Deep Focus

"And Senator: can you imagine being able to smell a flower - on the planet Mars?"
Strangers on a Train, Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, performance by Robert Walker, Warner Bros., 1951.

"The Decoding Society was a band but it was also a way of thinking about things.  Shannon would always say, 'It ain't what you think it is. What you think it is? It ain't that.'"

Vernon Reid, Deep Focus with host Mitch Goldman, WKCR, New York, Dec. 2, 2013

What if you saw a group of people who appeared to be talking amongst themselves at great distance and you didn't know that they had just invented the cel phone?  You might think they were crazy or, if you're very perceptive, you still might be completely baffled, entranced, just utterly gobsmacked.  Now, if invited, would you join the conversation?

 Vernon Reid's answer to that question was yes.  And that response granted him access to places far beyond the bounds of the known universe.  Join us for this memorial broadcast for Ronald Shannon Jackson from 2013, the last in a series of 4 broadcasts.  Our money-back guarantee: all shall be revealed.

 

Now that we have nearly 200 episodes posted, many of you have asked for a way to search through old episodes.  Your request has been answered.  You'll find a search bar at https://mitchgoldman.com/about-deep-focus/

 

#WKCR #DeepFocus #MitchGoldman #VernonReid #RonaldShannonJackson #LivingColour #JazzInterview #JazzRadio

 

Photo credit: no publishing information available.

"And Senator: can you imagine being able to smell a flower - on the planet Mars?"
Strangers on a Train, Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, performance by Robert Walker, Warner Bros., 1951.

"The Decoding Society was a band but it was also a way of thinking about things.  Shannon would always say, 'It ain't what you think it is. What you think it is? It ain't that.'"

Vernon Reid, Deep Focus with host Mitch Goldman, WKCR, New York, Dec.2, 2013

What if you saw a group of people who appeared to be talking amongst themselves at great distance and you didn't know that they had just invented the cel phone?  You might think they were crazy or, if you're very perceptive, you still might be completely baffled, entranced, just utterly gobsmacked.  Now, if invited, would you join the conversation?

 Vernon Reid's answer to that question was yes.  And that response granted him access to places far beyond the bounds of the known universe.  Join us for this memorial broadcast for Ronald Shannon Jackson from 2013, the last in a series of 4 broadcasts.  Our money-back guarantee: all shall be revealed.

 

Now that we have nearly 200 episodes posted, many of you have asked for a way to search through old episodes.  Your request has been answered.  You'll find a search bar at https://mitchgoldman.com/about-deep-focus/

 

#WKCR #DeepFocus #MitchGoldman #VernonReid #RonaldShannonJackson #LivingColour #JazzInterview #JazzRadio

 

Photo credit: no publishing information available.

Ronald Shannon Jackson's music was open source.  It was not possible to play it correctly without bringing your own voice to it: your background, your proclivities, your vocabulary.  And if you didn't have it to bring, the music wasn't going to make it off the stage.  Jack DeSalvo brought a musical lexicon to the Decoding Society that was unmatched.  When Shannon expressed a mood-- on drums or flute or schalmei or in a composition-- Jack was able to flesh it out in a completely distinct way.  Entire new pathways were charted.  

 

Mitch Goldman presents the third installment of his memorial broadcasts for Ronald Shannon Jackson from 2013, with guest Jack DeSalvo.  This week's show features guest cameos of Prince(!), Iron Maiden(!) Ethan Singer(!), a stolen vanload of gear(!) and that guy at the hotel in the south of France(!).  I tell you, this one is not to be missed.

 

#WKCR #DeepFocus #MitchGoldman #RonaldShannonJackson #JackDeSalvo #JazzRadio #JazzInterview #JazzPodcast #DecodingSociety

 

Photo credit: no publishing information available.

Ronald Shannon Jackson's music was open source.  It was not possible to play it correctly without bringing your own voice to it: your background, your proclivities, your vocabulary.  And if you didn't have it to bring, the music wasn't going to make it off the stage.  Jack DeSalvo brought a musical lexicon to the Decoding Society that was unmatched.  When Shannon expressed a mood-- on drums or flute or schalmei or in a composition-- Jack was able to flesh it out in a completely distinct way.  Entire new pathways were charted.  

 

Mitch Goldman presents the third installment of his memorial broadcasts for Ronald Shannon Jackson from 2013, with guest Jack DeSalvo.  This week's show features guest cameos of Prince(!), Iron Maiden(!) Ethan Singer(!), a stolen vanload of gear(!) and that guy at the hotel in the south of France(!).  I tell you, this one is not to be missed.

 

#WKCR #DeepFocus #MitchGoldman #RonaldShannonJackson #JackDeSalvo #JazzRadio #JazzInterview #JazzPodcast #DecodingSociety

 

Photo credit: photo by Dany G.

Part 2 of the rebroadcasts of the Ronald Shannon Jackson memorial broadcasts from 2013.  Melvin Gibbs opens up about the genesis of the Decoding Society, including cameos of Ornette Coleman, Gil Evans, the Bad Brains and many more.  Also featuring an ultra-rare live recording of the Encryption Trio (Jackson, Reid, Gibbs).  Mind expansion.

 

Monday night from 6pm to 9pm on WKCR 89.9FM, WKCR HD-1 and wkcr.org.  

