Draft Day

Sail Away- Chris DeMarco/Billy Joel
Funked Up- Joe Pitts
Lone me a Dime- Joe Pitts
Still this Goes on- Lefty Williams Band
Told me a Lie- Sean Costello
Lives of Clay- Robin Trower/Jack Bruce
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Don’t That Bring you Back-Diane Durrett (live)
I Will- Al & the Transamericans
Sandunga- the Motet (live)
Basement Bhangra Anthem-DJ Rekha and Sunil Sehgal
Soothi-Midival Punditz w/Ustad Sultan Khan
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I’m Not a Fool-Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars
Everyone Deserves Music- Michael Franti (live)
Hollow Display- Taj Weeks & Adowa
Johnny Cool Man- Toots & the Maytals
Sambala- Salome de Bahia
Rivers of Dub- Asian Dub Foundation
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A Poet’s Journey- N Side
Red Clay- Andrew Black & the Naturals
Walter’s Flat-Susie Arioli Band feat Jordan Officer
ain’t misbehavin-Jarrett/Peacock/DeJohnette (live)
Mystic Brew- Ronnie Foster
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the Lesson- Victor Wooten
Us 2- Victor Wooten/Keb Mo
Higher Ground- Marcus Miller
She Said- George Porter Jr.

Bonerama at the Overture

At first glance, you’d be surprised enough to look away and then back again….Yep, it really is four trombones front-lining a NOLA Brass Jazz Funk Rock outfit. It indeed that is a Tuba back there blowing baselines, and eventually will have a solo…yeah, a Tuba solo…Well, really a sousaphone solo. With their funky “git-tar” riffs and a mighty drumming, Bonerama was in town last night in the beautiful Capitol Theater at the Overture Center of the Arts and really blew the roof off the joint playing many of their own tunes, a medley of Meter tunes (tasty) and even a version of Crosstown Traffic that ranks up there with one of the best live performances of a song in my book. There was an unbelievable energy on the stage as we got to see one of the co-founders of the band, Mr. Mark Mullins play his trombone through some interestingly odd and rock-n-roll cool effects, I am telling you there is more to this band that just the brass facts. The crowd at the Overture obviously appreciated the energy, enthusiasm and I would imagine that there would be an invitation to bring back the NOLA sounds and then some to Madison in the future. So if you can, Bonerama..please do Bonerama.

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Check out my conversation with the other co-founder of the group, Mr. Craig Klein here.

SETLIST:
1. intro/music
2. Epistrophy
3. Gekko Love
4. Lost My House (But I Got My Rugulator)
5. Crosstown Traffic
6. Mr. Go
7. Meters Medley
8. Equale
9. Hard Times
10. The Ocean
11. Big Fine Woman
Encore:
12. Folly >
13. The Mouse

Blockhead:Uncle Tony’s Coloring Book

Being a key name on the independent hip hop scene, the downtown Manhattan beat maker known as Blockhead has had a big role in assisting some other MCs into “name-dom“, Aesop Rock, Cage, Slug, and Murs. He approached Ninja Tune with a heavy demo which turned into his debut album, “Music by Cavelight” which was followed up by “Downtown Science“, a second album on Ninja Tune. He is deep in the production scene and most notably the Aesop Rock album None Shall Pass on the Def Jux label. And to keep it all rolling, Blockhead has this fantastic soundwave force of a new album, Uncle Tony’s Coloring Book, a self-released project and oh my, there’s a tour. The album is an ocean carrying this soundwave into fun instrumentals with tough beats, like the waters crashing onto the rocky shore. There are catchy grooves that you don’t want to shake off of yourself…so don’t!

