French vocalist Camille Bertault is a dazzling musician whose expressive personality permeates everything she does. Initially a classical pianist, she soon found her voice, so to speak, as a vocalist, immersing herself in transcribing not only jazz solos by the greats but also intricate classical melodies by Debussy, Bach and more. One of her early claims to fame was penning a French vocalise to Coltrane’s behemoth “Giant Steps” but she pays homage to the tradition of French chanteuse with equal...
Dec 15, 2021•49 min
Saxophonist Joel Frahm is one of the warmest people I know AND he has one of the warmest tenor sounds to boot. I first became aware of his immense musicality when hearing him on the albums of vocalist Jane Monheit and I’ve been smitten with his lyricism ever since. His latest release, “The Bright Side”, features a chordless trio with bassist Dan Loomis and drummer Ernesto Cervini. The album came out on Anzic Records in June 2021 and is a joyous showcase for Joel’s creativity and his longstanding...
Dec 08, 2021•58 min
Trumpeter Nadje Noordhuis hails from Australia but makes her home in New York, where she performs both as a bandleader and as an in demand sideman with leaders like Maria Schneider, Darcy James Argue and Anat Cohen. A finalist in the 2007 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, her new genre-bending quintet with Maeve Gilchrist (celtic harp), Jesse Lewis (electric guitar), Ike Sturm (electric bass), and James Shipp (synthesizers, percussion) coolly blends acoustic and electric instrument...
Dec 01, 2021•58 min
Mike Epstein is the President and Founder of Epstein & Company, an international booking agency that represents a roster of brilliant artists, including Maria Schneider, Fred Hersch, Cyrille Aimee, Jane Bunnett and Maqueque, Donny McCaslin and more. His agency offers booking services for professional touring artists as well as value added services for those who need them including travel, logistics, advancing dates, and tour marketing. We chat about Mike’s Artist Growth Process ™, a unique p...
Nov 30, 2021•57 min
The Madrid-based pianist Daniel Garcia carries within him a deep sense of the history that has shaped him. After studying at Berklee under the mentorship of Danilo Pérez, Daniel returned to Spain to carve out a reputation as a real force in the Spanish jazz scene, expertly traversing jazz and flamenco landscapes to create a signature, sophisticated sound. His second album for ACT Music “Vía de la Plata” was released in September 2021 and features guests Ibrahim Maalouf, Anat Cohen, and Gerardo N...
Nov 24, 2021•1 hr
Vocalist Luciana Souza grew up in a family of Bossa Nova innovators – her father, a singer and songwriter, and her mother, a poet and lyricist. Her work as a performer transcends traditional musical boundaries, offering authentic jazz insight, sophisticated lineage in world music, and an enlightened approach to new music. While Luciana is a lover of words, having set the poems of Pablo Neruda and Elizabeth Bishop to music, she is also an expert in the art of wordless singing, effortlessly becomi...
Nov 17, 2021•1 hr 27 min
John Hollenbeck is a drummer and percussionist possessed of a playful versatility and a virtuosic wit. Whether charting new territory with his long-standing Claudia Quintet or bringing to life popular songs for the Frankfurt Radio Big Band, he is forever seeking to surprise himself and his audiences. I caught up with John to discuss both his most recent, Grammy-nominated recording with the Frankfurt Radio Big Band, featuring guests Theo Bleckmann, Kate McGarry, and Gary Versace, and his new Clau...
Nov 10, 2021•1 hr 5 min
Named for the Olympian goddess of the hunt and the wild, Artemis is a superlative sextet, an international affair, with members hailing from the U.S., Canada, Israel and Japan. The all-star group features pianist and musical director Renee Rosnes , tenor saxophonist Nicola Glover , clarinetist Anat Cohen , trumpeter Ingrid Jensen , bassist Noriko Ueda , drummer Allison Miller , and featured vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant . Their debut album was released on Blue Note Records in September 2020 an...
Nov 03, 2021•59 min
Remy Le Boeuf is a Grammy-nominated composer and saxophonist whose music is rooted in the jazz tradition while drawing on various influences, ranging from contemporary classical sounds to indie rock energy. His jazz orchestra “Assembly of Shadows” is a dazzling vehicle both for Remy’s compositions and arrangements, and his voice as a saxophonist. The 20-piece ensemble releases its second album “Architecture of Storms”, featuring guests Dayna Stephens and Julia Easterlin, on 5th November 2021. I ...
