“Grow Your Own” and Sam Brown (139)

Keith Jarrett’s “Grow Your Own,” recorded by Gary Burton’s quintet for the 1971 album Gary Burton & Keith Jarrett, captures the adventurous spirit of early jazz-rock fusion. Featuring Burton on vibraphone, Jarrett on electric piano and soprano saxophone, Sam Brown on guitar, Steve Swallow on bass, and Bill Goodwin on drums, the composition combines intricate rhythms with unconventional harmony. Its unusual structure includes a 15-bar A section, a funky two-bar B section, and a lyrical eight-bar C section. Syncopated melodies, unexpected chord changes, and shifting harmonic rhythms give the piece an exciting, unpredictable character.

Guitarist Sam Brown (1939–1977) was a remarkably versatile musician whose career crossed jazz, rock, and experimental music. Beyond his work with Burton and Jarrett, he recorded with Charlie Haden, Bill Evans, Carla Bley, and Paul Motian. Although largely overlooked today, Brown’s creativity and adaptability made him an important contributor to jazz’s evolving sound during the 1970s.

Gary Burton and Keith Jarrett

Gary Burton -Live

The Jazz Real Book Podcast Playlist

Lawrence Haber — Bassist, Composer & Bandleader

Lawrence Haber is an accomplished electric and upright bassist, composer, and bandleader with over 25 years of experience performing and recording throughout the New York metropolitan area and Jersey Shore. In 2026, Haber released, Subtle Moves In Silence his first album as a bandleader, showcasing his original compositions, sophisticated musicianship, and collaborations with outstanding New York-area musicians. The project highlights his creative vision and versatility as a composer and bassist.

“Groovin High’ and Diz and Bird in 1945 (138)

1945 was a landmark year for bebop, with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie establishing a revolutionary new direction in jazz. Their recording of “Groovin’ High,” based on the chord changes of the 1920 popular song “Whispering,” demonstrated bebop’s harmonic and melodic sophistication. Gillespie’s arrangement featured a six-bar introduction, three key changes, and a half-time coda. The 32-bar composition uses two 16-bar sections with different endings, incorporating syncopated eighth-note runs, melodic leaps, chromatic movement, and unexpected ii–V progressions. Parker and Gillespie’s remarkable unison playing and improvisations highlighted their musical chemistry. Their partnership flourished throughout 1945 but weakened following their California engagement, largely because of professional differences and Parker’s addiction. Although they pursued separate careers, their collaboration helped establish the foundation of modern jazz.

Dizzy Gillespie 1945

Dizzy Gillespie 1947

The Jazz Real Book Playlist Podcast

Russell Gunn Interview

Born in Chicago in 1971 and raised in East St. Louis, trumpeter Russell Gunn developed a musical identity that bridges hard bop, hip-hop, funk, and R&B. Beginning trumpet at age ten, he was influenced by jazz legends and hip-hop artists such as LL Cool J. Encouraged by band director Ron Carter (not the bassist R) Gunn attended Jackson State University before working with Oliver Lake, Wynton Marsalis on Blood on the Fields, and Branford Marsalis’ Buckshot LeFonque.

His solo career began with Young Gunn (1994), while the Grammy-nominated Ethnomusicology series established his innovative fusion of jazz and contemporary Black music. Based in Atlanta, he later formed the Royal Krunk Jazz Orkestra.

His latest project, Afrikan-Amerikan Book of the Dead, introduces his sextet Blackhawk and explores cultural identity, historical understanding, and empowerment. Inspired by ancient Egyptian spiritual traditions, the album encourages listeners to embrace their heritage and find fulfillment in the present, combining powerful improvisation with social commentary.

“The Green Mountains” and Roy Haynes (137)

“The Green Mountains,” from Gary Burton’s 1969 album Country Roads & Other Places, features guitarist Jerry Hahn, bassist Steve Swallow, and legendary drummer Roy Haynes. The composition stands out for its open harmonic sound, moving between major seventh and suspended chords, along with syncopated melodies and smooth descending bass lines. Haynes brings his unmistakable rhythmic personality to the recording, using crisp cymbal work, unexpected accents, and constant interaction with the ensemble. A veteran of groups led by Charlie Parker, Sarah Vaughan, John Coltrane, and others, Haynes helped connect several generations of jazz while continually adapting his distinctive drumming style.

Gary Burton

Francesco Chiapperini

The Jazz Real Book Playlist Vol.2

Abraham Burton Interview

Saxophonist Abraham Burton has developed a reputation for a powerful and expressive sound rooted in the jazz tradition while maintaining a voice distinctly his own. Growing up in Greenwich Village, Burton was surrounded by music from an early age.

His most important mentors were Jackie McLean and drummer Arthur Taylor taught him one of his most important lessons: technical ability means little if it does not serve the music. Today, Burton carries those experiences into his work as an educator at Rutgers University and with organizations such as Jazz House Kids.

“Grand Central” and Cannonball Adderley Quintet In Chicago (136)

“Grand Central” is a John Coltrane composition recorded on February 3, 1959, for Cannonball Adderley Quintet in Chicago. The session featured Cannonball Adderley, Coltrane, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb—the same core musicians who, less than a month later, would participate in Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue. Played at approximately 256 BPM, the melody mixes rapid eighth-note lines with longer resting notes. Harmonically, Coltrane moves through a series of ii–V progressions that frequently avoid their expected resolutions. The result is a tune that is constantly moving forward, both melodically and harmonically, offering an early glimpse of the increasingly complex harmonic language Coltrane would explore over the next several years.

Coltrane and Cannonball

Pancho Sachez

The Jazz Real Book Podcast Vol 2.

“Good Evening Mr. & Mrs. America & All the Ships at Sea” and Tom Scott (135)

“Good Evening Mr. & Mrs. America & All the Ships at Sea” was composed by drummer John Guerin and recorded by Tom Scott and the L.A. Express for the 1975 album Tom Cat. The title references broadcaster Walter Winchell’s famous opening line. The track is a great example of 1970s jazz fusion, combining jazz harmony and improvisation with funk and rock rhythms. It is also a tune you rarely hear called at a jam session—and for good reason. Compared with most jazz standards, its form, melody, harmony, and rhythms are unusually demanding. The arrangement moves through several contrasting sections, including an extended solo form. Much of the piece is built around a funky bass line and unique chord movement. Later sections introduce dominant chords loaded with tensions, shifting meters of harmonic activity, challenging sixteenth-note figures, and unexpected movement. Guerin’s driving backbeat and Scott’s saxophone ultimately hold the complicated arrangement together.

Tom Scott and L.A. Express

The Jazz Real Book Podcast Vol. 2