Best Grace Bach Podcasts (2024)

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Classic Episode Flashback - Jazz Bastard Podcast 81 - The Saxophone Solo in Pop 2:00:54

29m ago2:00:54

2:00:54

Those crazy hazy lazy days of summer got us in their thrall and scheduling's been tough, so please enjoy this flashback to episode 81: Mike and Pat discuss Walk on the Wild Side; Shine On You Crazy Diamond; Aja; Waiting on a Friend; Baker Street; Just the Way You Are; Logical Song; Old and Wise; Still Crazy After All These Years; Man Eater; Modern …

1
Jazz Bastard Podcast 296 - Author James Kaplan Discusses 3 Shades of Blue 1:07:13

13d ago1:07:13

1:07:13

What's the most famous jazz album in the world? Don't say Duke Ellington Plays Mary Poppins unless you have a really good excuse, like you work for Disney. And please don't name some album by Kenny G even if that's sort of true. No, of course the most famous jazz album is Kind of Blue, and our special guest this episode wrote a book on the three ge…

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Jazz Bastard Podcast 295 - Curation Vs. Creation 1:30:21

28d ago1:30:21

1:30:21

A lot of listeners worry that jazz has ossified in the last, say, fifty years or so, but Mike decides to do something about it, terminological speaking, anyway. So this fortnight's episode explores the difference between curating a tradition and trying to create something new within it. Our test subjects comprise three brand-new releases (two instr…

1
Jazz Bastard Podcast 294 - NRG not NPR 1:10:24

1M ago1:10:24

1:10:24

Jazz releases these days fight a game of inches. Almost everybody releasing music in the genre is technically accomplished and the rules have been laid out so long that almost everybody knows how to meet the listener's basic expectations. What makes an album stand out in the flood of new music unleashed every week? Sometimes it's as simple (and har…

1
Jazz Bastard Podcast 293 - From Bach to Calloway to the Woods at Night 1:07:21

2M ago1:07:21

1:07:21

The boys warned you things were going to get eclectic, but they may have outdone themselves this time, as the selections run the gamut from a jazz trio reimagining Bach preludes to a cutting edge big band arranger/composer tipping the cap to Cab Calloway to a night it the Georgia woods and is what we're hearing even music? Plus, a thoughtful look a…

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Jazz Bastard Podcast 292 - How Ya Ben? 1:08:45

2M ago1:08:45

1:08:45

In the last (for a little while, at least) of our one-artist focused podcasts, the boys take a deep dive into bassist/composer/bandleader Ben Allison's latest four releases. Ben's an exact contemporary of our intrepid podcasters, if a bit better looking and more talented, and they followed his career from early days until a few years back when they…

1
Jazz Bastard Podcast 291 - Cannonball Adderley - Assessing Airshots 1:19:31

3M ago1:19:31

1:19:31

The record store day madness continues as the boys take two Cannonball Adderley air-shots from France for a spin. Whether he's Poppin in Paris or Burning in Bordeaux, the listener can hear Adderley's group transitioning from the sixties to the seventies, even if things get bumpy from time to time. To put the great alto saxophone player's creativity…

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Jazz Bastard Podcast 290 - It's a Manne's, Manne's, Manne's World 1:16:17

3M ago1:16:17

1:16:17

Where jazz drumming's concerned, sometimes Blakey makes ya shaky and Buddy's too thud-y. Where to turn? Go West, young man, and samples the wares of one Shelly Manne. Manne, a transplanted Easterner, made a career in California logging studio work, appearing on countless sessions, and leading his own group with varying personnel that was always kno…

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Jazz Bastard Podcast 289 - There But for the Grace of Kelly 1:21:29

4M ago1:21:29

1:21:29

Sometimes podcast hosts just want to watch the world - or at least their co-host - burn. Hence the explanation for the inclusion of a pretty inexplicable pander-fest in this otherwise august and serious podcast. The other selections (all recent releases) incorporate humor in a couple of cases, and, well, don't in the most serious selection. Pat rep…

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Jazz Bastard Podcast 288 - It's (Never) the Final Countdown, Part Trois 1:19:56

4M ago1:19:56

1:19:56

After a couple episodes away, we return to the New York Times list of best jazz albums of 2023 and finish it off. It's happier days for the most part. The boys acknowledge that these selections are all, more or less, actually jazz, and some are even pretty enjoyable. Jonathan Suazo – RICANO; Mendoza Hoff Revels – ECHOLOCATION; Micah Thomas – REVEAL…

