Trombonist and vocalist Natalie Cressman’s debut album with her band Secret Garden is called Unfolding (2012). In this interview (the final interview conducted for The Jazz Session ) Cressman talks about her parents and their influence on her music; why she moved from San Francisco to New York; how she decided she was ready to make a record; her work with Phish’s Trey Anastasio; and her plans following her graduation next year from the Manhattan School of Music. Learn more at nataliecressman.com...
Oct 25, 2012
Saxophonist Hailey Niswanger’s sophomore album is The Keeper (Calmit Productions, 2012). In this interview, Niswanger talks about her recent entry into Esperanza Spalding’s band; why she chose going on the road over starting her Master’s degree; the jazz scene in her native Portland; and the personal tragedy that inspired the title track on her new record. Learn more at haileyniswanger.com and follow her on Twitter at @haileyniswanger . You can support The Jazz Session by purchasing this album i...
Oct 22, 2012
Ottawa pianist and journalist Peter Hum’s debut album is A Boy’s Journey (2010). In this interview, Hum talks about the Ottawa jazz scene; the intersection of his work as a journalist and as a jazz musician; how he decided to finally record an album; and the stellar band on his record. Learn more about Peter’s music at peterhum.com , read his blog at blogs.ottawacitizen.com/category/arts/jazzblog and follow him on Twitter at @peterhum . You can support The Jazz Session by purchasing this album i...
Oct 18, 2012
Chilean saxophonist Melissa Aldana’s latest album is Second Cycle (2012). In this interview, Aldana talks about being a third-generation saxophone player, following in the footsteps of her father and grandfather; how she arrived at the Berklee College of Music not speaking any English or knowing how to read music; why she’s always known what she wanted to do with her life; and how she met and befriended sax master George Coleman. Learn more at melissaaldana.com and follow her on Twitter at @Meli...
Oct 16, 2012
Pianist Aaron Parks is in the midst of an exciting period of composing and recording. In this interview, conducted this summer in New York City, Parks talks about going into the studio with a revolving cast of the city’s finest musicians; his approach to composition — and how he breathes new life in past work; and why he’s comfortable letting things evolve as necessary in the studio. Learn more at aaronparks.com . Note: This is Aaron Parks’ second appearance on The Jazz Session . Listen to his 2...
Oct 12, 2012
Saxophonist and clarinetist Jessica Lurie’s newest recording is Megaphone Heart , released earlier this year. In this interview, Lurie talks about her early years in Seattle; the idea of a musical community; using her voice as an additional instrument; her remarkably diverse projects; and the stories behind the songs on her new album. Learn more at jessicalurie.com and follow her on Twitter at @saxophonejess . You can support The Jazz Session by purchasing this album in the TJS Store ....
Oct 08, 2012
Brian Charette’s new album is Music For Organ Sextette (Steeplechase, 2012). In this interview, Charette talks about studying kung fu and how it affects his music; getting called for his first organ gig — on the same day his first organ arrived; establishing a career in more than one country; and finding non-standard ways to write for an organ band. Learn more at kungfugue.com and follow him on Twitter at @pinchbrian . You can support The Jazz Session by purchasing this album in the TJS Store ....
Oct 04, 2012
Montreal native Sarah MK is a singer and songwriter who draws on R&B, hip hop and jazz. In this interview, Sarah talks about the Montreal scene and the Kalmunity collective; her jazz studies and what she feels they add to her music; and the challenges and opportunities of a musical life in Montreal. Learn more at sarahmk.com and follow her on Twitter at @sarahmkmusic . CONCERT NOTE: Sarah MK is performing in NYC on Oct. 10 at 8 p.m. at Sugar Bar, 254 West 72nd Street. $10 cover....
Oct 01, 2012
In this interview, Montreal pianist David Ryshpan talks about the scene in his adopted hometown; finding musical inspiration in Latin American poetry; how he came to love Brazilian piano trio music and formed his own Trio Bruxo; and the work of the Kalmunity collective. Learn more at settledinshipping.blogspot.com and follow him on Twitter at @ryshpanmusic .
Sep 27, 2012
Saxophonist and clarinetist Anat Cohen’s new CD is Claroscuro (Anzic Records, 2012). In this interview, Cohen talks about letting songs be songs; acknowledging the crowd; working with Wycliffe Gordon; busking in New York City; how she chooses between clarinet and saxophone on a particular tune; and her love of the “relaxing chaos” of Brazil. Learn more at anatcohen.com and follow her on Twitter at @Anat_Cohen ....