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Mambo Pioneer “Cachao” Lopez

Cuban bassist & composer Israel “Cachao” Lopez, who is credited with pioneering the mambo style of music, died Saturday. He was 89. Known simply as Cachao, the Grammy-winning musician left communist Cuba and came to the United States in the early 1960s. He continued to perform into his late 80s, including a performance after the death of trombonist Generoso Jimenez in September 2007. Cachao was born in Havana in 1918 to a family of musicians. A classically trained bassist, he began performing with the Havana symphony orchestra as a teenager, working under the baton of visiting guest conductors, such as Herbert von Karajan, Igor Stravinsky and Heitor Villa-Lobos, during his nearly 30-year career with the orchestra. He also wrote hundreds of songs in Cuba for bands & orchestras, many based on the classic Cuban music style known as son. He and his late brother, multi-instrumentalist Orestes Lopez, created the mambo in the late 1930s. The mambo emerged from their improvisational work with the danzon, an elegant musical style that lends itself to slow dancing. The mambo was embraced early on and Cuban composers & jazz musicians have tweaked it over the years. It also influenced the development of salsa music. In the 1950s, Cachao and his friends began popularizing the descarga (“discharge” in Spanish), a raucous jam session incorporating elements of jazz & Afro-Cuban musical approaches. Cachao left Cuba in 1962, relocating first to Spain and soon afterward to New York, where he was hired to perform at the Palladium nightclub with the leading Latin bands. In the United States, he collaborated with such Latin music stars as Tito Puente, Tito Rodrigues, Machito, Chico O’Farrill, Eddie Palmieri and Gloria Estefan. In 2006, Cachao was honored at two Jazz at Lincoln Center concerts with the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra paying tribute to the Latin bass tradition. Cachao also led a mambo all-star band at a JVC Jazz Festival program at Carnegie Hall that year.

East errr West…Right here!

Time after time- Jake Shimabukuro
Barkley’s Bug- David Grisman Quintet
Marley’s Ghost- Andrew York (live)
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Beans for Breakfast- BLKTOP Project
Miami Blues- Akashic Record
Big Whopper-Benevento/Russo Duo (live)
Into You- Eymarel
Corner Store- Robert Walter
Sunday off Broadway- Radam Schwartz
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Children’s Song- Chick Corea/Gary Burton
What Game Shall we Play Today-Gary Burton/Chick Corea
Flugufrelsarinn- Kronos Quartet
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Dog Trot- Moondog
Present for the Prez- Moondog
Sly- Herbie Hancock
The Machine- Garage a Trois
Anna- Remember SHAKTI (McLaughlin/Hussain..)
Serpent’s Tooth- Fusion for Miles feat Pat Martino
Bass on the Line- Bernie Worrell
Dunkin’ in the Deep- Stanton Moore
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Nothing Less than You- Stan Harrison
Bayou Betty- Bonerama (live)
*Conversation w/Bonerama’s Craig Klein*
Helter Skelter- Bonerama (live)
You’ve got a Friend in me- Bonerama
Spiral- John Coltrane
Nardis- Russell Gunn
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Tutu- Miles Davis (live)
Children of the Night- Wayne Shorter
Killing me Softly- Marcus Miller/Lalah Hathaway (live)
**Conversation with Marcus Miller**
Milky Way- Marcus Miller w/Keb Mo
‘Cause I want you- Marcus Miller w/Shihan the Poet
Tropical Storm- Victor Wooten/Steve Bailey
Kuru/Speak Like a Child- Jaco Pastorius
Inside Straight- Cannon ReLoaded
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Cut and Paste- Ron Carter
Isfahan- Rick McLaughlin Trio
Chalky’s Back with a Knife- Suite Crude

Bonerama’s Craig Klein

Just when you think it can’t get any funkier around here….Bonerama (pronounced Bone-a-Rama) will bring it home at the Overture Center for the Arts on Friday March 28th. I had the pleasure of talking with Co-founder of the group, Craig Klein about what to expect from a live show, the new album as well as a few other interesting pieces of Bonerama info. When they struts on-stage with their four-trombone frontline…it’s not quite like any rock ‘n’ roll band you’ve seen. When they tear into some vintage New Orleans funk, there’s no questioning from which city these guys hail. And when those ’bones start ripping into Hendrix and Led Zeppelin licks, all stylistic bets are off. Even in a city that doesn’t play by the rules, New Orleans’ Bonerama is something different. They’re not a traditional brass band, but they’ve got brass to spare-even with no trumpets or saxes in sight. They can evoke vintage funk, classic rock and free improvisation in the same set; maybe even the same song…just the reason I will be having myself a Bonerama of a Friday night.

