Show #57: Tom's Latest Picks

This week, I wanted to share some recent music that I’ve been listening to a lot. I didn’t try to be too eclectic, just play stuff I love.

We start with a quartet of great new jazz albums: Eric Alexander, an amazing tenor player, then a forceful pianist who grew up in Israel and now based in NYC, Alon Nechushtan. Next, a lovely piece by exquisite drummer Billy Hart, and wrapping it up with a 12-bar blues by sax tenor JD Allen.

We then talk about an interesting story: how the great John Coltrane was inspired to write and record his classic “Impressions”by American composer Morton Gould’s piece “Pavane” from his American Suite.

Then we feature a trio of Brazilian songs from new albums by various bossa nova artists: a song from the 1959 film by Marcel Camus Black Orpheus,music from veteran Ivan Lins, and Benjamim Taubkin’s Brazilian-Moroccan fusion album.

We wrap it up with the late Maya Angelou’s 1957 calypso recording for Liberty as reissued by Scamp, and Branford Marsalis aka Buckshot LeFonque’s brilliant song named after Maya’s autobiography and featuring Fela Kuti.

It’s a mixed bag. I love all this music and hope you do too!

Rhythm Planet Playlist: 5/30/14

1. Eric Alexander / Save Your Love For Me / Chicago Fire / High Note

2. Alon Nechushtan / Pomegranades /Venture Bound / Enja

3. Billy Hart / Teule’s Redemption / One Is The Other / ECM

4. JD Allen / Car-Car (The Blues) / Bloom / Savant

5. Morton Gould / Pavane / American Salute / EMI

6. John Coltrane / Impressions / The Impulse Story / Impulse

7. Elizete Cardoso / Manha De Carnaval / Brazil! The Birth Of Bossa Nova / Chant Du Monde

8. Ivan Lins / Estrela Guia (Guiding Star) / Cornucopia / Sunnyside

9. Benjamin Taubkin / O Deserto E Aqui / Al Qantara & The Bridge / Adventure Music

10. Maya Angelou / Run Joe / Miss Calypso / Scamp

11. Buckshot LeFonque / I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings / Buckshot LeFonque / Sony