Playlist April 27, 2010

Host: David Ryshpan

Bebop Trio - "Celia" (s/t)
*Amanda Tosoff - "Sounds Through the Window" (Looking North) [@ Upstairs May 21]
*Carlos Jimenez - "Undercurrents" (Undercurrents)
*Marie-Claire Durand - "Quick Choice" (Mai)
Joe Lovano Us Five - "Moose the Mooche" (Bird Songs)
Cuong Vu - "All the Things You Are" (Leaps of Faith)

32nd Montreal Jazz Fest Indoor Preview
*Darcy James Argue's Secret Society - "Transit" (Infernal Machines) [@ Gésu June 29]
Brad Mehldau - "Things Behind the Sun/Lithium" (Live in Marciac) [solo @ Gésu June 25, w/ Joshua Redman @ Theatre Maisonneuve June 26]
Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog - "Bateau" (Party Intellectuals) [@Theatre Jean-Duceppe June 25; Cubanos Postizos June 26; Caged Funk June 27] 

Theo Bleckmann & Kneebody - "At The River" (Twelve Songs by Charles Ives)
Michael Formanek - "Twenty Three Neo" (The Rub and Spare Change
Peter Scherr - "Lucky 13" (Son of August)
Scott Amendola - "Blues for Istanbul" (Lift)
*Quinsin Nachoff - "Astral Echo Poem" (Fomo)
Jazz Big Band Graz w/ John Hollenbeck - "Just Like Him" (Joys and Desires)

FIJM 2011 indoor picks

NB: These are David's picks and in no way represent the views of the rest of the Jazz Euphorium collective or CKUT 90.3 as a whole. Ahem. Now with that out of the way...

The complete indoor programming has been announced for the 32nd edition of the Montreal Jazz Festival. And while, as Peter Hum writes of the Ottawa counterpart, many will bemoan the big name pop headliners like Robert Plant and Peter Frampton, there's a good chunk of phenomenal jazz & world music in the program as well. Let's get to it:

June 25

David Binney Quartet (6 pm, Gésu) - one of the premier voices of modern jazz over the past 15 years, Binney brings his working band of David Virelles (the Cuban pianist that won the Festival's Grand Prix a few years back), Eivind Opsvik and Dan Weiss.

Milton Nascimento (9:30 pm, Théâtre Maisonneuve) - an absolute legend of Brazilian music with his haunting voice in tact. FIJM books these Brazilian masters only once in a blue moon. I already have my ticket.

June 26

Marc Ribot y los Cubanos Postizos (8 pm, Théâtre Jean-Duceppe) - I wore out these albums, paying tribute to the tres master Arsenio Rodriguez. Traditional Cuban music mixed with Ribot's punky, bluesy edge. Ribot is one of the three hosts of the Invitation series; he'll also be playing with his rock band Ceramic Dog and the project Caged Funk.

Brad Mehldau/Joshua Redman Duo (9:30 pm, Théâtre Maisonneuve) - My favourite moments of Mehldau's Highway Rider feature Redman.This video of them tackling Nirvana's "Lithium" is a fantastic preview.

Anat Cohen (10:30 pm, Gésu) - she wowed at L'Astral last time round with her powerfully swinging mix of modern jazz influenced by klezmer and choro.

June 27

Lee Konitz & Dan Tepfer (7 & 10 pm, Upstairs) - An undisputed master with a buzz-worthy up-and-comer. They're also two highly sensitive improvisers. At Upstairs, it'll feel like eavesdropping on a conversation.

Esperanza Spalding's Chamber Music Society (9:30 pm, Théâtre Maisonneuve) - see: Grammy win. See also: Herbie Hancock's endorsement.

June 28

FLY (6 pm, Gésu) - this collaborative trio of Mark Turner, Larry Grenadier and Jeff Ballard are three of my favourite player/composers. I still spin their first record obsessively. I believe this is their first time as a group at the festival.

Gretchen Parlato (9 pm, L'Astral) - considering she sold out Savoy for two nights last year, and that her new album The Lost and Foundhas garnered a lot of well-deserved buzz and is produced by FIJM darling Robert Glasper, this should sell out quickly and for good reason.

June 29

Darcy James Argue's Secret Society (6 pm, Gésu) - For those who don't already know, go here and find out why.

Rudresh Mahanthappa & Bunky Green (10:30 pm, Gésu) - Rudresh is deservedly becoming a regular here, and their collaborative albumApex was one of last year's best.

