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Kirk Hamilton

Strong Songs

In light of Janis Stockhouse's unexpected death at the tail end of 2024, we're re-posting Kirk's 2019 interview with her for anyone who might want to listen to it.

Janis started teaching at North high school in Bloomington, Indiana, in the early 1980s. It was a time when "jazz education" as a concept was still a relatively new thing. She retired 38 years later, having grown the North band program into a well-known Midwest institution, winning countless awards at festivals around the world and regularly turning out graduates who would go on to become professional musicians, as well as many others who would simply have a lifelong love of music.

On this episode she tells the story of starting out at North and developing the program, along with her thoughts on how to get students to practice, which composers she prefers for student groups, women in jazz, funding for the arts, and some good old-fashioned album recommendations.

REFERENCED ON THIS EPISODE:

Janis's 2004 book Jazzwomen: Conversations With Twenty-One Musicians, which she co-wrote with Wayne Enstice - there are used copies on Amazon, and you should really track down a copy and read it

The late great jazz legend David Baker, whose NYT obituary captured at least some of his legacy: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/30/arts/music/david-baker-who-helped-bring-jazz-studies-into-the-academy-dies-at-84.html

MUSIC ON THIS EPISODE:

 • "IU Swing Machine" by David Baker as played by 
the 2016 IU Celebration Big Band • "Don't Get Sassy" by the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis big band
 • "Hang Gliding" by Maria Schneider from 
Alegresse • "Bright Eyes" as played by the Bill Holman big band
 • "Take the 'A' Train" by Billy Strayhorn as performed by the Duke Ellington orchestra
 • "Vol. 6: All 'Bird' - Now's The Time" Play-A-Long by Jamey Aebersold (featuring Kenny Barron and Ron Carter(!!))
 • "Laugh, Clown, Laugh" by Abbey Lincoln from 
Abbey Is Blue • , 1959
 • "Song Patrol" by Jane Ira Bloom from 
Early Americans • , 2016
 • "Lingala" by the SF Jazz Collective from their 2005 self-titled album
 • "So What" and "Flamenco Sketches" by Miles Davis from 
Kind of Blue, • 1959
 • "My Favorite Things" as performed by John Coltrane on 
My Favorite Things • , 1966
 • "Mercy Mercy Mercy" by Josef Zawinul as performed by the Cannonball Adderley quintet on 
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy • , 1966

OUTRO SOLOIST: BJ CORD

This episode's outro soloist is BJ Cord, a fellow Bloomington North graduate and fantastic trumpet player based in Portland. BJ works at Monette trumpets making some of the most beautiful horns in the world, and is a regular presence on their Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monettetrumpets

Remembering Janis Stockhouse, The Great Band Director

In between seasons, Kirk re-ran a bunch of old episodes and prefaced each one with a new music recommendation. He's taking those down recasts in preparation for season seven, but it seemed like a good idea to put all the music recommendations in one place. So that's what this episode is!

DISCUSSED AND RECOMMENDED:

 • "The Meadow" by Nickel Creek from 
Celebrants • , 2023
 • "Chip Monkey" by Kick the Cat from 
Weirdo • , 2002
 • "Fade to Black" by Howard Levy and Chris Siebold from 
Art + Adrenaline • , 2018
 • "Disco Snails" and "Hit the Target" by Vulfmon and Theo Katz from 
Dot • , 2024
 • Various tracks from Delicious in Dungeon, composed by Yasunori Mitsuda and Shunsuke Tsuchiya
 • "Party" by Ryokushoku Shakai from 
Party! EP • , 2024
 • Sumika - "Unmei" from 
Unmei EP • , 2024
 • "Duck Ankles" by David Sanborn from 
Taking Off • , 1975
 • "Young Americans' by David Bowie (feat. Sanborn) from 
Young Americans • , 1975
 • "The Night Owl" by Anat Cohen from Quartetinho: 
Bloom • , 2024
 • "Stranded" by Sierra Hull from 
Weighted Mind • , 2016
 • "Samba Party" and "Drop D" by Matteo Mancuso from
 The Journey • , 2023
 • "Nite Crawler" by Larry Carlton from 
Larry Carlton • , 1978