Check out my conversation with Craig here.

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thanks to Amy & Abi & Craig for their time.

Cee Know the Doodlebug

Check out my on air conversation with Cee Know the Doodlebug of Digable Planets name and fame. We have been working on setting something up for a bit and now was the present, no time like it. We discuss a few upcoming and recent projects, things I have been spinning for sometime now as well as what’s in the works possibly with Digable. Also, check in on what Doodlebug thinks about Sun Ra.

Listen to MisterG and Doodlebug’s conversation here.

Hit up the Cosmic Funk All Stars here.

Check out Deviants of Reality here.

Check out DJ Alex here.

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Spring Break Express

Taking advantage of some open times on air is always a perfect thing to do while on vacation. Once again, I am excited to spin some things I might not otherwise get a chance to make room for and I enjoyed making neighborhoods out of todays sounds. Had the cool honor of rapping a quick chat with Cee Know the Doodlebug, of Digable Planet fame, to discuss new projects, Allen Iverson and Sun Ra.

Mississippi Orgy- Lefty Williams Band
Rolling with the Blues- Joe Pitts
Smoke & Mirrors- Elliott Sharp’s Terraplane
So Much Love- Scrapomatic
Why you Wanna Bring me Down- Honeytribe
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Love Worth Having- Andrew Black & the Naturals
Don’t that Bring you Back- Diane Durrett
Son of a Preacherman- Soul Summit (live)
Back in the Dayz- Big Brother Soul (live)
Stank- Sol Creech Band
Keep on Looking- Sharon Jones & the Dapkings
Funky Miracle- the New Mastersounds (live)
Ain’t That a Kick in the Head-Rev. Organdrum
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When the Levee Breaks- Stanton Moore
El Garbanzo-Herb Alpert’s Tijuana Brass w/MMW
Blue Eyed Peas- Karl Denson w/Pee Wee Ellis
Gonna be a Wheel Someday-Herbie Hancock/George Porter Jr/Zigaboo Modeliste/Renard Poche
Missing my Baby- G Love
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Along Came Mr Nobody- Ursula 1000
Brazilectro- Zuco 103
Rebirth- Midival Punditz w/Anoushka Shankar
I love Baby Cheesy- Banco de Gaia
Neftakhir prt 1- Maghrebika w/ Bill Laswell
5- Beans w/William Parker & Hamid Drake
Wind Farm Harvest- Suphala w/Vernon Reid
Romane Planetaire- Dj Spooky that Subliminal Kid
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Mas- Kinky (live)
the Headphonist- Kinky (live)
Revolution- Sirsy
Soul Sucker- Sirsy
Happiness- AKACOD
Oh Yeah- Shadows of Knight
Hades Lady- Pop Levi
Rhythm and Booze- Treat her Right
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Whole Lotta Love- Dread Zeppelin
Love is the Answer for World Peace-Lipbone Redding
What is Hip- Marcus Miller
Rapid Decent- V. Wooten/S. Bailey/B. Sheehan
Sultan Song- Rob Wasserman/Usted Sultan Khan
Juju in those Strings- Eccodek
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Ain’t no Sunshine- Styke (G Corp remix)
Ride- Supreme Beings of Leisure
One- Tao of Groove w/Leslie King
the Source- Desdamona
Classic “ish”- Deviants of Reality
Change da Game (remix)- Deviants of Reality
I Never- Deviants of Reality
Spreadin Rhythm Around- Billie Holiday/LadyBUG Mecca/Lady Day

On Air Live Conversation w/ Doodlebug of Digable Planets

Space is Da place- Cosmic Funk All Stars
Lovelife- the Mighty Underdogs feat. LadyBUG Mecca
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Sabrosa- the Beastie Boys
Zip a dee doo dah-Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk

(note, the shows not listed as greenarrowradio when listening in as its a fill in)
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Something to get Jazzed up over

-Got to do another fill-in show on WORT…There are some tracks during this set list that I am thankful to have had the opportunity to play on air, I hope it looks as appealing as I think it sounded. There was a very happy winner of the new Marcus Miller cd, MARCUS and I hope the others who called in and made all those little red lights shine but didn’t win this time, go out and get themsleves a copy, it’ll be worth it.

