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Join us every Thursday for the livestream Jazz Potpourri! https://wpi.zoom.us/j/97495476280
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2026
Glad tidings on the centenary of the birth of John Coltrane, who figures prominently in this week’s Pot Pourri.
12pm–2pm: Trane Trane Trane
2pm–3pm: Worldwide Fellowship Hour
3pm-6pm: Duke Finds his Sound
This Thursday we’ll start a series on one of the greatest stories in the history of the music: Duke Finds His Sound!
Merwin Pond leads some deep listening to try to figure out how Duke Ellington found his sound. Digging into the key period from 1926 to 1933 gives us a good answer. This fall brings us yet another centenary to honor, the 100th anniversary of the Ellington orchestra’s first breakthrough. These years encompass the band’s nightly engagement at the Cotton Club, where Duke could workshop his ideas, and then the move out from New York to the road, where the band would spend the next 40 years.
It’s also when the band consolidated with a steady membership that brought about what Billy Strayhorn called the Ellington Effect.
This first session will look at the big picture, the before and after Duke had found his sound, some tracks from 1926, and then some from 1932 and 1933; and to help us see this big picture, we’ll do a comparison at these junctures with the other great NY band of the time, Fletcher Henderson’s. We’ll then focus on one song Ellington recorded 8 times over this span to see how Duke workshopped it. Can you guess which song?
If we have time, we’ll start a chronological listening of much of the Ellington discography starting in 1926, and that will be the focus of the rest of the sessions.
6pm-Late: The Black Cosmic Music Library
Greetings from The Black Cosmic Music Library (BCML). It's still Autumn, more music arriving your way. We'll hear:
The OM recording from John Coltrane, since it'll be October 1st.
Music from Bill Dixon:
The Trio at 3rd St. Music School, 5-8-82. (Mario Pavone & Laurence Cook)
Judson Hall, December 1964. (Rashied Ali-Robin Kenyatta-Bob Ralston-Bob Cunningham)
Conference of the Birds Live at Studio Rivbea, 1972 (Sam Rivers-Anthony Braxton-Dave Holland-Barry Altschul)
Sam Rivers Trio in Central Park, July 1973 (Richard Davis & Norman Connors)
…Then more rare Live Coltrane: Peace-Love-Cosmic Sound
Past Events
2026-04-30: Abdul Wadud’s 79th Birth Anniversary, recordings from the Kazunori Sugiyama Collection, presented as part of the Jazz Potpourri livestream. Cellist Abdul Wadud (1947–2022) was quietly one of the powerhouse virtuosi of the Loft Jazz era. We’ll nod briefly toward a couple of his essential associations on the way to the afternoon’s centerpiece, the tape of a rare Wadud solo performance from 1978.
2026-04-23: Improvco Concerts, recordings from the Gary Hassay Collection, presented as part of the Jazz Potpourri livestream. Off to Allentown PA to savor more of the 80s and 90s miracles wrought there by visiting and area improvising ensembles.
2026-04-09: Chris Amberger narrates, presented as part of the Jazz Potpourri livestream. Bassist Chris Amberger returns to annotate recordings out of his personal collection—this time from the Boston / New York years of 1972–73. Music from Apogee, Kenny Dorham’s final performance, Victor Brazil, and Billy Pierce.
2026-02-05: Photography of J.D. Parran, with special guest J.D. Parran, presented as part of the Jazz Potpourri livestream. On his first sojourn to NYC in 1971–72, Parran photographed the scene around him, including several projects that Ware was involved in. His photos testify boldly to the power of several intriguing sessions, like Archie Shepp’s January 1972 recording dates for the eternal Attica Blues project.
2026-02-01: Celebrating Westbeth Jazz, Round 2, with special guest commentator Nasheet Waits, 2-5pm. Historic recordings of the 1980 Westbeth Works concerts, from the Will Gamble Collection, featuring Freddie Waits, Nasheet Waits, and more! Presented at the Community Room, Westbeth Artists Housing and Center for the Arts, 55 Bethune St, New York, NY 10014 – FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
2026-01-22: Alan Silva early sounds honoring the bassist’s 87th birthday, with a special guest appearance from Alan Silva, presented as part of the Jazz Potpourri livestream.
2025-12-11: More on Gary Hassay and Improvco, with special guest drummer Tracy Lisk, recordings from the Gary Hassay Collection, presented as part of the Jazz Potpourri livestream.
