This week’s schedule:
7/15 David Bloom
7/16 Gunhild Carling
7/17 Maud Hixson
7/18 Steve Million
7/19 Nicole Zuraitis
David Bloom is a man of many talents: Guitarist, flautist, painter, writer, and educator. Bloom feels his interest in each feeds his enthusiasm for it all and allows his focus—putting beauty into the world—to flourish. His CD collaboration with arranger Cliff Colnot, Shadow of a Soul, celebrates those individuals Bloom has met over the years who, in his words, have an unusual level of spirituality, imagination, hipness, heart and individuality, what he calls a “Shadow of a Soul.” The recording honors Bloom’s reverence for these people and this way of living, taking one’s inherent gifts and developing them with passion.
Swedish multi-instrumentalist/vocalist, Gunhild Carling had a childhood filled with books, music, and magical adventures. I first met Gunhild in Brazil when we were both part of a music festival for which I served as Artistic Director. I still have the vision of Gunhild bounding off the airplane in a perfectly pressed polka dot dress, her baby in tow, looking well-rested and upbeat, with full makeup and perfect hair. She tells me she always looks this way, even on the band bus, which I find almost as impressive as the fact that she plays twelve instruments.
Vocalist Maud Hixson is a cool, swinging Minnesota gal whose clear sound and unencumbered delivery lets her virtuosity sneak up on you, in contrast to so many jazz singers today who make sure you hear their vocal chops at hello.
Maud Hixson grew up listening to the Great American Standards of the 1930’s, ‘40s and ‘50s and only discovered the work of Sir Richard Rodney Bennett when he reached out to compliment her recording of one of his favorite songs. A friendship developed and now Maud celebrates this long association with her latest CD, Permanent Moonlight, Songs of Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, which recently won a Bistro Award.
Pianist/songwriter, Steve Million grew up in a small town in Missouri with the fetching name of Booneville. Looking back now, Steve appreciates the quiet of that environment and the opportunity for freedom, but in his younger years, he couldn’t wait to move on and pursue a life in jazz, a musical passion that started at the tender age of seven when his mother took him to a Count Basie concert.
Now based in Chicago, Steve Million keeps a busy performance and teaching schedule and celebrates one of his favorite musicians, Thelonious Monk, in a two-keyboard band with Jeremy Kahn called Double Monk. His latest collaboration is his CD, Jazz Words, with vocalist Sarah Marie Young for which Steve wrote the music and lyrics.
Grammy-winning jazz singer/songwriter Nicole Zuraitis refers to herself as a recovering opera singer, which her beautiful tone and effortless vocal style reflect. Unlike many of the younger vocalists today who jump out of music school right into a recording studio with little onstage experience to back it up, Nicole has put in the long hours performing, honing her craft and creating her own unique style.
Nicole celebrates her vision on her CD How Love Begins, co-produced with bassist Christian McBride. The CD explores the dark and light sides of love--romantic and otherwise--and the tug between those states that always exists.
Listen each morning on WBGO from 6 to 8 am ET.
For an archive of episodes on WBGO, visit the show’s page here.
