Today I’m playing and talking about some jazz tracks that I recently discovered—some are new recordings, some are older.  And I’m letting them inspire me to create ideas for future podcasts.

There appears to be quite the Peterborough-Victoria connection here, as I reflect on my wonderful years listening to (and occasionally playing) jazz in Peterborough, and now continue to discover new and amazing musicians and singers in Victoria.   Much of that is thanks to Hermann’s Jazz Club—a club that I’ll talk more about in future programs.   Hermann’s also hosts monthly themed UJAMS with this months theme being Music from Around the World.  So I’m going to try a French song that has been translated into English—-but I’m hoping to use the version by Quebec chanteuse Chantal Chamberland and Toronto musicians Robi Botos and Rob Piltch of La Mer to inspire me.

From Peterborough I play an ‘exclusive’ sent to this podcast by a very young Peterborough saxophonist, Noah Abrahamse.  It also introduces us to the delicate piano stylings of Ian Webster.

The Victoria connection is singer and songwriter Angela Verbrugge, who added delightful lyrics to a tune written by New York pianist Ray Gallon—who also plays on this recording.

You’ll also hear one of the last recordings of Stan Getz, three months before he died of liver cancer.  Playing with pianist Kenny Barron.

One more from pianist Fred Hersch and his critically acclaimed “Live in Europe” record from last year.

I bought a cd at a thrift store by a Cuban pianist/singer named Bellita, released in 1997.  Wow!   I play one track from that.

The program ends with a thought about bellweathers.  This is a term used to describe the behaviour of sheep—and how they end up making decisions.   The bellweather is a sort of leader who may not even know he or she is a leader.  They are the primary catalyst for any new trend (read Bellweather by Connie Willis) and are ‘leaders’, not because they are more brilliant or creative, but because they seem to have their finger on a ‘pulse’.   In jazz—it would be an artist who other jazz artists follow and record tunes or play in a style similar to theirs.   Who do you think would be one of the most prominent bellweathers in jazz?   (Someday I will do a whole program on bellweathers, as its such a fascinating concept).