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The Space Station Jazz Program

By David Brown | The Jazz Continuum
August 23, 2022
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In a time before astronauts and cosmonauts explored the space beyond our planet, jazz musicians were already there. In the '50s reference to space in album titles, graphics and song titles equated the music with the modern. This is still true today as space is a place for exploration in jazz. This week, let's jump around the Jazz Continuum and explore some space together.

Playlist

Thelonious Monk

piano
1917 - 1982

" data-original-title="" title="">Thelonious Monk "Esistrophy (Theme)" from Live at the It Club-Complete (Columbia) 00:30

Dinah Washington

vocals
1924 - 1963

" data-original-title="" title="">Dinah Washington "This Bitter Earth" from Unforgettable (Mercury Records) 01:30

Eddie Harris

saxophone, tenor
1934 - 1996

" data-original-title="" title="">Eddie Harris "Don't You Know Your Future's In Space" from Come on Down! (Atlantic) 04:35

Dave Brubeck

piano
1920 - 2012

" data-original-title="" title="">Dave Brubeck "Countdown" from Countdown Time in Outer Space (Atlantic) 09:59

Ikue Mori

electronics

" data-original-title="" title="">Ikue Mori "Moving off the Earth" from Tracing the Magic (Tzadik) 12:22

Nala Sinephro

harp

" data-original-title="" title="">Nala Sinephro "Space 6" from Space 1.8 (Warp Records) 18:39

Mal Waldron

piano
1925 - 2002

" data-original-title="" title="">Mal Waldron "Space Walk" from Up Popped the Devil (Enja Records) 24:59

Quincy Jones

arranger
1933 - 2024

" data-original-title="" title="">Quincy Jones "Walking in Space" from Walking in Space (A&M/CTI Records) 37:58

Ornette Coleman

saxophone, alto
1930 - 2015

" data-original-title="" title="">Ornette Coleman "Space Jungle" from Crisis (Impulse!) 37:58

Pepper Adams

saxophone, baritone
1930 - 1986

" data-original-title="" title="">Pepper Adams "Spacemaker" from Julian (Inner City) 55:26

Sun Ra

piano
1914 - 1993

" data-original-title="" title="">Sun Ra & His Solar Arkestra "Saturn" from 7" single (Modern Harmonic) 1:02:26

Quin Kirchner

drums
b.1981

" data-original-title="" title="">Quin Kirchner "Planet Earth" from The Shadows and the Light (Astral Spirits) 1:02:26

Mary Halvorson

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Mary Halvorson Quintet "Saturn Sings" from Saturn Sings (Firehouse Records) 1:10:10

Brandon Lopez

bass
b.1988

" data-original-title="" title="">Brandon Lopez,

Ingrid Laubrock

saxophone
b.1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Ingrid Laubrock "Saturnian Staring" from No Es La Playa (Intakt Records) 1:15:18

John Coltrane

saxophone
1926 - 1967

" data-original-title="" title="">John Coltrane "Jupiter" from Interstellar Space (Impulse!) 1:23:26

Duke Ellington

piano
1899 - 1974

" data-original-title="" title="">Duke Ellington And His Award Winners "Blues in Orbit" from Blues in Orbit (Columbia) 1:29:53

George Russell

composer / conductor
1923 - 2009

" data-original-title="" title="">George Russell Sextet "Blues in Orbit" from 1 2 3 4 5 6extet (Riverside Records) 1:32:18

Sun Ra

piano
1914 - 1993

" data-original-title="" title="">Sun Ra "Everything Is Space" from Somewhere Else (Rounder Records) 1:39:42

Muriel Grossmann

saxophone

" data-original-title="" title="">Muriel Grossmann "Earth Call" from Earth Tones (Dreamlandrecords) 1:44:42

Jason Moran

piano
b.1975

" data-original-title="" title="">Jason Moran "Planet Rock" from Modernistic (Blue Note) 1:55:07

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