Oct 27, 2021•50 min
Maria Schneider is a multiple Grammy Award winner and a recent Pulitzer Prize finalist in Music for her 2020 double album “Data Lords.” She was last a guest on The Jazz Session a decade ago and to think that she hadn’t yet released her 2013 collaborative album with soprano Dawn Upshaw and the Australian Chamber Orchestra, “Winter Morning Walks”, OR her shimmering, somewhat biographical record 2015’s “The Thompson Fields”. Anyone who is lucky to work with or know Maria, knows that her attention t...
Oct 20, 2021•1 hr 5 min
Mandisi Dyantyis is a South African trumpeter and vocalist hailing from Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) in the Eastern Cape. I should be impartial and journalistic in my description of all my guests but I’ve never been one to favour professionalism over enthusiasm. Mandisi is one of my favourite South African musicians and composers. A self-proclaimed “choir boy”, he finally released his debut album “Somandla” in 2018 after decades working as the musical director for Isango Ensemble. The wait...
Oct 13, 2021•52 min
Kate McGarry and Keith Ganz are partners both in life and music. The musical result of such a kinship is incredibly rich and rare and spans many albums. Their latest record, “What To Wear In The Dark”, was ten years in the making and delicately chronicles world events from the past several years, including the US presidential election to the Sandy Hook tragedy and more. During a stretch of life which included “loss of health, home, and tribe” as Kate put it, the couple discovered a guiding light...
Oct 06, 2021•59 min
Lydia Liebman is the founder and president of Lydia Liebman Promotions, a leading PR agency based in NYC, with additional operations in London. Her current roster includes artists like the Baylor Project, Somi, Ted Nash and Glenn Close (yes, THAT Glenn Close), and labels like Dot Time Records and Whirlwind Recordings. Lydia regularly lectures about PR and other music industry-related topics and has spoken at several higher education institutions including The Royal Academy of Music in London and...
Sep 30, 2021•53 min
Lars Danielsson is a stalwart of the Swedish jazz scene, capturing the very best of Nordic jazz and beyond in his compositions. The double bassist and cellist-he’s equally prodigious on both instruments-has released albums for the European label ACT music for over a decade and his latest offering “Cloudland” transported me beyond the confines of, well my home. Thank you, COVID. The calibre of his bandmates past and present-Dave Liebman, Bobo Stenson, Nils Landgren, Youn sun Nah, Tigran Hamasyan-...
Sep 29, 2021
Grammy-nominated composer, Miho Hazama is one of the most promising and talented composers/arrangers of her generation. Miho developed her signature jazz chamber orchestra “m_unit” while still a graduate student at the Manhattan School of Music. In fact, that is where I first met Miho when we overlapped, navigating jazz studies and all New York has to offer. Watching her career go from strength to strength since then has been an utter joy. In 2019, she took up a post as the chief conductor of Da...
Sep 22, 2021
Terence Blanchard is one of jazz’s most esteemed trumpeters and defies expectations by creating a spectrum of artistic pursuits. He’s a twice-Oscar nominated film composers, and a two-time opera composer whose most recent opera “Fire Shut Up in My Bones” opens New York’s Metropolitan Opera season on 27 September 2021. A month ago, on the 27th August, Terence released his new album Absence on Blue Note Records. It features his synth-inflected band E-Collective and the acclaimed Turtle Island Quar...
Sep 15, 2021•56 min
Gretchen Parlato burst onto the scene in 2004, when she won the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz International Voice Competition. Since then, she’s been nominated for a Grammy, released five albums, performed with Wayne Shorter, Kamasi Washington, Becca Stevens and more, and massively influenced several generations of jazz vocalists. After 8 years spent exploring and enjoying motherhood, she made something of return to jazz with her album “Flor”, released on Edition Records in 2021. The album c...
Sep 08, 2021
Saxophonist and NEA Jazz Master Dave Liebman was last on The Jazz Session in 2010 so we were due for a catch up, especially because he has a new album “Selflessness: The Music of John Coltrane” out on Dot Time Records on 3 September, a day before his 75th birthday. We chat about Trane (of course!), Dave’s time playing with Miles Davis, and the timelessness of Rodger and Hammerstein’s “My Favourite Things”. Show Notes: Tracklisting: -Mr Day -Peace On Earth -My Favourite Things -Lazy Bird -Selfles...
Sep 01, 2021
Here’s the big announcement!
Aug 04, 2021•17 min
That’s a dramatic headline, but I think the news in this mini episode is worth it.
