Albare –
Albare Plays Jobim, Vol. 2 (Alfi): “Albare Plays Jobim, Vol. 2 by Moroccan-born, Israeli-raised guitarist Albare (the only name given) isn’t quite what it seems. While the names of the musicians and guest artists are listed on the jacket, what is not addressed is the presence of a string orchestra, the only suggestion of which is pianist Joe Chindamo’s designation as “orchestra conductor.”… The album is, of course, a tribute to one of the most renowned Latin composers who ever lived, maestro Antonio Carlos Jobim. Those familiar with Jobim’s music should know pretty much what to expect, slow-to mid-tempo sambas and bossas with sensuous melodies that linger in the mind and heart. (https://www.allaboutjazz.com/plays-jobim-vol-2-albare-alfi-records) Backing musicians include Joe Chindamo (piano, orchestra conductor), Pablo Bincid (drums), Luisito Quintero (percussion), and Ricardo Rodriquez (bass) with guests Randy Brecker, Nestor Torres (flute) and Antonio San
Late Lady: Billie Holiday On Verve in the 1950s
In 1952, Billie Holiday began her last great period on record with a series of small-group sessions that capture the twilight glow of a jazz star.
Presented by WFIU Indianapolis and PRX.
Monday, March 8th
the mother of afrofuturism writer Octavia Butler
Octavia Butler was a deep observer of the human condition, perplexed and inspired by our propensity towards self-destruction. She described herself as a pessimist, if I m not careful.
As an award-winning science fiction writer and mother of Afrofuturism, her visionary works of alternate realities reveal striking and often devastating parallels to the world we live in today. Butler was fascinated by the cyclical nature of history and often looked to the past when writing about the future. She broke on to the science fiction scene at a time when she knew of no other Black women in the field, saying she simply had to write herself in.
Credit Trumpeter Shorty Rogers jazzing up Tchaikovsky. (album cover art)
Night Lights annual holiday tribute celebrates the season with plenty of cool-Yule jazz, including Shorty Rogers take on The Nutcracker, pianist Bill Evans having some vocal fun with Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (as well as the backstory on how the song came to be written), guitarist Emily Remler offering up a luminous version of Snowfall, and poet Sascha Feinstein reading his poem about the legendary Miles Davis-Thelonious Monk Christmas Eve 1954 recording session. Lighthearted and poignant, perfect for December.
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