George Wallington, Oscar Peterson, Yazz Ahmed, Harry Connick, Jr.& Gordon Goodwin

We open one of the final episodes of 2025 by tipping our hat to a true jazz giant we recently lost—Los Angeles-based big band titan Gordon Goodwin. Taken from us by complications from cancer, he leaves behind a deep and dazzling legacy of swing, fire, and fearless creativity. As a tribute, we drop the needle on "Hunting Rabbits 2" from his 2006 album The Phat Pack, a fitting salute to a master who reshaped the modern big band sound. From there, the hour flows into timeless gems from enduring legends like Bennie Maupin, Oscar Peterson, and George Wallington—voices that continue to echo through the jazz continuum. We also pause to honor another cultural heavyweight, Hollywood icon Rob Reiner, with a cut from the Grammy-winning When Harry Met Sally soundtrack by Harry Connick, Jr., a reminder of how jazz so often finds its way into our shared cinematic memory. The journey then turns eclectic and global, weaving through sounds from Noam Lemish, Stevie Holland, Mammal Hands, Lisa Marie Simmons, Yazz Ahmed, and Cosmique Hypnotique—each adding their own color to the late-year tapestry. We close the hour on a high note with a brand-new track from Kansas City stalwart E.E. Pointer, drawn from his 2025 release Patio Sketches. Dig the jazz, my friends—and keep listening forward.

Playlist

• Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band "Hunting Rabbits 2 (Bad Hare Day)" The Phat Pack (immergent) 0:00
• Host talks 5:04
• Bennie Maupin "Eternal Flame" Slow Traffic to the Right (Verve) 9:53
• Noam Lemish "Song for Rona" There's Beauty Enough in Being Here (Noah Lemish) 14:21
• Host talks 18:52
• Oscar Peterson "Place St. Henri" Around the World (Live) (Mack Avenue) 19:54
• Harry Connick, Jr. "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" When Harry Met Sally Soundtrack (Colombia) 22:21
• Host talks 26:40
• George Wallington "Fine and Dandy" Late Hours in New York (Jazz Classics) 27:44
• Stevie Holland "Talk to Your Tomatoes" Talk to Your Tomatoes (150 Music) 30:49
• Host talks 34:08
• Mammal Hands "Alia's Abandon" Circadian {ACT Music) 35:41
• Lisa Marie Simmons and Marco Cremaschini "Work in a Book" Notespeak (Ropeadope Records) 39:54
• Host talks 44:13
• Yazz Ahmed "Waiting for the Dawn" A Paradise in the Hold (Night Time Stories) 45:28
• E.E. Pointer "Fallish" Patio Sketches (RJHJ) 50:38
• Host talks 53:00
• Cosmique Hypnotique "A Lust Beyond" Cosmique Hypnotique (Mellow Exotica) 54:14