October 28, 2007 With a Song in Your Heart
After many weeks of a special focus on the music of Thelonius Monk, I decided to focus on a show of some of my favorite vocalists. As always, with a special focus on the music of NC jazz musicians and their music, I played from a wide range of CDs. I was so surprised to have Chris, Eli, Molly and Sadie come by with a baby pumpkin for me. It was great seeing them. And later in the show, Rene stopped by with the flyer from the Jason Moran concert.

Playlist

• Nina Simone (b. Tryon, NC); Anthology CD; I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to be Free
• Frankie Alexander (lives Durham, NC); Mad About the Words CD; Taking a Chance on Love
• Jamuna (lives Pittsboro, NC); The Innocence to Cry CD; Moscow Night
• Ray Charles & Diane Krall; Genius Love Company CD; You Don't Know Me
• Betty Carter; Feed the Fire CD; All or Nothing at All
• Cesaria Evora; Sao Vicente CD; Homem Na Meio Di Homen
• Eva Cassidy; The Other Side CD; Over the Rainbow
• Billie Holiday; Greatest Hits CD; I Loves You, Porgy
• Joao Gilberto & Grady Tate on drums (b. Durham, NC); Amoroso/Brasil CD; Besame Mucho
• Paulo Lopez & Friends (lives Chapel Hill, NC); Brazilian Soul CD; So Quero Um Xodo
• Adia Ledbettter (lives Durham, NC); First Take CD; You Don't Know What Love Is
• Norah Jones; Come Away With Me CD; The Nearness of You
• Carmen McRae; Lover Man CD; God Bless the Child
• Nat King Cole; The Best of the Nat King Cole Trio CD; It's Only a Paper Moon
• Marian McPartland & Dizzy Gillespie (high school in Laurinburg, NC); Piano Jazz CD; Round Midnight (song by Thelonius Monk, b. Rocky Mount, NC)
• Billie Holiday; The Classic Decade CD; Am I Blue
• Count Basie & Joe Williams; Every Day I Have the Blues
• Lambert, Hendricks & Ross; Everybody's Boppin CD; Summertime
• John Brown (lives in Chatham Co, NC); Terms of Art CD; Caravan
• Solomon Burke; Don't Give Up on Me CD; None of Us Are Free 7 Don't Give Up on Me
• Bradshaw Quartet (NC-based); How High the Moon
• Billy Taylor (b. Greenville, NC); Music Keeps Us Young CD; I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to be Free
  

I begin and end my show with Billy Taylor's song, I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to be Free.

My son, Will Okun, is blogging for the NY Times about issues related to the students he works with on the westside of Chicago. This week he told a poignant story about one of his students, Nicholas, who is a star student and lives in a homeless shelter for teens. Here is the link to this powerful story. Will is looking to find a way to help Nicholas out.

October 21, 2007 Ron Baxter is Back
Joining me in the WCOM studio were Ron Baxter, a Raleigh-based saxophone player, and Jack Hill, a Chapel Hill bass player. They brought their instruments with them and came ready to play. They have only played together a few times so it was exciting to see them work out and through the early part of a musical relationship. Ron heads up the Monday night jazz jam at Yancey's in Raleigh. The music starts with the house band at 8:00 and then others work into the mix starting at 9:00. They have attracted players from all over the eastern part of the state.

Ron grew up in the Raleigh area and recently returned. His father, Edward Baxter, is a oil painter, and will have an exhibition at the NC Museum of History as part of their Afro-American Cultural Celebration. This will take place on January 26th. Ron will join his father to play the saxophone as part of the day's celebration. Ron will play at 2:00 and will teach a Master Class at 3:30.

Ron is a great player and composer. He enthusiastically and critically listens to his work - both enjoying the moment but knowing how he would like to improve his sound. He will soon be going into the studio for the first time - so stay tuned.

Jack Hill is a jazz student at UNC-CH. The UNC Jazz Orchestra will play in Hill Hall on the UNC-CH campus on Nov. 30th and Dec. 1st. It's a great time to enjoy the talents of the jazz students on campus. I expect that Jack and Ron will be playing more together and I welcome them both back to the WCOM studio. My show features the sounds and music and stories of NC jazz musicians and the music they create. You can hear my show each Sunday night in the Carrboro/Chapel Hill area at 103.5 fm or from anywhere in the world on the internet by going to www.communityradio.coop. Please join me for some wonderful music and to meet the musicians behind the music.

