Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting Jazz Podcast

Billie Holiday

This week's episode is about the music of Billie Holiday, who has been on my mind on account of the upcoming production of Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill at the Garry Marshall Theater in Burbank. It runs from May 15 through June 2.  Discounted ($39) tickets can be found here using the promo code BILLIE

 Playlist here

Questions? Comments? Requests? Call the WNPM voicemail at (424) 704-1666, or email wnpmpod@gmail.com

Mal Waldron

This week's episode is about the music of Mal Waldron, who, among other things, did a stint as the house pianist for Prestige Records in the late 50's.  It features music from all throughout his five decade-spanning career.  

The opening tune comes from the soundtrack that Waldron composed for this film.

Playlist here. 

Questions? Comments? Requests? Leave a message at the WNPM voicemail box at (424) 704-1666 or email wnpmpod@gmail.com

 

Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting May 1 2019

This week's episode is not focused on any particular artist, but instead a collection of songs that didn't make it into other episodes, or songs I've come across that have struck me as worth sharing by artists that I'm not sure I could put a whole episode together about.  A wide variety of jazz is covered, from the astonishingly beautiful episode opener by the Rene Hall Orchestra to music by pod favorites like Charles Mingus, Eric Dolphy, Grachan Moncur III and more.  

Questions? Comments? Requests? Call the WNPM voicemail at (424) 704-1666, or email wnpmpod@gmail.com

ATTN to my Los Angeles area listeners, I've just been informed that the Garry Marshall Theater in Burbank will be producing the Tony Award-winning play Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill about the great Billie Holiday. It runs from May 15 through June 2.  Discounted tickets can be found here using the promo code BILLIE

Playlist for this episode can be found here

 

Wilbur Ware

This week's episode of WNPM is about the music of the incredible bassist Wilbur Ware.  Ware started his career in Chicago, and moved to New York City as part of Art Blakey's band.  In New York, Ware served as the house bassist for Riverside Records, where he recorded with Thelonious Monk and many others.  

 

Questions? Comments? Requests? Call the WNPM Voicemail Box at (424)704-1666 or email WNPMPod@gmail.com

(Sorry for the telephone-sounding voiceover this week, something odd going on with my mic, but will remedy ASAP)

Setlist here:

https://wednesdaynightprayermeeting.wordpress.com/2019/04/25/wilbur-ware/

Bill Evans

This week's WNPM is about pianist Bill Evans.  Evans is one of the most renowned pianists in the music.  He pioneered modal jazz in Miles Davis' Kind of Blue era group, and went on to form a trio that set the gold standard for piano trios to this day.  The episode starts with some of his early work as a sideman, but largely focuses on the work of the trio.  If you'd like to ask a question or make a comment or request, you can call the WNPM voicemail at (424) 704-1666 or email wnpmpod@gmail.com

 

Playlist here:

wednesdaynightprayermeeting.wordpress.com/2019/04/21/playlist-wnpm-bill-evans/

Mini Episode: Addendum to Peak Mingus

I've had a busy week, and have not yet finished the episode that I meant to put out this week, about the music of pianist Bill Evans.  While I was choosing music for the Evans episode, I came across this gem, a piece composed by Charles Mingus for an album called Modern Jazz Concert, put together by Gunther Schuller and George Russell, both true believers in the melding of jazz and classical music. I'll be back next week with an episode about Bill Evans, for now I hope you enjoy Charles Mingus' Revelations (First Movement) 

If you have questions, comments, or requests, please call the WNPM voicemail box at (424) 704-1666 or email wnpmpod@gmail.com

Paul Bley

This week's episode of WNPM is in the spirit of the Out There series that I used to do regularly, about the music of pianist Paul Bley.  From early in his career, Bley brought a revolutionary spirit to jazz music, seeking to free it from its chordal bases, and a lot of the music he made over the 60ish years that he was active reflects that goal.  The episode features music from his early work in piano trios, as a sideman, from his group at the Hillcrest Club in Los Angeles in the late 50's that introduced the world to the musical mind of Ornette Coleman, and more.  Enjoy!

 

Playlist:

wednesdaynightprayermeeting.wordpress.com/2019/04/21/paul-bley-playlist/

McCoy Tyner

This week's WNPM is about the music of McCoy Tyner, an incredible pianist who is best known for his playing in John Coltrane's classic quartet.  It features music from his early albums as a sideman for various groups, from his time in the Coltrane group, from his early albums as a leader, and more.  Enjoy!

 

Playlist:

wednesdaynightprayermeeting.wordpress.com/2019/04/21/mccoy-tyner-playlist/

Peak Mingus

This week's episode is another installment in my series on the music of Charles Mingus, this time exploring what I consider to be his creative peak, from the early to middle 60s, including tracks from his amazing Impulse Records albums, his collaboration with Duke Ellington, and more.  Enjoy!

Yusef Lateef

This week's episode is about multi-instrumentalist Yusef Lateef.  Lateef played tenor sax, flute, and oboe, and was one of jazz's earliest players to experiment with eastern music, and world music more generally.  Enjoy!