Mixtape 3 - 2010-02-26

Soil & "Pimp" Sessions - SUMMER GODDESS
Pimp of the Year (2006)

Chris: Soil & "Pimp" Sessions is one of a number of hugely popular jazz-inspired bands that have sprung up in Japan in the last few years. Pimp of the Year is an incredibly fun album, and it's nice to have some summer music when there is a SNOWICANE raising hell outside.

Talk Talk - After The Flood
Laughing Stock (1991)

Neil: I'll be honest. I really hate post-rock. For the most part, I think it's boring and pretentious. Talk Talk is considered to be one of the first post-rock bands, but they manage to avoid all the cliches I hate about the genre. Their music combines elements of jazz, post-punk, and ambient music into something truly unique and special.

Guillermo E. Brown - More & More
Soul at the Hands of the Machine (2002)

Elliot: It melted my face clean off.

Erik Truffaz - Good News from the Desert
Rendez-Vous (2008)

Tony: Rendez-vous is French jazz trumpet player Erik Truffaz's ambitious project featuring Sly Johnson, a French beatboxer; Murcof, a Mexican electronic artist; Indian duet Indrani and Apurba Mukerjee. This ambient nu-jazzy track features only Erik and Murcof, but check out the rest of the album for some more interesting collaborations.

Bill Nye Parody Music Videos

I'm only now discovering how great these are -- I didn't understand most of them growing up. Seriously, how is a kid growing up in the 90s supposed to get P-Swamp All Stars with DJ Hoppy - The Amphidelic Mothership Metamorphosis? Luckily, some kind soul uploaded most of the videos to youtube. Check them out, there are a TON of these since the show ran for so long.

Mixtape 2 - 2010-02-19

Christian McBride - Say Something
Live At Tonic (2006)

Elliot: One of my favorite tracks from the live album Live At Tonic (2006). Christian McBride on bass, Geoffrey Keezer on keys, Terreon Gulley on drums, Ron Blake on saxes. I love the way they go from funk to swing and back. Also, shout out to Neil for Black Saint. I would love to see a ballet performance of the whole piece sometime...

Shirley Bassey - Light My Fire (Kenny Dope mix)
Diamonds Are Forever: The Remix Album (2000)

Chris: You may recognize Shirley Bassey from a few classic James Bond theme songs. On Diamonds Are Forever: The Remix album, several big producers make interesting use of the diva's voice but Kenny Dope's attempt really stands out.

Charles Mingus - Track C - Group Dancers
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (1963)

Neil: Black Saint is a really awesome album because it's really accessible and avant-garde at the same time. This shit is mindblowing, seriously. I chose this track because it has some awesome flamenco guitar in it and it's not as long as the last track.

Bonobo - Days To Come
Days To Come (2006)

Jacob: From the British DJ and bassist Simon Green comes this laid back groove. The hauntingly beautiful vocals are from Bajka, an indian vocalist who fuses with Bonobo to create a lush and jazzy track.

Bugge Wesseltoft's New Conception of Jazz - You Might Say
Sharing (1998)

Tony: Some outstanding Nu Jazz Trip Hop from Norwegian jazz pianist Bugge Wesseltoft.

Mixtape 1 - 2010-02-12

Behold, the first Professor Dog weekly mixtape!


Blu & Exile - Dancing In The Rain
Below the Heavens (2007)

Neil: I don't think there's been an album like Below the Heavens since Pete and CL split up. Exile's definitely one of the best producers to have come up in the last decade. Blu's no slouch as an MC either. In all, this is an excellent listen if you want to see where real hip-hop is going.

Bill Frisell - Ron Carter
Blues Dream (2001)

Elliot: Turn up the speakers and tune in to some prime Bill Frisell. Bill Frisell on guitar, Greg Leisz on steel guitar, Ron Miles on trumpet, Billy Brews on alto, Curtis Fowlkes on trombone, David Pilch on bass, Kenny Wollensen on drums.

Massive Attack - Saturday Come Slow
Heligoland (2010)

Chris: The new Massive Attack album, titled Heligoland, was released this week. Damon Albarn, who is the familiar voice of Gorillaz, lends his talents to this track.

El-P - Sunrise Over Bklyn
High Water (2004)

Tony: High Water is a jazz album by hip hop producer El-P. I've never been a big fan of his, but this album is an amazing blend of hip hop and jazz. Every song on the album is equally worth a listen, I chose this one because it was the longest and I didn't want the podcast to be too short a listen since there are so few of us.