“Conference of the Birds” is my weekly radio program on WNUR-FM. It airs on Tuesdays from 5-7:30 am Chicago time (UTC-6). And, of course, when technology cooperates, you can just come here for the archives.

I was really happy with this week’s show.  Unfortunately, the studio’s internet connection died towards the end of the show, so the archive cuts off just as Dee Alexander’s “Rossignol” starts.  But hopefully you’ll enjoy what was captured, which is more than 2 hours worth of music.

Coincidentally, just around the time I played the Heliocentrics “Return Journey,” (“On behalf of Commander Edwards and the entire crew, it has been a pleasure serving you, and we look forward to having you aboard our transinternational space ship for our return flight to Earth.”)  I received a MySpace comment from David Murray saying “Great to have you as a space friend.” So I fired up some of his music and dedicated the first hour of the show to him. Great to have you as a space friend, sir.

Also, since last week’s show, I learned of the passing of John Storm Roberts, musicologist and founder of the Original Music label.  A proper tribute to the prodigious output of his label requires more preparation than I was able to make, but enjoy the couple of songs I included in the show in his memory and I’ll work on a full-on tribute, perhaps after the new year.

partial program (118 MB, 2 hrs 9 min)

Artist: “Track” – Album (Label)
John Zorn: “Exodus” – The Dreamers (Tzadik)
Oliver Nelson: “Daylie’s Double” – Fantabulous (Verve)
Lady Margo: “This is My Prayer (to Find Someone of My Own)” – Light: On the South Side – Pepper’s Jukebox
The Pharoahs: “Freedom Time” – Freedom Rhythm & Sound (Soul Jazz)
The Heliocentrics: “Return Journey/Sounds of the East” – Out There (Now-Again)
Amina Claudine Myers: “3/4′s of 4/4″ – Freedom Rhythm & Sound (Soul Jazz)
David Murray: “High Priest” – Shakill’s Warrior (DIW/Columbia)
Adam Rudolph’s Moving Pictures: “Walking the Curve” – Dream Garden (Justin Time)
Medeski, Martin and Wood: “Tutrusa’i” – Zaebos: Book of Angels, Vol. 11 (Tzadik)
William Parker Raining on the Moon: “Doctor Yesterday” – Corn Meal Dance (AUM Fidelity)
Arelean Brown: “I’m a Streaker Baby” – Light: On the South Side – Pepper’s Jukebox (Numero Group)
Alice Russell: “Got the Hunger” – Pot of Gold (Six Degrees)
Dudu Pukwana and Spear: “Sekela Kuluma” – In the Townships (Earthworks)
Gyedu-Blay Ambolley & His Creations: “Akoko Ba” – Ghana Special: Modern Highlife, Afro-Sounds & Ghanaian Blues 1968-81 (Soundways)
Steve Coleman: “Flint” – Def Trance Beat (Modalities of Rhythm) (Novus)
Live Human: “Elephant’s Bliss” – Elefish Jellyphant (Matador)
NOMO: “Divisions” – New Tones (Ubiquity)
Stargazers Band: “Masan Makwo” – Telephone Lobi: More Giants of Danceband Highlife (Original Music)
Celestine Ukwu: “Ife Sina Chi” – Celestine Ukwu Best Collection Vol. 1 (Stern’s)
Billy Mbowa and the AGS Boys: “Jane Wange” – The Kampala Sound (Original Music)
Herbie Hancock: “Fat Albert Rotunda” – Mwandishi: The Complete Warner Bros. Recordings (Warner)
The Nice Guy Trio: “Apples” – Here Comes The Nice Guy Trio (Porto Franco)
Wil Holshouser Trio: “Brooklyn Research” – Singing to a Bee (Clean Feed)
Dee Alexander: “Rossignol” – Wild is the Wind (Blujazz)
Nicole Mitchell Black Earth Strings: “By My Own Grace” – Renegades (Delmark)
Harris Eisenstadt: “Don’t Gild the Lilly” – Canada Day (Clean Feed)
Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Indo-Pak Coalition: “Apti” – Apti (Innova)