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…

Ned Ryun, founder of American Majority, appeared on the Grand Canyon Times Podcast to discuss his predictions on potential nominees from both Republican and Democrat parties, as well as the impact of absentee ballots in the upcoming electionRyun is a former writer for President George W. Bush. Before founding American Majority Action he created Gen…

Steve Cortes appeared on the Grand Canyon Times Podcast to discuss the recent debate between former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden, and the impact it will have on Arizona Voters. Bio: Cortes is a political advisor and commentator. He previously traded global currencies and interest rates for 25 years for large international hedge fu…

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…

Jeff Tobey, candidate for the governing board of Peoria Unified School District, appeared on the Grand Canyon Times Podcast to discuss the reasons he's running and his plans to make student and staff safety a priority in the district. Bio Tobey is currently running for a seat on the Peoria Unified School District board, which will be on the Novembe…

Austin VanDerHeyden, the Municipal Affairs Liaison at The Goldwater Institute, joined the Grand Canyon Times podcast to discuss his organization’s new report showing that hundreds of millions of dollars has been spent to “combat homelessness” by the Phoenix and Tucson governments, with little transparency or return on investment.He also discussed a…

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…

Patrick Brenner, founder and president of the Southwest Public Policy Institute (SPPI), joins the Grand Canyon Times Podcast to discuss public records law, school choice, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In this episode, he covers the institute's pending lawsuits against the city of Scottsdale and Mesa Public Schools related to Arizona…

H. Sterling Burnett, director of the Arthur B. Robinson Center on Climate and Environmental Policy, joins the Grand Canyon Times Podcast to discuss the creation of "chief heat officers" within the State of Arizona government and Phoenix city government, the agenda behind those positions, and the way in which "heat related" deaths are reported withi…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Steve Cortes, founder and president of the League of American Workers (LAW), joined the Grand Canyon Times Podcast to discuss the results of a new poll of Arizona voters. Among other findings, the poll results show: Former President Donald Trump ( R) leads President Biden (D) by four points among Arizona voters in the 2024 race for the White House:…

Naomi Lopez, Senior Fellow at the Goldwater Institute, joined the Grand Canyon Times Podcast to discuss the need for more transparency in the federal 340b program. Established in 1992, the 340b program enables eligible hospitals and healthcare organizations to purchase outpatient medications at significantly discounted prices. Hospitals participati…

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…

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 …

Since 2021, government records show 186 voter registrants were “involuntarily purged” for citizenship issues in Pima County, ArizonJ. Christian Adams, president of the Public Interest Legal Foundation and founder of the Election Law Center, joined the Grand Canyon Times podcast to discuss a new report from his organization which showed that, since …

Kayla Van Soest, the Tucson Market Manager of Children’s Entrepreneur’s Market (C.E.M.), joins the Grand Canyon Times Podcast to discuss the organization. Founded in Utah, CEM helps organize markets in sixteen states, including Arizona, where children can sell their products and learn about entrepreneurship. CEM operates in various locations, inclu…

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…

U.S. Congressional candidate Blake Masters (R-AZ-8) joined the Grand Canyon Times podcast to discuss his race. Masters is one of four candidates currently running in the Republican primary to represent the 8th Congressional District. The district is currently represented by U.S. Rep. Debbie Lesko (R), who announced last year that she will be retiri…

Matt Roeske, founder of Cultivate Elevate, joined the Grand Canyon Times Podcast to discuss the power of Electroculture which, he said, is, “the ancient practice of increasing yields utilizing certain materials to harvest the earth's atmospheric energy.” Learn more: https://cultivateelevate.com/blog/electroculture-gardening-techniques-for-beginners…

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…

Kyle Reyes is the president of Law Enforcement Today, joined the Grand Canyon Times Podcast to discuss border security and his recent trip to the Arizona-Mexico border. Following is a summary of this episode: Border Security and Immigration Legislation: Reyes discussed the current state of border security and immigration legislation, noting the ine…

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…

Steve Cortes, founder of the League of American Workers (LAW), appeared on the Grand Canyon Times Podcast to discuss a new poll conducted for his organization, which found that only 18% of Arizona voters say that the American Dream is “still attainable.” Founded in 2022 by Cortes, LAW conducts research and develops proposals on public policies impa…