Fat Chance on a Friday Afternoon-Edgar Gabriel’s String Fusion
Art Blakey- Charlie Watt/Jim Keltner Project
Don’t Look Back- Steve Reid Ensemble
Saturn- Nels Cline & Gregg Bendian
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We all Wanna Boogie- Merl Saunders & his Funky Friends
You got it all- the New Mastersounds
I got a Woman- Rev. Organdrum
CC Rider- Ron Levy’s Wild Kingdom
Funky Good Time- the Melvin Sparks band
Action Jackson- Liquid Soul
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Bayou Betty- Bonerama
No War for Oil- Sam Kininger
You’ve got a Friend in Me- Bonerama
Shotgun- Soul Summit (live)
Little Bobby- the Microscopic Septet
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Panther- Marcus Miller
***Conversation with Marcus Miller***
Blast!- Marcus Miller
Ooh- Marcus Miller w/Lalah Hathaway
Mercy Mercy Mercy- Cannon Re-Loaded
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Tutu- Miles Davis (live 7/20/90 Switzerland)
Spain Theme-Chick Corea w/London Phil. Orch.
Rooster Blues- Rob Fried w/Randy Brecker
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Is this America?- Methany/McBride/Sanchez
So What- Jerry Garcia/David Grisman
Walkdance- L.A. Guitar Quartet
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Nairobe Express- Vital Tech Tones
Soul Circus- Victor Wooten
Actual Smiles- Club d’Elf (live 4/20/00 NYC)
Glad to be Unhappy-Billie Holiday/DJ LOGIC remix

Until the fire alarm went off

I got in an extra hour, well almost..with about 6 minutes to go, the fire alarm rang out…too hot in the greenarrowradio studio….

Psychedelic Sex Machine-N. Miss. All Stars (live)
I’m Getting Over it- Papa Mali
Just Leave- Lisa Bourne
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Down Home Livin’- Corey Harris/Henry Butler
Check Mr. Popeye- Eddie Bo
Shake What Your Mama Gave you- Corey Harris/Henry Butler
Something You Got- Darell Crawford
Hey Baby- Bo Diddley
Big Chief- Neville Brothers
Cold Snap- Soul Summit (live)
Shoes- George Soule
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I’m Tore Down- John Hammond/G. Love
Big Jake- Roy Rogers/Norton Buffalo
Memphis in the Meantime- Gregg Allman
Stranger in my Own Home Town- Elvis Presley
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Food & Creative Love- Rusted Root
Lapdance- the John Popper Project feat. DJ Logic
Watermelon Man- Herbie Hancock
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Duffin’ Round- the New Mastersounds
Groovin’ Witchu- Ron Levy’s Wild Kingdom w/Melvin Sparks
Good Friends Good Music- Skeebo Knight
Blast!- Marcus Miller
BBBeat- Balkan Beat Box
La Cumparsita- Tango #9
Canto del Delfin- Juan Carlos-Formell
Sonido Amazonico- Los Mirios
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Non Fiction Burning-Pm Dawn/Flora Purim/Airto
Pedestal- Portishead
the Light- Supreme Beings of Leisure
Never the Same- Supreme Beings of Leisure (in KCRW studio)
Mambo Burger- Jack “Bongo” Burger
James Brown Medley- Soul Summit (live)
Honky Tonk Side A & B- Rev. Organdrum
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White Fang- Bill Frisell
The Red one-P. Mathany/C. McBride/A. Sanchez
the Mystery- Tommy Emmanuel
Katrina Blues…- Elliott Sharp’s Terraplane
Ascension- the Macpodz
Von- the Attic
You all Over me- Club d’Elf (live @Tonic ’04)

