"Jazzin' Around"
Weekly 2-hour highly informative & unique jazz magazine program. Covers weekly jazz scene news, music milestones, new album samples/reviews, jazz history-of-the-week, a look at upcoming jazz festivals nationwide/globally, the only show to feature weekly review of latest JazzWeek (album) Chart. Bonus -- a relaxed & fun program to enjoy & better appreciate the music! Hosted by veteran jazz radio host David-J.
"Jazzin' Around"
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The latest news on the jazz scene. A feature on the passing of saxophonist & L-A 'ace' session player Plas Johnson (of 'Pink Panther Theme' fame) at 94. Previewing handful of new/recent releases + birthday spotlights on: pianist JoAnne Brackeen, influential early band-leader Don Redman & bassist Jim Hughart. A look at "Jazz on the 'Live' Side"...upcoming regional note-worthy gigs.
Welcome back again. We made it just in time here. It is time for you and I to go do some jazzing around, my friend. So come on in. Have a sea for kick your shoes off, baby, and uh relax and uh get ready to swing and sway, so to say. David J here, your host for the next couple of hours of America's most informative, distinctive, and unique jazz radio program, and possibly the most fun jazz radio program you'll find anywhere, too, for that matter. Jazz Around is your weekly jazz magazine on the radio. Each and every week we share with you the latest albums on the jazz scene, some occasional sneak previews of upcoming releases as well. You'll hear artist features, interviews, jazz history, the latest in jazz news for you on the upcoming scene. We'll take a look at the regional club and concert scene the first hour. In the second hour, look at jazz festivals from all across the country and occasionally across the globe, too. Also, in the second hour to look at the Jazz Week chart, the only program that we're aware of anywhere that actually gives you a look at what's on the top 50 for each and every week. Jazz It Around comes to you from our cozy, cool, and comfortable subterranean jazz den here in Pittsburgh. Podcast hosting services at July 365 and at Buzz Sprouts. And working on getting a few other portals open for you as well to access. So please spread the word and do what you can. Also, thanks to our longtime partner radio stations as well, WNJR, WSPR, KWLC, Boston Free Radio, and WWFM, Jazz On 2. Well, it's halfway done with 2026 and halfway to go yet, right? Oh man, unbelievable. So first things first, we got a lot to check up on to find out what's uh going on this week in the world of jazz. So let us do that, shall we? Oh, probably our top story is another significant last call. One of the most, certainly one of the most recognizable and familiar, even if maybe you didn't always know his name. One of the most familiar and recognizable tenor saxophones has been silenced. LA-based studio and jazz ace Plaz Johnson. Plaz Johnson has died uh just oh short, just short of his birthday, right? He's the best known, best, certainly best known for his solo tenor take on Henry Mancini's classic Pink Panther theme. Padu padu. Yeah, sure, that's it, that's him. Laz also was a first call player on baritone, an alto, and a variety of clarinets and flutes. Quite the woodwind master. Born and raised in a small town in uh near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Johnson served as Army duty during the Korean War, relocated to LA in uh 1954, and at that point he quickly began getting studio session gigs and calls for some of the finest. Johnny Otis, Frank Sinatra, B.B. King, Matt Cole, Peggy Lee, Sam Cook, Bobby Darren, Marvin Gaye, Ella Fitzgerald, the Beach Boys, even, Bette Midler, Maria Muldauer, Benny Carter, Steely Dan, Lalo Schiffrin, and even played with Mancini's orchestra for I think over a decade. Not just the Pink Panther. Plaz Johnson, a prominent member of the Merv Griffin TV show studio band, also the Cap Pierce Juggernaut out of LA. Gene Harris's Super Band in the 1980s, right? And also made a number of recordings. I mean, probably 20 or so recordings under his own name for a number of labels. Concord, also in Capitol Records. Plaz Johnson died on July the 15th. He was just one week, one week shy of what would have been his 95th birthday. We were planning on celebrating that birthday this week anyway, but