Sep 24, 2012
Trumpeter Nadje Noordhuis’s eponymous debut will be available on Oct. 9, 2012. In this interview, Noordhuis talks about the stories behind her compositions; how a “fight” with a piano kept her away from that instrument for a decade and how she found her way back; working with Darcy James Argue and others; and the moment in the studio when the tape first started rolling. Learn more at nadjenoordhuis.com and follow her on Twitter at @nadje . NOTE: Nadje is playing a CD pre-release show tonight (9/...
Sep 20, 2012
You can listen to the announcement (in slightly expanded form) using the player above, or read the text below: I’ve decided to end The Jazz Session . After five years, more than 400 episodes, and more than two million downloads, I just can’t make the show work financially. To keep it alive (and by extension, to keep myself going), I’d need to run a massive fundraising campaign immediately, and probably annually. I don’t know if that’s possible for The Jazz Session . I think it might be possible ...
Sep 19, 2012
Ottawa bassist John Geggie’s two most recent recordings are Geggie Project and Across The Sky , both released in 2010. In this interview, recorded in Ottawa on the Jazz Or Bust Tour, Geggie talks about the impact of radio on his early jazz education; exploring the role of the bass; the functions and limitations of institutions in teaching jazz; and his approach to composition. Learn more at johngeggie.com .
Sep 17, 2012
Saxophonist Martin Krusche’s most recent album with his band Magnetic Ear is Aliens Of Extraordinary Ability . In this interview, recorded in New Orleans during the Jazz Or Bust Tour, Krusche talks about how he decided on the way home from his first visit that he was going to move to New Orleans; the difference between being an artist in New York and in New Orleans; the creation of his pocket brass band, Magnetic Ear; his work as a saxophone repair technician; and the post-Katrina Habitat For Hu...
Sep 13, 2012
Sonny Rollins’ most recent album is Road Shows Vol. 2 (Doxy Records, 2011). In this interview, recorded at the 2012 Detroit Jazz Festival, Rollins talks about his love for Fats Waller; the world of politics and his place in it; and his feeling that a life in music was always his destiny. Learn more at sonnyrollins.com and follow him on Twitter at @SonnyRollins . NOTE: This is Sonny’s third time on The Jazz Session . He was previously on the show in 2008 and 2010 ....
Sep 10, 2012
The Gnu’s Room is a bookstore, coffee shop and community center in Auburn, Alabama. In this interview, conducted on the Jazz Or Bust Tour, owner Tina Tatum talks about the incredible community support that kept the Gnu’s Room open; the expanding mission of the store; and why Tina chose to stay in Auburn and create her own scene. This episode really has nothing to do with jazz, but it’s inspiring all the same. Learn more at thegnusroom.com and follow them on Twitter at @thegnusroom ....
Sep 06, 2012
Matthew Kaminski is a jazz organist with an interesting day job — he plays the organ for the Atlanta Braves. Kaminski’s debut album is Taking My Time (Chicken Coup Records, 2010). In this interview, recorded in the press box at Turner Field, Kaminski talks about the fun and fascinating world of playing organ for the Braves; the family of jazz organists; how he got his start playing organ and who turned him on to jazz. Learn more at matthewkaminski.com and follow him on Twitter at @bravesorganist...
Sep 03, 2012
The Jazz Session celebrates 400 episodes with pianist, educator and former Jazz Messenger Donald Brown. This interview was recorded at Brown’s home in Knoxville, TN, during the first part of the “Jazz Or Bust” Tour . In this interview, Brown talks about his early days in Memphis; why writing music has always been important to him; his R&B roots; the injuries he sustained through improper technique and how they’ve affected his career; and his forthcoming recording project. Note: Except for th...
Aug 30, 2012
Woodwind player Evan Cobb’s 2011 CD Falling Up was recorded in the town he calls home, Nashville. In this interview, Cobb talks about his unlikely move to Nashville; the city’s jazz scene; the importance of playing multiple horns; how he knew he was ready to put out a record; and the effect of Nashville itself on his writing. Learn more at evancobbjazz.com and follow him on Twitter at @evancobbjazz ....
Aug 27, 2012
Nashville saxophonist Rahsaan Barber’s most recent album is Everyday Magic (Jazz Music City, 2011). In this interview, Barber talks about deciding to establish his career in his hometown, even after living in New York; the jazz scene in Nashville and how he sees it evolving; and why there was never a chance that he and his brother Roland would become accountants. Learn more at rahsaanbarber.com and follow him on Twitter at @rjbsax ....