----LINKS-----

SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!
Paypal | Patreon.com/Strongsongs

MERCH STORE
store.strongsongspodcast.com

SOCIAL MEDIA
Insta: @Kirk_Hamilton | Bluesky: @Kirkhamilton.com

NEWSLETTER
newsletter.kirkhamilton.com

JOIN THE DISCORD
https://discord.gg/GCvKqAM8Sm

STRONG SONGS PLAYLISTS
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music

SHOW ART
Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics

JANUARY 2025 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONS

Elizabeth Culver
Meryl Allison
Robyn Metcalfe
Cesar
Corpus Frisky
Ben Barron
Catherine Warner
Damon White
Jay Swartz
Rush
Daniel Hannon-Barry
Christopher Miller
Jamie White
Christopher McConnell
David Mascetti
Joe Laska
Ken Hirsh
Melanie Andrich
Jenness Gardner
Nathaniel Bauernfeind
Paul Delaney
Dave Sharpe
Sami Samhuri
Jeremy Dawson
AccessViolation
Dave Florey

JANUARY 2025 HALF-NOTE PATRONS

Wiggy Hash
Whit Sidener
Julie Kellman
Simon Hellman
Claudia Carty
Dani
Glenn Jackson
Christopher Selby Spink
Philip Kelly
Daniel Nervo
Kevin Stafford
Lawrence
Sy Jacobs
irritable
Ian Pidd
Andrew Hofer
Jordan Gatenby
Melissa Kuhns
Ashley
SeattleTransAndNonbinary ChoralEnsemble
Kevin Marcelo
Samantha Coates
James
Mark Nadasdi
Jeff
Dan Cutter
Joseph Romero
Ol Parker
John Berry
Danielle Kriz
Clint McElroy
Mordok’s Vape Pen
Inmar Givoni
Michael Singer
Merv Adrian
Joe Gallo
Lauren Knotts
Dave Kolas
Henry Mindlin
Monica St. Angelo
Stephen Wolkwitz
Rand LeShay
Max
eric sp
Matthew Jones
Anthony Mentz
James McMurry
Ethan Laser
Brian John Peter
Chris Remo
Matt Schoenthal
Aaron Wilson
Dent Earl
Carlos Lerner
Misty Haisfield
Abraham Benrubi
Lee R.
Chris Kotarba
Callum Webb
Lynda MacNeil
Dick Morgan
Ben Stein
Grettir Asmundarson
Sean Murphy
Randal Vegter
Kaya Woodall
Robert Granat
dave malloy
Tim Rosenwong
Alan Maass
Nick Galloway
Heather J
john halpin
Peter Harding
David
John Bauman
Martín Salías
Stu Baker
Steve Martino
Dr Arthur A Gray
Carolina
Gary Pierce
Matt Baxter
Luigi Boccia
E Margaret Warton
Charles McGee
Catherine Clause
Ethan Bauman
KenIsWearingAHat
Jordan Block
Aaron Wade
Jeff Ulm
David Futter
Jamie
Deebs
Portland Eye Care
Richard Sneddon
Janice Berry
Doreen Carlson
David McDarby
Wendy Gilchrist
Lisa Turner
Paul Wayper
Miles Forman
Bruno Gaeta
Kenneth Jung
Zak Remer
Rishi Sahay
Jeffrey Bean
Jason Reitman
Ailie Fraser
Rob Tsuk
NATALIE MISTILIS
Josh Singer
Amy Lynn Thornsen
Adam W
Kelli Brockington
Victoria Yu
mino capossela
Steve Paquin
David Joske
Bernard Khoo
Robert Heuer
David Noah
Geraldine Butler
Madeleine Mader
Jason Pratt
Abbie Berg
Doug Belew
Dermot Crowley
Achint Srivastava
Ryan Rairigh
Michael Berman
Linda Duffy
Liz Seger
Eoin de Burca
Kevin Potter
M Shane Borders
Dallas Hockley
Jason Gerry
Nell Morse
Nathan Gouwens
Lauren Reay
Eric Prestemon
cbalmain
Angela Livingstone
Diane Hughes
Michael Casner
Lowell Meyer
Stephen Tsoneff
Joshua Hill
Geoff Golden
Pascal Rueger
Randy Souza
Clare Holberton
Diane Turner
Tom Coleman
Dhu Wik
Melmaniac
Eric Helm
Jonathan Daniels
Caro Field
Naomi Watson
David
Alexander
Chris K
Gavin Doig
Sam Fenn
Tanner Morton
AJ Schuster
Jennifer Bush
David Stroud
Brad Callahan
Amanda Furlotti
Andrew Baker
Andrew Fair
L.B. Morse
Bill Thornton
Brian Amoebas
Brett Douville
Jeffrey Olson
Matt Betzel
Nate from Kalamazoo
Melanie Stivers
Richard Toller
Alexander Polson
Justin McElroy
Arjun Sharma
James Johnson
Kevin Morrell
Colin Hodo