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…

Jenny Clark, a member of the Arizona Board of Education, joined the Grand Canyon Times Podcast to discuss the state’s Empowerment Scholarship (ESA) Program and the governor’s recently proposed regulations of the program. Clark is also the founder of the “Love Your School” organization and a partner at First Day PR. Following is a summary of this ep…

Arizona-based Chris Buskirk is the publisher of American Greatness. He has founded, built, and successfully sold multiple finance businesses including in insurance, reinsurance, specialty lending, and tax-credit financing. For over 15 years he has been a successful investor in growth stages companies across the financial services space as well as i…

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…

Matt Beienburg, the director of education policy at the Phoenix-based Goldwater Institute, appeared on the Grand Canyon Times Podcast to discuss the Biden Administration’s $37.7 million fine on Grand Canyon University (GCU), the largest Christian university in the U.S. The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) said the fine was imposed because GCU all…

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 …

Katlie Ratlief, executive director of the Common Sense Institute Arizona (CSI-AZ) and Glenn Farley, CSI’s director of policy and research, joined the Grand Canyon Times Podcast to discuss the recently-released 2023 edition of Arizona’s Free Enterprise Report: https://commonsenseinstituteaz.org/2023-free-enterprise-report/ This report includes the “…

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…

Phoenix-area resident Ryan Hartwig, who gained national attention for "hidden camera" footage about Facebook, joined the Grand Canyon Times Podcast.In 2020, Hartwig released hidden camera footage from his work as a “content moderator” for Facebook while working at the Phoenix offices Cognizant. That footage, released through Project Veritas, featur…

Steve Cortes, founder of the League of American Workers (LAW), appeared on the Grand Canyon Times Podcast to discuss a new poll conducted for his organization, which found that only 18% of Arizona voters say that the American Dream is “still attainable.” That poll, conducted for LAW by North Star Opinion Research, also found that 78% of Arizonans n…

Dr. Owen Anderson, professor at Arizona State University (ASU), joined the Grand Canyon Times Podcast to discuss free speech and inquiry on Arizona college campuses. Anderson is a professor in the ASU School of Humanities, Arts and Cultural Studies. He has been with ASU for twenty one years, and previously was a fellow at Princeton University, a vi…

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 …

Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne joined the Grand Canyon Times Podcast to discuss several issues central to the state of education in Arizona, including Critical Race Theory, school "bathroom policies," sexualized content in schools, and Arizona school choice. Horne, 78, was elected Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction…

Former Congressman Lt. Col. Allen West (ret.), executive director of the American Constitutional Rights Union (ACRU), joined the Grand Canyon Times Podcast to discuss Arizona’s political climate and efforts to enact “Ranked Choice Voting” (RCV) in the state. West represented Florida’s 22nd Congressional District from 2011 to 2013. He served in the …

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…

Hayden Ludwig, director of research at Restoration for America, joined the Grand Canyon Times Podcast to to discuss his recent column, “High Election Worker Turnover’ is the Left’s Newest Ploy to Federalize Elections.” “Democrats fired the latest salvo in a long war to radically transform American elections by eroding state and local control, repla…

Gina Swoboda, director of the Voter Reference Foundation, joined the Grand Canyon Times Podcast to discuss election integrity in Arizona and throughout the country. Headquartered in Phoenix, the Voter Reference Foundation is a national non-profit foundation dedicated to ensuring free and fair elections in the United States. Swoboda also is the Chie…

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…

Merissa Hamilton is the executive director of the Save Arizona Fund and co-founder and CEO of EZAZ.org ,which seeks to make civic action “Easy as Pie. She previously ran for Phoenix mayor in 202 and serves as Member at Large of the Republican Party for Congressional District 1. EasyAZ.org and Civic Action: The platform tracks government agenda item…

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?…

Ann Atkinson, the former executive director of the T. W. Lewis Center for Personal Development at Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University (ASU), joined the Grand Canyon Times podcast to discuss her firing from ASU and the battle for freedom of speech at the university.Atkinson is also an entrepreneur, healthcare real estate investor…

Phoenix resident Jason Bedrick, a research fellow in the Center for Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation, joined the Grand Canyon Times to discuss school choice and parents rights in education in Arizona.Jason’s work focuses on policies that promote education freedom and choice, religious liberty, classical education, and restoring the prima…

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…