Aug 24, 2012
Named after a pioneering African-American musician and educator (that’s W.O. Smith playing bass on Coleman Hawkins’ original “Body And Soul” recording), Nashville’s W.O. Smith Music School “makes affordable, quality music instruction available to children from low-income families. We transform lives through music.” In this interview, Executive Director Jonah Rabinowitz talks about the school’s origins; the mission it serves and the unique way it affords to offer its services; and the ambitious f...
Aug 20, 2012
Woodwind player Denis Solee has been a mainstay in the Nashville Studio scene since the early 1970s, recording with everyone from Ray Charles and Stan Getz to Loretta Lynn and Garth Brooks. In this interview, Solee talks about how Nashville has changed since his arrival; what a lifetime in the studios has meant for his career as a jazz player; and why repairing horns reminds him of drag racing.
Aug 16, 2012
The Nashville Jazz Workshop is “a non-profit organization supporting jazz musicians, jazz fans, and the jazz community.” In this interview, co-founder and Director of Operations Roger Spencer talks about turning a decades-old unused industrial space into an oasis for jazz education and performance; why he’s unhappy with a lot of college jazz programs and how the Workshop’s approach is different; and the wide variety of amateurs and professionals who find a musical home at the Workshop. Learn mor...
Aug 13, 2012
Saxophonist Jeff Coffin’s forthcoming CD with his band the Mu’tet is Into The Air (Ear Up Records, available Sept. 4, 2012). Coffin has had an active career as a bandleader and educator, and also as a member of Bela Fleck & The Flecktones and now the Dave Matthews Band. In this interview, conducted at Coffin’s Nashville home, the saxophonist talks about revelatory experiences with the music of John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman; what he learned from his early teachers and how he tries to pay ...
Aug 09, 2012
Robert Jospe is a drummer and educator based in Charlottesville, VA. In this interview, recorded on the “Jazz Or Bust” Tour, Jospe talks about his involvement in the New York loft scene in the 1970s; his decision to relocate to Charlottesville and what it meant for his career; his approach to teaching rhythm and his belief that anyone can groove. Learn more at robertjospe.com and follow him on Twitter at @rjospe . Note: The music in this episode comes from Jospe’s 2006 album Heart Beat....
Aug 07, 2012
Trumpeter John D’earth is a mainstay of the Charlottesville, VA, jazz scene. He’s been playing Thursday nights at Miller’s downtown for the past 30 years. He’s also a respected educator who teaches at the University of Virginia. In this interview, D’earth talks about how he and a group of musician friends chose to leave New York City behind and settle in Charlottesville; why lifelong learning is essential; how to bring more listeners into the jazz fold; and why he thinks music promotes better he...
Aug 02, 2012
Doug Richards is a professor of music at Virginia Commonwealth University. He also founded the school’s jazz program in 1980, one year after he started teaching there. Richards’ former students include Steve Wilson, James Genus, Nate Smith, Clarence Penn, Mark Shim, Alvester Garnett, Scott Clark and Darius Jones. In this interview, Richards talks about discovering his love for composing and arranging; how he started the VCU jazz program at a time when very few such programs existed anywhere; his...
Jul 30, 2012
Drummer Scott Clark’s latest recording is A+B (2012) with the Scott Clark 4tet. In this interview, Clark talks about the robust music scene in Richmond, VA; how the book Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee is shaping his current composing; the makeup of the 4tet and its roots in the music of Ornette Coleman; and why he chooses to stay in Richmond rather than moving to a bigger city. Learn more at scottwclark.wordpress.com and follow him on Twitter at @sclarkrva ....
Jul 19, 2012
Saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh’s latest recording is Plugged In (Bee Jazz, 2012). In this interview, Sabbagh talks about making an electric record; why he chose to work with keyboardist and composer Jozef Dumoulin, who wrote half the tracks on the album; his first time at the Village Vanguard playing with Paul Motian; and why he still thinks making an album means something more than putting a bunch of tunes together. Learn more at jeromesabbagh.com and follow him on Twitter at @JeromeSabbagh ....
Jul 16, 2012
Saxophonist Brad Linde is making a life for himself on the Washington, DC, jazz scene. In this interview, he talks about bringing jazz artists to DC to play at the Atlas performance space; the history of the Tristano school and why he gravitates toward it; the nature of the scene in DC; and his various ensembles and work as both an educator and player. Learn more at bradlinde.com and follow him on Twitter at @bradlinde ....
Jul 09, 2012