Playlist

• Nina Simone (b. Tryon, NC); Anthology CD; I Wish I Knew How it Would Feel to be Free
• Jason Moran; Same Mother CD; Jump Up

Played Live in the Studio or Recorded Music by Ron Baxter

• Straight No Chaser
• Ron Baxter; Ron Baxter 4TeT- Live @ Java 101 CD; Niala (included in the group is Shinizette Tinnin, a promising young drummer from Burlington, NC)
  
• Footprints
• Stella
• Ron Baxter song - Kilo's Route - recorded live at a jazz festival in Lima Peru
• Softly As a Morning Sunrise
• 4Tet - Live CD; Gradually
• Nardis
• Rhythm-A-Ning

October 14, 2007 Andy Bey is Coming to DukeJohn Coltrane described Andy Bey as one of his favorite jazz singers. And Andy Bey is coming to Duke on Thursday, October 18th as part of the Following Monk music festival to honor what would have been the 90th birthday of Monk. It not only promises to be a great concert but right now there is a sizzling bargain on the price of the tickets - all are available at a 50% discount. And equally exciting, all students get in for $5, regardless of what kind of student you are. So we're hoping for a full house and I hope to see you there. Andy Bey will be doing his interpretation of the stellar album of Carmen McRae singing Thelonius Monk. So this will be Andy singing Carmen singing Thelonius's music.

For my show tonight I featured the music of Andy Bey and Thelonius Monk. It sure warmed up my interest and enthusiasm for the upcoming concert. I hope to see you there. Sam Stephenson with the Jazz Loft Project called into my show to talk about the upcoming Andy Bey concert and details on how the Following Monk extravaganza was pulled together - thank you Aaron Greenwald, and thank you Sam.

Playlist -

• Nina Simone (b. Tryon, NC); Anthology CD; I Wish I Knew How it Felt to be Free
• Andy Bey; Andy Bey American Song CD; Never Let Me Go
• Thelonius Monk (b. Rocky Mount, NC); Monk Plays Duke Ellington CD; Sophisticated Lady
• Andy Bey; American Song CD; Prelude to a Kiss
• Thelonius Monk; Monk Plays Duke Ellington CD; Mood Indigo
• Andy Bey; American Song CD; Angel Eyes
• Thelonius Monk; Monk Plays Duke Ellington CD; Caravan
• Andy Bey; American Song CD; Caravan
• Gene Harris; Gene Harris and the Three Sounds Live at the IT Club CD; On green Dolphin Street
• Jelly Roll Morton; Complete Library of Congress Recordings; King Porter Stomp
• Thelonius Monk & John Coltrane; the Riverside Recordings; Trinkle Tinkle
• Hampton Hawes; Hampton Hawes Trio CD; I Got Rhythm
• Coleman Hawkins; The Best of Coleman Hawkins CD; Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
• Andy Bey; American Song CD; It's Only a Paper Moon

I had a great visit to NYC to visit with my son, Joe, and Jenny. We heard the Kurt Rosenwinkel Quintet at the Village Vanguard. We saw the arts and ate diverse foods from vegan Korean to glutton-free pizza - NYC has it all. I stayed in the Village and had a great time strolling the streets and taking in the sounds and the sights of the City.

October 7th Celebrating the 90th Birthday of Thelonius Monk with Following MonkOct. 10th (10/10) marks what would have been the 90th birthday of music genius and son of North Carolina, Thelonius Monk. Aaron Greenwald, Producer of the Duke Performances, and in collaboration with Sam Stephenson of the Jazz Loft Project, (above photo from the Jazz Loft Project Collection) audaciously dreamed up a six-week extravaganza of 18 events to honor the creative giant, Monk. The series is called Following Monk and has brought incredible jazz talent to the Triangle area of NC.

Thelonius was born in Rocky Mount, NC. He is probably the greatest creative soul this state ever bore. His influence and music continue in a profound way many years after his death. For my show tonight, I played many of the songs of Thelonius Monk and music that was influenced by him.