uh instead marking his legacy this week. Another last call to report, not as well known, Bronx-born drummer Rodney Holmes passed away July 11th, reportedly of cancer. After starting on drums when the family was living in a small Georgia town as a child, he came back to play in New York City as a late teenager and began apprenticing under Frankie Malabay and Horace E. Arnold. He got hired by keyboardist Clyde Kriner for his first recording session. I guess that would have been uh what late 60s. No, late 70s, I guess, right? Late 70s. Soon after he recorded with Lenny Stern and with Jean-Paul Brulet. In 1991, he got hired by uh and toured along with Joe Zabinel and the Zabinel Syndicate Band. That's pretty high profile. He then joined the Santana band, also high profile in '94. Later on, he played with the Brucker brothers, Randy and Mike in the band, with Wayne Shorters, Quintette, and also with Steps Ahead, Larry Coriel, Al Giraud, and others. Drummer Rodney Holmes was just six weeks shy of what would have been his 60th birthday. 74th annual Downbeat magazine critics poll has been released, mentioned some of these to you last week. Two late Jazz Masters vocalist Sheila Jordan and pianist Jackie Byard voted into the Downbeat Music Hall of Fame. Keith Jarrett's ECM retro release of At the Deer Head Inn, named as the Historic Album of the Year. Artist of the Year, going to Mary Halverson, progressive guitarist. The group of the year, her group, Amaryllis. Cecile McLaurin Salvant for the female vocalist of the year, Kurt Elling as male vocalist. Third generation jazzer Adam Offerio, chosen as the trumpeter and arranger of the year in the rising star category. And record label record label of the year was Blue Note, not terribly surprising as well. Among other winners, Maria Schneider's Orchestra, Ambrose Akinousere, Michael Deese, Emmanuel Wilkins, Jane Ira Bloom, Anat Cohen, Nicole Mitchell, Chris Davis, Craig Tyborn, Larry Goldings, Linda Maehan O, drummer Brian Blade, Patricia Bennon, and Rihanna Giddens in the beyond category Artists of the Year. More details and a few artists and selected music of theirs coming up later today and in the following weeks. The Lewis Armstrong Foundation, along with the Armstrong House and the Armstrong Museum in Queens, is in the midst of celebrating what would have been Armstrong's 125th birthday on August 6th. Trumpeter Winton Marsalis, who's guest of honor at their recent gala, the Armstrong House, includes a museum and the newly added Louis Armstrong Center across the street. The museum houses some 60,000 items from his life that were bequeathed to the museum by Lewis's widow, Lucille Armstrong. More info later on during this program. New Jersey's Jazz Arts Project of Red Bank, a summer full of events, concerts, jam sessions, music camps, and students, and more. One popular returning event, the 20th annual Summer Jazz Cafe, each Friday and Saturday evening. Scheduled artists include Lenard Harper, Paul Jost, Brandon McCune with Wallace Roney Jr., and Ava Preston. Jazz in the Park, lineup including Dave Stryker, Mary Scott Alfonso Horn, the United Visions Band, United Visions and Rhythm Band, and Swingadelic. The Jazz Arts Summer Camp for Strong High School Players, set for July 20 through 24. One of them for elementary school students will be August 3 through 7, and then again August 10 through 14. For the details there, go to jazzartsproject.org. Not too early, by the way, to make start making plans for the 2027 Jazz Ednet, Jazz Education Network conference, January 6th through 9 in Louisville. It'll be their 18th annual gathering. Early mid registrations are now open through August 31st. Information, go to jazzednet.org. And another first of the year jazz event geared towards Jazz Radio TV touring and media, the 2027 Jazz Congress. We'll gather at Lincoln Center once again. That'll be the next week, January 13 and 14. Burybird registration will open soon. Not yet, but soon. Additional details for that when available at jazzcongress.org. That is a look at what's going on this week in the world of jazz. And so, now you know, right? Better informed jazz friendly award just a few minutes ago. Coming up in a moment, we'll have music of Plaza Johnson. And celebrating a number of significant birthdays this week when Janice and Round returns in a moment.
