On this episode of Visions, I celebrate several birthdays, including my own, the solstice, and winter in general.

Dec. 29 just so happened to fall on a Monday for Visions, but that’s also my birthday, Joe Lovano’s birthday and Danilo Perez’s birthday. I play their music and several others who have birthdays in late December and early January.

You’ll hear from Lonnie Liston Smith, Chris Potter, Milt Jackson and Herbie Nichols. I also play Capricorn themed music from Miles Davis and Wayne Shorter.

I play a couple selections having to do with the solstice or winter from Gerry Mulligan & Paul Desmond, Branford Marsalis, and a beautiful record from Ralph Towner.

Last but not least, I play my own music on Visions for the very first time. You’ll hear two selections from my 2021 album, Placemaking.

Check out the playlist below and listen to the episode on-demand for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

Visions Playlist for Dec. 29, 2025

• “Lonnie’s Lament (Live)” – Joe Lovano
• “Footprints” – Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes
• “Capricorn” – Miles Davis
• “For Someone I Love” – Milt Jackson
• “Dyad” – Kaleigh Wilder*
• “Wintersong (Take 2)” – Gerry Mulligan & Paul Desmond
• “Solstice” – Branford Marsalis
• “Panamá 2000” – Danilo Perez
• “It Didn’t Happen” – Herbie Nichols
• “Capricorn 2” – Wayne Shorter
• “The Source (For John Coltrane)” – Chris Potter
• “These Tears I Cry (Alternate Take)” – Kaleigh Wilder
• “Nimbus” – Ralph Towner, Jan Garbarek, Eberhard Weber & Jon Christensen

*indicates Detroit artists

This week’s episode leaned into our first big snowfall of the season here in Detroit with some holiday and winter songs from Cranes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and All My Faith Lost.

We also heard new music from Acopia, Chokecherry, Fawn, along with your favorite Big Sonic Heaven classics. 

Check the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the player above

• “Undenied” – Portishead
• “Chained to a Cloud” – Slowdive
• “Silhouette” – She’s Green
• “Iceblink Luck” – Cocteau Twins
• “Television” – Night Tapes
• “Deus” – Sugarcubes
• “8th Deadly Sin” – Miki Berenyi Trio
• “Pale Trembles a Gale” – The Autumns
• “Like Cockatoos” – The Cure
• “Falter” – Acopia
• “Thursday” – Asobi Seksu
• “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” – Cranes
• “Waiting For the Night” – Depeche Mode
• “Doot Doot” – Fauns
• “Feels Like the End of the World” – Chameleons
• “Nirvana” – Glazyhaze
• “Smile” – State of Grace
• “Nobody Loves You More” – Kim Deal
• “Lie in the Sound” – Trespassers William
• “Setting Yourself Up for Love” – Ashes and Diamonds
• “We Have All the Time in the World” – My Bloody Valentine
• “In the Bleak Midwinter” – All My Faith Lost
• “Sacrifice” – Lisa Gerrard and Pieter Bourke
• “Flood the Harbour” (feat. There’s Talk & Tamaryn) – Kai Tai
• “Thoughtforms” – Lush
• “Goldmine” – Chokecherry
• “All I Want For Christmas.” – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• “Fleeting Sun” – Fawn
• “Ulysses” – Dead Can Dance
• “Beauty in all Blue Satin” – Deary
• “Counting Sheep” – Acrylics
• “Wild Horses” – The Sundays
• “The Loony Bin” – Jahrund