Back in the day, radio DJs would refer to the records they played as “platters” — not to be confused with the spinning surface on a turntable, which also goes by that term. As you may know, The Platters, a popular 1950s vocal group, even got their name from this piece of jargon, after eyeing a stack of 78s on the kitchen table. If you routinely tuned in to old-school radio jocks (or just remember Samuel L. Jackson as Mister Señor Love Daddy in Do the Right Thing), maybe you remember the chatter about “the platters that matter.”
So what does this have to do with us? Well, this Thanksgiving, the WRTI jazz team is starting a new tradition: our first annual Thanksgiving Holiday Platters Weekend. From 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 26 through 6 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 1, we’ll feature a different classic jazz album every hour. And we’ve selected these albums with a lot of help and input from you. We’re sincerely thankful for your ear, for your picks, and for your continuing support. And we hope that as you relax over the long holiday weekend, you’ll enjoy this musical feast as much as we do.
Here’s a preview of some platters we’ll be serving.
Dorothy Ashby, Afro-Harping — Nov. 26 at 7 p.m.
Dorothy Ashby was already established as both a pathbreaking jazz harpist and a respected solo artist when she signed to Cadet Records in 1968. But in Afro-Harping, her label debut, she delivered a masterpiece. Her intently assured playing, combined with Richard Evans’ smart orchestrations and an endlessly deep groove, created a jazz-funk landmark — and a hip-hop bedrock, thanks to samples by the likes of Pete Rock, GZA and Flying Lotus. “Soul Vibrations,” the opening track, has also become a fond tribute in the set lists of Brandee Younger. (Nate Chinen)
Idris Muhammad, Black Rhythm Revolution — Nov. 28 at 7 p.m.
Prior to releasing his debut album, 1971’s Black Rhythm Revolution, drummer Idris Muhammad had lent his funk-infused style to strong records by Nat Adderley (Calling Out Loud), George Benson (The Other Side of Abbey Road) and many of Lou Donaldson’s late-’60s albums (like Alligator Bogaloo). Muhammad places then-contemporary soul hits like Charles Wright’s “Express Yourself” and James Brown’s “Super Bad” alongside the extended, spiritual originals “Wander” and “By the Red Sea,” resulting in a groove-soaked stew that would be a sign of things to come for his subsequent (and fantastic) releases throughout the 1970s. Josh Jackson will include Black Rhythm Revolution as part of a slew of special “Black” Friday selections for the Platters edition of the Friday Mixtape. (Julian Booker)
Sonny Sharrock, Ask the Ages — Nov. 29 at 1 a.m.
Guitarist Sonny Sharrock made Ask the Ages in 1991, with an ensemble featuring two former associates of John Coltrane: drummer Elvin Jones and tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders. The fire and commitment of Coltrane’s art is apparent throughout the session, which was beautifully produced by Bill Laswell. It’s a high-water mark for avant-garde guitar, for the style known as spiritual jazz — and for Sharrock, who sadly died a few years later of a heart attack, at 53. (Chinen)
Bobbi Humphrey, Blacks & Blues — Nov. 29 at 7 p.m.
Nestled in the middle of Bobbi Humphrey’s career-defining run on the Blue Note label, Blacks & Blues is a righteous showcase for her formidable flute playing and an early example of the production genius of Larry and Fonce Mizell, who would go on to help shape the sound of jazz-funk as a genre throughout the rest of the 1970s and ‘80s. With a cast of ace studio musicians including Mizell-favorites like bassist Chuck Rainey and drummer Harvey Mason, Humphrey and Larry Mizell, who wrote all of Blacks & Blues’ tracks, succeed in every step they take, especially on the effervescent title track and joyride-anthem “Harlem River Drive.” Enjoy this unique slice of flute-driven funk on The Get Down this Saturday evening. (Booker)
Grupo Fascinacion, Fascinating Sounds — Nov. 29 at 10 p.m.
Featuring the Bronx-born vocalist Johnny Rivera, who would go on to have a fruitful solo career starting in the early-’90s; Colombian trumpeter Danny Jiménez, whose credits include Hector Lavoe and Tito Puente; and percussionist Richie Bastar, the son of another legendary percussionist, Kako (who in addition to his many successful years as a bandleader also performed on Mongo Santamaria’s classic 1963 recording of “Watermelon Man”), this prime cut of 1980s New York salsa will not only be a perfect soundtrack to your Saturday night, it’s also the kind of gem you can only hear on El Viaje with David Ortiz. (Booker)
Frank Sinatra & Count Basie, Sinatra at the Sands — Nov. 30 at 6 p.m.
“How did all these people get in my room?” That’s Frank Sinatra, a few bars before launching into “Come Fly with Me,” the opening number of Sinatra at the Sands. It’s a pitch-perfect wisecrack, exuding all the suave and self-composure of a reigning Rat Pack persona. But it would feel like empty bluster if not for an unsurpassable performance — which Sinatra delivers, in this snapshot of a 1966 Las Vegas residency, featuring Quincy Jones’ charts for the Count Basie Orchestra, and a set list full of The Chairman’s signature set pieces. (Chinen)
Enjoy our Holiday Platters Weekend from 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 26 through 6 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 1 at WRTI 90.1 FM, in the WRTI app, or streaming at wrti.org.