Week 12:: Looking back, WAY back.

Logical choices like "Best of 2008," "Holiday Favorites," or "Jazz Resolutions" are just too easy (and labor-intensive) for WSRP.  Instead, we take a trip back to the magical time of the Late60sEarly70s, a time of free love, artistic experimentation, and funky electronics.

So put on your bell-bottoms, fluff up the afro, or for those of us who post-date the era, watch a lot of That 70s Show.

Happy new 365 daily desk calendars, everyone.

Audio

Playlist

1. Jimmy Smith - Recession or Depression - ...In a Plain Brown Wrapper
2. Joe Farrell - Hurricane Jane - Penny Arcade
3. Freddie Hubbard - Destiny's Children - Keep Your Soul Together
4. Jean-Luc Ponty - Cantaloupe Island - the Experience
5. Gerald Wilson Orchestra - Light My Fire - California Soul
6. Cannonball Adderley - Tensity - Tensity
7. Elvin Jones - Three Card Molly - Genesis

::WSRP::  That excuse won't work; We cookie-track how much time you spend on the internet.

Week 11:: Good Things Come...

In celebration of the holiday season, my gift to you is to NOT force upon you another christmas music-themed show. Instead, I just collected some random, and not even remotely jolly, tunes.

I'm happy with how it turned out, though it's an odd assortment. If it had to have a unifying title (which it does) it would be 'patience.' These are mostly longer cuts, and while they're nice throughout, the best parts are the ones you have to wait for.


Or, at least that how I'm going to try and trick you into not skipping ahead. Happy hunting.


Audio


Playlist

1. The 3 Sounds - Cesar & Cleopatra - Some Like it Modern
2. Hank Mobley - High & Flighty - Peckin' Time
3. Keith Jarrett - Straight, No Chaser - Live at Montreaux
4. Roy Haynes - Thank You, Thank You - Thank You, Thank You
5. Blue Mitchell - Flat Backing - Bantu Village
6. Grachan Monchur III - Air Raid - Evolution
7. Charles Lloyd - Booker's Garden - Rabo de Nube

::WSRP:: Unwrap Something Noisy This Holiday Season

Week 10:: New Jazz

After resisting the urge for some time, holiday travel has provided me access and opportunity to indulge my particular familiarity with new jazz releases. This is again not the best variety or diversity of music styles, and certainly monological in its chronology, but hey, new jazz matters too, folks.

Audio

Playlist

1. Joe Locke - Alpha Punk - Force of Four
2. Cassandra Wilson - St. James Infirmary - Lovely
3. James Carter - Dodo's Bounce - Present Tense
4. Dave Holland - Pass It On - Pass It On
5. Danilo Perez - Across the Crystal Sea - Across the Crystal Sea
6. Esperanze Spaulding - I Know that You Know - Esperanz
7. Rudresh Mahanthappa - Ganesha - Kinsmen
8. Kenny Garrett - Wayne's Thing - Sketches of MD, Live @ Iridium

::WSRP:: All the music that's fit to print.

Week 9:: All Is On Ben

I don't remember ever explicitly stating that I wouldn't do this, but certainly in a web radio project with a stated purpose to provide a wide introduction to jazz, the 1-hour artist feature is not a particularly logical method.  Especially not when my earlier "Duke Ellington Feature" clocked in at only 40 minutes, as if New York bassist/ composer/ band leader Ben Allison is 150% Duke-ish.  

So just for the record, yes, I know Ben is just a musician, and while a very fine one in the tradition of Charles Mingus and Dave Holland, I also admit that he is NOT the superior (or equal?) to Charles Mingus or Dave Holland.

But I do like his albums, and I did just see him in a (free) concert on Friday.

And I recorded it.

Reason enough for ya?

Audio

Playlist

1. Ben Allison - Slap Happy - Peace Pipe
2. Ben Allison - Green Al - Buzz
3. Ben Allison - Green Al - Live at the Laguardia PAC
4. Ben Allison - Four Folk Songs - Third Eye
5. Ben Allison - Four Folk Songs - Little Things Run the World
6. Ben Allison - Tricky Dick - Cowboy Justice
7. Ben Allison - Little Things Run the World - Little Things Run the World
8. Ben Allison - Man Sized Safe - Live at Laguardia PAC

::WSRP:: Gorilla Radio for the Latte Jungle

Week 8:: Rhythm and Groove

Dropping all the pretense of artist features, holiday themes, and moments of national politics which probably won't dramatically alter the course of human history, this week we're back to the core theme of WSRP - Good music.

Judge for yourself.

