KCOU JAZZ
May 4, 2025
An athletically motivated evening of jazz radio programming.
Songs Included
George Semper | Universe | Themes for Television, Sports & Aerobics (1984)
Featured on an album with titles like We Are The LA Raiders and Here’s To The NBA, Universe opens a galaxy of sporting circumstance. This piece comes to life like an old highlight tape, showcasing only the best of athletic jazz music.Lee Morgan | The Sidewinder | The Sidewinder (1964)
A classic piece of hard bop that swings like a baseball bat, The Sidewinder became one of Lee Morgan’s most celebrated compositions. This was a classic celebrating a big outing for Morgan, who contributed runs and big hits. Joe Henderson also ran his way around the plates, whirling away in a spirited mood.
The team put together a dominant performance. The Sidewinder marked a Billboard Hot 100 hit, prompting Blue Note to push Morgan to the front in future releases.
Vince Guaraldi | Baseball Theme | A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1964)
Settling into a baseball groove, Vince Guaraldi composes an impression of a sunny day at the ballpark. With Guaraldi’s piano chasing melodies along with walking bass and chugging drums, the trio find a pocket of cool jazz in the outfield.
Tom Ford | Recordasinhas | The Tennis Champions (2022)
A dream-like cut of latin-inspired guitar and vocals, Tom Ford’s Recordasinhas fits into his 2022 album The Tennis Champions, which emphasizes alternative grooves.
Bing Crosby | Straight Down The Middle (1958)
A golf-inspired single, Straight Down The Middle follows big band vocalist Bing Crosby across the green.
Athletic Progression | And1 | (2020)
From modern jazz outfit Athletic Progression’s self-titled album, And1 hangs onto a rising and falling piano, stuck in motion and accentuated by shifting percussion.
El Michels Affair | Shadowboxing | Return To The 37th Chamber (2017)
Another contemporary jazz artist, El Michels Affair creates a fighting-inspired sonic trance on Shadowboxing, ornamented by ringing bells.
Art Blakey | Ping-Pong | Ugetsu (1963)
Played like a bouncing match of table tennis, Ping-Pong raps back and forth across the surfaces of melody and bridge, with Blakey’s drums informing much of the hard-bop style.
Stan Getz, Luiz Bonfa, Maria Toledo |
Saudade Vem Correndo | Jazz Samba Encore! (1963)
Nostalgia Comes Running is the English translation of this 1963 bossa nova classic featuring the best of pioneering Brazilian guitarist Luiz Bonfa, samba-infused American saxophonist Stan Getz, and vocalist Maria Toledo.
Bill Evans, Jim Hall | Skating in Central Park | Undercurrent (1962
Showcasing the delicate nature of sport, Bill Evans and Jim Hall combine on Skating in Central Park and bring forward a softly-tempered winter day on an ice-rink.
Dizzy Gillespie | The Champ | World Statesmen (1956)
As a finalist to a show dedicated to sports, The Champ stands tall as a thumping winning display of big band bebop.