Week 40:: Happy Birthday to Me

Don't bother with a gift this year, just join me for a 1-hour celebration as I embark on my 28th lap around the fiery center of our solar system. Rather than awaiting the 44th week, I unleash some of the more promising new tunes on my (faux) iPod on the syzygetical alignment of my birth, the 40th episode, and your patient willingness to endure my eccentricities.

Audio

Playlist

1. Bishop Allen - The Ancient Common Sense of Things - Grrr...
2. The Strokes - You Only Live Once - First Impressions of Earth
3. Vampire Weekend - Ottoman - Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
4. Los Campisinos - You! Me! Dancing!
5. The Mae Shi - Run to your Grave - HILLYH
6. XX Teens - Darlin' - Welcome to Goon Island
7. The Dead 60s - Riot Radio - Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
8. Man Man - Hurly Burly - Rabbit Habit
9. Animal Collective - Lion in a Coma - Merryweather Post Pavilion
10. The Folds - Cassius
11. Clap Your Hands say Yeah - By the Skin of my Yellow Country Teeth
12. Wolf Parade - Shine a Light - Apologies to the Queen Mary
13. Band of Horses - Our Swords - Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
14. We Are Scientists - After Hours - Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

::WSRP:: Because Consistency is Almost Always Over-Rated.

Week 39:: Ambassador Satch

I hope you still have enough July 4th BBQ leftovers to nuke a rib and dole out the coleslaw for this festive celebration of an American Icon. While Louis Armstrong was not, in fact, Born on the 4th of July, he certainly celebrated as if he was, and so shall we, with one hour of various ditties from his long, well-documented, and ridiculously important career.

Audio

Playlist

1. Louis Armstrong & His All-Stars - Struttin' with some Barbeque
2. Louis Armstrong - Lazy River
3. Louis Armstrong & His All-Stars - Cornet Chop Suey
4. Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra - Satchel Mouth Swing
5. Louis Armstrong & His All-Stars - Bugle Call Rag / Ole Miss
6. Louis Armstrong - When the Blues were Born in New Orleans
7. Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra - When the Sains Go Marching In
8. Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra - Ain't Misbehavin'
9. Louis Armstrong - Ain't Misbehavin'
10. Louis Armstrong - Hello, Dolly
11. Louis Armstrong - I Love Jazz
12. Louis Armstrong - Now You Has Jazz
13. Louis Armstrong & Friends - What a Wonderful World

::WSRP:: Ooooooh, Yeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Week 38:: Early Ellington (in context)

We're back to a history lesson with this week's look into the early career of Duke Ellington, circa 1924 to the early 1930s. Far from complete and woefully inadequate, it's the Duke you probably haven't heard before, but which is nonetheless recognizably Ellington.

Also a good listening session if you haven't before seriously considered what Bubber Miley, Sonny Greer, Joe Nanton, Otto Hardwick, Harry Carney or Wellman Braud sound like.

Audio

Playlist

1. Duke Ellington and his Orchestra - C Jam Blues
2. Duke Elliton's Washingtonians - East St. Louis Toodle-O
3. Fletcher Henderson and his Orchestra - King Porter Stomp
4. Duke Ellington's Washingtonians - Black and Tan Fantasy
5. Duke Ellington and his Orchestra - The Mooch
6. Sidney Bechet - The Mooch
7. Duke Ellington and his Orchestra - Echoes of the Jungle
8. Duke Ellington's Washingtonians - Creole Love Call
9. Chick Webb and his Orchestra - Jungle Mama
10. Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra - Mahogany Hall Stomp
11. Duke Ellington and his Orchestra - Double Check Stomp
12. Duke Ellington and his Orchestra - Hot Feet
13. Sidney Bechet - Nobody Knows the Way I feel this Morning
14. Duke Ellington and his Orchestra - Misty Morning
15. Sidney Bechet - Limehouse Blues
16. Duke Ellington and his Orchestra - Immigration Blues

::WSRP:: Where the Lesser Royalty get their Jazz Web Radio.

