Strictly Jazz // Elian Birthday Edition // Episode 116

Yes, it's my birthday :) I don't normally like to make a big deal out of it, but this year is different. Despite everything, I feel like this year I have exponentially grown musically. My sound continues to evolve, my taste keeps getting infinitely more complex, and everyday I feel a sense of gratitude for all of this, perhaps more than at any other time in my life. Some of you know where I'm coming from when I say: music is now more than ever a refuge, a sanctuary where you can feel alive, a place where you can be sheltered from the negativity of the world. Music is a gift, it's a treat, it's something we can all relish.And so on my birthday, it gives me great pleasure to share this source of life with you. Sit back, dim the lights, put the phone on airplane mode, and bask in its glow.Elian01 Wave. Kait Dunton02 Caravan. Paul Jost03 Same River. Pat Metheny04 Due North. Randy Halberstadt05 Kamala’s Dance. Roy Hargrove06 Hard Eights. Lage Lund07 Nimis. Tingvall Trio08 Steppin’ Out. Kurt Elling09 You’ve Got It Bad Girl. Herbie Hancock10 Broken Leg Days. Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band11 Song Without Words, No. 2: Ballad. Fred Hersch, WDR Big Band12 Always And Forever. Pat Metheny Group