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The Sunday Jazz Brunch Presents Best of 2024 Air Date: 1/12/2025 on 90.5 WICN 8am-12pm ET If you miss the air date: click here for the archi ves for up to two weeks . This part of running the show is one of my favorites: the end of the year Best Of show. As you know, I play the best of new jazz all year, and here I can take the best of the best ! These CDs are the bestest! Try not to miss this show -- I know that you will find it rewarding. Especially when you hear some of the new artists I introduced during 2024. So now I will telegraph some thoughts about the artists you'll hear. In the following list, you will see a link like this: MC , which will lead you to a Musician's Corner interview with that artist. Judy Whitmore: Lush voice with lush orchestral arrangements of jazz standards. John Lee: Perfect Sunday morning piano trio. Vanessa Perea: Great voice and song selection. Jun Iida: Young trumpeter makes good. Stacey Kent: She of crystal voice. Christian Sands: More great p...
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The Sunday Jazz Brunch Presents Happy New Year Air Date: 1/5/2025 on 90.5 WICN 8am-12pm ET If you miss the air date: click here for the archi ves for up to two weeks . 2025 - That seems like a big number to me.  According to many older movies, we should be in flying cars by now. On Mars. Or, by now the aliens have contacted us and have either destroyed us or have led us to the next stage in evolution. Wait, no, we usually destroy the aliens after we find out their one fatal flaw. I remember getting a 30-year mortgage and calculating when it would be paid off - I knew that number looked familiar. I thought 2024 was a big number. Now it seems like simple past history. It's in the dustbin now. What will never be in the dustbin is great music. It lives on, especially on The Sunday Jazz Brunch. I am looking forward to putting together the Best of 2024, so we can remember all the wonderful feelings we had listening to the best jazz.  May you have a happy and healthy 2025. Best, Mar...
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The Sunday Jazz Brunch Presents Taste of Italy Air Date: 12/29/2024 on 90.5 WICN 8am-12pm ET Firstly, let me wish you a happy Chrismukah 🎄🕎, as well as Kwanzaa, or whatever your preference, and also health and happiness for the  upcoming new year!  Secondly, sorry about the title. I know it sounds like the description of a charter bus tour. But it is apt - we're just going by radio, that's all. And finally, let me get the the story I want to tell. It is about Italian music. You see, every now and then I get inspired to listen to, share, and write about Italian music. Say what you like, but for me - well, it fills my soul, much like really good Italian food. (Of which lately I have partaken, to great pleasure.) So I figure, let me share, and give you a whole hour to bask in the Italian sun, be it the northern sun, the southern sun, the coastal sun, the Sicilian sun, the Venetian sun, the Tuscan sun... Well, you get the idea.  Let's say something briefly about each artist...
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The Sunday Jazz Brunch Presents Musician's Corner: Tania Grubbs Air Date: 12/22/2024 on 90.5 WICN 8am-12pm ET LISTEN TO THE SEGMENT HERE   Vocalist Tania Grubbs has released her second album, The Sound of Love . When I looked at the song list, I was reassured and impressed upon finding Duke Ellington's Sound of Love . Her take on this song is masterful. During her Musician's Corner interview, she will talk about two songs on the new CD, Tadd Dameron's If You Could See Me Now , and an original composition entitled The Sculptor's Hands .  What I noticed about Mrs Grubbs is that she finds new ways to express standards from the Great American Songbook. I found her version of Something to Live For to be superb, as well as Slow Hot Wind .  ................................................................................................................................................. Tune in at 9:20 am ET  to hear this edition of Musician's Corner.  ..................
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The Sunday Jazz Brunch Presents Musician's Corner: Laila Biali Air Date: 10/17/2024 on 90.5 WICN 8am-12pm ET LISTEN TO THE SEGMENT HERE Laila Biali is a Canadian vocalist, pianist, and radio host on Canada's version of NPR, the Canadian Broadcast System, or CBC. Her  self-titled 2018 release won a JUNO award, which is Canada's version of the Grammy awards. Ms. Biali's latest release is called Wintersongs , and here she translates into music the emotions that may accompany a cold, snowy winter day. As soon as I heard the first minute of the album, I knew it would be a great fit for your contemplative hour, as the music really does transport you to a great snowy wilderness. Have you ever stood outside just after a winter storm, when everything is quiet, the white snow blankets everything, and the air is cold and crisp? That's what you'll feel when you listen to this CD from Laila Biali. On the next edition of the Sunday Jazz Brunch, we'll hear two tracks from...
