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Sound Ideas #28 - A Jazz Oasis
Welcome to an hour of relaxing Jazz, the kind found in a Jazz Oasis. Grab a beverage of your choice, put up your feet, and unwind.
Artist Track Album
Cyrus Chestnut God Has Smiled on Me You Are My Sunshine
Diana Krall I've Changed My Address The Girl in the Other Room
Duke Ellington and John Coltrane In a Sentimental Mood Duke Ellington and John Coltrane
Freddie Hubbard Born to Be Blue Born to Be Blue
George Benson Easy Living New Boss Guitar
Horace Silver Where Do I Go From Here? Jazz Has a Sense of Humor
Mark Kramer Hedwig's Theme Harry Potter Jazz
Ramsey Lewis and Billy Taylor Waltz for Debbie We Meet Again
Wynton Marsalis Presence that Lament Brings J Mood

Sometimes after a long day of toil, there is nothing much better than grabbing a drink, kicking off your shoes, and listening to some to music. While the Jazz pallet has a color for most any mood, on days like this, the right color is not too hot while not so laid back you would pass out listening. The Goldilocks color, just right is in order. This hour features some thinking music with just enough intellectual depth to reward the mind and soul, but without being taxing or contributing to further exhaustion. This is a calming place, and jazz is the balm of healing.

Cyrus Chestnut is very soulful pianist and his cut is from an album of spirituals and other "sacred" music that showcases his ability to dig deep in the music and deliver something straight from the heart.

In our second set we hear from Diana Krall, another pianist who knows where to look not only for the tune, but the song as well. The Duke and Trane give us one of most memorable recordings of a Duke classic but with a fresh and mesmerizing interpretation from the early 1960s. Freddie Hubbard shines on the title track of his 1981 Pablo release, his first "real" jazz album in several years, reminder us that he still knew how to groove ever so softly.

From his debut album George Benson treats us to some Easy Living, Horace Silver asks Where Do I Go from Here, and Mark Kramer answers with a trip to Hogwarts. This set features George's first album, and Horace's last, with a vivid display of the timeless of good music. Not to forget Mark, as he makes the journey with Harry et al quite a ride!

Ramsey and Billy pay tribute to another Bill, this time Evans, who was paying tribute to his young daughter. You can feel the joy that Bill must have felt when watching his little girl, from the story told by two other remarkable pianists. Wynton closes out the hour with a song of lament, but that is tinged with joy around the edges.

So close your eyes, and enjoy the ride. Jazz is a vibrant and creative expression of life, even if it is purposely not in a great hurry. This is music to savor, and embrace, not put in the background. But it's gentle fervor is evident, as it calms and refreshes with a life felt honesty that only true art can deliver.