Guitarist Dom Minasi’s most recent recording, Dissonance Makes The Heart Grow Fonder (Konnex, 2009), features his string quartet in a program of adventurous composition and improvisation. In this interview, Minasi talks about how he spent the 20 years between his last Blue Note recording and his re-emergence as a leader; why Johnny Smith was a big influence on him, and why he let that influence go; and how a lifetime of playing, teaching and practicing has brought him to this prolific period. Th...
Dec 07, 2009
Luis Bonilla blends humor, adventurousness and a passion for his family on his new CD, I Talking Now (Planet Arts, 2009). In this interview, the in-demand trombonist talks about the use of humor in music; the effect of his time with Lester Bowie; and how thinking “beginning brass” was a shop class led to his life with the trombone. Learn more at trombonilla.com . If you’d like to buy this album, you can help support The Jazz Session by purchasing it via the link below:...
Dec 04, 2009
Pianist Eldar came onto the jazz scene as a child prodigy. Now in his early 20s, Eldar is expanding his repertoire as a composer and improviser. His new album is Virtue (Sony Masterworks Jazz, 2009). In this wide-ranging interview, Eldar talks about making music relevant to the present day; the nature of the jazz audience; and why many people respond to the “color” of music before anything else. Learn more at eldarjazz.com . If you’d like to buy this album, you can support The Jazz Session by pu...
Dec 02, 2009
Trombonist Wayne Wallace brings a lifetime of jazz, R&B and latin playing together on his new latin jazz CD, ¡Bien, Bien! (Patois Records, 2009). In this interview, Wallace talks about his introduction to latin music and why it spoke to him; his years as a semi-pro soccer player and how that helped him navigate the communities in which latin music is played; and why he may just have the greatest wedding band in history. Learn more at walacomusic.com . If you’d like to buy this album, you ca...
Nov 30, 2009
Paquito D’Rivera is equally at home in the jazz and classical worlds, a fact he showcased during his performance at the 2009 Tanglewood Jazz Festival. In this interview, D’Rivera talks about several of the pieces he performed that night: “Conversations With Cachao” and “The Panamericana Suite.” He also discusses “Fiddle Dreams,” a rare commission from the Library of Congress; and why he thinks the jazz and classical worlds can learn from one another. The music in this program is taken from his a...
Nov 27, 2009
Harpist Edmar Castaneda combines folkloric music from his native Colombia with jazz and other latin influences on his new album, Entre Cuerdas (ArtistShare, 2009). In this interview, Castaneda talks about his discovery of jazz as a teenager; his first attempts to sit in at descarga jam session … on the harp; and how he ended up with what is probably the only harp-trombone-percussion trio in the world. Learn more at edmarcastaneda.com . If you’d like to buy the album, you can support The Jazz Ses...
Nov 25, 2009
On his second album, Escaping Shadows (Concord, 2009), saxophonist Benny Reid continues to explore the musical path first laid down by Pat Metheny. In this interview, recorded just after Reid’s performance at the 2009 Tanglewood Jazz Festival, Reid talks about the influence of Metheny; why he chooses to compose everything from the melodies to the bass lines of his tunes; and how he navigates both the artistic and business sides of music. Learn more at bennyreid.com . If you’d like to buy the alb...
Nov 23, 2009
Drummer Martin Urbach is a citizen of the world. His travels have taken him from his native Bolivia to New Orleans and then New York. His experiences along the way are expressed musically on Free Will (self-produced, 2008). In this interview, Urbach talks about his musical and cultural upbringing; his flight from New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina; and why after so many years playing instrumental music, he’s now writing songs with words. Learn more at martinurbach.com . If you’d like to buy th...
Nov 20, 2009
The band Diverse consists of students from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. They all study with saxophonist Bobby Watson. They won a contest that included a recording contract with Origin Records, and the result is Diverse (Origin, 2009), a well-crafted selection of original music. In this interview, trumpeter Hermon Mehari talks about how the band got started; why they ended up playing some tunes in the contest that were written the same day as the performance; and what comes next now...
Nov 18, 2009
Bassist John Goldsby has worked in Germany for the last 15 years, playing in a state-sponsored jazz orchestra in Cologne. On his album Space For The Bass (Bass Lion, 2009), Goldsby explores the role of the bass in a variety of small-group settings. In this interview, Goldsby talks about why he’s chosen to make his home in Germany since the mid-90s; his view of the bass and its place in an ensemble; and how an improbable gig in Louisville, KY, put him on the bandstand with some of the great names...