2025-10-23: Gary Hassay and Improvco, recordings from the Gary Hassay Collection, presented as part of the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2025-06-12: Joe Rigby, recordings from the Kazunori Sugiyama Collection, presented as part of the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2025-06-01: Celebrating Westbeth Jazz 1980, with special guest commentator Billy Harper, 2-5pm, presented at the Community Room, Westbeth Artists Housing and Center for the Arts, 55 Bethune St, New York, NY 10014 – FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
2025-05-08: Mary Lou Williams 1945, presented as part of the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2024-10-24: The Jazz Photographs of Kazunori Sugiyama, Part 2, presented as part of the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2024-07-25: The Jazz Photographs of Kazunori Sugiyama, Part 1, presented as part of the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2024-02-03: Peter Brötzmann Memorial Listening Session, NYC, part of the First Annual Out Music Festival, co-produced by Arts for Arts and FourOneOne
2024-01-29: Rare music from the Black Artists Group, Earl Cross, Jemeel Moondoc, Peter Kowald, and others, NYC, part of the First Annual Out Music Festival, co-produced by Arts for Arts and FourOneOne
2023-12-14: Akio Suzuki Listening Session, Brooklyn, NY, co-presented with Blank Forms
2022-09-08: Paul Bley Quartet (Sweet Basil, May 30, 1987), presented on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2022-08-25: Paul Bley Quartet (Sweet Basil, May 30, 1987), presented on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2022-08-11: Betty Carter at Baker’s Keyboard Lounge in Detroit (January 1979), co-presented with documentarian Nancy Barber on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2022-07-14: Airto (November 1980), presented on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2022-06-30: J.J. Johnson (Village Vanguard), presented on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2022-06-16: Joe McPhee (Soundscape, 1980), presented on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2022-06-02: The Chadbournes (2nd Set, February 6, 1981), presented on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2022-05-19: Ted Daniel's Energy (May 1978), presented on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2022-04-21: Evelyn and Art Blakey(Japan, September 19, 1968), presented on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2022-04-07: Evan Parker Solo (1978), presented on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2022-03-10: Pepper Adams (Baker's Keyboard Lounge), co-presented with documentarian Nancy Barber on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2022-02-10: World Saxophone Quartet (Brooklyn Academy of Music), presented on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2022-01-27: Marvin 'Hannibal' Peterson, presented on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2022-01-03: Barre Phillips solo, presented on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2021-12-30: Muhal Richard Abrams + Horace Silver, presented on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2021-12-16: Phineas Newborn Trio (April 16, 1978), presented on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2021-12-02: Bill Frisell and Tim Berne (136 Lawrence St., Brooklyn, June 21, 1984), presented on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2021-11-18: Walter Thompson Quartet (Soundscape, June 22, 1981), presented on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2021-11-04: Billy Bang and Frank Lowe (1979), presented on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2021-10-21: Eugene Chadbourne and Toshinori Kondo (December 29, 1978), presented on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2021-10-07: Black Artists Group (Studio Rivbea, 1974), presented on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2021-09-23: Jemeel Moondoc memorial via Ensemble MUNTU (Piano Magic, April 1, 1978), presented on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2021-09-09: Sunny Murray, presented on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2021-08-26: Phineas Newborn (1958 UFO), presented on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2021-08-12: Butch Morris and Andrew Cyrille (Newfoundland Theater, April 30, 1981), presented on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2021-07-29: Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre Trio (Public Theater, November 11, 1979), presented on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2021-07-15: Mary Lou Williams’s History of Jazz (April 22, 1978), presented on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2021-07-01: Rashied Ali/William Parker/Mabo Suzuki/Takehisa Kosugi (386 Broadway, February 26, 1984), presented on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2021-06-17: Charles Tyler Sextet (Sweet Basil, March 1984), presented on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2021-06-03: Mal Waldron and Charlie Rouse (Soundscape, October 24, 1981 and unreleased early 1980s studio session), presented on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2021-05-20: Pharaoh Sanders with the Collective Black Artists Ensemble(Town Hall, January 26, 1978), presented on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
2021-05-06: New Music Remembers the Old Master Duke Ellington(Town Hall, July 6, 1980), presented on the Jazz Potpourri livestream