Week 37:: From Tailgate to Trane

Putting together a jazz show when you're 6,365 miles away from your record collection is not the easiest endeavor, and becomes slightly more complicated with each passing week. Still, I've got more than a few tricks left up my sleeve, and I think this week's show came together nicely. I do over-use the term "gutbucket," when about 1/2 the time I mean "tailgate," but ah well. Lost in Transit?

We're not-live, but we are coming to you from Bishkek.

Audio

Playlist

1. Kid Ory - Ory's Boogie
2. Wynton Marsalis - Jungle Blues - Mr. Jelly Lord
3. Coleman Hawkins/Thelonious Monk - Flying Hawk
4. Kenny Burrell - It's a Wonderful World - Crash!
5. Kenny Burrell/John Coltrane - Lyresto - s/t
6. John Coltrane - Good Bait - Soultrane
7. Count Basie/Oscar Peterson - The Time is Right - Satch and Josh... Again
8. Jack Walrath - Better Get Hit in Your Soul - Serious Hang

::WSRP:: Broadcast to the World, Even if no one's Listening.

Week 36:: H.R.S. Sessions

This week, we pay tribute to a group of individuals who helped make jazz happen without picking up an instrument themselves - the Hot Record Society (H.R.S.). They were a group of jazz fans in the 1930s and 40s who noticed that the style of music they preferred - and many of its most notably musicians - were not being included in the new dance band-focus of the Swing Era. Rather than watch their beloved style of "Hot Jazz" fade away, they created their own recording society. In extreme brief, this is their tale.

One HORRIBLY embarrassing note - the H.R.S. is know, almost without exception, just as the "H.R.S." As a result, I fumbled for the accurate meaning of the acronym, and for the duration of this broadcast referred to them as the "Historical Record Society."

I may not live down the shame, but I hope you can enjoy the music regardless.

Note, all recordings taken from the Mosaic Box set, "The Complete H.R.S. Sessions."

Audio

Playlist

1. Pee Wee Russell & His Rhythmakers - Baby, Won't You Please Come Home
2. Pee Wee Russell & His Ryhthmakers - I've Found a New Baby
3. Sidney Bechet - Sweet Sue, Just You
4. Sidney Bechet - Four or Five Times
5. Sidney Bechet - That's a Plenty
6. Brick Fleagle Orchestra - Brick's Boogie
7. Brick Fleagle Orchestra - The Fried Piper
8. Sandy Williams & His Big Eight - Sumpin' Jumpin' Round Here
9. Buck Clayton & His Big Eight - I Want a Little Girl
10. Joe Thomas & His Baby Six - No Better For Ya
11. Billy Kyle & His Big Eight - Date for Eight
12. Billy Kyle & His Big Eight - H.R.S. Bounce
13. Billy Kyle, et al. - Striding Down the Champs Elysee
14. Brick Fleagle, et al. - Wig Wam Blues
15. Rex Stewart, et al. - Flim Flam

::WSRP:: More Moxy than Roxy, and twice the Pazazz of Chazz!

Week 35:: Crazy F#!%& Modernists

Who doesn't like being on the cutting edge? We return to a potpourri jazz assault with some of the trendsetters of the past decade. Not to worry, this week is more about hipness than sharpitude, but I won't lie: it's far from dull.

Listen carefully, and you won't get hurt.

Audio

Playlist

1. Dave Douglas - Moonshine - Moonshine
2. Dave Douglas - A Nasty Spill - Mountain Passages
3. Steve Lacy & Roswell Rudd - Monk's Dream - Monk's Dream
4. McCoy Tyner - Happy Days - Infinity
5. Tomasz Stanko - Kattorna - Lontano
6. Paul Motian - K.T. - Time and Time Again
7. Jeff "Tain" Watts - Side B - Bar Talk
8. Guillermo Klein - Broken Web - Los Gauchos III

::WSRP:: The Slurpie Big Gulp of Internet Jazz Radio