June 30

John Benitez Group f/ Yosvany Terry (7 & 10 pm & midnight, Upstairs) - See: my unabashed love for forward-thinking, burning Latin jazz. Benitez, among other accomplishments, is the bassist on Roy Hargrove's Habana record, my first real entry into Latin music and so he's important to me for sentimental reasons, aside from his deep pocket.

July 1

Don Byron New Gospel Quintet (6 pm, Gésu) - Don schooled us all in gospel at Banff in 2005, and even back then it was clear that this music communicated something very deep and powerful to him. With this band, he now communicates it to us all.

Sierra Maestra (7 pm, Club Soda) - put a legendary Cuban group in a small club and watch the roof explode.

Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey (9:30 pm, L'Astral) - Indigone had the pleasure of opening for these guys at Sala Rossa a couple of years back. They've embarked on two ambitious projects recently, one re-working Beethoven and the other The Race Riot Suite written by their lap steel guitarist, Chris Combs. A unique and mesmerizing group.

Jaga Jazzist (11 pm, Club Soda) - the groovy, electro-jazz wielding Norwegians are back. Someone hipped me to them years ago and I've never seen them live.

July 3

Jean-Pierre Zanella Homage to Don Alias (6 pm, L'Astral) - the legendary percussionist lived here for a while and served as a mentor to a generation of Montreal players. Saxophonist Zanella, who embodies Alias' musical polyglot nature, pays tribute with a cast of Montreal's finest, and guest bassist Gene Perla.

Christian McBride & Inside Straight (6 pm, Gésu) - the bassist who salutes James Brown and Ray Brown equally brings his swinging, straightahead formation to town.

July 4

Yaron Herman Trio (9 pm, L'Astral) - See: Nextbop. See also: the only pianist I know that counts Frisell, Britney Spears, Björk and "Hatikvah" among his repertoire.

Playlist: April 13, 2011

(artist – album – song)

dexter gordon – doin' all right – I was doin' all right
john coltrane quartet – ballads – all or nothing at all
bill frisell, dave holland, elvin jones – s/t – blues dream
eric couture telmosse – projet 4 – frodo
greg ruby 4tet – look both ways – look both ways
jacky terrasson – smile – smile
5tet marie-claire durand – mai – doux (doux doux doux)
benoit delbecq – the sixth jump – pointe de la courte dune / bass page
ingrid jensen/project O – now as then – the night has a thousand eyes
carl allen – testimonial – dark & lovely
e.s.t. - strange place for snow – bound for the beauty of the south
bobo stenson - goodbye - there comes a time
keith jarrett, gary peacock, jack dejohnette - yesterdays - stella by starlight
brad mehldau - day is done - knives out
medeski martin & wood - tonic - hey joe
the bad plus - never stop - people like you

host: matt testa

Playlist April 6th, 2011

In this show: two from Parisian pianist Karlos Rotsen's new album Bon-Air, and a special South African jazz special in honour of Johnny Clegg who will be performing this Saturday in Montreal.

Artist - Album - Song
 
*Christopher Cargnello - Movement One - Wayne Shorter
Wayne Shorter - Second Genesis - The Albatross
Aki Takase & the Good Boys - Procreation - Choco Amore
Catalyst - The Complete Recordings Vol. 2 - Catalyst is Coming (Porter Records)
*Alicia Hansen - Fractography - Poison Tree
Jason Adasiewicz - Sun Rooms - Stake
Karlos Rotsen - Bon-Air - Ti Kanno
Karlos Rotsen - Bon-Air - Sèpen mèg
Microscopic Septet - Friday the Thirteenth: The Micros play Monk - We See
Mario Pavone & Orange Double Tenor - Arc Suite T/Pi T/Po - Mid-code
* Quinsin Nachoff - FoMo - Sisyphus

South African Jazz Special:

Zim Ngqawana - Vadzimu - Amagoduka feat. Bheki Khoza
Lionel Pillay Trio - Mankunku Jazz Show - My Heart Stood Still
Bheki Mseleku - Home at Last - Mbizo
Jazz Dazzlers - History of Township Music - Diepkloof Ekhaya (Diepkloof, My Home)
Dollar Brand Trio - Duke Ellington Presents - Kippi

*Quintet Marie-Claire Durand - Mai - Lac aux Castors
Vijay Iyer - Solo - Darn that Dream
Scott Amendola Trio - Lift - Tudo de Bom

Host: Parker Mah