This is the third episode where I play some top album’s on the current jazz charts as compiled by JazzWeek.

I start out with Chick Corea playing Chopin, and describe how Chopin may have been a ‘forerunner’ of modern jazz. Other great artist’s from whose albums I play a track are The Jeff Hamilton Trio, Bobby Watson, Diego Figueredo, Jose Rizo’s Mongorama, Maceo Parker, and John Fedchock NY Quintet.

And for some strange reason I also play a track from a 2016 recording by Toronto fusion group, Manteca. It seems like six radio stations suddenly added it to their play list this past month.

But the highlight for me is a pianist and composer named Billy Childs. I play two tracks from his current album, Acceptance, on the Mack Avenue label.

I’ve always loved charts. As a kid I’d wake up every Saturday morning and listen and write out CJCA Edmonton’s Top 93.

So I’m delighted to be exploring the current Jazz Charts—-even if it is for albums rather than singles. This is through Jazz Week….and they are, I believe, charts from U.S. radio stations.

But there is lots of international music on it. On this episode, I look at the top 40 playlists from Oct 12, 2020……focusing on #’s 21 to 32, as well as a Canadian artist who is high on the itunes (apple) charts.

The highlight, for me, is an International star: vibraphonist/classical percussionist Chien Chien Lu. I also play tracks by Theodross Avery, Joe Farnsworth, Diana Krall, Christian Sands, John Beasley, Michael Olatuja, Ray Mantilla, and The Spanish Harlem Orchestra.

Most of the jazz I play on this podcast tends to be the tried and true over the years. I’m changing that for the next four episodes and exploring the current jazz charts. These are albums on the playlists of U.S. jazz radio stations as listed through JazzWeek on their weekly top 100.

For this episode I looked at the charts for the end of September, and played a track from the albums rated numbers 31 to 40.

You’ll hear a great variety…..and it’s all ‘real jazz’. The highlight for me? Probably Artemis, the all-female international supergroup, with Canadian pianist Renee Rosnes directing.

I found a list of the most recorded tunes, thanks to a website called Second Hand Songs. They’re almost all songs that jazz musicians like to play. In this podcast I examine the top 15 (not counting Christmas songs) and play you a version of 10 of them.

You’ll hear recordings by:

Sergio Mendes & Brazil 66,

Charles Mingus,

Steven Riley,

Patricia Barber,

Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse,

Gilson Peranzzetta & Mauro Senise,

The Jolly Tars (from The Naden Band),

Thelonious Monk,

Herbie Hancock & Stevie Wonder, Hoagy Carmichael,

Alex Pangman w. Bucky Pizzarelli,

Some of the versions are modern, and some are really old. But they’re all wonderful interpretations of great songs.

At a record store in Nanaimo B.C. called Fascinating Rhythm I bought about 19 78rpm records. I’ll play 13 of them for you that are jazz, r’nb’ or gospel.

The jazz records I play are by Coleman Hawkins, Woody Herman, Nellie Lutcher, Hazel Scott, Johnny Hodges, and Slam Stewart. And a jazz blues by Louis Jordan. I also play a very early record by the great soul singer, Jackie Wilson, with Billy Ward & The Dominos. Also the original version of Fever, as recorded by Little Willie John—–which leads to me talking about the origin of the term ‘cover version’.

Also some gospel by The Delta Rhythm Boys, and the theme of The Royal Canadian Navy, written by Johnny Mercer & Harold Arlen and recorded by Canada’s Mart Kenney and his Orchestra.

Some of them sound pretty scratchy, others sound great. But they are all directly recorded from the original 78rpm record.

For much of the summer there have been no live in-person music due to Covid. A lot of artists started posting concerts online, and this week I play some recordings of these concerts.

While the performers have generously made these recordings available to anyone, it’s important to help musicians sustain their art. So I encourage you if you hear anything you really like to either, via their website, pay for a download by that artist, make a donation, or buy cd’s if they happen to be available.

You’ll hear a few performances from the virtual International Jazz Day recorded April 30. They include John McLaughlin, Marcus Miller, Igor Butman and Evgeny Pobozhiy, Youn Sun Nah, and ELEW.

You’ll also hear Bandemic (Scofield, Medeski, Martin, and Murphy), Victoria’s Edia Daponte and Joey M. Smith, The Don Thompson Quartet from Toronto, Oscar Hernandez and Friends, Emmet Cohen Trio, and Prabhu Edouard & Renaud Garcia-Fons (a tabla/double bass duet).

Some great music!

Jelly Roll Morton claimed he invented jazz. Most other people claim

And there’s no doubt that he did create a style of jazz, and was the

Dave Brubeck once said, in the 1950’s, that you can’t call today’s

I’ve heard a lot of Jelly Roll Morton tunes played by ‘hot’ jazz

The answer I got through going through a list of his tunes and

On this program I play recordings of 8 Jelly Roll Morton tunes, plus

I also quote a few people who talk about Jelly Roll, and play some

A fascinating program….and perhaps a refreshing change from the usual fare.