Dutch bassist Joris Teepe has lived in New York for the past 20 years, making a name for himself with everyone from Benny Golson to the late Rashied Ali. Recently, Teepe was commissioned to write music for both an orchestra and a big band in Europe. Those two experiences were so positive that he decided to start a big band in New York, and the result is the CD We Take No Prisoners (Challenge Records/Twinz Records, 2009). In this interview, conducted in Teepe’s back yard in Englewood, NJ, Teepe t...
Sep 28, 2009
Ellis Marsalis is more than the father of four famous sons. He’s an acclaimed pianist and educator in his own right, and his musical history has covered a lot of ground. Homecoming (ELM Records, 2009), his new CD, is a mix of old and new, combining a reissue of 1985 duet session with saxophonist Eddie Harris, and new music recorded in 2009 with fellow New Orleanian pianist Jonathan Batiste. In this interview, Marsalis talks about how his time in the Marines helped build his piano chops; how he g...
Sep 25, 2009
The American Federation of Jazz Musicians Local 802 is trying to win pension benefits for jazz musicians who play in New York City clubs. In 2007, Local 802 fought and won tax relief for NYC jazz clubs, with the expectation of state legislators that the clubs would use this money to provide pension benefit contributions for jazz artists. Now that the tax money has been made available, the club owners have yet to put the money towards benefits. In this interview, Local 802 Jazz/Education Represen...
Sep 24, 2009
Pianist Vijay Iyer navigates the stream of history on his new trio recording, Historicity (ACT, 2009). Joined by bassist Stephan Crump and drummer Marcus Gilmore, Iyer unravels and rebuilds compositions of his own, and those of a cast as diverse as Stevie Wonder, Andrew Hill, Leonard Bernstein and M.I.A. In this interview, Iyer tackles everything from mirror neurons to math jazz, Fibonacci numbers to the legacy of Roy Haynes. And he answers the question: Is it necessary to understand any of this...
Sep 23, 2009
Drummer Jason Marsalis turns to the vibraphone on his new record, Music Update (ELM Records, 2009). In this interview, Marsalis talks about the reason he chose to focus on the vibes; the process by which he recorded the drum ensemble tracks on the CD; and his view of the current state of recovery in New Orleans. Find out more at JasonMarsalis.com . If you’d like to buy this album, you can help support The Jazz Session by buying it via the link below:...
Sep 21, 2009
Jason Crane interviews guitarist Bobby Broom. Broom, a longtime member of Sonny Rollins’ band, has a new album of Monk tunes called Plays For Monk (Origin Records, 2009). In this interview, Broom talks about why he felt the need to tackle Monk’s material; the impact of choosing Chicago rather than New York as his base of operations; and how he recorded his one-and-only Hendrix-style demo after a phone call from Miles Davis. Find out more at BobbyBroom.com . If you’d like to buy this album, you c...
Sep 18, 2009
Jason Crane interviews bassist John Patitucci. On Remembrance (Concord, 2009), Patitucci uses the classic sax-bass-drums formation to pay homage to jazz masters past and present. Joined by Joe Lovano and Brian Blade, Patitucci is heard to great effect on both acoustic and electric bass. In this interview, Patitucci talks about his friend Michael Brecker, to whom the title track is dedicated; his varying approaches to playing the bass; and why his dining room has two pictures in it, one of his mo...
Sep 16, 2009
Jason Crane interviews vocalist Karrin Allyson. Her new recording, By Request: The Best of Karrin Allyson (Concord, 2009), showcases tracks from her 11 albums on the Concord label. In this interview, Allyson talks about the lucky break that led to her relationship with Concord; the intricacies of Brazilian music; and how her music is shaped by everything from her classical piano background to the singer-songwriters she heard on the radio when she was growing up. Find out more at Karrin.com . If ...
Sep 14, 2009
Jason Crane interviews pianist Marian McPartland. For 30 years, McPartland has been the host of Piano Jazz , a weekly radio program featuring duets between McPartland and many of the great jazz players of the past several generations. In this interview, McPartland talks about the benefit of an unexpected visit from Bill Evans; why the Hickory House was a good jazz room in spite of itself; and why she chose to compose a piece for one of the most famous environmental activists of the 20th century....
Sep 11, 2009
Jason Crane interviews guitarist Terrence Brewer. Brewer’s new album is called Groovin’ Wes (Strong Brew Music, 2009). After three albums of original music, Brewer uses his new record to explore music by, or identified with, Wes Montgomery. In this interview, Brewer talks about his early years in Pittsburg (not the one you’re thinking of); his decision to start his recording career by founding a record label and releasing two CDs at once; and why he chose to record an album of standards. Find ou...
