Jazz With Marty Friedman

Spotlight On: Kenny Barron Air Date: 8/16/2026  on 90.5 WICN 9am-12pm ET If you miss the air date: click here for the archives for up to two weeks .  He's been around a long time, and he has played with everybody! Well, not really everybody, but you know what I mean.  Look below at some of the recordings that you'll hear, where Kenny Barron is a sideman: Cheryl Bentyne (of the Manhattan Transfer), George Benson, Stan Getz, Russell Malone, Jane Monheit, Jeannie Bryson. The Benson project goes back a bit, to 1974 (our remastered version sounds like it was recorded yesterday). Of course, there are plenty of projects with Mr. Barron as the lead. His latest release, Songbook,  features a number of vocalists who have applied lyrics to some of the pianist's original compositions. Check out the New for You hour and you'll see vocalists like Ann Hampton Callaway and Ekep Nkwelle. One of my favorite Kenny Barron CDs is Sambao , released in 1992. It contains eight original song...

Spotlight On: Stacey Kent Air Date: 8/9/2026  on 90.5 WICN 9am-12pm ET If you miss the air date: click here for the archives for up to two weeks .    I've been trying to think of vocalists who might compare to Stacey Kent, whose voice might have the same quality as hers, or similar. But I could not.  She has a voice that I like to describe as crystalline.   I can contrast her voice with others. Say for example, Dianne Reeves, another great jazz singer. Ms. Reeves has clarity, with great power in her voice. With Stacey Kent, there is power, but what stands out most is the sweetness and clarity. I love that you can readily hear and understand the lyrics. It feels like perfection.   Okay, maybe I can compare her to Jane Monheit, who has also a great sweetness as well as range. Now I am realizing that this thought experiment is fruitless. Each of the singers mentioned, most especially our spotlight artist Stacey Kent, is sui generis - one of a kind. ...

Spotlight On: Joe Magnarelli Air Date: 8/2/2026  on 90.5 WICN 9am-12pm ET If you miss the air date: click here for the archives for up to two weeks .    I have enjoyed the music of Joe Magnarelli since I started as an announcer at WICN in 1995. Yes, that's a long time, and from my point of view, it proves to me that what we have here is an enormous talent.    The other day at a jam session, someone came over to me and wanted to talk about the importance of song selection in the career of a musician. The point being, that it is not enough to be technically competent or even technically superior if the you pick songs that are, well, duds. Or maybe not duds, but nothing very interesting, and you don't make it interesting.   But Mr. Magnarelli always has several really great tunes on his releases, usually with some standards mixed in. For example, two of my favorite songs on his  2008 CD Persistence , Ballad for Baretto and Soul Sister , are his original ...

Spotlight On: Stella Cole Air Date: 7/26/2026  on 90.5 WICN 9am-12pm ET If you miss the air date: click here for the archives for up to two weeks .  HOUR ONE: Contemplative Morning 🎤 Stella Cole\It's Magic 2025 feat Alan Broadbent\Stairway to the Stars Stan Hope\Pastels 1999\Pastels Stefano Di Battista-Round About Roma-02 Amoroso 2002 Tessa Souter\Picture In Black and White\Nothing Will Be As It Was 🎤 Stella Cole\My Funny Valentine 2026\You Go To My Head The Kyle Asche Organ Trio-Five Down Blues 2021-06 Never Let Me Go Toninho Horta-To Jobim with Love-10 Modinha 2008 feat Rosa Passos v. 🎤 Stella Cole\It's Magic 2025 feat Alan Broadbent\Imagination Ali Ryerson\The Ali Ryerson Quartet 2026\04 Flying in Space-Falling Grace Craig Davis\Tone Paintings  2022\Dodo's Lament Charles Chen\The Long Way Home 2026\Prelude to a Kiss 🎤 Stella Cole\It's Magic 2025 feat Alan Broadbent\It's Magic HOUR TWO: New For You Amanda Tosoff\Where the Joy Is Feat Emile Claire Barlow 2026\T...