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The Sunday Jazz Brunch Presents Taste of Worcester Air Date: 11/10/2024 on 90.5 WICN 8am-12pm ET It's tempting to think that all the great jazz going on today originates in either New York or L.A., or maybe the big cities in Brazil, Italy, France, and so on. Those big urban centers are certainly where a good portion of it comes from, but there is also plenty to appreciate in other places as well. Like Worcester, Massachusetts. On the next edition of the Sunday Jazz Brunch, you'll hear from a number of artists from the Boston/Worcester area, who appear on three tracks that we'll listen to. Gerry Bluhm For our classic material, we have a CD from twenty years ago, We All Need a Warm Breeze, from the Emil Haddad/Dick Odgren Quintet. Mr. Haddad, who passed in 2004, was well known in the Worcester area for his warm personality and fine trumpet playing. He performed with his group The Notables for more than 30 years, then formed a duet with Dick Odgren on piano in 1982. The next ...
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The Sunday Jazz Brunch Presents Sunday's Playlist Air Date: 11/3/2024 on 90.5 WICN 8am-12pm ET HOUR ONE: Contemplative Morning Laila Biali\Wintersongs 2024\Prelude to Outside Laila Biali\Wintersongs 2024\Rocky Mountain Lullaby Avishai Cohen\Brightlight 2024\Drabkin Shirley Horn-You're My Thrill-03 Solitary Moon 2001 Silvio Amato\Variations of Relevance 2020\Sonnet Melancholia Silva & Steini\More Than You Know 2023\I Wish I Knew Stan Hope\Pastels 1999\Pastels Charles Lloyd-The Water Is Wide-06 Lotus Blossom 2000 Cassandre McKinley-Dragonfly-09 Are You Lonesome Tonight 2018 Edy Forey\Culture Today 2024\Agape Earl Klugh-The Best Of Earl Klugh Vol. 1-07 Angelina 1991 Emily Bear-Diversity-03 Diversity 2013 Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner\Love & Peace\Korina HOUR TWO: New For You Laila Biali\Wintersongs 2024\Outside Miki Yamanaka\Chance 2024\Chance Tania Grubbs\The Sound of Love 2024\Something to Live For Tom Graf-Struttin' 2024-06 Enjoying The View Josie Falbo\Taylor Street 202...
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The Sunday Jazz Brunch Presents Sunday's Playlist Air Date: 10/27/2024 on 90.5 WICN 8am-12pm ET HOUR ONE: Contemplative Morning Dave Stryker\As We Are 2021\As We Were Craig Davis\Tone Paintings  2022\Dodo's Lament David Sills\Down the Line\If You Never Come to Me Cyrus Chestnut-My Father's Hands 2022-10 Epilogue Chris Botti-To Love Again-07 To Love Again 2005 Chiara Civello-The Space Between-08 Seagulls 2007 Bill Mays Trio-Going Home-03 Shohola Song 2003 Dmitri Matheny\Cascadia 2022\Dark Eyes David Hazeltine, Peter Washington & Louis Hayes-The Classic Trio-05 Catherine's Fantasy 1997 Diana Krall-The Look of Love-06 The Night We Called It a Day 2001 HOUR TWO: New For You Avishai Cohen\Brightlight 2024\Hope Miki Yamanaka\Chance 2024\Unconditional Love Jay D'Amico-Melodia 2024-12 Giant Steps Tom Graf-Struttin' 2024-06 Enjoying The View Greg Johnson\The Naked Truth 2024\White Flower Christian Sands\Embracing Dawn 2024\Serenade of an Angel Portrait 2024 Samara Jo...