A Bunch of Great Music Recommendations

Strong Songs Season Seven is now underway! You can listen to the season premiere right now on Patreon, or here in the main feed in two weeks, on March 7.

For those next two weeks, sign up to become a patron of the show and use the code "STRONG" and you'll get 80% off your first month. So basically, you can listen to the premiere right now for one dollar. Or just wait, that's fine too. The promo ends on March 7.

----LINKS-----

MUSIC RECOMMENDATION: "Up From A Dream" by HAIM from Women in Music, Pt. III

SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!
Paypal | Patreon.com/Strongsongs

KIRK'S GEAR & INSTRUMENT LIST
kirkhamilton.com/gear

SOCIAL MEDIA
IG: @Kirk_Hamilton | Bluesky: @kirkhamilton.com

KIRK'S NEWSLETTER
newsletter.kirkhamilton.com

JOIN THE STRONG SONGS DISCORD
https://discord.gg/GCvKqAM8Sm

STRONG SONGS PLAYLISTS
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music

SHOW ART
Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics

Season Seven Announcement!

This is the trailer for Strong Songs, recorded in June of 2020. Hope you give the show a listen!

Trailer

On the first episode of Strong Songs, Kirk breaks down Toto's hit song "Africa," a single so good that it still lights up the Internet today.
 
Band/Artist: Toto
 
Album: Toto IV, 1982
 
Composed by: David Paich and Jeff Porcaro
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
 
STRONG SONGS ON PATREON
 
Strong Songs has a Patreon! If you liked this episode (or, you know, any of them), we hope you'll consider supporting the show. Learn more here: https://www.patreon.com/strongsongs
 
NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST
 
Sign up for Kirk's mailing list to start getting monthly-ish newsletters with music recommendations, links, news, and extra thoughts on new Strong Songs episodes: https://kirkhamilton.substack.com/subscribe
 
STRONG MERCH!
 
Visit the Strong Songs merch store for some very cool t-shirts, mugs, totes, and more: store.strongsongspodcast.com

"Africa" by Toto

This week, Kirk breaks down one of his favorite songs from one of his favorite albums.
 
STRONG SONGS ON PATREON
 
Strong Songs has a Patreon! If you liked this episode (or, you know, any of them), we hope you'll consider supporting the show. Learn more here: https://www.patreon.com/strongsongs
 
IF YOU'LL BE MY BODYGUARD
 
Paul Simon's "You Can Call Me Al" was a single from his incredible 1986 album Graceland, and its music video introduced a generation to the wonders of goofy lip-synching and fretless bass solos. It's a harmonically simple tune with a cleverly dense arrangement, and brilliantly uses musical layering.
 
