August 30, 2009

Episode 44:: This is BeBop

So much for tradition. After breaking my streak of 42 consecutive weekly broadcasts, I am now trouncing the "Indie-Fours" tradition I've kept up for episodes 4, 14, 24, 34, and my special #40 birthday edition. Now that I'm at episode 44, the grand epitome of all "Indie-Fours" I'm just skipping it altogether.

Take that expectations!
It's called Syncopation!
Improvisation!
Who-the-What-Where-itism!

And with that spirit in mind, we explore and celebrate the jazz movement of the mid-1940s called "BeBop" (or "Be-Bop," or just "Bop"). Launching out of the swing era on the wings of virtuosic talent and unprecedented melodic creativity, this small combo movement was spearheaded by such pillars of modern jazz as Charlie "Bird" Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Lester "Prez" Young, Bud Powell, Max Roach, and others.

This is a 1-hour primer: some quick musical introductions, a general BeBop audio definition, and a vague timeline of the development of the genre and the personalities that shaped it. It all seems too much to fit into any 60 minutes, and indeed it is. Enjoy this *extended* episode as one more proof that, indeed, Bird Lives.


Playlist
  1. Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie - Koko - Diz'n'Bird at Carnegie Hall (1947)
  2. Lester Young - Mop Mop - (1946)
  3. Lester Young - Lester Leaps In - (1946)
  4. Charlie Parker - Si Si - Swedish Schnaaps (1951)
  5. Charlie Parker - Swedish Schnaaps - Swedish Schnaaps (1951)
  6. Charlie Parker - Au Privave - Swedish Schnaaps (1951)
  7. Dizzy Gillespie - Blue'n'Boogie - Groovin' High (1945)
  8. Dizzy Gillespie - Oop Bop Sh'Bam - Groovin' High (1945)
  9. Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie - Salt Peanuts - Groovin' High (1945)
  10. Bud Powell trio - Tempus Fugit - Jazz Giant (1949)
  11. Bud Powell w/ Fats Navarro & Sonny Rollins - Dance of the Infedels - Jazz Giant (1949)
  12. Bud Powell trio - Un Poco Loco - The Amazing Bud Powell (1951)
  13. Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Charles Mingus & Max Roach - Wee - Jazz at Massey Hall (1953)
::WSRP:: Wham-a-Scram-a-Ring-a-Ping-Pong
Posted by at No comments:

August 23, 2009

Week 43:: Back in the Saddle

After keeping up a weekly radio blog for 42 weeks - including holidays, finals, and a summer spent literally on the other side of the planet - I finally crashed, spectacularly, with this 4-week delay of the "week 43" program. And to be honest, it felt good. Real good.

So while WSRP will certainly continue, I can no longer make any guarantees of its weekly delivery, its precise topical commentary, or its rushed programming decisions. With 42+ hours of WSRP available, and likely not a single homosapien on the planet who has heard all of them, I'm taking a more relaxed tack on the creation of new audio gems. This one, I feel, is an especially fine specimen to recommend the new modus operandi.


Playlist
  1. Ahmad Jamal - A Gal in Calico - Piano Scene of...
  2. Roy Haynes - George's Reggae - The Island
  3. Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Band - Charon's Ferry - Jazz is Universal
  4. Milt Hinton - Milt to the Hilt (alt tk) - s/t
  5. Benny Carter - Synthetic Love - 1933
  6. Booker Ervin - Mojo - The Space Book
  7. Fred Hersch Pocket Orchestra - Stuttering - Live at Jazz Standard
  8. Art Farmer/Donald Byrd - Palm Court Alley - Trumpets All Out
  9. Ravi Coltrane - Narcine - Blending Times
::WSRP:: for case "x", let "week" equal "episode" when "date" for "week" # "x-1" is greater than "date-7" for "week" # "x"
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)