Nov 16, 2009
Saxophonist Roger Lewis is one of the founding members of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Since the 1970s, Lewis and the band have played with everyone from Dizzy Gillespie to Elvis Costello. In this interview, Lewis talks about the formation of the band; how the Dirty Dozen decided early on to use all their musical influences to create their own sound; and why life on the road isn’t for everyone. Learn more at dirtydozenbrass.com . The Dirty Dozen’s album What’s Going On? is a tour de force. If you...
Nov 13, 2009
The Dan Loomis Quartet currently features Loomis on bass, Eli Asher on trumpet, Robin Verheyen on saxophone and Jared Schonig on drums. This particular line-up of the band performed for the first time in Albany, NY, during the 2009 Albany Riverfront Jazz Festival. After the show, the four musicians talked about the freedom found in a band without a chordal instrument; how they approach complex rhythms and forms; and what makes the experience of collective improvisation such a joy. Learn more at ...
Nov 11, 2009
Kat Edmonson is making a name for herself as both a smart interpreter of popular songs (both old and new) and as a musician who puts her values into practice in her art. Edmonson’s debut CD, Take To The Sky (Convivium Records, 2009) features creative reworkings of tunes by Carol King, The Cure and The Cardigans, alongside (un)expected versions of Cole Porter, George Gershwin and Henry Mancini. In this interview, Edmonson talks about her years of apprenticeship in Austin, TX; how she’s navigating...
Nov 09, 2009
Pianist and vocalist Patti Wicks teams up with her Italian trio — bassist Giovanni Sanguinetti and drummer Giovanni Gulino — and guest saxophonist Scott Hamilton for Dedicated To… (Geco Records, 2009). In this interview, Wicks talks about how she dealt with her childhood visual impairment and learned to play by ear; her college days at the Crane School of Music and her early years in New York; and why Italy has become a home-away-from-home for her. Learn more at pattiwicks.com . If you’d like to...
Nov 06, 2009
Saxophonist and composer Steve Lehman makes use of spectral harmony on his album Travail, Transformation and Flow (Pi Recordings, 2009). The result is a carefully crafted and emotionally engaging exploration of the physics of sound, played by a group of musicians who are seeking new ways to make improvised music. In this interview, Lehman offers a crash course in spectral harmony; discusses his compositional style and why he chose the particular musicians on the album; and talks about the influe...
Nov 04, 2009
Ben Perowsky’s newest recording, Moodswing Orchestra (El Destructo, 2009), is an experiment is ambient improvisation. Perowsky has assembled an all-star cast of instrumentalists and vocalists, including everyone from Cibo Matto’s Miho Hatori and Brazilian vocalist Bebel Gilberto to turntable/laptop artist Markus Miller and tuba player Marcus Rojas. In this interview, Perowsky talks about his desire to embrace the spirit of jazz but avoid “jazz language”; and how the process of the recording was ...
Nov 02, 2009
John Abercrombie returns with Wait Till You See Her (ECM, 2009), another album of gorgeous, tuneful music from his quartet, featuring Mark Feldman on violin, Joey Barron on drums, and new band member Thomas Morgan on bass. In this interview, Abercrombie talks about how subtle movements in the audience impact a performance; the label “chamber jazz” and whether it applies to his band; and his role as the evil Donald Dastardly in the radio drama Harry Lovett, Man Without A Country , which also feat...
Oct 30, 2009
John Surman is a composer with a broad and multi-hued musical palette. He’s written for everything from solo saxophone to string quartet to choir with organ to contemporary dance. On Brewster’s Rooster (ECM, 2009), Surman reunites with longtime musical partners Jack DeJohnette and John Abercrombie (accompanied by bassist Drew Gress) for a quartet album that explores group interplay. In this interview, Surman talks about finding a place in his music for his disparate influences; why he writes for...
Oct 28, 2009
Cymin Sawamatie was born in Germany to Iranian parents, and that mix of cultures informs the music of her band, Cyminology. On their third CD, and their first for ECM, Cyminology (ECM, 2009), the quartet explores the poetry of Rumi, Hafiz and Forugh Farrokhzad, combining these disparate poetic influences with a rich palette of composed and improvised music. In this interview, Samawatie talks about her culturally rich upbringing; the nature of her compositions; and why Cyminology can’t play in Ir...
Oct 26, 2009
My grandfather was one of the biggest influences on my life, both in making me the man I am and in pointing me early on to the magic of music, and jazz in particular. To celebrate my 100th episode, I’m taking a break from the show’s normal format to share with you my remembrances of my grandpa and some of the music that he loved. Here’s a photo of the band my grandfather played in. He’s in the exact center of the top row. This photo was taken in 1930:...