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SPEAKER_15Once you hear it, you'll never forget it. The sound of Plaza Johnson from one of his own albums in 2001, Keep That Groove Goin. His take on all favorites. Oh, there's just oh the drips with just soul. Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_03Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_15You know, that's like if you could play the Saxon or saxophone, that's what you would want to sound like if you could. Ooh, from 2001. With a great Gene Ludwig backing him up on Keep That Groove Goin. That is Plaz Johnson. And of course, this is Plaz Johnson at his most recognizable moment. At the session with Henry Mancini in the band. Oh, everybody's got this one memorized, right? You know this by heart. Go ahead, hum along. And Henry Mancini's pension for jazz. I mean, that just so jazzed up there. 60. Believe it or not, 63 years ago. He didn't laid that solo down. He said it was in two takes. I think it was two takes in the original session. And boy, that was a good one. What a legacy. What a legacy. Laz Johnson passed away a couple of weeks ago. Again, we said just a week shy. What a legacy. David J. We're here jazzing around with a year. Let's celebrate some birthdays, shall we? NEA Jazz Master, pianist Joanne Bracken. Her special identity album from 1982. Oh, with two strong ones, Eddie Gomez and Jack D. Janette backing her up. And her there with Eddie Gomez and Jack T Janet. Her own composition, the Egyptian Dune Dance. Saw her with an all-star band at Hines Hall back in, I guess it had to have been late 80s, early 90s. Talk about an all-star band with like Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, uh Tony Williams. I forget who else. Truly an all-star band with Joanne Brackin in it. And I think, and I'm if I'm not mistaken, she may have been the only woman to have ever played regularly with the Art Blakey Jazz Messengers in the piano chair in what I guess would have been early 70s? Early to mid-70s as well, too. Joanne Brackin, happy birthday to her uh today. Today. Also to uh guitarist Joel Harrison from his 2023 album, The Anthem of Unity. How about jazz it up some bobdilla? Joel Harrison style. Taking some Dylan music and jazzing it up there quite a bit. From the Anthem of Unity album, Joel Harrison's birthday, this coming Wednesday, right? Sixty nine, I believe. Right? Sixty nine this Wednesday. Oh, yeah, yeah, do that. And also celebrating the birthday of James Spaulding, master flutist and multi-saxophonist, from his Guts to be a better way album of 1988, with Monty Croft on Vibes with him. Original music of James Spaulding. I have you must be able to get a native of Indianapolis, one of the Indy, one of the Neptown guys. James Bowling. Played with a lot of particularly progressive folks over the years. Heard here doing some flute and piccolo work with his own music on the album Guts to be a better way. 89 this Thursday, Indianapolis born James Spolding. I think he's one of my hometown cats. I think he's from Youngstown, right? Monty Croft? You know how the m how the memory goes, right? Moving along to something brand brand new just got this in two days ago, Antonio Wodolfo's latest. Kind of a very biographical, autobiographical album form. It contains compositions of his, all compositions of his, or co-compositions of his, over the last 40 or 50 years for that matter. Let's listen to this one. It's called Claudia from the Bailo. Balayo album. Brand new from Brazilian on Tony Adolfo. Featuring guest artist Tom Rotella on guitar here. Antonio Adolfo. From his Malayos album. Brand, brand, brand new. You can still smell it. Yeah, fresh. Very fresh. Yeah, that is called Claudia Antonio Adolfo. We'll be hearing a lot from that album, I'm sure, over the next uh several months. Surely, surely. Ulysses Owens Jr. and his Gen Y band still riding high on the Jazz Week chart, but he's got a brand new album out, just released, and it's got an interesting title. It's called Kind of, kind of, kind of grunge, interestingly enough. This is the even flow out. Ulysses Owens and his Wen Y Band. Brand new. Even Flow. From his new kind of grunge album, just released and hasn't hit the chart yet, but I'm sure we'll be hearing more of that as the days go by. Here's one that did hit the charts for a little while, Melissa Aldana. And her latest album, Very Expressive Saxophone and Compositions. The album Feeling. It's here something from Joel Harrison mentioned his birthday this week. He oversaw the uh honoring Pat Martino Volume One with the all-star set of guitarists doing Pat Martino compositions. Well, here, volume two is out now. Here, one of them, one of them, Howard Paul, doing his Pat Martino offering. Martino's tune, The Lean Years. From his honoring Pat Martino selection, doing Martino's tune, the Lean Years. From the volume two of Honoring Pat Martino's uh collection, should call it a collection. It really is a collection of guitarists and a collection of Martino compositions done so well, as you can tell. This is Rich Willie from his Laid Back Volume One album. Original music of his called That's My Little Girl. That is Trumpeter Rich Willie, W I L L E Y. Peace go, that's my little girl from Laid Back Volume One, the album that is his latest edition there. This is Agnes Lakatos and her duo with the album called Voice and Bass, just Voice and Bass. Self-explanatory title, right? With Theo Kushash Berna on the bass, her regular bassist. I believe she is from is it Poland? I think at least Poland or Hungary, something like that, from Eastern Europe. Uh who was touring in Chicago not long ago. This a really inventive interpretation of Benny Golson's whisper knot.