#WKCR #DeepFocus #MitchGoldman #RonaldShannonJackson #DecodingSociety #MelvinGibbs #JazzRadio #JazzInterview #JazzPodcast  #OrnetteColeman  #BernNix #GilEvans #EncryptionTrio

 

Photo credit: Ronald Shannon Jackson 06N5970 - license creativecommons.org-licenses-by-sa-3.0.

Part 2 of the rebroadcasts of the Ronald Shannon Jackson memorial broadcasts from 2013.  Melvin Gibbs opens up about the genesis of the Decoding Society, including cameos of Ornette Coleman, Gil Evans, the Bad Brains and many more.  Also featuring a very rare live recording of the Encryption Trio.  Mind expansion.

 

Monday night from 6pm to 9pm on WKCR 89.9FM, WKCR HD-1 and wkcr.org.  T

#WKCR #DeepFocus #MitchGoldman #RonaldShannonJackson #DecodingSociety #MelvinGibbs #JazzRadio #JazzInterview #JazzPodcast  #OrnetteColeman  #BernNix #GilEvans #EncryptionTrio

 

Photo credit: no publishing information available.

Part 2 of the rebroadcasts of the Ronald Shannon Jackson memorial broadcasts from 2013 (check out "2013.10.21 Eric Person and Roger Cramer on Ronald Shannon Jackson" for part 1).  Melvin Gibbs opens up about the genesis of the Decoding Society, including cameos of Ornette Coleman, Gil Evans, the Bad Brains and many more.  Also featuring a live recording of the Decoding Society at the height of its powers from London's Roundhouse.  Mind expansion.

 

Monday night from 6pm to 9pm on WKCR 89.9FM, WKCR HD-1 and wkcr.org. 

#WKCR #DeepFocus #MitchGoldman #RonaldShannonJackson #DecodingSociety #MelvinGibbs #JazzRadio #JazzInterview #JazzPodcast  #OrnetteColeman  #BernNix #GilEvans #LondonRoundhouse #Roundhouse

 

Photo credit: no publishing information available.

"He sucked all the air out of the room and turned it back into this wonderful... fragrance."  That's Ronald Shannon Jackson talking about Albert Ayler, his spiritual avatar.  Leave aside the unrivaled, prodigious drumming; the utterly singular style of bandleading; the absolutely distinctive composing.  Like Ayler before him, Ronald Shannon Jackson's music brought a spiritual force.  It could change the way the world looked-- yes, the way it smelled and tasted and felt.  

 

Shannon Jackson died on Saturday October 19, 2013.  Two days later WKCR presented a memorial broadcast that included 2 of his closest friends and collaborators: saxophonist/flutist Eric Person and manager Roger Cramer, with nearly unheard rarities from the WKCR archives.  This episode of Deep Focus is from the first of 4 consecutive broadcasts on Ronald Shannon Jackson. 

 

#WKCR #DeepFocus #MitchGoldman #RonaldShannonJackson #EricPerson #RogerCramer #AlbertAyler #JazzRadio #JazzInterview #JazzPodcast  #OrnetteColeman 

 

Photo credit: no information available.

"He sucked all the air out of the room and turned it back into this wonderful... fragrance."  That's Ronald Shannon Jackson talking about Albert Ayler, his spiritual avatar.  Leave aside the unrivaled, prodigious drumming; the utterly singular style of bandleading; the absolutely distinctive composing.  Like Ayler before him, Ronald Shannon Jackson's music brought a spiritual force.  It could change the way the world looked-- yes, the way it smelled and tasted and felt.  

 

Shannon Jackson died on Saturday October 19, 2013.  Two days later WKCR presented a memorial broadcast that included 2 of his closest friends and collaborators: saxophonist/flutist Eric Person and manager Roger Cramer.  This Monday from 6pm to 9pm EDT on Mitch Goldman's Deep Focus, WKCR rebroadcasts this program with nearly unheard rarities from the WKCR archives.  This episode of Deep Focus is the first of 4 consecutive broadcasts on Ronald Shannon Jackson. 

 

Tuesday morning the show goes up on the Deep Focus podcast on your favorite podcasting app or at https://mitchgoldman.podbean.com/

 

#WKCR #DeepFocus #MitchGoldman #RonaldShannonJackson #EricPerson #RogerCramer #AlbertAyler #JazzRadio #JazzInterview #JazzPodcast  #OrnetteColeman 

 

Photo credit: no information available.

The music of hunger: how much soul can you squeeze out of a string and a piece of wood or a hunk of metal? It’s one of the great questions of the music and no one has given a more satisfying answer than Nana Vasconcelos, the brilliant Brazilian percussionist. What a privilege to have bassist Henry Schroy and Brazilian singer/songwriter Negro Leo put unheard recordings of Nana in Deep Focus on Nana's birthday anniversary. 

#WKCR #DeepFocus #MitchGoldman #NanaVasconcelos #NegroLeo #HenrySchroy #BrasilianMusic #Berimbau

Photo credit: Nana_Vasconcelos_-_Portrait_by_Gert_Chesi Gert Chesi, CC BY-SA 4.0 <creativecommons.org-licenses-by-sa-4.0 via Wikimedia Commons