Band/Artist: Paul Simon
 
Album: Graceland, 1986
 
Composed by: Paul Simon
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
 
NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST
 
Sign up for Kirk's mailing list to start getting monthly-ish newsletters with music recommendations, links, news, and extra thoughts on new Strong Songs episodes: https://kirkhamilton.substack.com/subscribe
 
STRONG MERCH!
 
Visit the Strong Songs merch store for some very cool t-shirts, mugs, totes, and more: store.strongsongspodcast.com

"You Can Call Me Al" by Paul Simon

On this episode, Kirk dives into one of the greatest pop songs of all time.
 
STRONG SONGS ON PATREON
 
Strong Songs has a Patreon! If you liked this episode (or, you know, any of them), we hope you'll consider supporting the show. Learn more here: https://www.patreon.com/strongsongs
 
UP IN THE CLUB
 
Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" is arguably the defining song of the last decade, but it's far from your average pop tune. With its unusual tensions and unstoppable groove, it defies safe harmony and resolution, and its composers were more than happy to flip the beat and leave their audience searching for the downbeat.
 
Band/Artist: Beyoncé
 
Album: I Am... Sasha Fierce, 2008
 
Composed by: Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Christopher Stewart, Terius Nash, Thaddis Harrell 
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
 
NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST
 
Sign up for Kirk's mailing list to start getting monthly-ish newsletters with music recommendations, links, news, and extra thoughts on new Strong Songs episodes: https://kirkhamilton.substack.com/subscribe
 
STRONG MERCH!
 
Visit the Strong Songs merch store for some very cool t-shirts, mugs, totes, and more: store.strongsongspodcast.com

"Single Ladies" by Beyoncé

Ever wish you could just be a kid again? Stevie does.
 
STRONG SONGS ON PATREON
 
Strong Songs has a Patreon! If you liked this episode (or, you know, any of them), we hope you'll consider supporting the show. Learn more here: https://www.patreon.com/strongsongs
 
THE JOY THE DAY WOULD BRING
 
Kirk breaks out the bass and digs into what makes Stevie Wonder's "I Wish" swing like it does, then looks back to some earlier Wonder tunes to guess at why his funkiest stuff tended to be in E-flat.
 
Band/Artist: Stevie Wonder
 
Album: Songs in the Key of Life, 1976
 
Composed by: Stevie Wonder
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
 
------
 
ALSO FEATURED:
 
"Superstition" by Stevie Wonder, from Talking Book, 1972
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
 
"Higher Ground" by Stevie Wonder, from Innervisions, 1973
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
 
"Wild Wild West" by Will Smith, Moe Dewese, Rob Fusari, and Stevie Wonder, from Willennium, 1999
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
 
Classic Albums: Songs in the Key of Life: Amazon
 
NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST
 
Sign up for Kirk's mailing list to start getting monthly-ish newsletters with music recommendations, links, news, and extra thoughts on new Strong Songs episodes: https://kirkhamilton.substack.com/subscribe
 
STRONG MERCH!
 
Visit the Strong Songs merch store for some very cool t-shirts, mugs, totes, and more: store.strongsongspodcast.com

"I Wish" by Stevie Wonder

Darkness falls across the land, and it's the right time for Michael Jackson's "Thriller."
 
STRONG SONGS ON PATREON
 
Strong Songs has a Patreon! If you liked this episode (or, you know, any of them), we hope you'll consider supporting the show. Learn more here: https://www.patreon.com/strongsongs
 
STRONG MERCH!
 
Visit the Strong Songs merch store for some very cool t-shirts, mugs, totes, and more: store.strongsongspodcast.com
 
IT'S CLOSE TO MIDNIGHT
 
Kirk picks apart Rod Temperton's dance floor classic in all its groovy, corny, sound effect-y glory.
 
Band/Artist: Michael Jackson
 
Album: Thriller, 1982
 
Composed by: Rod Temperton, produced by Quincy Jones
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
 
------
 
A NOTE FROM KIRK:
 
It’s been a couple months since I produced this episode, and just a few days since I watched the first part of “Leaving Neverland,” a devastating new HBO documentary in which two men, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, detail their alleged childhood sexual abuse at the hands of Michael Jackson. It’s an intense and difficult documentary to watch, but I recommend that everyone listening to this episode do so. Jackson’s estate denies it all, but watching people on camera relaying such painful memories, in such excruciating detail, is both wrenching and convincing.
 
