The Line-Up for 9-10-2010
One year ago (really 364 days ago, but it still was 52 weeks ago, so I'm counting this as the anniversary), I hit the airwaves taking The Line-Up from Lyz, who went off to grad school. So began the fun I've had here each week playing great new jazz that I think the masses would love.
The theme for this week's show is all about pianists. Since my favorite musicians all happen to be pianists and I used to play the piano many moons ago, that's what I'm running with for this one year anniversary.
Vijay Iyer - Fleurette Africaine
When I saw this track on the listing for Iyer's Solo album, I wondered how he'd be able to pull off playing this track by himself as opposed to with a trio. I can remember an interview with The Bad Plus in which the interviewer was talking with the group about this song. If memory serves, they don't play it because Reid Anderson just couldn't move as fast on the bass as Charles Mingus. So it really surprised me the first time I heard this song and discovered Iyer really could pull it off.
The Bad Plus - Never Stop
This song is too cool. I first heard it when the trio performed for Issac Mizrahi's fashion show early this year. The mere concept that these guys played for a fashion show sounded like a pretty advanced idea to me. The fact that they put it on their album made me pleased as punch. A song this good should be played in an iPod so you could feel like a badass when you're walking down the street and not "dressed like a villain from Star Trek" as Quentin Tarantino would say. Oh, hit up PJ's post of their extended liner notes for Never Stop when you have the chance.
Marco Benevento - Greenpoint
The idea to do an evening of pianists came to me yesterday morning while waiting for the bus and this song came up. Once again, my commute dictates The Line-Up.
The Stanley Clarke Band feat. Hiromi - Labyrinth
Once I knew I'd play an evening of pianists, I knew I'd want to play something from Hiromi. When I showed up to put together this week's show, the computer already put this song here. The computer and I are buddies. We should go on vacation together or something.
The Crusaders - Eleanor Rigby
Then, when I knew I'd be playing pianists, I knew I'd end up playing some Joe Sample. By the time I realized I wouldn't be playing a soul song as I typically do each week, I figured I'd throw in the rest of the Crusaders. That evolved into me playing one of my favorite songs on the face of the earth and ultimately the song that my phone plays when it wakes me up every morning. This song is my alarm clock.
Aaron Parks - Nemesis
Parks is here just because he's awesome. That's really it. I really am excited about the new stuff from James Farm, though.
Vijay Iyer - Human Nature
Okay, I got really tired of going week after week of not playing anything from this album. I've had the masters for Solo for a couple of months now and wasn't allowed to play anything from it on the air until the release date was closer. Beside the fact, the station hadn't gotten the album yet and I didn't feel comfortable not playing the official version on the air anyway. This show was my breaking point. I resolved that if the station didn't have the album yet, I was going to play master versions. Sure enough, I show up and I'm putting the final album version into the computer and you folks get to hear quality.
Brad Mehldau - Wonderwall
On my first show, I wasn't allowed to change any of the music. The computer picked everything and I was just allowed to talk. It was so I could get acclimated to being on the air and I would worry about picking music maybe a few weeks later. I was alright with that, but the computer picked a Brad Mehldau tune. I figured, what would the harm be if I swapped out just one little song even if it was from the same artist. "Wonderwall" was that song. For this anniversary show, because I like when things go full circle, I play the one song I picked for my very first show once more.
The theme for this week's show is all about pianists. Since my favorite musicians all happen to be pianists and I used to play the piano many moons ago, that's what I'm running with for this one year anniversary.
Vijay Iyer - Fleurette Africaine
When I saw this track on the listing for Iyer's Solo album, I wondered how he'd be able to pull off playing this track by himself as opposed to with a trio. I can remember an interview with The Bad Plus in which the interviewer was talking with the group about this song. If memory serves, they don't play it because Reid Anderson just couldn't move as fast on the bass as Charles Mingus. So it really surprised me the first time I heard this song and discovered Iyer really could pull it off.
The Bad Plus - Never Stop
This song is too cool. I first heard it when the trio performed for Issac Mizrahi's fashion show early this year. The mere concept that these guys played for a fashion show sounded like a pretty advanced idea to me. The fact that they put it on their album made me pleased as punch. A song this good should be played in an iPod so you could feel like a badass when you're walking down the street and not "dressed like a villain from Star Trek" as Quentin Tarantino would say. Oh, hit up PJ's post of their extended liner notes for Never Stop when you have the chance.
Marco Benevento - Greenpoint
The idea to do an evening of pianists came to me yesterday morning while waiting for the bus and this song came up. Once again, my commute dictates The Line-Up.
The Stanley Clarke Band feat. Hiromi - Labyrinth
Once I knew I'd play an evening of pianists, I knew I'd want to play something from Hiromi. When I showed up to put together this week's show, the computer already put this song here. The computer and I are buddies. We should go on vacation together or something.
The Crusaders - Eleanor Rigby
Then, when I knew I'd be playing pianists, I knew I'd end up playing some Joe Sample. By the time I realized I wouldn't be playing a soul song as I typically do each week, I figured I'd throw in the rest of the Crusaders. That evolved into me playing one of my favorite songs on the face of the earth and ultimately the song that my phone plays when it wakes me up every morning. This song is my alarm clock.
Aaron Parks - Nemesis
Parks is here just because he's awesome. That's really it. I really am excited about the new stuff from James Farm, though.
Vijay Iyer - Human Nature
Okay, I got really tired of going week after week of not playing anything from this album. I've had the masters for Solo for a couple of months now and wasn't allowed to play anything from it on the air until the release date was closer. Beside the fact, the station hadn't gotten the album yet and I didn't feel comfortable not playing the official version on the air anyway. This show was my breaking point. I resolved that if the station didn't have the album yet, I was going to play master versions. Sure enough, I show up and I'm putting the final album version into the computer and you folks get to hear quality.
Brad Mehldau - Wonderwall
On my first show, I wasn't allowed to change any of the music. The computer picked everything and I was just allowed to talk. It was so I could get acclimated to being on the air and I would worry about picking music maybe a few weeks later. I was alright with that, but the computer picked a Brad Mehldau tune. I figured, what would the harm be if I swapped out just one little song even if it was from the same artist. "Wonderwall" was that song. For this anniversary show, because I like when things go full circle, I play the one song I picked for my very first show once more.
Comments