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Jazz Bastard Podcast 287 - Respect the Rabbit (An Interview with Owen Broder) 1:00:50

5M ago1:00:50

1:00:50

For some fans, the story of jazz saxophone begins with John Coltrane. This episode, the boys interview Owen Broder, who gives propers to Coltrane's old boss, Johnny Hodges. Mainstay of the Duke Ellington band and lover of lettuce and tomato sandwiches, the Rabbit (as he was known) possessed the most sumptuous sound ever heard from an alto saxophone…

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Jazz Bastard Podcast 286 - Eleven is the Loneliest Number 1:18:55

5M ago1:18:55

1:18:55

Many years ago, bastard Mike suggested that our anniversary shows feature groups comprised of as many members as the anniversary was of years. How's that for a mouthful (mindful?) Anyway, good idea until right about now. Eleven is an awkward number unless you're fielding a footie team, and the boys have some issues finding albums that fit the bill …

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Jazz Bastard Podcast 285 - It's (Never) the Final Countdown, Part Deux 1:29:03

6M ago1:29:03

1:29:03

Join our intrepid but grumpy explorers Mike and Pat and they continue their journey through the New York Times Top Ten list of Best Jazz Albums from 2023. The boys look at three more albums off the list and once again have questions about the selections. Then they discuss an album from 2023 not on the list, and, naturally, emit rainbows. We don't r…

1
Jazz Bastard Podcast 284 - It's (Never) the Final Countdown 1:20:52

6M ago1:20:52

1:20:52

Humans love making lists, and it's likely this activity will continue until the cockroaches take over. (Cockroaches mostly love hiding under cabinets). Some humans on the New York Times made a list of the top 10 jazz albums of 2023. Pat and Mike take about three selections from that list and one other interesting release from that recently past yea…

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Jazz Bastard Podcast 283 - Mr. Roboto, Meet Mr. Mahavishnu 1:27:47

7M ago1:27:47

1:27:47

This episode's title is a wee bit misleading. The boys don't meet Mr. Mahavishnu (John McLaughlin, of course) but rather Matt Phillips, long-time listener to the podcast who just happened to write a very good book on the famous fusion guitarist called "John McLaughlin - From Miles and Mahavishnu to the 4th Dimension." The book covers the whole of M…

1
Jazz Bastard Podcast 282 - Is the Jazz Detective Sherlock or Watson? 1:10:58

7M ago1:10:58

1:10:58

Few players have made the splash in the archival jazz game as Zev Feldman, who has discovered many lost jazz gems (and a little Fool's Gold) and shown how these issues can be events when packaged properly with good artwork and notes. This fortnight's show looks at two of his recent productions and two historical albums in the Latin Idiom. Did the j…

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Jazz Bastard Podcast 281 - Tuba or Not Tuba? TUBA! 1:22:40

8M ago1:22:40

1:22:40

Sometimes Mike's dreams do come true. Take this all-tuba led episode, for instance. He's always loved the big horn in jazz groups, and here we delve into five albums spanning the decades led by tuba players. (Oddly, though, five of the featured leaders were all born within a five year span). Will the boys come up with deep insights? Please listen t…

1
Jazz Bastard Podcast 280 - It's Christmas Time, Again 1:15:59

8M ago1:15:59

1:15:59

One of the bastards loves holiday music (Mike loves to flex his knowledge-of-obscure-Xmas-tunes-muscles) and so the holiday episode has become an annual tradition. Luckily, every year at least a few jazz musicians put out a holiday album (if under duress) and archival and historical finds are always there to enjoy as well. Various Artists – A JAZZ …

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Jazz Bastard Podcast 279 - Peter Brotzmann May Have Passed, But He Still Wants to Kill Yo Mama 1:21:29

8M ago1:21:29

1:21:29

At Mike's suggestion, we devote an episode to the recently departed European avant-garde powerhouse Peter Brotzmann. The sound quality is a bit off. Pat says he forgot to press "record." Listeners know he was probably just cowering behind the couch. Mike shows us the breadth of the fire-breather's career, touching on a mid-size ensemble session, an…

1
Jazz Bastard Podcast 278 - Can Jazz Have a Sense of Humor 1:37:00

9M ago1:37:00

1:37:00

Jazz - mysterious, challenging, expressive . . . funny? Rarely, one might think, but some artists display a sense of humor, even if it's subtle. In this episode, the boys listen to five albums with at least some humorous aspects. Things rarely get "funny ha ha" but hey, this isn't a Zappa podcast, now is it? Karen Mantler – BUSINESS IS BAD; George …