Sep 09, 2009
Jason Crane interviews Sam Yahel. Yahel is best known as an organist who has performed and recorded with Joshua Redman, Bill Frisell, Norah Jones, Lizz Wright, Ryan Kisor, Madeleine Peyroux and many others. He started as a pianist, though, a side he showcases on his new album, Hometown (Posi-Tone, 2009). In this interview, Yahel talks about his decision to make a piano recording, how his organ playing has added to his piano playing, and the influence of Malian singer Oumou Sangaré (after whom h...
Sep 07, 2009
Jason Crane interviews pianist Myra Melford. Melford is active with many groups and on many recordings, including this year’s Under The Water (Libra, 2009) with pianist Satoko Fujii. In this interview, Melford talks about her early contact with Leroy Jenkins, Henry Threadgill and other AACM musicians; her pursuit of an individual voice; and the role that her meditation and martial arts practices have played in her music. Find out more at MyraMelford.com ....
Sep 04, 2009
Jason Crane interviews jazz journalist Marc Myers about saxophonist Bud Shank’s early influence on bossa nova. Although largely forgotten by modern bossa nova fans, Bud Shank’s band with guitarist Laurindo Almeida was at the forefront of the Brazillian-folk-jazz movement. Their early records ended up in Rio de Janeiro, where Antonio Carlos Jobim, Joao Gilberto and others listened to them and turned them into bossa nova. Find out more at Marc Myers’ excellent site, jazzwax.com . If you’d like to ...
Sep 02, 2009
Jason Crane interviews vocalist Kurt Elling. Known for his affinity for the music of John Coltrane, Elling’s new album, Dedicated To You (Concord, 2009), is his most explicit tribute yet. The album features the music of the classic Impulse recording John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman , performed here with saxophonist Ernie Watts, the Laurence Hobgood trio, and a string quartet. Elling discusses the genesis of the project, how he adapted this famous repertoire, and his role as an interpreter of t...
Aug 31, 2009
Jason Crane interviews pianist Steve Kuhn. Kuhn’s new album, Mostly Coltrane (ECM, 2009), pays tribute to John Coltrane, with whom Kuhn worked for several weeks in the early 60s. In this interview, Kuhn talks about Coltrane, the Lenox School of Jazz, his composing methods, and the support he received early on from Bill Evans. He also discusses the sacrifices he made in pursuit of his musical vision. If you’d like to buy this album, you can help support The Jazz Session by buying it via the link ...
Aug 28, 2009
Jason Crane interviews bassist Avery Sharpe. Sharpe’s album, Autumn Moonlight (JKNM, 2009) is an exploration of the piano trio by a man who played bass in one of the most famous such trios in recent memory, that of McCoy Tyner. In this interview, Sharpe talks about why he likes to perform in the trio format, how he chose between insurance adjusting and the bass, and the night he left Art Blakey for McCoy Tyner. Find out more at AverySharpe.com . If you’d like to buy this album, you can help supp...
Aug 26, 2009
Jason Crane interviews composer Nicholas Urie. Urie’s fascinating album, Excerpts From An Online Dating Service (Red Piano, 2009) combines lyrics taken from online dating sites with complex and creative music for a large band. Citing Kurt Weill as a major influence, Urie has made an album that explores what Weill might have been like if he’d had a Facebook account. Find out more at NicholasUrie.com . If you’d like to buy this album, you can help support The Jazz Session by buying it via the link...
Aug 24, 2009
Jason Crane interviews pianist Bill Anschell and saxophonist Brent Jensen. Their new album, We Couldn’t Agree More (Origin, 2009) is a duet session. In this interview, Anschell and Jensen talk about how the album came to be, the particular qualities of duet playing, and the question of standards versus new music. If you’d like to buy this album, you can help support The Jazz Session by buying it via the link below:
Aug 20, 2009
Jason Crane interviews organist Gene Ludwig. He tossed a coin to decide whether to be an engineer or a musician. With that out of the way, Ludwig came on the scene in the late 1950s and has made a living playing the organ ever since. He’s been in the bands of Sonny Stitt and Arthur Prysock, and has played opposite everyone from Dizzy Gillespie to Cannonball Adderley. The musical samples in this interview are from Ludwig’s recording Hands On (Blue Leaf Records, 2003). Learn more at GeneLudwig.com...
Aug 17, 2009
Jason Crane interviews trumpeter Terence Blanchard. A standard-bearer for his home city of New Orleans, Blanchard turns his musical spotlight on the positive changes that have occurred since Katrina with his new CD, Choices (Concord Records, 2009). In this wide-ranging interview, Blanchard talks about the cultural rebuilding of New Orleans, the ability of music to stand up in the face of tragedy, and his dedication to the growth and maturation of the musicians he employs. Find out more at Terenc...