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The Sunday Jazz Brunch Presents The Jazz Pianists Air Date: 10/20/2024 on 90.5 WICN 8am-12pm ET So many listeners have mentioned how much they like the jazz piano they hear on the Sunday Jazz Brunch. I am a big fan of piano trios in particular. I don't think this format gets much airtime, anywhere. I believe that enjoying jazz piano trios can be an acquired taste. Certainly, when you have a trio playing old favorites - well, everybody likes that. But stray just a little from the well-worn path, and most folks take the exit ramp.  In this show we'll cover a good slice of the spectrum, keeping it right where the educated jazz fan wants it to be. This is not a 'best of' show, as I am not trying to fit all of the greatest pianists into a few hours. I guess you could say it is a 'favorites show,' but not quite, since I didn't come up with a list of my favorites and then play them for you. Rather, I just looked through our music database, and when I found a piece ...
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The Sunday Jazz Brunch Presents Sunday's Playlist Air Date: 10/13/2024 on 90.5 WICN 8am-12pm ET HOUR ONE: Contemplative Morning Christian Sands\Embracing Dawn 2024\008  Braises de Requiem I (The Embers Requiem, Mov. I) John Lee\Second Wind 2024\Second Wind Tom Johnson Jazz Orchestra\Time Takes Odd Turns 2024\Ballad for the A1 Band Warren Wolf\History of the Vibraphone 2024\Saturn's Child Karen Mack\Catch & Keep 2024\From Now On Olivia Foschi\A Window Within 2024\Nona Mariah Parker with P McCandless\Windows Through Time 2024\Rendezvous John Coltrane-The Gentle Side Of John Coltrane-02 What's New-1974 Judy Whitmore\Come Fly With Me 2024\Come Fly With Me Kenny Burrell-Lotus Blossom 1995-06 The Night Has  a Thousand Eyes Larry Willis Trio The Big Push 07 Everything I Have Is Yours 2005 Linda Purl\This Could Be the Start 2023\Let Me Down Easy Patricia Barber-The Cole Porter Mix-07 C'est Magnifique 2008 HOUR TWO: New For You Tom Graf-Struttin' 2024-04 Hotel Goodbyes H...
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The Sunday Jazz Brunch Presents Musician's Corner: Music Soup Organ Trio Air Date: 10/6/2024 on 90.5 WICN 8am-12pm ET LISTEN TO THE SEGMENT HERE Our guests on the next Musician's Corner are the two founding members of the Music Soup Organ Trio: Nestor Dimopoulos, guitar and Evgenia Karlafti, organ and keys. Hailing from Athens, Greece, and together since 2013, the trio has just released their new CD, Upbeat Mood . The CD contains all original songs, except for one Burt Bacharach number, My Little Red Book. ................................................................................................................................................. Tune in at 9:15 am ET  to hear this edition of Musician's Corner.        ................................................................................................................................................. Evgenia started her musical career as a classical pianist. However, when she met To...
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The Sunday Jazz Brunch Presents Sunday's Playlist Air Date: 9/29/2024 on 90.5 WICN 8am-12pm ET   HOUR ONE: Contemplative Morning Delia Fischer\Beyond-Bossa  2024\What Good is Summer John Lee\Second Wind 2024\Moonlight in Vermont Bevan Manson\Talking To Trees 2024\Dance of the Mangrove Trees Jared Hall\Influences 2024\Dream Steps The Crew\The Crew Our Love Is Here to Stay Leslie Pintchik\Prayer for What Remains 2024\Private Moment Wayne Escoffery\Alone 2024\Since I Fell For You April Varner\April 2024\April Give Me One More Day Neil Adler\Emi's Song 2024\Emi's Song Emmet Cohen\Balancing Act 2024\Everlasting George Benson\Dreams Do Come True 2024\Pretend Greg Skaff\ReUp 2024\ReUp HOUR TWO: New For You Danny Johokuchi Big Band\A Decade 2024\Voyage Peter Bernstein\Better Angels 2024\Better Angels Jon De Lucia\The Brubeck Octet Project 2024\Love Walked In Vanessa Perea\This is the Moment 2024\Something Happens to Me Jeff Rupert\It Gets Better 2024\Comanche Crush feat K Barron p ...