Jazz Bastard Podcast

Peter Gunn sparked a TV-Detective-Show-With-Jazz-Soundtrack craze, and Mike and Pat plunge into the murky depths of late fifties' jazz and existentialist philosophy to find out just what happened. Sometimes the naked city just isn't pretty. Warren Barker – 77 SUNSET STRIP; Henry Mancini – MORE MUSIC FROM PETER GUNN; Johnny Williams – CHECKMATE; Elmer Bernstein – STACCATO; George Duning – THE NAKED CITY.

Back to the origins of jazz guitar we go, checking out some acoustic luminaries and an electric pathfinder. The introduction of the Mike-citement meter makes this a very special episode indeed. Eddie Lang/Joe Venuti – VOLUME ONE; Lonnie Johnson – STEPPIN' ON THE BLUES; Django Reinhardt – THE CLASSIC EARLY SIDES, VOL 2; Charlie Christian – COMPLETE STUDIO RECORDINGS, VOLUME TWO.

Shut yo mouth! We're just talking about Freddie . . . Hubbard that is, whose career stretches from Blue Note hard bop to CTI funk to mainstream jazz and ends on a blue note when the brass-playing Icarus splits his lip. Eric Dolphy - OUT TO LUNCH; Freddie Hubbard - READY FOR FREDDIE, RED CLAY, ABOVE AND BEYOND; Herbie Hancock - VSOP QUINTET.

Pat and Mike discuss some used records Pat picked up, with some familiar faces and some new ones in the mix. Stay tuned for shocking allegations against one of the artists. Art Farmer – SING ME SOFTLY OF THE BLUES; Don Pullen/George Adams – LIVE AT MONTMARTRE; Kenny Wheeler – DOUBLE DOUBLE YOU; Al Haig – PIANO INTERPRETATIONS.

Gato Barbieri is best known for the Last Tango in Paris soundtrack. After this episode, Mike will be best known for his obsession with butter. Gato Barbieri – LAST TANGO IN PARIS; LATIN AMERICA (VOLS 1 & 2); Charlie Haden – LIBERATION MUSIC ORCHESTRA; Paquito D'Rivera - REUNION

The focus is on solo piano recitals (sorry Erroll's rhythm section), and it brings out a dark episode from Pat's past. Erroll Garner – THE COMPLETE CONCERT BY THE SEA; Keith Jarrett – THE KOLN CONCERT; George Winston – AUTUMN; Brad Mehldau – 10 YEARS SOLO LIVE

The boys get topical as they take on the biggest rap album of last year and the longest jazz album of last year - then look back at possible sources of inspiration for both. Kamasi Washington – THE EPIC; Kendrick Lamar – TO PIMP A BUTTERFLY; James Brown – The PAYBACK; Eddie Gale – BLACK RHYTHM HAPPENING

"Tell me about your jazz childhood," the nice man by the couch says, and Mike and Pat reply "It all started with an uptight semi-genius named Wynton Marsalis." This episode is all about the early years - specifically small group recordings - but some day, some year, there'll be so much more. Wynton Marsalis – DEBUT, MARSALIS STANDARD TIME VOL 1; BLACK CODES FROM THE UNDERGROUND; LIVE AT BLUES ALLEY.

The Village People once asked the question: "Young man, who do you want to be?" Three of tonight's artists knew the answer - one's still workin' on it. Avishai Cohen – DEVOTION; Ray Bryant – MONTREUX 77; Scott Hamilton – RADIO CITY; Johnny Griffin – RETURN OF THE GRIFFIN

Hey, punk, you listening to me? Uh, maybe, say Mike and Pat, as they discuss four records that are perfectly fine but can go all recessive on your ass if you're not careful. JJ Johnson and Kai Winding – THE GREAT KAI AND JJ; Michel Petrucciani – PROMENADE WITH DUKE; Barry Guy – ODYSSEY; Ahmad Jamal – CHICAGO REVISITED.

