Cool jazz and more coming up tonight: some early Stan Getz; Bobby Jaspar, Louis Armstrong with Oscar Peterson. Cool vocals by Ella, and new jazz sensation Bria Skonberg. Johnny Hodges, Sonny Criss, and The Jim Galloway Quartet round out the program.
Replays Saturdays 9 - 10 pm!
Rita Hosking is one of Davis' most prominent local artists, with a successful folk/country career spanning a decade, her first album debuting in 2005, and her latest, Frankie and the No-Go Road, in 2015. Rita's style echoes old-fashioned Appalacian music, and it is evident on Frankie that she wishes not to vary her style too much but instead embrace it completely. Rita sings with passion and power--her lyrics are both timeless and relevant--and it is those deep, thought-provoking vocals that make this concept album shine, especially on tracks "Power Moving In" and the haunting "Our Land." The most prominent instrument on Frankie is Rita's guitar, which strums along melodically and continuously, bringing cohesiveness and consistency to the album. All in all, Frankie and the No-Go Road is another solid addition to Hosking's catalog and a worthwile listen--for Rita's fans and for anyone who enjoys bluegrass, folk, or country music and excellent songwriting.
STEPHEN MICHAEL POCUS - Musician: keyboard. Do not listen to this episode of LISTENING LYRICS while drinking Red Bull or coffee. Stephen will bring all the energy we need. He has been playing piano since the age of 10, but has been surrounded by music his entire life. He began playing by ear, writing songs and leaning from his parents and siblings. By the time he was 14 he was playing at local Winery’s and Brewing companies doing private parties and events as a solo artist. He also was playing in his high school jazz band and his own side project metal bands with friends. During that time, he was also involved in the San Jose Jazz Society programs going to jazz camps during the summertime and participating in their Advanced Youth Latin Jazz Ensemble and Advanced Youth Jazz Ensemble groups throughout the school year. After graduating high school at 16, he began playing in the college level jazz bands at West Valley Junior College and was working steadily as a work for hire pianist.
Longtime Davis broadcaster Bill Wagman interviews Bay Area quintet Front Country at 3 pm on Friday, October 23rd, live on KDRT. Drawing on a foundation of bluegrass, Front Country's sound incorporates challenging arrangements, unique covers, and original songwriting. Band influences include Bill Monroe, Paul Simon, Prince, King Crimson(!), and the Seldom Scene. Front Country is lead singer Melody Walker, mandolinist Adam Roszkiewicz, guitarist Jacob Groopman, violinist Leif Karlstrom, and bassist Jeremy Darrow. Sake of the Song, their debut album, was released in 2014.
Front Country appears Friday, October 23rd, at the Palms Playhouse in Winters at 8:00 p.m. Visit Front Country on the web: frontcountryband.com
Jazz standards by great artists tonight! Carmen McRae, Stan Getz, Charlie Shavers, Bobby Jaspar, Duke Ellington, Earl Hines, Chico Hamilton, Ella Fitzgerald, Grant Green, Butch Thompson, Harold Mabern, Cassandra Wilson, and Benny Colson.
Rita's fifth offering in her accomplished folk/country career is a subdued, laidback affair, but the musical style allows for Rita's impressive songwriting and musicianship to take center stage. The lyrics on Little Boat are personal, introspective, and even haunting at times, and Rita's excellent vocals are the focus of the album. The musicianship is rock-solid as well, as Rita utilizes a variety of different instruments on the album, including harmonica, banjos, and even an organ. That being said, Rita's excellent acoustic guitar is the centerpiece of the instrumentation on the album. All the tracks on the album are pretty solid, but the standouts are "Sierra Bound" and "Five Star Location," a song about the loss of American jobs to China. All in all, Little Boat is a solid addition in Hosking's catalogue, and it's a definite recommend for fans of Hosking or anyone who wants to hear a thoughtful, laidback folk album.
Gary Clark Jr.'s versatility is both blessing and curse. The Austin ace's 2012 breakthrough album, Blak and Blu, shuffle-mixed through blues roots; raw, Hendrix-channeling solos; glossy, modern R&B; and points between, but never quite figured out how to connect the dots. Three years later, his studio follow-up does — mainly by focusing on his unfuckwithable guitar. Clark carves out a Prince-ly room of his own with wah-wah-washed acid rock ("Grinder") and ping-ponging, Bootsy-tinted funk ("Star"). There's also the rap-cadence soul of "Hold On," with echoes of Marvin Gaye and Kanye West; the deep groove of "Wings," a slinky duet with Austin singer Tameca Jones; and "Church," a stripped-down folk meditation à la Taj Mahal that unpacks the drama behind one man's prayers. The playing never stumbles, though the writing occasionally does: Murder-ballad tradition and sexy falsetto notwithstanding, the woman-in-the-crosshairs image in "Cold Blooded" seems questionable in a nation toxic with domestic violence.
Dave Brubeck and friends tonight! Selections from 1959 to 2007 --
Ain't Misbehavin' (with Jimmy Rushing) * Lord, Lord (with Carmen McRae) * Three to Get Ready * Zen is When * Forty Days * I Get a Kick Out of You * La Bamba * Rotterdam Blues * You Go To My Head * There'll Be Not Tomorrow (with Jim Hall) * Take Five
Jagged Rocks is the third studio album by contemporary jazz group Throttle Elevator Music since the group first started recording music in 2012. Throttle Elevator Music comprises West Coast jazz musicians, including Matt Montgomery and emerging star Kamasi Washington, who has a solo career and was recently featured on Kendrick Lamar's smash hit To Pimp a Butterfly.
Jagged Rocks is 16 tracks of loud, up-tempo jazz. One might mistake it for an instrumental rock album if it weren't for Kamasi Washington's melodic tenor-sax solos on nearly every track. Also at the forefront of the production are the drums and the guitars, which wouldn't sound out of place on a garage-rock recording, as exemplified by tracks such as "Doesn't Matter Now," "Kalim," and "Breaking Dishes."
This thoroughly enjoyable album never gets boring and never loses energy--worth a look for all jazz fans, especially those wanting a strong influx of energy into their playlists.
