Saxophonist TK Blue’s new CD is Latinbird (Motema Music, 2011). In this interview, Blue talks about his decision to record an album of Parker’s music; his years in Paris and his early days in New York; and how his relationships with Randy Weston, Abdullah Ibrahim and Benny Powell have shaped his life and music. Learn more at www.tkblue.com . Tracks used in this episode: Chi Chi; Si Si; He Flew Away too Soon; Visa; Bluebird; Barbados; Steeplechase; Buzzy....
May 18, 2011
Pianist George Cables’ most recent recording is with The Cookers on their new album, Cast The First Stone (Plus Loin Music, 2010). In this interview, Cables talks about the importance of a unified concept; why he feels he’s had success as a sideman with everyone from Dexter Gordon to Art Pepper; and how he makes each composition his own. Learn more at georgecables.com . NOTE: This interview contains an exclusive solo performance of “You Don’t Know What Love Is.” To hear an additional solo perfor...
May 16, 2011
Slumgum’s new album is Quardboard Flavored Fiber (Accretions, 2011). In this interview, the band’s Jon Armstrong talks about how the diverse backgrounds of the members lead to a fascinating array of compositional ideas; why the band chose its unique name; and how the use of humor and improvisational games leads the music down interesting paths. Oh, and we get kicked out of a place. Learn more at slumgum.com . Tracks used in this episode: Hancho Pancho; Eshu’s Trick; Big Fun (Running In A Dream);...
May 13, 2011
Guitarist Anthony Wilson’s new CD is Campo Belo (Goat Hill Recordings, 2011). In this interview, Wilson talks about his ongoing travels to Brazil; his new music for a quartet of custom-built guitars; and why rhythm changes can be beautiful. Learn more at www.anthonywilsonmusic.com . Tracks used in this episode: Campo Belo; March to March; Edu; After The Flood; Patrimonio; Valsacatu.
May 11, 2011
Saxophonist Billy Harper appears on Cast The First Stone , the latest CD from The Cookers. In this interview, part of The Jazz Session’s “Cookers Mondays” series, Harper talks about his involvement with the band; recounts the story of his first night in NYC in the late 1960s; and tells about how persistence paid off when it came to sitting in with one of the most famous drummers of all time. Learn more at www.billyharper.com . Tracks used in this episode: Cast The First Stone; Peacemaker; Lookin...
May 09, 2011
Chris Washburne and the SYOTOS Band’s most recent album is Fields of Moons (Jazzheads, 2010). In this interview, Washburne talks about his introduction to the New York salsa scene; why SYOTOS chose to record softer music on the new album; and an amazing story about Tito Puente. Learn more at www.chriswashburne.com . Tracks used in this episode: Fields Of Moons; Seas Of Slumber; Obsesion; Poinciana; Duke Ellington’s Sound Of Love; When Lights Are Low; Non Spoken....
May 06, 2011
Sean Smith’s new CD is called Trust . In this interview, Smith talks about the idea of trust among musicians; recalls Bill Finnegan’s teachings; and talks about the potentially career-ending injury that gave him a new lease on life and music. Learn more at www.seansmithjazz.com . Tracks used in this episoed: Betting Blind; Homemade Japanese Folk Song; Wayne’s World; Lawn Ornaments; Occam’s Razor; Voices; Margin Of Error....
May 04, 2011
Composer Maria Schneider’s most recent CD is Sky Blue (ArtistShare). Now Schneider has turned her attention to the classical world, composing music for soprano and orchestra. In this interview, Schneider talks about how a meeting with soprano Dawn Upshaw led to this new direction in her music; how she waded through oceans of poetry to find the text she wanted for her new pieces; and how a chance comment from a college professor led her to the world of jazz. Learn more at mariaschneider.com . Tra...
May 02, 2011
Drummer Adam Cruz has released his first CD as a leader, Milestone (Sunnyside, 2011), featuring his own compositions. In this interview, Cruz talks about finding his own voice as a composer; the challenges associated with leading a band; and the impact of his father on his life as a musician. Learn more at www.adamcruz.net . Tracks used in this episode: Secret Life; Emje; Crepuscular; The Gadfly; Bird of Paradise....
Apr 25, 2011
Pianist Matthew Shipp and saxophonist Darius Jones have a new duo CD called Cosmic Lieder (AUM Fidelity, 2011). In this wide-ranging interview, Shipp and Jones discuss intergenerational collaboration; the “x factor” that caused Shipp to ask Jones to work together; and how Jones views Shipp’s musical language and career. Learn more at www.matthewshipp.com and www.myspace.com/blackdajones . Tracks used in this episode: Bleed; Ultima Thule; Zillo Valla; Multiverse; Mandrakk; Ged-Jedollah. CONCERT N...