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"Classic" Jazz Bastard Podcast - 14 Palimpsestastic 1:43:33

9M ago1:43:33

1:43:33

It's been a crazy few weeks with an extra order of cray cray on the side coming up, so we're running our first "classic" episode, this one a throw-back to 2013! Come for the insights you missed, stay to appreciate the slightly more sophisticated editing you've been enjoying the last few years. Covers are the order of the day as the bastards look at…

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Jazz Bastard Podcast 277 - Polished, Not "Smooth" 1:20:31

10M ago1:20:31

1:20:31

We all know "smooth jazz" is a forbidden genre among hard-core jazzbos, but sometimes you run across albums that have no interest in pandering to the listener, but also don't display any rough edges or dirty elbows. Call it "polished," "refined," "plush," or "mellow" - but don't file it next to Kenny G - or Albert Ayler, for that matter. Noah Haidu…

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Jazz Bastard Podcast 276 - Gillespie in the Fifties 1:59:10

10M ago1:59:10

1:59:10

Most jazz fans know Dizzy Gillespie's crucial role in the creation of bebop and every good collection should have at least a few tracks from his glory days of the forties. The man wrote "Night in Tunisia" for heaven's sake! But what happened later on, after his partner Bird was gone and the listening public had moved on from ooh-bop-sh-bam madness?…

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Jazz Bastard Podcast 275 - Live? from the Village Vanguard 1:26:03

11M ago1:26:03

1:26:03

There are many storied jazz venues, but for a great recorded legacy, none quite matches the Village Vanguard. So many epochal improvised moments put to tape! So many clinking wine glasses captured for eternity! Such a matchless, smoky atmosphere of creation in the heat of the moment! (Insert record scratch here.) The boys don't look at the best kno…

1
Jazz Bastard Podcast 274 - Big Label Bangers 1:22:56

11M ago1:22:56

1:22:56

The boys love chasing after the esoteric, the brand new, the little known. But sometime, we also like to talk about the, well, big label bangers. That is, big labels in jazz terms, which really means small subsidiary branches of huge media conglomerates, but let's not get into that now. Some famous names are back this episode and we talk about thei…

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Jazz Bastard Podcast 273 - Big M's Grab Bag 1:18:09

12M ago1:18:09

1:18:09

The theme this episode is - got ya! - there isn't a theme. What we do have are two mildly historical piano-led recordings by musicians who couldn't be more different if they tried, and two new releases by musicians also pulling in different directions. Get a large group together and go for eclecticism? Or just multi-track yourself and add a duet pa…

1
Jazz Bastard Podcast 272 - String Along with Dorothy! 1:15:48

12M ago1:15:48

1:15:48

A music with as complicated and rich a history as jazz is always going to be subject to rediscoveries and reappraisals and we wouldn't want it any other way. This fortnight's episode focuses on a pioneering practitioner on that truly rare avis, the jazz harp. Yes, we're diving into the early work of Dorothy Ashby in honor of a new box set celebrati…

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Jazz Bastard Podcast 271.5 - Box It Up! 1:03:42

1y ago1:03:42

1:03:42

Summertime, and the livin' is sweaty - at least for us in the Midwest right now. Along with being the most perspiration-friendly season, Summer is also consecrated to travel, which can make it difficult to align two bastard's schedules. Hence this solo podcast looking at jazz box sets. Yes, the vinyl revival is all grown up enough to get its own se…

1
Jazz Bastard Podcast 271 - Off Da Hook, or, You Got Rock in My Jazz 1:16:25

1y ago1:16:25

1:16:25

We all know about fusion - the (sometime unholy) union of jazz and rock that tried to find a new audience for instrumentalists in the 1970s. But there have always been, well, odder experiments with electricity in jazz, more like intrusions of the rock world than integrations, and we look at four rather varied examples in this here podcast. Running …

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Jazz Bastard Podcast 270 - 'E's Got a Big Band, Landlord 1:09:44

1y ago1:09:44

1:09:44

After an all-female vocalist episode, let's shift gears at look at some big band albums, shall we? We look at a brand new release with material from the thirties, fresh from somebody's closet, a retro-style outfit having the most fun they can while the pandemic closes in, an Indiana ensemble celebrating an influential Indiana record label, and an a…