Talkin’ bout “Marcus”

It is an honor for me to be able to bring to you a conversation with Mr. Marcus Miller, as he just released a special album entitled “Marcus“. Winner of the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album of 2001, spent a few years as a top call New York studio musician, working with Aretha Franklin, Roberta Flack, Grover Washington Jr., Bob James and David Sanborn, among others. He has appeared as a bassist on over 400 records including recordings by artists as diverse as Joe Sample, McCoy Tyner, Mariah Carey, Bill Withers, Elton John, Bryan Ferry, Frank Sinatra, and LL Cool J. In 1981, he joined his boyhood idol Miles Davis and spent two years on the road with the fabled jazzman, in 1986, he collaborated again with Miles Davis, producing the landmark Tutu album, the first of three Davis albums he would produce. He has also produced Al Jarreau, the Crusaders, Wayne Shorter, Take 6, Chaka Khan, and Kenny Garrett among others, and Luther Vandross. The list of credits goes on for miles (couldn’t resist), but the man behind the music is as bona-fide as the music itself. Please take a moment a listen to us discuss the new album, some moments with Mr. Miles Davis as well as some information on a rare track I happened to find myself in possession of.

Check out my conversation with Mr. Marcus Miller here.

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Benevento/Russo duo High Nooners

What a way to kick off a hump day…some seriously innovative rockin’ took place at the High Noon Saloon. The Benevento/Russo duo showed off the ability to do so much with less. The creativity of this duo is visibly as obvious as feeling the intense sound bounce on and off of you. It is often, if you close your eyes…..that you forget it’s actually a drum and organ duo (of course with some mind-blending sampling intact)….especially when they begin brewing up their musical storm. From unscripted “improvisationals” and challenging interpretations of some classic tracks is born a set of music that left many in the High Noon Saloon memorized while dancing with their ears wide open. The unspoken communication, whether intentional or not between artists and audience, kept each note alive with the hopes for the next one to be born right there in front of us. ANDDDD, in case you’ve been asleep recently, the duo opened up for Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, an act that no longer needs any explanation, just go check them out!

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One Hour Loss

The time changed earlier this year, gee…now we have to mess with the time to try and catch up from our hidden agenda within the bush. Wait, music is why I got up at 0-dark-thirty today and music is what we did.

Weaving and Awaiting- Huong Thanh/Nguyen Le
Cha Cha- Balkan Beat Box
Belly Up- Brothers of Baladi
Desire- African Underground All Stars
Superwhirly- Guateque All Stars feat Shiva
Black Man Singing-DBR with dj spooky/Peter Gordon
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Little Bobby- the Microscopic Septet
the Simpsons- Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius
Takin’ Care of Business- Dread Zeppelin (for Navy Man)
Burning Love- Eric Sardinas & Big Motor
Revolution- Sirsy
You’ve got the Best in Town- Billy Cox/Buddy Miles
Rollin’ & Tumblin’- R.L. Burnside
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Spinning Wheel- Cameron Mizell
Higher Ground- Marcus Miller
Breezeword- the Poogie Bell band
Pluck (interlude)- Marcus Miller
Peppermint Leather- Freekbass
Bitches Brew- Christian McBride (live)
the Plain Truth- Karl Denson trio
Daddy’s Gonna tell you no lie-the Josh Roseman Unit
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Duke Ellington Superstar- Ken Clark Organ Trio
Convex & Concave- Robert Walter’s 20th Congress
Fallin’ off the Floor- Stanton Moore
Swamp Thing- Mike Clark/Paul Jackson
Legalize it- MSMW
Here is Love- Ralph Myers & the Jack Haren Band

the Optimist Stan Harrison

I had a chance to speak with Stan Harrison about his new album, the Optimist as well as where he has been able to draw his inspirations, and even a quick word about his work with They Might be Giants. Stan has performed with and/or appeared on albums by some of music’s most respected bands/singers (including David Bowie, Talking Heads, Radiohead, Duran Duran, Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble and many more…) But it’s with ‘The Optimist‘ that we get more of a sense of who Stan Harrison has become. I am glad to bring this conversation to some of you not familiar with the man and his music and invite you to kick back and enjoy.