Spotlight On: Johnny Hartman Air Date: 7/19/2026  on 90.5 WICN 9am-12pm ET If you miss the air date: click here for the archives for up to two weeks . HOUR ONE: Contemplative Morning 🎤 Johnny Hartman-Songs From the Heart-03 I Fall In Love Too Easily-1956 John Lee\Second Wind 2024\Why Was I Born Larry Willis Trio\The Big Push\The Day You Said Goodbye 🎤 John Coltrane-John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman-02 Dedicated to You-1963 John Harrison Trio Going Places 02 I have dreamed  John McLean-Easy Go-06 Sag Harbor 2001 🎤 Johnny Hartman-The Voice That Is!-06 The Day the World Stopped Turning-1994 Libby York-Here With You 2008-11 Flamingo Leslie Odom Jr.-06 Nobody Knows When You're Down and Out (2016) Leslie Pintchik-True North 2015-06 True North Lizz Wright-Dreaming Wide Awake-09 Get Together 2005 🎤 Johnny Hartman-The Voice That Is!-05 It Never Entered My Mind-1994 HOUR TWO: New For You Ali Ryerson\The Ali Ryerson Quartet 2026\04 Flying in Space-Falling Grace Charles Chen\The Long W...

Sunday's Playlist Air Date: 7/12/2026  on 90.5 WICN 9am-12pm ET If you miss the air date: click here for the archives for up to two weeks . Image: Sarah Vaughn, public domain.  HOUR ONE: Contemplative Morning Sarah Vaughan-Ultimate Sarah Vaughan-12 Detour Ahead-1997 Billy Childs\Triumvirate 2026\Carefree Kenny Barron-Songbook 2026-05 Illusion feat Ekep Nkwelle v. Lisanne Lyons\May I Come In 2026\Unless It's You Ted Rosenthal Trio\Classics Reimagined - Improp2 2025\09. Salut D'Amour - Elgar Bria Skonberg\Brass 2026 - Somewhere Out There Sergio Pereira\Colors of Time 2026\Rain Fall Stacey Kent\A Time For Love 2026\As Peter Erskine\Peregrine 2026\Wichita Lineman Gabriel Espinosa\The-Brazilian-Project 2026\Caramelo HOUR TWO: New For You Leigh Pilzer\Keep Holding On 2026\Another Pretty Song Paul McCandless-Morning Sun-13 Twilight 2017 Chris Hazelton\In Rotation 2026\Summer In Central Park Hannah Gill-I Like the Sunrise 2026-10 Take Love Easy Steve Kuhn-Seasons Of Romance-02-Roma...

Spotlight On: Pat Metheny Air Date: 7/5/2026  on 90.5 WICN 9am-12pm ET If you miss the air date: click here for the archives for up to two weeks . Image: " Pat Metheny " by badosa is licensed under CC BY 2.0 .  HOUR ONE: Contemplative Morning 🎸Pat Metheny Group-The Road To You-03 The Road to You 1993 🎸 Pat Metheny Group\Speaking of Now\Another Life Pete Malinverni\On the Town 2022\Somewhere Rebecca Kilgore\Trio Volume  2021\That Sunday, That Summer Chiara Civello-The Space Between-02 If You Ever Think Of Me 2007 Alberto Pibiri Trio\Stardust 2022\Moonlight in Vermont 🎸 Pat Metheny-Secret Story-08 Always and Forever 1992 Stella Cole\It's Magic 2025 feat Alan Broadbent\Say It Steve Berndt\Heart of Hearts 2026\Heart of Hearts  Steve Kuhn-Remembering Tomorrow-07 Emmanuel 1995 Tania Grubbs\The Sound of Love 2024\The Sculptor's Hands Tessa Souter\Picture In Black and White\12_Nothing Will Be As It Was  HOUR TWO: New For You 🎸 Pat Metheny-One Quiet Night 2003-03 Do...

