Charlie Parker, Jim Self, Quincy Jones & John Fedchock

Welcome to the 876th episode of Neon Jazz, where we kick things off in style with legendary trombonist John Fedchock live from Indianapolis. We start with his rendition of "Say When," a tribute to the iconic J.J. Johnson, celebrating what would have been the trombone master's 100th birthday. From there, we dive into fresh Charlie Parker material, captured live in Kansas City. Next, we turn to a seasoned veteran of the KC jazz scene, Frank Smith, with selections from his album From Kansas City to Tokyo. We also shine a spotlight on the prolific drummer John 'JR' Robinson, who sat down with Neon Jazz to discuss his new book, King of the Groove. Along the way, you'll hear new tracks from jazz veterans like Charles Ruggiero, Jim Self with John Chiodini, and Mauricio Morales. And to cap it off, we'll entice you to a solid interpretation of Gregg Hill's compositions, brought to life by the brilliant Michael Dease. It all begins—and ends—with the soulful sound of the trombone. Dig the jazz, my friends.

Playlist

• John Fedchock "Say When" Justifiably J.J. A Centennial Tribute (Live at The Jazz Kitchen, Indianapolis) (Summit Records) 0:00
• Host talks 5:49
• Frank Smith "Watusi Warrior" From Kansas City to Tokyo (Frank Smith) 13:09
• Host talks 17:06
• Charles Ruggiero "Jellyroll" But of Course (RMF Records) 17:53
• John 'JR' Robinson "Crawfish Salad" Live at the Berklee Performance Center (Berklee) 22:38
• Host talks 29:53
• The Quincy Jones Big Band "Pleasingly Plump" Live in Paris (TCB) 31:56
• Tomohiro Mori "Pedalada" Prana (Tomohiro Mori) 35:25
• Host talks 40:12
• Jim Self and John Chiodini "Fanciful Dream" Feels so Good (Basset Hound Records) 40:54
• Mauricio Morales "Thursday-Solitude" Seven Days (Mauricio Morales) 45:54
• Host talks 51:12
• Michael Dease "The Puppet Thief" Found In Space The Music Of Gregg Hill (Origin Records) 52:09