Oct 23, 2009
Robert Glasper believes that improvised music can authentically incorporate hip hop rhythms — and he also believes that authenticity is a necessary quality to make the mix work. That kind of authenticity is what he’s striving for on Double Booked (Blue Note, 2009), the new CD featuring both his acoustic trio and his larger electric band. In this interview, Glasper talks about the influence of Herbie Hancock’s genre-busting music; why Glasper decided to feature both his bands on one album; and wh...
Oct 21, 2009
The Industrial Jazz Group is a 15-ish-piece large ensemble that plays the inventive, challenging and often hilarious music of composer Andrew Durkin. That sentence, though, doesn’t come close to doing them justice. The band, made up of musicians fluent in jazz, classical and rock — and inspired by the free-for-all spirit of Frank Zappa — is a force of nature, slinking, striding and crashing through Durkin’s charts with an obvious love for the group’s collective sound. In this interview, Durkin t...
Oct 19, 2009
Virginia-born saxophonist Darius Jones wants to tell his story, and he’s chosen as his vehicle his new album, Man’ish Boy (AUM Fidelity, 2009). This is an album born of economic poverty and emotional wealth. Joining Jones are multi-instrumentalist Cooper-Moore and drummer Rakalam Bob Moses. This powerful and beautiful album is an important statement by a voice that needs to be heard. Learn more at Darius Jones’ MySpace page . If you’d like to buy this album, you can support The Jazz Session by p...
Oct 16, 2009
Guitarist Joe Morris has spent three decades finding ways to contribute to the language of the guitar and to the literature of improvised music. He’s managed to stay true to himself and his sound during that entire time, even as he’s added the bass to his repertoire. On Today On Earth (AUM Fidelity, 2009), Morris continues to explore the place of the guitar in the world of free improvisation. In this interview, Morris talks about his early decision to play without effects; how the masters of the...
Oct 14, 2009
The Fay Victor Ensemble’s The FreeSong Suite (Greene Avenue, 2009) is a tour de force of writing, improvisation and performance. Victor and her band paint one fluid word picture after another, linking these composed sections with free playing that is smart, muscular and emotional. In this interview, Victor talks about why she needed a steady band to realize her musical vision; how she arrived at the mix of freedom and pre-determination that characterizes the album; and what the breakdown of Joe’...
Oct 12, 2009
Guitarist Julian Lage was playing gigs when he was 5 years old. By age 7, he was the subject of a documentary. At age 12, he played on the Grammy Awards show, and shortly after began gigging and recording with Gary Burton. Now, at the ripe old age of 21, Lage has released Sounding Point (Emarcy Records, 2009), his debut recording. In this interview, Lage talks about his unlikely life; why he chose a band made of up cello, percussion and saxophone; and why he and his band are as likely to be jamm...
Oct 09, 2009
Composer and bandleader Dave Rivello is a man on a mission. For nearly two decades, Rivello has been writing original music for his large ensemble and performing that music in clubs in and around Rochester, NY, where he teaches at the Eastman School of Music. The result? Facing The Mirror (Allora Records, 2009), a CD of Rivello’s music that highlights his inventive compositions, and the talented members of his unusual ensemble. In this interview, Rivello talks about how hearing one record change...
Oct 07, 2009
How do you sum up the career of one of the most distinctive saxophonists ever? For Laurie Pepper, spanning the breadth of her late husband Art Pepper’s career was both a daunting and joyous task, one she accomplished with great success on The Art History Project (Widow’s Taste, 2009). The three CDs cover Pepper’s career from the early 50’s to the early 80s, featuring both previously released and never-before-heard music. In this interview, Laurie Pepper talks about the evolution of Art as a saxo...
Oct 05, 2009
Guitarist Mike Stern has played with everyone. And yes, that includes Miles Davis. After decades in the business, he could easily be resting on his laurels. Instead, he’s pushing himself into new territory, as displayed on his CD Big Neighborhood (Heads Up, 2009), which finds him in the company of everyone from Esperanza Spaulding to Randy Brecker to Eric Johnson to Steve Vai. In this interview, Stern talks about why he likes surrounding himself with fresh ideas; his rockin’ side and his lyrical...
Oct 02, 2009
Trombonist David Gibson delivers another album full of melody and grounded in a strong sense of purpose on his new CD A Little Somethin’ (Posi-Tone, 2009). Gibson is a veteran of the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band, and a leader in his own right. In this interview, Gibson talks about the importance of melody in his writing; the sound of a working band; and why he chooses to focus on original compositions. Find out more at jazzbone.org . Help support The Jazz Session by purchasing your copy of ...
Sep 30, 2009