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Jazz Bastard Podcast 269 - Sing, Sing a Song 1:14:42

1y ago1:14:42

1:14:42

Time for an all-singing, no-dancing, some joke-telling show featuring four female vocalists. We've got three brand newish releases and one catalogue item which, given it debuted after we were out of college, is making us feel old. Like everything else. Tune in to find out which Grammy Winner (TM) we annoy. Esperanza Spalding / Fred Hersch – LIVE AT…

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Jazz Bastard Podcast 268 - Don't Put the Hammar Down! 1:00:41

1y ago1:00:41

1:00:41

After months of emails, technical difficulties and scheduling snafus the bastards are proud to present their interview with Swedish trombonist Karin Hammar. You may not have heard of Karin, or caught her sister act the Sliding Hammars back in the day (when she duetted with a sister who also played trombone ) but if you like albums with strong thema…

1
Jazz Bastard Podcast 267 - Everyone's Gone to the Movies 1:19:53

1y ago1:19:53

1:19:53

Mike ran across a soundtrack or two in his library excursions and hence and episode that's just what it says on the tin - a look at four soundtracks by jazz musicians. We explore which efforts work as "albums" and which are more a series of useful cues and snippets that don't necessarily create a coherent listening experience with no pictures on of…

1
What's in the Bag? 1:27:21

1+ y ago1:27:21

1:27:21

Welcome to "What's in the Bag?", where Pat pulls out a few vinyl discoveries - some reissues, some crate finds - for Mike and him to dissect. It's kind of a continuing feature on the show when we run out of other things to discuss, and is not to be confused with "What's in the Box?" where the contents are always Gwyneth Paltrow's head and a scratch…

1
Jazz Bastard Podcast 265 - Don't Terje Me, Bro 1:02:22

1+ y ago1:02:22

1:02:22

Some of our podcasts have themes. This podcast has a wide-ranging mix of three 2023 releases and one moderately historical entry from an ECM guitarist whose name Pat dare not pronounce. Can the jazz violin be a force for good? We think so. Can Pat find a Pyroclastic release that tickles his fancy. You betcha - but no more spoilers. Terje Rypdal – K…

1
Jazz Bastard Podcast 264 - Soft and Hard 1:13:31

1+ y ago1:13:31

1:13:31

We spend a lot of time on this show exploring what you might call, if you were a lapsed academic with pomposity issues, the accessibility spectrum. Some jazz is pretty easy to get - and some just ain't pretty. In this show, we travel quite a way across the spectrum listening to coffee-house ready (but good) jazz and stuff that would just plain shut…

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Jazz Bastard Podcast 263 - Mr. Gone 1:39:00

1+ y ago1:39:00

1:39:00

With Wayne Shorter's death at age 89, jazz lost an innovative composer, saxophonist and bandleader. Mike knew a tribute was needed but didn't want to explore the usual suspects, so the boys take a trawl through lesser-known aspects of Shorter's career (while throwing in an overview as well to orient the less familiar). We look at his work as a side…

1
Jazz Bastard Podcast 262 - Bossa and Beyond 1:30:56

1+ y ago1:30:56

1:30:56

Jazz's symbiotic relationship with Brazil's bossa nova is well-known. Lesser known are the many non-Brazilian jazz artists who took elements from North American models and modified them as they saw fit. This episode explores albums recorded by artists from Chile, Venezuela, Argentina, and . . . well, Brazil, because too few people know what four Ta…

1
Jazz Bastard Podcast 261 - Fire Starters 1:30:59

1+ y ago1:30:59

1:30:59

The boys take another walk down the "out" side of the street this episode, with looks at a little known outing from one of Charles Mingus' trumpet players to a twin-guitar / alto sax ensemble, to two rather challenging works on the Pyroclastic label. Mike's more patient with those efforts than Pat. Who's ready for some asbestos earmuffs? Pop matter…

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Jazz Bastard Podcast 260 - Are Ten Enough? 1:39:38

1+ y ago1:39:38

1:39:38

The boys have been at this podcasting game for ten years now (plus a few "bonus" episodes) and celebrate with a tenth anniversary show dedicated to - what else? - tentets. And yes, spell-check, 'tentet' is a real word. We journey from the 1950's to the right-now's in quest of ensembles to big to be a combo, too little to be a "big" band, and genera…