Mike and Pat keep it fresh with this episode on recently released albums. Jazz by young people - who would have thought? David Bowie – BLACKSTAR; Cecile McLorin Salvant – FOR ONE TO LOVE; Go Go Penguin – V 2.0; Snarky Puppy – SYLVA.

Newly discovered live sessions keep escaping from the vaults. Mike and Pat take on plums from Davis and Jarrett, then linger over what may be Jimmy Smith's most . . . memorable two hours on tape. Miles Davis – AT NEWPORT DISCS 1 & 2; Jimmy Smith – GROOVIN' AT SMALLS' PARADISE (2D); Keith Jarrett – SLEEPER (2D): John Hicks – LIVE AT MAYBECK RECITAL HALL.

Manfred Eicher has a recurring nightmare where the Jazz Bastard does an episode devoted to his hugely influential label, ECM - or is the dream REAL?? Also, Pat really hates microtonality. Steve Tibbetts – SAFE JOURNEY; Mette Henriette – TRIO, ENSEMBLE; Mike and Joe Maineri – BLESSED; Edward Vesala - ODE TO THE DEATH OF JAZZ.

One is the loneliest number, but two is awesome. It's time for another show about duets, something Mike will never have with Joanna Newsom, because - well, stay tuned to find out. Charlie Haden – THE GOLDEN NUMBER; Jaki Byard/Tommy Flanagan – THE MAGIC OF TWO; Don Cherry / Ed Blackwell – EL CORAZON; Irene Schweizer / Han Bennink - IRENE SCHWEIZER & HAN BENNINK

In the mystic land of the seventies, Don Schlitten did a stately pleasure dome decree - well, at least a label for recording be-bop artists lost in the fusion haze. Pat and Mike explore four of these treasures from Xanadu and report back. Albert Heath – KWANZA; Al Cohn/Jimmy Rowles – HEAVY LOVE; Barry Harris – PLAYS TADD DAMERON; Joe Farrell – SKATEBOARD PARK.

The boys explore four albums which all feature Fred Hersch in one capacity of another (always piano, sometimes leader or producer). Oh, then Mike starts a beef with Adele you won't believe. Fred Hersch Trio – FLOATING; Toots Thielemans – ONLY TRUST YOUR HEART; Luciana Souza – NORTH AND SOUTH; Billy Harper – QUINTET IN EUROPE

Time for some shameless pandering - at least towards generation X'ers and continuing residents of the Midwest. Pop songs - some of them have sax solos. Mike and Pat discuss - and discuss. Walk on the Wild Side; Shine On You Crazy Diamond; Aja; Waiting on a Friend; Baker Street; Just the Way You Are; Logical Song; Old and Wise; Still Crazy After All These Years; Maneater; Modern Love;Your Latest Trick; Brass Monkey; Edge of Glory; Get It Right; Talk Dirty to Me; Problem.

Mike and Pat take the remaining winners of the Village Voice's best of 2014 to that special place only they have the pass-keys to, ponder the purpose of french horns in jazz, and generally whoop it up in 2015's final blast. Walter Smith III – STILL CASUAL; Yosvany Terry – NEW THRONED KING; Wadada Leo Smith – GREAT LAKES SUITE; Mark Taylor – QUIETLAND.

Mike and Pat pick up the cudgels and readdress themselves to the Village Voice list of the ten best jazz albums from 2014 (see episode 72 for the first part of this hatchet job). Leave it to those bastards to like the non-winning selection on this week's show the best. Myra Melford – SNOWY EGRET; Anne Mette Iversen's Double Life - SO MANY ROADS; Rufus Reid – QUIET PRIDE; Diego Barber/Craig Taborn – TALES.

Three IS a magic number, people, so Mike and Pat discuss jazz trios for their third anniversary special. Plus, brief discussions of each 'caster's favorite 3 albums from this year of shows AND Mike confuses Steely with Pink. E.S.T. - TUESDAY WONDERLAND; Joshua Redman – YAYA3; Clusone Trio – I AM AN INDIAN; Kora Jazz Trio PART II