SPEAKER_04Sing the loo, single Sweet words in my key. Not a whisper of despair, but loves on praise. Sing on until you bring back the shrill of a sentiment to choose that I too soon. I have those lost, but you forgave. I forgot whisper night of as fast, you know. We had a lesson now, would we? Anki constantly impressive, right?
SPEAKER_15Eastern European vocalist Agnes Lakatos and her duo read completely redoing revamping band. Whisper not from her voice and bass album of just last year. Let's got time for one more. Let's do one more before we take a quick step aside for some jazz on the live side, shall we? From the old is new again, never before released, live, Thelonious Monk, from 1967, live in Paris. So today, so now, so expressive. Colonius Monk, never before released uh until now, from Live in Paris. A little trio with Larry Gales and Ben Riley doing his Ruby, my dear. This is David J. You and I jazzing around here in uh well twice actually closing down July, right? It's darn near the end of July already. Amazing how quickly this year is going by. Moving along to find out some uh live jazz in the Tri-State area over these next coming weeks. Looking forward to August with a reservoir of jazz series at Highland Park in the city of Pittsburgh, under the trees in the breeze of Highland Park, near the zoo and the reservoirs. Each Sunday during August, it's just really popping and swinging. It's the Steel City Calypso band on the first Sunday in August, August 2, coming up on August 9. It's the Lee Robinson and Iska band on August the 16th, right? That's the next one, August 16th. Kenny Powell and Vi Dorsey. And then on the final Sunday, oh two final, two Sundays, right? On the 23rd, it's the Mode Indigo, Mode Indigo Band. And then on the 30th, the very, very last day in August there, it's the Tim Stevens Project. Each of the shows 5 to 7 Sunday afternoon, free and open to the public. Bring your blankets, chairs, picnic baskets, and just chill and enjoy the jam. Also, Roger Humphreys and special guests combining to celebrate Bill Strickland, the founder of the fabled Manchester Craftsman's Guild. This will be at the City Winery in the Strip District on Saturday, August the 8th, starting at 12 noon. On Sunday, the 9th, later Sunday evening, it's Big Bad Voodoo Daddy in the band at Hartwood Acres. 7:30, free and open to the public there. Friday the 14th of August at South Park Fairgrounds, women in Jazz featuring Camille Thierman, Darrell Green's quartet, Sue Terry in the Jazz de Barrow, and Deanna Witkowski's trio. Starting at uh 3 p.m., free get open to the public there as well. No matter where you are or gonna be, though, any by time you find out there's jazz going on live, by all means, my friend, let everybody you know about it. Spread the word. Share the news, right? And of course, try to encourage them to go there and attend it, and even attend yourself if you can, for goodness sake. And if you're able, why not even help support and sponsor them too? Supporting living live jazz musicians? Not only the best way of keeping jazz alive and vital, but maybe really the only way. Let's get together and do that. Got more exciting new music for you and a few more birthdays yet, also to celebrate when Jazz and Rum returns in a moment or so.