Our Operators are Standing By Air Date: 6/28/2026  on 90.5 WICN 9am-12pm ET If you miss the air date: click here for the archives for up to two weeks . Thankfully, our equipment is a bit more modern than what is pictured. But  do you see those happy smiles? That's how we look when a great song is playing on the air, which is most of the time.  I hope you can support our cause, which is jazz plus - the plus referring to our great evening lineup of folk, blues, and other types of music practically ignored by commercial media. Call us between 9am and 12pm during the SJB to pledge. The number is: 508-752-0700. If you would like to pledge online, click here. Thanks so much for tuning in to WICN and the Sunday Jazz Brunch.  Best,

Spotlight On: Helio Alves Air Date: 6/21/2026  on 90.5 WICN 9am-12pm ET If you miss the air date: click here for the archives for up to two weeks .   On this edition of the Sunday Jazz Brunch, we'll take a deep dive into the music of   pianist Hélio Alves. I'll play for you releases where he is the lead and also where he is a sideman. I've enjoyed just about everything this artist does, and so this show is quite easy for me to put together.    I would like some feedback on this new feature in the Sunday Jazz Brunch. Please send me email at marty@wicn.org and let me know what you think, before or after the show!   Thanks so much for listening to the Sunday Jazz Brunch.   Best,   Marty    Photo of Helio Alves by Mitch Bleier,  mb626rsd@gmail.com or @mitch.bleier on Instagram.      HOUR ONE: Contemplative Morning 🎹  Hélio Alves-Musica-09 Chan's Song-2010 Harvie S\Bright-Dawn 2026\Waltz for Vartan Blue Moods\D...

Spotlight On: Eric Alexander Air Date: 6/14/2026  on 90.5 WICN 9am-12pm ET If you miss the air date: click here for the archives for up to two weeks .   Photos of Eric Alexander by Mitch Bleier,  mb626rsd@gmail.com or @mitch.bleier on Instagram.      HOUR ONE: Contemplative Morning Lisanne Lyons\May I Come In 2026\This is Always George Cotsirilos\In The Wee Hours 2026\In The Wee Small Hours of the Morning Jun Iida\Bellflower 2026\Chasing Peace Alma Micic\You're My Thrill 2024\You're My Thrill  Audrey Ochoa\The Sorceress 2026\Swan Song Ted Rosenthal Trio\Ted Rosenthal Songbook 2025\Nine Lives Hendrik Meurkens\Samba Tonto 2026\A Lullaby for Benny     🎷  Eric Alexander-Eric Alexander With Strings-02 Dreamsville 2019 Danilo Pérez & Claus Ogerman-Across The Crystal Sea-07 The Saga Of Rita Joe 2008 Stacey Kent-I Know I Dream-05 To Say Goodbye 2017 HOUR TWO: New For You Duchess\A Marvelous Party 2026\Is That All There Is Emmet Cohen\Unive...

Sunday's Playlist Air Date: 6/07/2026  on 90.5 WICN 9am-12pm ET If you miss the air date: click here for the archives for up to two weeks .   Photo of Jamile by Mitch Bleier,  mb626rsd@gmail.com or @mitch.bleier on Instagram.      HOUR ONE: Contemplative Morning Stacey Kent\A Time For Love 2026\The Shadow of Your Smile Ted Rosenthal Trio\The Good Old Days 2026\Autumn In New York Sergio Pereira\Colors of Time 2026\ Rain Fall Steve Wilson\Enduring Sonance 2026\Pieces of Dreams Jamile with Miki Yamanaka & Her Trio, Plus Steve Wilson\Pursuit of a Pulse\Timeless Portraits and Dreams Joe Locascio\November The Music of Phil Gurlik 2023\November Johnny Hartman1996-Unforgettable-11 Unforgettable-1996 Kristin Callahan\Lost In a Dream 2021\Lost In A Dream Larry Carlton-Kid Gloves-03 Michele's Whistle 1992 Lucy Wijnands & John Di Martino-Call Me Irresponsible 2022-03 Suddenly It's Spring Marco Pereira-Original-06 O Choro de Juliana 2003 Marquis Hill-Sounds of ...