Podcast 588: Jazz for the Dog Days 2017

Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show

It's past the midpoint in summer in New England, so why not some summer themed music for these lazy, hot days? Today is August 16th, the feast day of Saint Roch, the patron saint of Dogs, so why not celebrate the "Dog Days"?

The Romans referred to the dog days as diēs caniculārēs and associated the hot weather with the star Sirius. They considered Sirius to be the "Dog Star" because it is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major (Large Dog), as well as the brightest star in the night sky. The term "Dog Days" was used earlier by the Greeks in Aristotle's Physics.

The Dog Days originally were the days when Sirius rose just before or at the same time as sunrise, which is no longer true, owing to procession of the equinoxes. The Romans sacrificed a brown dog (Apologies to Angus and Hamish, my two miniature dachshunds!) at the beginning of the Dog Days to appease the rage of Sirius, believing that the star was the cause of the hot, sultry weather.

I've done five previous Dog Day postings, Podcast 292, Podcast 225, Podcast 442, Podcast 492 and Podcast 546. if you'd like some more summer-themed music. There's a few repeats between these posts, but what the hey. It’s all grooving or relaxing music for soaking in those wonderful warming rays. As they sat on Game of Thrones, "Winter is Coming", so let's grab all the warmth we can get.

Podcast 588 features the following uninterrupted hour of music, all with summer or relaxing themes, featuring a few new tunes I've recently received from upcoming or imminent releases:

Dave Valentin - "Passion Fruit"

Elan Trotman's Tropicality - "100 Degrees"

Bob Baldwin - "Hot Fun in the Sun"

Euge Groove - "Let's Chill"

Thievery Corporation - "Decollage"

Sheryl Bailey - "The Hissing of Summer Lawns"

Benny Carter - "Summer Serenade"

Cyrus Chestnut - "Easy Living"

Russell Malone - "Time for the Dancers"

Bob Baldwin - "Summer's Over"