Aug 13, 2009
Jason Crane interviews drummer Carl Allen. He and Rodney Whitaker have just released their second CD for Mack Avenue Records, titled Work To Do . Allen has been on the jazz scene since joining Freddie Hubbard’s band in college, and he’s served as the mentor for many jazz musicians, most notably Christian McBride. In this interview, Allen talks about why he and Whitaker chose the music they did for the new CD, his relationship with McBride, and whether the academy can replace the bandstand. Find ...
Aug 10, 2009
Jason Crane interviews bassist Christian McBride. McBride returns to the acoustic realm with his new record, Kind of Brown (Mack Avenue Records, 2009). The album is a reunion of players from McBride’s career — drummer Carl Allen, pianist Eric Reed, saxophonist Steve Wilson, and vibraphonist (and former student of McBride’s) Warren Wolf, Jr. In this interview, McBride talks about Freddie Hubbard, Tony Reedus, his evolving role as a mentor, and “checking in at home.” If you’d like to buy this albu...
Aug 03, 2009
Jason Crane interviews drummer and composer E.J. Strickland. Strickland’s new album is called In This Day (Strick Muzik, 2009). E.J. and his twin brother Marcus grew up in Miami, sons of a musical father. They knew early on that they wanted to be musicians, and they’ve pursued that path with a single-minded devotion. On In This Day , E.J. Strickland’s vision is realized not just from the drum chair, but compositionally as well. He wrote or co-wrote every tune on the record. If you’d like to buy ...
Jul 27, 2009
Jason Crane interviews pianist, composer, arranger and bandleader Arturo O’Farrill. He won a Grammy for his 2008 recording Song For Chico (ZoHo, 2008), named for his father, composer/arranger Chico O’Farrill. In this wide-ranging interview, O’Farrill talks about the forgotten roots of jazz, the need to embrace hand-drumming, and how jazz can only move forward by learning about its past. If you’d like to buy this album, you can help support The Jazz Session by buying it via the link below:...
Jul 20, 2009
Jason Crane interviews guitarist and composer Miles Okazaki about his album Generations (Sunnyside, 2009). The album finds Okazaki mining some of the same territory from his debut record, Mirrors , but this time with a focus on in-depth exploration and group improvisation. Featuring standout work from saxophonists Miguel Zenón, David Binney, and Christof Knoche; along with vocalist Jen Shyu, drummer Dan Weiss, and bassist Jon Flaugher. In this interview, Okazaki talks about the philosophy behin...
Jul 13, 2009
Jason Crane interviews singer/songwriter Kate Schutt about her album Telephone Game (ArtistShare, 2009). Schutt has walked a different path than the average musician. She went to Harvard, where she played Division I lacrosse and hockey. She also went to the Berklee College of Music to hone her jazz chops. She speaks Chinese because her high school offered it. She’s an American, but she lives in Guelph, Ontario, a place she describes as the “Austin, Texas of Canada.” And on Telephone Game , she l...
Jul 06, 2009
Jason Crane interviews the members of the Respect Sextet. Their new album, Sirius Respect (Mode, 2009), explores the music of composers Karlheinz Stockhausen and Sun Ra. Formed nearly a decade ago at the Eastman School of Music, the Respect Sextet combines freewheeling improvisation with driving rhythms and a sense of humor. The members of the band have wide-ranging musical tastes and a fearlessly collaborative aesthetic, which leads to one-of-a-kind performances. In this interview, the members ...
Jun 29, 2009
Jason Crane interviews keyboardist Henry Hey, saxophonist Chris Cheek and bassist Tim Lefebvre, who, along with drummer Keith Carlock, make up the band Rudder. Rudder’s new album is called Matorning (Nineteen-Eight Records, 2009). These four musicians are incredibly busy in the jazz and pop worlds, but they’ve found the time to create a hip-shaking, brain-stimulating musical hybrid that some critics have said is in a genre all by itself. In this interview, the band talks about its history, the o...
Jun 22, 2009
Jason Crane interviews trombonist Jeff Albert about his new album, Similar In The Opposite Way (Fora Sound, 2009). Albert is one of the leaders of the creative music scene in New Orleans, and his Open Ears Music Series helps provide a home for experimental and free music in the Crescent City. In this interview, Albert talks about the Frenchman Street scene, his Chicago-New Orleans connection, and the cultural condition of post-Katrina New Orleans. Find out more at jeffalbert.com ....
Jun 15, 2009
Jason Crane interviews vocalist and pianist Lisa Sokolov about her new album, A Quiet Thing . Sokolov is not like any singer you’ve ever heard before, but she is certainly one you need to hear. In this interview, Sokolov talks about what singing is and how she’s arrived at her unique approach to performance and arranging. She also talks about writing haiku in her sleep, and the song that resulted.
Jun 08, 2009
