It’s the of February 2023 and San Antonio-based writer and radio host Anthony Dean-Harris takes over for another monthly round up of new jazz tracks he’s been digging – and playing…
I had this realization that so much of my February is preparation for my March.
Once I begin March, I have a major event I’m working on every week for two weeks, and then something else I’m working on for mid-April.
One of those events is my free day party that I have thrown for nine years now during the South by SouthWest festival in Austin, Texas. This year’s Jazz for the Masses IX, a free day party anyone can attend all day on March 14th between 12-7:30pm at Lazarus Brewing Co., 1902 E. 6th St., is the start of the day parties KRTU San Antonio throws the rest of the week, curated by Music for Listeners.
No one does a free jazz party in Austin during SXSW and I still somehow corral the resources converging in the city to let people see what the genre can do and have one of those shows that 20something me would have sought out.
Other than that plug I had to make, the rest of the month was still making radio while sweating out putting this show together.
Richie Goods & Chien Chien Lu, “Dull Ice Flower”
From: Connected, Vol. 1
Connected, Vol. 1 in rotation. It’s doing something for me.
Joe Chambers, “Gazelle Suite”
From: Dance Kobina
Chambers’ Dance Kobina really struck me when it landed on the shelves at the beginning of the month. It’s a strong album with a good vibe that I didn’t see coming and will likely keep in play for a while.
Daniel Villarreal, “In/On”
From: Panamá 77
dropped last May and I almost missed it but I saw Villarreal was playing SXSW this year so I went back and gave the album a listen as I pitched him playing my day party. It’s an International Anthem release and you can’t go wrong with that.
Avi Granite 6, “Crushing Beans”
From: Operator
Operator has a fun energy to it with a bunch of songs that are great to play in the latter half of radio shows when things can get a little crazy.
Braxton Cook, “MB (for Ma’Khia Bryant)”
From: Who Are You When No One Is Watching?
Who Are You WHen No One Is Watching? to drop for a while and now that it just did at the end of February, I will likely spend the next month really getting into it.
Simon Moullier, “Enchantment”
From: Isla
very good”. It’s one of those contemporary jazz songs that hooks you and makes you want to hear more. It’s the perfect single for this album.
Lakecia Benjamin, “New Mornings”
From: Phoenix
Phoenix at KRTU and I’m still loving playing it all over my shows. Lakecia Benjamin’s success is well deserved.
Christian McBride’s New Jawn, “Moonchild”
From: Prime
Prime on my shows is saying “jawn” on the radio, particularly in Texas where we see the Philadelphian slang term as an amusing novelty. This is also coming from a guy who opens every radio show asking “How’re y’all doing?” to an audience who clearly cannot answer back.
Zack Lober, “Chop Wood”
From: NO FILL3R
Matt Greenwood, “Dehyah”
From: Atlas
This is one of those releases I was assigned to review for DownBeat Magazine, liked it, and tossed it into rotation onto the shows. It’s a good fit and a solid album of good ideas.
Thanks for stopping by!
Check our other monthly round ups and more via the jazz news section.