Apr 21, 2011
Saxophonist Noah Preminger’s new CD is Before The Rain (Palmetto, 2011). In this interview, Preminger talks about his musical upbringing; why he spend a lot of time planning the order of the songs in a performance; and the important of being respectful. Learn more at www.noahpreminger.com . Tracks used in this episode: Where or When; Quickening; Before The Rain; Abreaction; Until The Real Thing Comes Along; Jamie....
Apr 18, 2011
Guitarist Adam Rogers’ most recent album is Sight (Criss Cross, 2009). In this interview, Rogers talks about the band he put together for his recent run at the Village Vanguard; why he enjoys using a broad range of guitar sounds — and guitars; and how he melds the music he writes with the need for improvisational space. Learn more at www.adamrogersmusic.com . Tracks used in this episode: Sight; Kaleidoscope; Yesterdays; Memory’s Translucence; Let’s Cool One....
Apr 14, 2011
Vocalist Fay Victor explores her Trinidadian roots in the company of Other Dimensions In Music on Kaiso Stories (Silkheart, 2011). In this interview, Victor talks about the chance meeting that led to the new CD; how she melded the calypso music of Trinidad with the experimental jazz she’s known for; and the many projects with which she’s currently involved. Learn more at www.fayvictor.com . Tracks used in this episode: Maryanne; John Gilman Wants Tobacco; Three Friends’ Advice; Nora; Saltfish; W...
Apr 11, 2011
Drummer Marc Miralta’s most recent CD is Dreams (Fresh Sound, 2007). In this interview, recorded while Miralta was in New York to play with Alexis Cuadrado, Miralta talks about his lifelong love of jazz; how he became known for his flamenco/jazz hybrid music; and why a life as an artist was a natural choice in his family. Learn more at www.marcmiralta.com . Tracks used in this episode: Dreams; Way Out Willy; Cami del Bosc; Epistrophy and Segment (both from the New York Flamenco Reunion album); E...
Apr 07, 2011
Pianist Bruce Barth’s latest record is Live At Smalls (Smalls Live, 2011) with Vicente Archer and Rudy Royston. In this interview, Barth talks about the equal partnership and openness he looks for in his bandmates; what he learned from his early work with Stanley Turrentine and Terence Blanchard; and the difficulties of studying at a jazz school in a place where there isn’t a jazz scene. Learn more at brucebarth.com . Tracks used in this episode: Oh Yes I Will; Sunday; Yama; Almost Blues; Peacef...
Apr 04, 2011
Brian Lynch celebrates some of his fellow trumpeters whom he feels deserve more notice on Unsung Heroes (Hollistic MusicWorks, 2010). In this interview, Lynch talks about his very real connection to the generations before him; why he feels a grounding in the tradition of jazz is important; and the idea that “bebop is the music of the future.” Learn more at brianlynchjazz.com . Tracks used in this episode: Terra Firma Irma; I Could Never Forget You; Further Arrivals; Saturday Afternoon At Four; W...
Mar 31, 2011
Guitarist Nico Soffiato’s new album is Just Add Water (nBn Records, 2011). In this interview, Soffiato talks about his decision to become a guitarist rather than a philosopher; his thoughts on improvisation and structure in his music; and why he enjoys playing with new people. Learn more at www.reverbnation.com/nicosoffiato . Tracks used in this episode: Alexander; Tens Of Us; Just Add Water; Fanfare; View Askew; Oh, What A Beautiful Morning....
Mar 28, 2011
Bassist Ben Allison delivers an original and exciting take on tunes by everyone from Samuel Barber to Neil Young to Thelonious Monk on his new CD, Action-Refraction (Palmetto, 2011). In this interview, Allison talks about an iPhone app that changed the sound palette on his new record; two musicians who’ve joined him for the first time on this CD; and how he deals with the lyrical content of these songs in his instrumental arrangements. Ben’s workshop series continues every Tuesday night at Kush,...
Mar 24, 2011
Fred Hersch is back with another solo piano recording, Alone At The Vanguard (Palmetto, 2011). In this interview, Hersch talks about finding the interior resources to play an entire week of solo piano at one of the world’s most famous jazz clubs; his new multimedia piece “My Coma Dreams” and the near-death saga that led to it; and why he feels he has a purpose to his life. Learn more at www.fredhersch.com . Tracks used in this episode: In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning; Down Home; Echoes; Do...
Mar 21, 2011
Accordion player Rob Curto takes us on a tour of Brazilian choro music. In this interview, Curto explains the origins of choro and demonstrates its rhythms; talks about his own introduction to the accordion and to the music of Brazil; and plays several choro tunes in performances available only in this episode. Learn more at robcurto.com . Tracks used in this episode: Biruta, Seu Ze E Os Pifs, 03 – Uma, Duas, Tres….Xote!; Estrada do Sol. Plus several live solo performances recorded during the in...
