The Genesis
Readers of this blog will know that last summer, I started volunteering as a substitute DJ at WTJU Charlottesville, our community radio station, which broadcasts locally on 91.1 FM.
In January, All That Jazz host Daniel Chaldekas brought me on to co-host with him, meaning that I curated and ran the show every other week on Thursday mornings from 9–11am ET.
I always knew the Thursday slot would be temporary. Unemployed, I had started looking for new work at the beginning of the year. The assumption was that I’d only be able to co-host the Thursday morning show until I got a new position.
Flash forward to May, I had gotten word that my friend Freddie Jin, long-time Monday night jazz host of Point of Departure, needed to step back from his show. Freddie’s exit is a huge loss for the station, but it was also an opportunity for me to jump into a time slot that I’d be able to do once employed again.
After touching base with the station’s jazz director, Freddie’s co-host—David Buie-Moltz—invited me to hang out. David was going to stick with the slot; he just needed to make sure we vibed. It was quickly apparent this was going to work out great for us both.
Since he and Freddie had partnered for so long, he wanted to put a bow on his old show and start fresh with me. We tossed ideas around during our first meeting and ironed them out over the following weeks, landing on:
As I did with All That Jazz, I’ll post my playlists on this blog, giving you some great music to check out alongside some insight into where my brain was at with the content. Of course, you can always catch the show itself on Monday nights from 7–9pm ET! Here’s how:
Tune in locally on WTJU Charlottesville 91.1 FM
Stream live on WTJU.net
Check out the archived show for 2 weeks after the initial broadcast
Second Sight | Monday, July 8, 2024
Check the archived show, which will be available to stream for 2 weeks post-broadcast!
Public Spotify playlist:
Opening Remarks
To kick off our inaugural show, David and I decide to broadcast together in the studio, so we contributed equally to the playlist. David asked me to come up with 50 minutes of music, and when I did, I chose tunes with qualities that I thought aligned with our show’s namesake. He liked that and followed suit, resulting in the below:
Jazz staple played in a different way:
“Deluge” (Greg) - Originally a Wayne Shorter tune off of his 1964 classic, Juju, Ari Hoenig and friends make the composition even slinkier and dirtier than the original by slowing it down and dragging it through the mud.
“Night Dream” (Greg) - Another Wayne tune, this time the title track of his other 1964 classic, Night Dreamer, but given the vocalese treatment by none other than Kurt Elling. And yes, what you hear is Kurt breathing new life into Wayne’s mesmerizingly lyrical solo by putting lyrics to it.
“Bright Sized Life” (David) - Here David presents one of Pat Metheny’s all-time classics in a style that you wouldn’t expect. I, for one, love how well it works—how unforced the style change feels.
“Witchi-Tai-To” (David) - I had never heard this song before, but David presented this version, which he described on air as something you might hear while the dentist is taking your molars out.
Recording you may not know from someone you know
“Orbits” (Greg) - ANOTHER Wayne tune. This time I specifically chose Wayne because he’s example of an artist where listeners may be intimately familiar with his earlier works, but not his later ones. The album this track is off of, Without a Net, was recorded in 2010 and is, I think, a perfect example of not only how jazz artists—and especially the masters—continue to evolve and innovate deep into their lifespan, but also how it’s a shame that listeners can get fixated on their earlier work when their genius is still going strong.
“4” (David) - On this album, Keith Jarrett unexpectedly plays the clavichord, and he does so in a way that blurs the line between classical and jazz. It’s very nifty and just a little bizarre.
Someone the audience may not know
“DJW (1st set)” (Greg) - Steve Coleman is a saxophonist I technically know, but really someone who I’ve never checked out much. I’d guess that much of the radio audience feels the same way about him. So here we’re listening together to someone who we both may be unfamiliar with. And this track is smoking! Expect nothing less from live recordings at the Village Vanguard.
“Double Sun” (David) - Ben Monder is a guitarist that David digs that he wants the world to hear more of, and this recording presents an atmospheric quality of his playing that you may not have experienced if you only know his work as a sideman.
Jazz pop
“It’s All Nothing Until It’s Everything” (Greg) - How many times can I play Knower on the radio? Ha. Knower Forever is a favorite album of mine, period. The jazz connection here is the band’s use of sophisticated rhythmic and harmonic language, as well as the burning bursts of improvisation. This track is no exception.
“Don’t Wait Too Long” (David) - In hilarious contrast, David’s pick is emblematic of what one would normally imagine the sound of “jazz pop” to be ;)
Jazz cover of something unexpected
“Got the Keys to the Kingdom” (Greg) - I know for sure that I played this tune for one of my All That Jazz sets, but it’s a crystal clear example of how much creativity jazz artists can inject into a cover. Listen to a little of the original, then listen to Potter’s version, then repeat. Can you hear the original in there? It’s so subtle. If you follow the rhythm, you’ll catch it. This isn’t the first time Potter has floored me with a cover—I simply don’t know how that came out of him given the source material.
“Re: Stacks” (David) - We didn’t have enough time to play this Bon Iver cover over the air, but I wanted to include it in the playlist still so you could experience what comes to David’s mind in this category.
And that’s the show! That’s the kind of thought and music we’re going to bring to the program every week. It’s not going to follow this exact formula every time—just wanted to give listeners a sampler of what’s to come.
Would love it if you tuned in sometime so we can experience this music together! And never hesitate to give me a call at the station while I’m on air. Looking forward to sharing more and riding those “second sight” vibes with you soon~
I hope you find something new you love in these sets. Let me know in the comments!
Peace,
Greg