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SPEAKER_15That is called Voodoo Village. Voodoo Village, Chris Hazleton. Moving along to Karen and Norbert Stabile. They call themselves Le Cats. L-E-H Le Cats from the new album. Live at the breakdown. Or the break room. I'm sorry, the break room. Meshu Gaza, the name of the tune, Meshu Gaza. Karen and Norbert Stabile, collectively known as Les Cats, the Le Cats Meshu Gaza from Live at the Break Room, their new album together there. Here's the big band of IL, E Y A L, Ile Wilner, from his album, The Big Apple Stall. From the sounds of the pretty hot. From the hot Big Bam era. Oh man, the Isle Wilner Big Band. Wow, that's good stuff there. That is Battle Royale from the Big Apple Stomp album, new from them. Let's do one more before we uh go back to some birthdays and celebrate, shall we? This is from vibist Mark Sherman. Doing the Cedar Walton composition Martha's Prize. From Mark Sherman's newest album, Bop Contest. From his Bop Contest album. Pretty pretty good swinging there. It's pretty good swinging. Talking about some of the old, really, really hot bands, uh jamming on the dance floor in the 30s and 40s. This is celebrating the birthday of the late Don Redmond. Uh born on what would have been Wednesday 1900 from Piedmont, West Virginia, believe it or not. Don Redmond, the great uncle? Right? I think it's the great uncle of Joshua Redmond, if I'm not mistaken. And uncle of Dewey Redmond, if I'm not mistaken as well. Anyway, and and he really doesn't get nearly as much credit as he probably should for being one of the very first of the jazz world jazz-based arrangers for the hot bands at the time of the 1920s and early 30s. This is his own band from 1931, doing their, I guess you might say, somewhat controversial, chant of the weed. Don Redman himself on Alto Sacks and leading the band as well. Yeah, quite the arrangement and the performance of Don Redman in the orchestra, the chant of the weed. Red Allen, by the way, on trumpet in there, and Fred Robinson on Trombone in that band from 1931. Don Redman. Again, one of the under-recognized early pioneers of big band jazz arrangers and band leaders, for that matter. 1900. 1900. Uh the Wednesday of this week from West Virginia. Beautiful West Virginia. Moving along to one of the jazz masters, the late elegant Bop panist Hey Joe. From his nineteen seventy-seven Bop Read You album. Charlie Barker music here. O pianists, not only as a soloist and a band leader, with his great jazz trios, numerous, three or at least three or four of them, but also one of the finest vocal accompanists. The late Hank Jones, an NEA jazz master on his own, and the senior member of the Jones Brothers from Pontiac, Michigan. Hank Jones the Eldest, Thad Jones and Elvin Jones, his younger brothers, of course, as well, too. From the 1977 Bop Review album, George de Vivier. And Ben Riley backing him up on Blue Guido, Charlie Parker music. Yeah, he was a he was a boper, man. He could really swing and play the complex line, but he could also be an elegant accompanist for vocalists as well. And speaking of vocalists, let's celebrate the vocal vocalist Karin Allison, a five-time Grammy nominee with her work from her 2023 album.
SPEAKER_06Tudo mudar de vez. Onde foi que errei? Eu só sei que amei. Que amei, que amei, que amei. Será talvez? Que minha ilusão foi dar meu coração. Com toda a força, pra essa moça me fazer feliz. Eu disse que não quis. Me ver como raiz de uma flor de lixo. E foi assim que eu vi no sua mão. Poeira, poeira. Mortando a beleza fria de Maria. Tu me já tinha da vida. É seco, monhel. Tu pec brotou Maria, nem magarita nasceu. É seco, mo hell. Tu pec brotou Maria. Nem magarita nasceu.
SPEAKER_15Oh man, that is just so well done. Very convincingly sung in Portuguese, for that matter, from five-time Grammy nominee Karin Allison from her 2023 album, A Kiss for Brazil, A Little Florida Lee. Carin Allison, happy birthday, by the way, to her this week. And also moving along to celebrate the birthday of bassist Jim Hughart, who's heard here, backing up Natalie Cole. Jim Hughart's dad was a respected bassist with the Minnesota Symphony Orchestra.
SPEAKER_16Travel my way, take the highway that's the best. Get your kicks en Route 66. It winds from Chicago to LA. More than two thousand miles all the way. Now you go through St. Louis and Jacobin, Missouri, and Oklahoma City looks mighty pretty.
SPEAKER_15That nut could fall far from the tree there, certainly, as well. Not only behind Natalie Cole, but behind Peggy Lee, behind Joni Mitchell, behind Frank Sinatra, behind Joe Pass, behind hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of sessions, by the way. For Jim Hoghart. His birthday would have been uh this coming Tuesday. By the way, this coming Tuesday. Jim Hoghart would have been 90. Would have been 90 this coming Tuesday. And let's wrap up this uh first hour here with one more the very recognizable sound of the alto sacks of David Sanborn from his very first solo album, Taking Off. Wrapping up our number one. Oh the great David Sanborn, what a player. This, believe it or not, from 1975. Believe it or not, 50, 50 years ago, and still. So frustrating, so exciting. Yeah. Our number two with Jazz and Rod is just around the corner, so do stay with us. Take another walk past the new fade table, and please help yourself, of course.