Click to listen to my conversation w/Stan Here.

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My Burning Ears

so much new music so little time. I thought about a music share, just letting your eyes see what my ears are taking in and I certainly hope to get as much of these artists and these albums on the airwaves as soon as possible. From my sandbox to yours:

Huong Thanh & Nguyen Le- Fragile Beauty
Marcus Miller- Marcus
Four Finger Five
Putumayo presents Euro Groove
the Sparkiovoggel- sample platter
Phil Anastasia- the Outfit Movement Vol.1
Matana Roberts- the Chicago Project
Dengue Fever- Venus on Earth
Uri Caine- the Classical Variations
Ethiopiques= #23
Lee “Scratch” Perry- Chicken Scratch
Rob Fried- Wind Song
Sol Creech Band- Freedom
Brothers of the Baladi- Just do What’s Right
Elliott Sharps’s Terraplane- Forgery
In the Name of Love- Africa Celebrates U2
Eric Sardinas & Big Motor
Bob Brozman Orchestra- Lumiere
Chet Atkins & Les Paul- Chester & Lester
Quartet San Francisco- Whirled Chamber Music
Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad- Slow Down
RAQ- Live
Travis Sullivan’s Bjorkestra- Enjoy!
I’m not There- Original Soundtrack
Out to Lunch- Excuse me While I do the Boogaloo
Edgar Gabriel’s Stringfusion- Not Radio Material

Sincere Thanks

I want to thank those you pledged their support to listener sponsored community radio during WORT’s winter pledge drive, not only helping the show I covered reach and exceed it’s goal (yea) but to all of you who have made sure the importance of a global community voice that differs from the main-stream continues to grow. I also want to thank Alex, the host of All Around Jazz, for being an outstanding pledge rapper (word). Here is what we played between the chatter:

Love Supreme- John McLaughlin w/Carlos Santana
Game- Stanley Clarke
Pimpasauras Rex- Doug Johns
James Brown/Iron Man- Victor Wooten (live)
Teen Town- Jaco Pastorius
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Watermelon Man- Carla Cook
Squeeze Me- Debroah Cox
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Balls- Charlie Hunter Trio
Still Waiting- Greyboy All Stars w/Inara George
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Refuge- Andrew Hill
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Burning Down the House- Marcus Miller
Bayou Betty- Bonerama
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El Viento- Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra
Tootie Ma is a Big Fine Thing- MSMW
Jungle Wisdom- Dr. Lonnie Smith
Where Y’all at?- Wynton Marsalis
This Land is Your Land-Walter “wolfman” Washington & the Roadmasters

R I P Jeff Healy

Canadian rocker Jeff Healy, who played his guitar flat on his lap, has passed away. Healy, 41, died in a Toronto hospital of a rare cancer – retino blastoma – that he had fought since birth and which claimed his eyesight at the age of one. “Visually, Jeff was an intriguing player to watch, because he played guitar – by any conventional standard – all wrong, with it flat across his lap,” his publicist Richard Flohil told broadcaster CTV. “But he was a remarkable, a virtuoso player.” Don’t forget folks, he was also blind. The Jeff Healy Band’s 1988 Grammy-nominated album See the Light, which included the hit “Angel Eyes”, sold more than 1 million copies in the United States. He worked with blues legends BB King and Stevie Ray Vaughn, and recorded with George Harrison, Mark Knopfler and Jimmy Rogers. Also unfortunate, at the time of his death, he was about to release his first rock-blues album in eight years – Mess of Blues.

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Norman Jeff Healy March 25, 1966 – March 2, 2008