1
Jazz Bastard Podcast 259 - Gang Violence 1:30:34

1+ y ago1:30:34

1:30:34

After almost a decade of planning and putting it off, the boys finally face their greatest fear: group jazz singing. What happens when three or four hipsters harmonize? Is it safe to even try to find out? Mike's not sure about that, but we tried anyway, and came up with this insight: you can't keep a good Boswell down. In pop matters, Pat brags abo…

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Jazz Bastard Podcast 258 - Youngsters, Phoenixes, Mingi 1:20:21

1+ y ago1:20:21

1:20:21

We look at three 2022 releases this time (albeit one recorded way back in 1972) along with the first harbinger of the new year. There's an electronic sounding long-playing debut by a pair of youtube wunderkinder (all played in real-time we promise), a straight-ahead tenor sax trio, another star-studded portfolio album from a rising sax star, and a …

1
Quick Quiz 10, Bonus Episode with Margaux Parker 18:34

1+ y ago18:34

18:34

Take off your sunglasses indoors… unless you’re hiding a drug addiction?! Says Triple M’s Margaux Parker. Oh, and maybe don’t Zoom your way through your KPI meeting in the gym… just a thought! Host Jodie Bache-McLean joins Margaux to discuss the difference between manners evolving, and where they’ve been thrown out the window altogether. About your…

1
Quick Quiz 09, Bonus Episode with Grace Hayden 9:57

1+ y ago9:57

9:57

Keeping your hat or sunnies on indoors isn’t something Gen Z can get behind either, says model and Occupational Therapy student Grace Hayden. It’s just a big, fat NOOOOOO. As Gracie hops into the hot-seat with host Jodie Bache-McLean, she reveals her expert timing tips for maximum respectfulness. About your host, Jodie Bache McLean from June Dally …

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Jazz Bastard Podcast 257 - Maddingly Unintuitive Japanese Software 1:19:07

1+ y ago1:19:07

1:19:07

The robots are coming! The robots are coming! And they're after our jobs - as lounge singers. Skynet would not be amused. But we kind of are - at least, Mike says his first encounter with a vocaloid will be ever imprinted upon his brain. Don't worry - this episode isn't all about our electronic replacements qua masters. We look at music by flesh an…

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Quick Quiz 08, Bonus Episode with Brisbane’s Lady Mayoress Nina Schrinner 20:10

1+ y ago20:10

20:10

Embrace the honesty, as Brisbane’s Lady Mayoress Nina Schrinner shares her manners missteps, hacks and top tips for making a good impression…. and apologises to anyone she’s ever offended with a stray ‘darling’. Join host Jodie Bache-McLean as she talks her way into one of Nina’s much-loved, hand-written letters (but she better not expect it too so…

1
Quick Quiz 07, Bonus Episode with Guyala Bayles 6:37

1+ y ago6:37

6:37

Get the lowdown from model, poet, actor and indigenous educator, Guyala Bayles, as she argues that even the beautiful people don’t get a free pass on sunglasses indoors. Discover why gratitude should be everyone’s priority and why you should never, ever unleash the ‘hun’ on social media. About your host, Jodie Bache McLean from June Dally Watkins a…

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Jazz Bastard Podcast 256 - Mandatory Merriment 1:21:56

1+ y ago1:21:56

1:21:56

It's that holiday season once again, and Santa Mike insists we cover a slate of season-appropriate releases. Are they jazz appropriate as well? Not really, but two are jazz adjacent and one at least features an ex-Messenger, so there's that. There's also, er, Swamp Dogg. Pop matters travels from Sufjan Stephens to late eighties England to the sooth…

1
Quick Quiz 06, Bonus Episode with Steve Haddan 13:01

1+ y ago13:01

13:01

Master networker or manners aficionado? Bonus Episode with Steve Haddan When old-style courtesies can get you into hot water, it’s a matter of reading the room, says comedian, sports journalist and author Steve Haddan. But let’s be under no illusions here, there can also be an ulterior motive to good manners … it’s all part of the hustle! About you…

1
Quick Quiz 05, Bonus Episode with Dianne Cant OAM 9:58

1+ y ago9:58

9:58

Discover Dianne Cant OAM’s etiquette absolutes, as she shares highlights from a lifelong love of manners with host Jodie Bache-McLean. Dianne reveals why beautiful gestures should always be acknowledged, and cautions against the most obnoxious modern habits (spoiler alert – if you’re on the escalator at David Jones, you might want to put your phone…

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