Greetings! Every Friday I’ll be bringing you some highlights of new music we are featuring here on Jazz88. This is all connected to This Just In, our weekly show that celebrates new jazz releases. You can catch This Just In, hosted by moi, on Fridays at Noon on 88.5 or catch it on your own schedule from our show page.
If you have input about the music we’re playing, or ideas about what else we should be playing, let me know please! I can be reached at sean@jazz88.fm.
Tim Sparks – “Lost and Found” from his album Lost and Found Listen Here
Tim Sparks is a guitar institution in the Twin Cities and for good reason. He is the rarest of rare: a tasteful virtuoso. On his latest outing he teamed up with Ben Abrahamson and Tim Olsen and turned a beautiful collections of covers and originals. We enjoy their understated cover of “Take Five” but the stand-out track is the title track “Lost and Found”. Learn more about Sparks in his interview with Minnesota Jazz Tracks Sam Keenan right here.
Dave Stryker – “Overlap feat. Bob Mintzer” from his album Groove Street Listen Here
Dave Stryker is an institution in the world of modern jazz. He’s a smooth operator bringing great sounds out of his guitar and on his latest effort he teamed up with a kindred spirit. Bob Mintzer, best known as a long tenured member of the Yellowjackets, fits in perfectly with Stryker’s top notch trio. This group isn’t stretching the boundaries, but they are sure delivering the goods.
Daniel Villareal– “Sunset Cliffs” from his album Lados B Listen Here
A great groove with great players that slowly unfurls to show more and more of its DNA is a favorite part of the musical world for me. Guitarist Jeff Parker has had the midas touch on everything he’s been up to since the mid-90s and though I wasn’t familiar with Anna Butters on the bass, their groove is an amazing compliment to Villareal behind the kit and Parker on the guitar. As I listen to this I frequently wonder how composed it was, and how much it is the type of improvisation that feels like it could’ve been labored over when it was actually just a moment of inspiration captured between three great players. Either way, it’s a treat to listen to it.
Nicholas Payton – “Gold Dust Black Magic” from his album Drip Listen Here
Nicholas Payton hopped in the studio in Atlanta and churned out reimagined renditions of a couple of his favorite originals from his songbook. I wasn’t familiar with the earlier version of Gold Dust Black Magic that featured Karriem Riggins and Ron Carter but I must say I’m more partial to the Atlanta polish on this newer version. Turn this one on and enjoy the vibe. It always puts me in a lighter and more confident mood.
Thanks for checking out This Just In, and be sure to shoot an email over to sean@jazz88.fm if you have any input about our music programming!
-Sean McPherson
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