz digitally have become more and more convenient, and progressively more aurally satisfying. Once you have more than 25 records on your shelf, a vinyl library can easily become a burden.

But it can also be a liberation. Stacks of hard-pressed analog music cut into physical reality and sharing one's life and home on a daily basis. A collection of any considerable size becomes a wilderness of forgotten classics and well-worn favorites. An audio safari, in which one's fingers walk down the alphabetically-sorted sleeves, drawing out crisp cardboard mementos of decades past, and paradoxically timeless songs of yesteryear.

It is a magic beast, an album collection, and I gratefully invite you to share in this week's journey through the Greater Northwest Washington DC Ryan Weber Memorial Lending Library (thanks to George Prado for the inside joke).

Audio

Playlist

1. Chico Hamilton - Larry of Arabia - The Dealer
2. Charlie Christian - Swing to Bop - Earliest Recordings of...
3. Nat Adderley - Foo Foo - Natural Soul
4. Frank Sinatra/ Antonio Carlos Jobim - Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars - At Last...
5. Louie Bellson - The Eel - Breakthrough
6. Clifford Jordan - One Flight Down - Starting Time
7. Toshiko Akiyoshi/ Lew Tabakin - Kogun - Kogun
8. Sphere - Eronel - Four in One
9. Terry Gibbs - 3 Blind Mice - That Swing Thing!

::WSRP:: All I needed was 1 Turntable and a Microphone. Word.

Episode 71:: Power of Observation

September 2010 brought free, live, public, high-caliber Jazz to Washington, DC, and as promised in an earlier episode, I am bringing it to you in all the low-fidelity glory you would expect from an a personal recorder hidden amongst the crowd. The main stage acts were Jason Moran and The Bad Plus, two very different approaches to the venerable piano trio alternately hailed as the future (or death) of modern Jazz. Both were celebrating 10 year band anniversaries, and each recently released a new album, from which they drew heavily for their playlists. Other than a willingness to ignore convention, that's about where the similarities end. You can find my full report here. We'll start our show with a similarly-minded artist of an earlier age. Enjoy!

Audio

Playlist

1. Thelonious Monk - Crepuscule with Nellie - Monk's Music
2. Jason Moran - Crepuscule with Nellie - Rosslyn Jazz Festival (RJF)
3. Jason Moran - Life Every Voice - Artist in Residence
4. Jason Moran - Nobody - RJF 2010
5. The Bad Plus - Big Eater - RJF 2010
6. The Bad Plus - And Here We Test Our Powers of Observation - RJF 2010
7. The Bad Plus - The Radio Tower Has a Beating Heart - RJF 2010
8. The Bad Plus - You Are - RJF 2010

::WSRP:: this webradioblog actually has a beeping server.