Babysitting Granddaughter Zoe leads to the New Age Music of A Beginner’s Mind – Thanks Zoe!

So last week while I was babysitting my two month-old granddaughter Zoe, I had Soundscapes one of Comcast’s Music Choice  stations on the TV. My thought was that the instrumental New Age music would keep us both relaxed, and I think that for the most part it did the trick, at least for me. Some old friends like R Carlos Nakai and Peter Kater made an appearance with a track from their album Ritual, along with some music from David Arkenstone. There also was  a lot of music from folks that I didn’t know, like Armand & Angelina and their…

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Exploring the Jazz Piano of Eric Reed on his Smoke Session Records – Groovewise!

Many of the 2014 jazz albums that I have explored this year have been released on the Smoke Sessions label, from Vincent Herring’s Uptown Shuffle to Orrin Evans Liberation Blues, with albums from Javon Jackson, Cyrus Chestnut and David Hazeltine in between! The latest Smoke Session Records release that has spent extended time in my music rotation is Groovewise from pianist Eric Reed. After doing a little exploring at both Reed’s website where I read…. When I was 4, my Aunt Barbara gave me an inch high stack of used vinyl records that she purchased for about 25 cents from…

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Exploring the Jazz Trumpet of David Weiss – When Words Fail…

One of the albums that has been in my rotation this week is When Words Fail from jazz trumpeter David Weiss. David Weiss (born October 21, 1964 in New York City) is a jazz trumpeter and the founder of The New Jazz Composers Octet, a group dedicated to innovation in jazz. He studied music at North Texas State University, graduating in 1986. Returning to New York, he performed with Jaki Byard, Frank Foster, and Jimmy Heath. He continued his studies with trumpeters Tommy Turrentine and Bill Hardman, as well as attending Barry Harris’s jazz classes. Eventually leading an “After Hours”…

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Exploring the Jazz Trumpet of Seattle’s Thomas Marriott – Urban Folklore

The other day I posted about the new album Motif   from the Greg Abate Quartet, which is among the most added albums on the JazzWeek chart. Another album among those albums, actually with one more add then Greg is the new release from Thomas Marriott Urban Folklore. The Seattle-based trumpeter is not a stranger to the national radio airplay charts, as three of his eight albums as a leader have made it into the top-ten. His 2009 release East-West Trumpet  made it all the way to number one! His albums have been featured on NPR’s “Morning Edition” and his 2010 release…

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Jazz Album of the Day – Motif from the Greg Abate Quartet

A good point guard on the basketball court elevates the players around him and makes them better players. That’s just what jazz saxophonist, flutist,  and composer Greg Abate does on his latest release Motif and as a result the album is currently among the most added albums on the JazzWeek Chart and I look forward to tracking its upward movement on the chart, over the coming weeks! It doesn’t hurt though, that the other members of his quartet are, like Greg professors at the Berklee College Music, even so, on the album Greg’s compositions give each member of the quartet room to…

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Today in Music – Oct 26, 1940 – Jazz Trumpeter, Doctor and Teacher -Eddie Henderson is born!!

So as many of us struggle to find ourselves, we try to do many things in trying to plot our course through life. Some of us succeed, others of us, while we muddle through life, we never find our true calling, and while we have lived a comfortable life, we know that something is missing that true passion. What sometimes makes you feel even worse is when you find someone who excels at several things! One such person celebrates his birthday today! Imagine Louis Armstrong gives you your first few trumpet lesson at the age of nine. At sixteen, Miles Davis…

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Exploring the Music of Rodney Whitaker – When We Find Ourselves Alone – “Is He Ever Alone?

Rodney Whitaker’s new release When We Find Ourselves Alone his been in my music rotation for a while now and I am enjoying it more and more with each listen. After listening to the album several times, I went to his web page to find out a little more amount the Mack Avenue bass player. What I discovered aside from the fact that he has released seven albums as a leader or co-leader, but he has recorded and recorded with a plethora of artist that include:  Jimmy Heath, Eric Reed, Cyrus Chestnut, Vanessa Rubin, Kathleen Battle, Dianne Reeves, Cassandra Wilson, Diana Krall,…

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“Into the Morning” with New Music from Netherland’s Knight Area – Hyperdrive

So back in May of 2013, I had a good music listening day that ended with the discovery of Knight Area from the Netherlands. I have patiently been waiting for the release of a new album and that happened on October 14th when they released Hyperdrive. Since the day of the album’s release, it has been in my music rotation, and I have enjoyed it a lot!! I will be writing about it in the next few days, but until then you can read my old post about the band here and let’s go into the morning with the video for…

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This Date in Music – October 17, 1976 – Jazz Guitarist Gary Tu was born!!

When you listen to as many albums as I do over the course of a year, there are many that you forget, not because that they are not great, but because your mind can only remember so much! Anyway looking back at the albums that I wrote about on whatever day it is, serves as a good reminder! Today’s reminder is about jazz guitarist Gary Tu, who is celebrating his 38th birthday today. Here’s is last years post…… and Happy Birthday Gary!! (oh, by the way I’m listening to his album Looking East right now!!) Among the Jazz Artist who…

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Exploring the New Age Music of Germany’s Uwe Gronau – Thoughts of Tomorrow!!

The other day I visited the Zone Music Reporter Chart for August 2014 to check out what’s new in the world of New Age music. As I looked down the chartthe album at No 7 Thoughts of Tomorrow caught my attention, not just for the title,but also for the artist’s name Uwe Gronau. So I went to Spotify, figuring that I’d give the album the 30 to 60 second test and come back later to give it a full listen after checking out more of the albums on the chart. I think the album stayed long enough that I heard and…

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