Audio

Playlist

1. Louis Armstrong - Ain't Misbehavin' - Satch Plays Fats
2. Louis Armstrong - Give Peace a Chance - Louis and Friends
3. Chico Hamilton - Miss Movement - The Many Faces of Chico
4. J.J. Johnson & Nat Adderley - Horace - Yokohama Concerts
5. Booker Little - Jewel Tempo - Booker Little 4
6. Walter Bishop, Jr. - Philadelphia Bright - Soul Village
7. Coleman Hawkins - When Your Lover Has Gone - Accent on Tenor
8. Terry Gibbs - The Continental - s/t
9. Chris Potter - Train - Follow the Red Line

::WSRP:: Good Luck fitting this in your Pocket.

Week 7:: Turkey Pre-Feast

Just a touch on the late side, this week's edition makes up for the tardy service with an extra helping of Weber's famous audio-gravy on the side. It's straight ahead with some fusion favorites to groove you through the short work week.

Audio

Playlist

1. Horace Silver - Cape Verdean Blues - Cape Verdean Blues
2. Roy Eldridge - Struttin' With Some Barbeque
3. Miles Davis - If I Were a Bell - Relaxin'
4. Miles Davis - Red China Blues - Get Up With It
5. John Scofield - Freakin' Disco - Up All Night
6. Steve Turre - Volunteered Slavery - Spirits Up Above
7. Wynton Marsalis - Green Chimneys - Live at the House of Tribes

::WSRP:: Guaranteed to make you either Thankful or Sorry

Week 6:: Obama (and) Blues

Whether its a watershed moment of change in American history or just another chipped tooth in the gears of the American political machine, the 2008 election of Barak Obama has certainly been a hot topic in mainstream culture and the media.

As one of the oldest and most respected weber-run webradio elements of the mainstream media, WSRP couldn't let the occasion pass without an oblique (musical) commentary. This weeks show is our post-election special, with a little something for the red-blue-and-purple in all of us.

Audio

Playlist

1. Cannonball Adderly - African Waltz - African Waltz
2. Cannonball Adderly - Walk Tall - Country Preacher
3. Fats Waller - Don't Let it Bother You - ...at the piano
4. Count Basie - The Great Debate - Prime Time
5. Happy Apple - very small rock - Back on Top
6. Miles Davis - So What - Kind of Blue
7. Eddie Costa - Get Happy - The Eddie Costa / Vinnie Burke trio
8. Rahsaan Roland Kirk - Bright Moments - Bright Moments
9. Matt Wilson - Old Gospel - Arts & Craft

::WSRP:: now available in Why-Fi Holographic projection.

Week 5:: Re-Duke

After some consideration, I decided that my earlier "Duke tribute" show was rather disgraceful, so here is a much better sampling from the great font that is Ellingtonia, plus a few other choice cuts to round out the hour.

Back to Jazz, and happy about it.

Audio

Playlist

1. Jason Moran - Yojimbo - Facing Left
2. Jason Moran - Kinda Dukish - Black Stars
3. Duke Ellington - Jack the Bear - Masterpieces 1926-1939
4. Duke Ellington - The Mooche - Ellington Uptown
5. Duke Ellington - Rockin' in Rhythm - Soul Call
6. Duke Ellington - Snibor - ...And His Mother Called Him Bill
7. Duke Ellington - Money Jungle - Money Jungle
8. Charles Mingus - Moanin - Passions of a Man
9. Brad Mehldau - Knives Out - Day is Done

::WSRP:: the Papa Smurf of web radio

Week 4:: Indie Streak

Throwing out something a little different this week, here's a quick jaunt through the world of modern indie rock. Hope you enjoy, but no so much that you don't welcome the return to jazz next week.

Audio

Playlist

1. Frightened Rabbit - Old, Old Fashioned - Midnight Organ Fight
2. The White Stripes - The Denial Twist - Get Behind Me Satan
3. Sleater-Kinney - Roller Coaster - the Woods
   
4. Datarock - Princess s/t
5. LCD Soundsystem - Daft Punk is Playing at My House - s/t
6. Mates of State - For the Actor - Bring it Back
7. Tullycraft - Every Little Thing - Disenchanted Hearts Unite
8. The Apples in Stereo - Same Old Drag - New Magnetic Wonder
9. The Hold Steady - Girls Like Status - ATHF: the Movie Soundtrack
10. Ike Reilly Assassination - Whatever Happened to the Girl in Me - Sparkle in the Finish
11. Sufjan Stevens - Adelai Stevenson - The Avalanche
12. The Unicorns - Sea Ghost - Who Will Cut our Hair...
13. Desert Fathers - The Art of Reason - The Spirituality
14. Iron & Wine - Freedom Hangs like Heaven - The Woman King
15. The Mountain Goats - No Children - Heretic Pride

::WSRP:: Direct from My Mouthpiece to your Earbuds

Week 3:: Duke it Out

This show is loosely based around the idea of showcasing some of the fringes of the enormous works of Duke Ellington. Having said that, it's not the best Ellington-Education you can come across, and I think the show's at its best when I drop the pretense and just play you good music.