Mar 17, 2011
Bassist Alexis Cuadrado has just released an ambitious nonet album, Noneto Iberico (bjurecords, 2011), inspired by the flamenco music of his native Spain. In this interview, Cuadrado talks about the genesis of the record; how having kids changed his focus as a musician; and how the Brooklyn Jazz Underground fosters creative music. Learn more at http://www.alexiscuadrado.com/ . Tracks used in this episode: Very Well; Tocar Y Parar; Te Sigo; Solo El Sol Sale Siempre Solo; Los Panchitos....
Mar 14, 2011
Saxophonist Sarah Manning brings her personal approach to the sound of the saxophone to her newest recording, Dandelion Clock (Posi-Tone, 2010). In this interview, Manning talks about how she focuses on sound in her playing; the way she assembled her band; and why she’s happy she took risks on this record. Learn more at sarahmanningmusic.com . Tracks used in this episode: The Peacocks; Marble; The Owls (Are On The March); Through The Keyhole; Habersham Street; Dandelion Clock; Windmills Of Your ...
Mar 10, 2011
Drummer Scott McLemore and the ASA Trio just released a new album of the music of Thelonious Monk, a follow-up to last year’s daring take on Coltrane’s A Love Supreme . In this interview, McLemore tells the story of how he ended up playing jazz in Iceland; talks about the ASA Trio’s chemistry and origins; and explains how the band came to play the music of Monk and Coltrane. Learn more at www.asa-trio.com . Tracks used in this interview: Bemsha Swing; San Francisco Holiday; Ask Me Now; Acknowled...
Mar 07, 2011
Anthony Brown’s Asian American Orchestra uses instruments from around the world to put a unique spin on two Coltrane classics on their new album, India & Africa (Water Baby Records, 2010). In this interview, Brown gives an overview of the Asian-American jazz movement and its origins in Bay-area protests; discusses the challenges and opportunities of using non-Western instruments in a jazz setting; and talks about what inspired him to focus on John Coltrane’s music for this album. Learn more ...
Mar 03, 2011
Nicholas Urie’s new album, My Garden (Red Piano Records, 2011), features his settings of the poems of Charles Bukowski. In this interview, Urie talks about his identification with Bukowski, who, like Urie, spent much of his life in Los Angeles; the challenges of setting Bukowski’s non-lyrical poems; and the even greater challenge of getting the rights to use Bukowski’s work in the first place. Learn more at nicholasurie.com . NOTE: Nicholas asked me to mention the members of the band because we ...
Feb 28, 2011
The Jazz Session started four years ago today with episode #1 — an interview with saxophonist Grant Stewart . Four years, 243 episodes and 930,000 downloads later, The Jazz Session is still going strong. In the introduction to this show, I take a moment to thank all the people who’ve made it possible, before welcoming my guest… Grant Stewart returns to help celebrate the fourth anniversary, and to talk about his new record, Around The Corner (Sharp Nine, 2010). In this interview, Stewart discuss...
Feb 24, 2011
Saxophonist Ralph Bowen returns with Power Play (Posi-Tone, 2011), his third CD in as many years. In this interview, Bowen talks about why he enjoys writing his own music; the importance of his bandmates in creating the right studio environment; and the lessons he learned from his time with Horace Silver. Learn more at ralphbowen.com . Tracks used in this episode: K.D.’s Blues; Drumheller Valley; My One And Only Love; Two-Line Pass; The Good Sheppard; Bella Firenze....
Feb 21, 2011
Music writer and musician Hank Shteamer talks about Mosaic’s new Henry Threadgill boxed set, The Complete Novus & Columbia Recordings of Henry Threadgill & Air , for which Shteamer wrote the liner notes. In this interview, Shteamer talks about the two-decade period covered by the set; the amazing variety of Threadgill’s bands and compositions; Threadgill’s infectious humor; and how Threadgill differs from other musical iconoclasts. Get the boxed set at Mosaic’s site , and read more of Ha...
Feb 17, 2011
No BS! Brass hails from Richmond, VA, and they don’t sound like any brass band you’ve ever heard. Their new album, No BS! (2010), features their special blend on horns, funk and metal attitude. In this interview, co-founder Reggie Pace talks about the birth of the band; his own growth as an arranger and writer over the course of the band’s three albums; and the burgeoning music scene in Richmond. Learn more at nobsbrass.com . Tracks used in this episode: Brass Scene Kidz; Dr. Wily; Khan!!; Repre...
Feb 14, 2011
Saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh teams with guitarist Ben Monder and drummer Daniel Humair on I Will Follow You (Bee Jazz, 2010). In this interview, Sabbagh talks about the formation of this trio; his varying approaches to composition; and how his diverse musical choices make him difficult to label but more content as a player. Learn more at jeromesabbagh.com. Tracks used in this episode: I Will Follow You; Monolith; The Clown; Comptine; Rahan; Come With Me; More; La Fee Morgane; Saloon....
Feb 10, 2011
