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