On this episode of Visions, I welcome the new year with a mix of old and new. I play classic cuts that got us here and new music that’s taking us into the new year and beyond.

I play quintessential tracks from Max Roach, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, John McLaughlin, Aretha Franklin, Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, and Lee Morgan.

I also play brand new singles from Joel Ross, Signal Quartet, and Tomeka Reid. Finally, I cover a couple albums that came out last year that I didn’t discover until this year from Gerald Clayton and Phi-Psonics.

Happy new year and happy listening!

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 Jan. 5, 2026

• “A Brand New Me” – Aretha Franklin*
• “One by One (Live)” – Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
• “Wisdom is Eternal (for Barry Harris)” – Joel Ross
• “More Always” – Gerald Clayton
• “dance! skip! hop!” – Tomeka Reid
• “Sumpin’ Like Dat” – Marion Hayden*
• “Love Theme from Your Life” – Phi-Psonics
• “And Silence” – Myra Melford Trio
• “I’ll Get By (As Long As I Have You)” – John Coltrane
• “The Mercenary” – Lee Morgan
• “Credibility Gap” – Signal Quartet*
• “Absolutions” – Max Roach
• “Prince of Darkness” – Miles Davis
• “Just Give It Some Time” – Bennie Maupin*
• “Binky’s Beam” – John McLaughlin
• “Groove” – William Parker

* Indicates Detroit artists

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

On this episode of Visions, I expand how I usually think about jazz to include cuts I don’t typically play on the show. I venture into soul with artists like Tower of Power, Aretha Franklin, and Roberta Flack.

I also play a classic blues cut from Lightnin’ Hopkins, plus incredible organ players Charles Earlund and Richard “Groove” Holmes.

To me and many others, these artists are part of the same continuum that jazz falls on, which is Black Music. I’m hoping to continue expanding beyond just playing “jazz” and include Black Music more broadly!

On the more straight-ahead end of the jazz spectrum, I include cuts from Herbie Hancock, the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, Bobby Hutcherson, Oscar Peterson, Charlie Rouse, Miles Davis, Larry Young, and a few others.

I hope you like the twists and turns this episode takes!

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 Nov. 24, 2025

• “Biafra” – Nat Adderely
• “Beyond All Limits” – Larry Young
• “Hey Harold (feat. Billy Hart)” – Bobby Hutcherson
• “Soul Vaccination” – Tower of Power
• “Bitchin'” – Charlie Rouse
• “Rock Steady” – Aretha Franklin*
• “Ostinato (Suite for Angela)” – Herbie Hancock
• “Yes Lord” – The Detroit Jazz Composers Ltd.*
• “To Love Somebody” – Roberta Flack
• “The Shadow of Your Smile” – Oscar Peterson
• “Misty” – Richard “Groove” Holmes
• “More Today Than Yesterday” – Charles Earlund
• “Woke Up This Morning” – Lightnin’ Hopkins
• “Compensation (Live at the Village Vanguard)” – The Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra
• “Freedom Jazz Dance (Evolution of the Groove)” – Miles Davis

*indicates Detroit artists

This week on Visions, I dug through my personal record crates to inspire the episode. Now, I don’t have an extensive collection, but what I found was a lot of 70’s jazz records. This led me to a show of almost entirely selections from the 70’s.

I’ve got Alice Coltrane, Elvin Jones in a couple different contexts, Leon Thomas, Wendell Harrison, Cecil McBee, Lonnie Liston Smith, Armen Donelian, Miles Davis, and Pharoah Sanders. I also play a 2025 release from Chicago-based trio Hearts & Minds, and a brand new Blue Note release from Aaron Parks.

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 Nov. 17, 2025

• “Blues on the Bottom” – Cecil McBee
• “Illumination” – Hearts & Minds
• “Flys” – Jack DeJohnette’s Directions
• “One” – Leon Thomas
• “Peace” – Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes
• “Song of Happiness” – McCoy Tyner
• “Half and Half (feat. McCoy Tyner)” – Elvin Jones & Jimmy Garrison Sextet
• “My Ship (Live at the Lighthouse Café, CA.1972)” – Elvin Jones
• “Bob’s Blues” – Robert Hurst*
• “Parks Lope” – Aaron Parks
• “I Think It’s Going to Rain Today” – Kenny Burrell*
• “Monday” – Armen Donelian
• “My Favorite Things” – Alice Coltrane*
• “Little Church” – Miles Davis
• “Heavenese” – Wendell Harrison*
• “Astral Traveling” – Pharoah Sanders

* indicates Detroit artists