Former WXPN Host Julian Booker’s Picks For Ears We Trust Go Deep On Jazz And Funk

You may remember Julian Booker as the former host of Sleepy Hollow here on WXPN. Booker now serves as the Associate Program Director and host of The Get Down at WRTI, where soul, funk, jam, and hip-hop are looked at through a jazz lens. Needless to say, he’s got… ears we trust.

“It can be hard to keep straight all of the incredible music that is being released every week and often the most recent thing to come out is the most exciting,” Booker said. “In that spirit, here are a couple of amazing songs released just in the past few days and a shout out to the often under-recognized Mary Lou Williams, a look at my (first ever!) trip to Big Ears, and a gently-flowing jazz classic written by (and featuring) the late Stanley Cowell.”

Here’s what he’s been listening to recently:

Mary Lou Williams – “Rosa Mae”

As part of our Women’s History Month celebration on WRTI, I worked with our wonderful Evening Jazz host, Nicole Sweeney, to select a number of women whose music we wanted to feature throughout March. Nicole was adamant about featuring Mary Lou Williams and I’m really glad she was. Her music covers so many eras and styles. This record, Zoning, is subtly funky and groovy throughout. MLW is an artist that everyone should listen to more and this is a great place to start.

Nubiyan Twist feat. Patrice Rushen – “Threads”

Nubiyan Twist’s 2024 album, Find Your Flame, was one of my favorites of that year, so I’m really happy they’ve got a new one out, which upon the first few listens, may be even better than its predecessor. Patrice Rushen has been following me around for the better part of the year. Her music and her playing just keep getting dropped in front of me and I’m not sad about it. She is an absolute treasure and still an incredible pianist some 50 years into her career.

Shye Ben-Tzur, Jonny Greenwood & the Rajasthan Express – “Ranjha”

I can’t wait to hear more from this collaboration between Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood and the Israeli musician Shye Ben-Tzur. I believe Ben-Tzur is quoted as saying that he always wanted this group of musicians to sound like a funk band, and here they definitely do, with a decidedly international influence. It’s also wonderful to hear Greenwood in such a different context. His playing is so tasteful and complimentary.

William Tyler – “13 Lakes”

During my time hosting Sleepy Hollow on XPN, William Tyler was one of the artists I played the most. His music ranges from abstract soundscape to virtuoso finger-picked guitar (sometimes both at once). This new release is a spare, lovely acoustic piece that feels fit for the cinema (and like Jonny Greenwood, William Tyler has done excellent soundtrack work as part of his career). One of my most anticipated sets at Big Ears in Knoxville was the collaboration between Tyler and guitarist Yasmin Williams, two of the best playing today, in my opinion.

Max Roach – “Equipoise”

Stanley Cowell’s “Equipoise” is one of my favorite jazz compositions of all time. It is featured on Max Roach’s 1968 album, Members, Don’t Get Weary, an album that I saw Tyshawn Sorey re-imagine on Penn’s campus in February. Ahead of the set, Sorey gently warned the crowd that while the performance was inspired by Roach’s record, it would not, per se, sound like it, and boy was that true. It was inspiring to see a group of musicians put their creative stamp on such a classic record, and it’s been rewarding to listen to the original since and think about how that performance interacted with the original. This record features Philadelphia’s Jymie Merritt and I always give Stanley Cowell an honorary Philadelphian card for his long-standing collaboration with The Heath Brothers. Of all the great recordings of “Equipoise,” I think this is the most affecting.