But hey, gotta try new things.

Audio

Playlist

1. Jimmy Smith - C Jam Blues - Get Your Mojo Workin'
2. Sydney Bechet - I Can't Believe that You're in Love with Me - Jazz in Paris
3. Duke Ellington - New York, New York - Eastbourne Performance
4. Duke Ellington/Jimmy Blanton - Pitter Panther Patter - Carnegie Hall 1947
5. Jackie McLean - Isle of Java - Jackie's Bag
6. Avishai Cohen - Smash - Continuo
7. Joshua Redman - I'm an Old Cowhand - Back East
8. Andrew Hill - Flea Flop - Judgement!
9. Milt Jackson - Tahiti - Wizard of the Vibes
10. Moutin Reunion Quartet - La Mer (Beyond the Sea) - Red Moon
11. Matt Wilson - Free Range Chicken - Wake Up! (to what's happening)
12. Johnny Hodges/Leon Thomas - Duke's Place - 3 Shades of Blue

::WSRP:: Where every body knows my name

Week 2:: It's a Streak

You know what, I think I've got the hang of this DJ biz.

Still struggling to figure out the technical end of all this, but the programming challenge of finding enough interesting music to share with you is well covered.

Stop reading, start listening.

Audio

Playlist

1. Jimmy Smith - Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe (Part 2) - Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe
2. John Scofield - I Can't Get No (Satisfaction) - This meets That
3. Cannonball Adderley - The Sleeper - ...Quintet in Chicago
4. Chick Corea & Bela Fleck - Joban Dna Nopia - The Enchantment
5. Thelonious Monk - In Walked Bud - Underground
6. Charles Mingus - Nouroog - A Modern Symposium of Jazz & Poetry
7. Charles Mingus - Scenes in the City - A Modern Symposium of Jazz & Poetry
8. McCoy Tyner - Rotunda - Inner Voices
9. Abram Wilson - Confrontation & Acceptance - Ride! Ferris Wheel to the Modern Day Delta

::WSRP:: More RAD, less IO.

Week 1:: Let's Get This Party Started

For the debut episode I'm sticking with the familiar millieu of Jazz, with strong emphasis on my personal favorites. Some are very "in the pocket" while others tend to be more "progressive." Apply more labels as you see fit, or just enjoy.

Audio

Playlist

1. Jimmy Smith - Mission Impossible Theme - Livin' it Up
2. Keith Jarrett - True Blues - Live at Carnegie Hall
3. Clifford Brown - Junior's Arrival - More Study in Brown
4. Dave Holland - Metamorphosis - Point of View
5. Charlie Parker - Autumn in New York - Charlie Parker Big Band
6. Grant Green - Go Down Moses - Feelin' the Spirit
7. Vijay Iyer - Invariants - Panoptic Modes
8. Billy Bang - Nothing But Love - Above & Beyond: An Evening in Grand Rapids
9. Shirley Scott/Clark Terry - The Little Light of Mine - Soul Duo

::WSRP:: Filling the Airwaves with something other than just Air

Week 0:: Getting on the Air

Welcome everyone, and thanks for being here. This is the debut of WSRP, and as such requires a brief explanation. After 8 years in radio, I'm now back to academia and pursuing other interests. Yet I would be lying if I claimed not to still yearn for the chance to play Music for the People. The future looks uncertain for my return to terrestrial radio, but it occured to me that a solution might be found in the Technology of Tomorrowland, and hence was born this limited web-radio-blog-cast. Or, in common parlance, wrablocast.

The premise is simple:

1) You like good music

2) You're smart enough to find it, download it, and listen to it on your own time.

3) You're just not going to. You've got "stuff" to do.

WSRP will provide you with 1 hour of quality music each week, commitment free. The programming will be based largely on Jazz with a triple focus of presenting jazz masters, lesser-known artists, and music I happen to think you will find interesting.

I don't expect you to listen regularly, or entirely. If you have only one free hour near a computer every week, by all means do something else. Play Spider Solitaire. But if you have a second hour to spare, why not take the plunge, and see if WSRP is as rewarding for you as it is for me.

The nice thing about wrablocasting is that it's actually more interactive than real radio. If you particularly liked (or disliked) a piece I played, I expect you to comment on it. Respond to the comments of others. Put in requests (that I can then mercilously ignore or ridicule you for). Basically, Participate.

If you want to.

I don't care. I'm doing this for me.

WSRP:: What Public Radio would be like if it didn't need your filthy money.