It’s impossible to separate an amazing song like “Thriller” from the man who sang it. I still think Thriller is a great song and admire the many people involved in making it, but hearing Robson and Safechuck’s accounts, on top of the similar stories I and the culture at large brushed aside or shrugged our shoulders at when they first surfaced many years ago, has certainly changed the way I hear Jackson’s voice. I’m leaving this episode as is, but I wanted to add this note, as well as to link to this New York Times editorial on Jackson’s legacy by Wesley Morris, which says so much, so well.
 
~KH 3/6/2019

"Thriller" by Michael Jackson

It's time for an extra-long episode as Kirk answers your questions about Phil Collins drum solos, musical Wilhelm screams, odd time signatures, Beatles instrumentation, drop-tuned guitars, Bond music, and much more.
 
STRONG SONGS ON PATREON
 
Strong Songs has a Patreon! If you liked this episode (or, you know, any of them), we hope you'll consider supporting the show. Learn more here: https://www.patreon.com/strongsongs
 
SHOW NOTES/LINKS
 
————————————
 
"In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins from Face Value, 1981
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
 
————————————
 
Jennifer Hudson sings "The Star Spangled Banner" by Frances Scott Key and John Stafford Smith at Super Bowl XLIII, 2009
 
————————————
 
A YouTube compilation of the Wilhelm Scream
 
An excellent Vox video on the history of the "Orchestra Hit" sample
 
"When I Think of You" by Janet Jackson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis from Control, 1986
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
 
"In My Life" by Lennon–McCartney from Rubber Soul, 1965
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
 
"I Will Follow You Into The Dark" by Ben Gibbard from Plans, 2006
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
 
————————————
 
A cool NPR article about Paul Tanner's Tannerin, developed as a more playable derivation of Leon Theremin's original Theremin. 
 
"Good Vibrations" by Brian Wilson and Mike Love from a 1966 Beach Boys LP Single
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
 
————————————
 
"Blue Rondo a la Turk" by Dave Brubeck from Time Out, 1959
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
 
"Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" by Lennon-McCartney from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
 
"Money" by Roger Waters from The Dark Side Of The Moon, 1973
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
 
————————————
 
"The Way" by Tony Scalzo from All The Pain Money Can Buy, 1998
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
 
"You Think I Ain't Worth A Dollar, But I Feel Like A Millionaire" by Josh Homme and Mario Lalli from Songs for the Deaf, 2002
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
 
————————————
 
"Mind Games" by John Lennon from Mind Games, 1973
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
 
A nifty "Doctor Mix" YouTube video demonstrating the Mellotron 
 
————————————
 
"Theme from Dr. No" by Monty Norman, arranged by John Barry from Dr. No, 1962
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
 
"Skyfall" by Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth from Skyfall, 2012
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
 
"Manners Maketh Man" by Henry Jackman and Matthew Margeson (I failed to co-credit Margeson on the show) from Kingsman: The Secret Service, 2015
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify 
 
————————————
 
"Permission to Come Aboard" by Rupert Gregson-Williams from Aquaman, 2018
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
 
"Wonder Woman Theme" by Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL performed by Tina Guo, released as a single in 2017
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify 
 
————————————
 
"Gimme Shelter" by Jagger/Richards from Let It Bleed, 1969
 
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
 
NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST
 
Sign up for Kirk's mailing list to start getting monthly-ish newsletters with music recommendations, links, news, and extra thoughts on new Strong Songs episodes: https://kirkhamilton.substack.com/subscribe
 
STRONG MERCH!
 
Visit the Strong Songs merch store for some very cool t-shirts, mugs, totes, and more: store.strongsongspodcast.com

Season Seven Announcement!

Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst

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