Playlist -

• Nina Simone (b. Tryon, NC); Anthology CD; I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to be Free
• Thelonius Monk (b. Rocky Mt., NC); Thelonius Monk Plays Duke Ellington CD; It Don't Mean a Thing
• Professor Longhair; Rum & Coke CD; Gone So Long
• Thelonius Monk; Thelonius Monk Himself CD; April In Paris
• Brother Yusuf Salim (lives Durham, NC); Yusuf Plays Yusuf; A Hymn for Us All
• Thelonius Monk & John Coltrane (b. Hamlet, NC); Thelonius Monk with John Coltrane; Trinkle Tinkle
• Al Neese (lives Greensboro, NC); The Omen Seeker CD; The Tale of Two Lovers
• Thelonius Monk & John Coltrane; The Complete Riverside Recordings; Well You Needn't
• Elmer Gibson (lives Raleigh, NC); The Reach of Memory CD; In a Monkish Mood
• Thelonius Monk; Thelonius Monk Himself CD; 'Round Midnight
• Frankie Alexander (lives Durham, NC); Mad About the Words CD; I Loves you Porgy
• Thelonius Monk; Thelonius Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall CD; Blue Monk
• Charlie Haden & Hank Jones; Steal Away CD; Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child
• Gene Harris; Gene Harris and the Three Sounds Live at the IT Club CD; On Green Dolphin Street
• Elmer GIbson; The Reach of Memory CD; Changes
• Thelonius Monk and John Coltrane; Riverside Recordings CD; Nutty
• Billy Taylor (b. Greenville, NC); Music Keeps Us Young CD; I Wish I Knew How it Would Feel to be Free

My radio show can be heard in the Carrboro and Chapel Hill community area every Sunday night from 7:00 - 9:00 EST. From the studio of WCOM in downtown Carrboro, you can hear us on the dial at 103.5 fm. You can listen to my show off of the internet, by going to the WCOM website at www.communityradio.coop and click on the button in the upper right-hand corner for webstreaming. You can listen in while you work on your computer or while hanging around your home. WCOM is 100 Watts of Wonder and serves the community with volunteer power. You can call in during my show to talk or make a request by dialing 919 929-9601. I hope you'll join me.

September 9, 2007 Monk's 90th
This evening I join the celebration of what would have been the 90th birthday of Thelonius Monk. Duke Performences, through the fine work of Aaron Greenwald, is presenting a six-week festival of the genius of Monk. The Following Monk music festival brings to the Duke University campus many of the premiere jazz performers from around the world, with a special invitation to those who had direct ties to Monk. Thelonius Monk, who was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina on October 10, 1917, is arguably the state's greatest creative talent. His dominant influence continues to preside today.

I was pleased to have Aaron Greenwald in the studio with me to discuss both the Following Monk festival and the 18 perform- ances that will be spread over the six-week period from September 15th - October 28th. I brought several Monk CDs with me and Aaron did, too. So in between talking about the importance of the life and works of Thelonius Monk, I played his music. (Monk photo credit: Library and Archives Canada)

Monk Playlist

• Thelonius Monk Himself CD; April in Paris
• Thelonius Monk Quartet Misterioso CD; Nutty
• Thelonius Monk Plays Duke Ellington CD; It Don't Mean a Thing
• Thelonius Monk & John Coltrane - the Riverside Recordings CD; Crepuscula with Nellie
• Thelonius Monk Quartet Misterioso CD; 'Round Midnight
• Thelonius Monk Himself CD; Monk's Mood

I thank Aaron for coming in to the WCOM studio and sharing the stories of Monk and his clear love, appreciation, and respect for the genius that Monk was. My radio show can be heard each Sunday night from 7:00 - 9:00 EST. You can listen on the radio in the local area to this 100 Watts of Wonder station at 103.5 fm or from anywhere in the world by going to the worldwide web and from your computer go to www.communityradio.coop and you can hear the show off of your computer. You can call in comments or requests by dialing 919 929-9601.

For those of you interested in learning more about Thelonius Monk and the incredible music scene that surrounded him in NYC, be sure to check out the Loft Project by going to www.jazzloftproject.org.

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I was also joined this evening by the Knaack & Kramer family. The stars of the evening were Gabe Knaack (aged 8) and Zoe Knaack (aged 6). Their parents, Julie and William, brought along Julie's parents, Steve (Papa) and Mary (Nana). Unbelievably enough, Zoe not only wrote a song for the show but with great poise and confidence, sang it on the air. She gave it a great jazzy title of Give Me Five. Following the song, Gabe offered a poetry challenge to the audience - of what has five lines of which the first, second and fifth line rhythm and the second and third rhythm and are shorter. Heather Binnie from Carrboro called in the correct answer of - Limerick.

Playlist

• Nina Simone (b. Tryon, NC); Anthology CD; I Wish I Knew How it Would Fell to be Free
• Charlie Parker; Charlie Parker CD; Now's the Time
• Charlie Haden/Hank Jones; Steal Away CD; Steal Away
• Mary Lou Williams (died Durham, NC); Mama Pinned a Rose on Me CD; The Rose

Please join me again next week!