Nov 28, 2021
The story of Hanukkah is one of revolution and miracles: Greek influence over the Jews in the Land of Israel was getting out of hand. Hellenism was spreading, an affront to Jewish culture and religious practice. When the Greek ruler of the time, Antiochus, forbade Jewish religious practice, a small group of Jews,...
Nov 28, 2021
Straight No Chaser is always on the prowl for new and exciting jazz releases for the Christmas holiday season. This year has a number of wonderful releases, and we’ll be featuring several of the more exciting ones over the next week or so.
One of those releases is an EP by singer June Bisantz on the Arabesque label, a...
Nov 26, 2021
Every year right after the Thanksgiving holiday here in the US, I post a podcast that serves as sort of a consumer guide to new jazz releases featuring Christmas music. I mean, really - how is the jazz fan to know what is fresh and new out there to listen to as they do there shopping, decorating and general making...
Nov 24, 2021
Prior to 2019, I had just posted two songs that set the mood for Thanksgiving for me - George Benson's "Giblet Gravy" on the night before, to help out those cooking a festive meal, and Diana Krall's version of "Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep)". The latter, an Irving Berlin masterpiece, is often played for...
Nov 23, 2021
There is no doubt that Christian McBride is one of the most versatile musicians on the music scene today. His artistry has been documented in recordings and performances with the widest possible range of musicians in the most varied settings and genres one might imagine. His collaborations have been as diverse as duets...