Jul 07, 2021•11 min
Vocalist Gian Slater ‘s most recent album is Grey is Ground . In this interview, Slater talks about the five years of work to create the album; the tension between rhythm and melody so artfully displayed on the recording; navigating the genre question; and much more. / / / I’ve been recording conversations with jazz musicians on The Jazz Session since 2007. I’m now living in a van and traveling the country, so I need your support more than ever. Please become a member today at thejazzsession.com...
Jun 30, 2021•39 min•Season 13Ep. 563
Trumpeter and vocalist Sarah Wilson has a new album coming out in July 2021 called Kaleidoscope . In this interview, Wilson talks about the mentors to whom the music is dedicated; how she went from anthropology to puppet theater to the world of improvised music; incorporating vocals into her skill set; and more. / / / I’ve been recording conversations with jazz musicians on The Jazz Session since 2007. I’m now living in a van and traveling the country, so I need your support more than ever. Plea...
Jun 23, 2021•35 min•Season 13Ep. 562
Saxophonist and flute player Anna Webber has a new double album called Idiom (Pi Recordings). In this interview, Webber talks about how she took inspiration for the compositions on the album from extended instrumental techniques; her recent residency in Germany; her plans for after the pandemic; and her work with … Bruce Springsteen? Sure, why not. CONCERT NOTE: The CD release party for Idiom is scheduled for September 23, 2021 at Roulette in Brooklyn. / / / I’ve been recording conversations wit...
Jun 16, 2021•46 min•Season 13Ep. 561
Pianist Sunna Gunnlaugs was once the only professional female jazz musician in Iceland. In this interview, she talks about the work she’s done to change that fact; her recent recording and performing projects; life during the pandemic; and much more. (Note: Sunna was on The Jazz Session back in 2010. You can listen to that interview here .) / / / I’ve been recording conversations with jazz musicians on The Jazz Session since 2007. I’m now living in a van and traveling the country, so I need your...
Jun 09, 2021•47 min•Season 13Ep. 560
Vocalist Nnenna Freelon ‘s new album, her first in a decade, is called Time Traveler . In this interview, Freelon talks about the loss of her husband, Phil, and how she used music to process grief; the importance of the relationships between the band members on the album; her upcoming podcast series; and much more. / / / I’ve been recording conversations with jazz musicians on The Jazz Session since 2007. I’m now living in a van and traveling the country, so I need your support more than ever. P...
Jun 02, 2021•43 min•Season 13Ep. 559
Pianist and vocalist Lauren Lee ‘s intimate new solo album is called The Queen Of Cups . In this interview, Lee talks about her unexpected (for her) decision to release a solo recording; the benefits of intuition; the stigma around scat singing; and much more. / / / I’ve been recording conversations with jazz musicians on The Jazz Session since 2007. I’m now living in a van and traveling the country, so I need your support more than ever. Please become a member today at thejazzsession.com/join ....
May 26, 2021•45 min•Season 13Ep. 558
Cellist Helen Gillet has a new album with woodwind player Jeff Coffin ( interview ) called Let It Shine . In this interview, Gillet talks about how the pair came together at her series in New Orleans; the process of creating the music for the recording; how parameters can lead to increased freedom; the idea of a lifelong teacher; and a lot more. / / / I’ve been recording conversations with jazz musicians on The Jazz Session since 2007. I’m now living in a van and traveling the country, so I need...
May 19, 2021•51 min•Season 13Ep. 557
We dive into the vault this week for episode #47 from October 2008. Here’s what I wrote at the time: Jason Crane interviews pianist and composer Satoko Fujii. Fujii has released four new recordings in 2008, her 50th birthday year. These records find her with her New York trio; on accordion in the avant-folk-jazz group of her husband, trumpeter Natsuki Tamura; in a quartet with some of Japan’s most talented improvising musicians; and in a second trio with both American and Japanese musicians. Far...
May 05, 2021•40 min•Season 13Ep. 556
Violinist Sana Nagano ‘s new album is Smashing Humans . In this interview, Nagano talks about her fabulous band; how she went from giving up violin completely to playing it professionally; her journey from Tokyo to Oregon to Memphis to Boston to New York; and much more. / / / I’ve been recording conversations with jazz musicians on The Jazz Session since 2007. I’m now living in a van and traveling the country, so I need your support more than ever. Please become a member today at thejazzsession....
Apr 28, 2021•42 min•Season 13Ep. 555
Argentinian vocalist Roxana Amed just released Ontology . In this interview, Amed talks about moving to Miami and finding her place; writing new lyrics to existing tunes; searching for meaning as both a musician and a person; and much more. / / / I’ve been recording conversations with jazz musicians on The Jazz Session since 2007. I’m now living in a van and traveling the country, so I need your support more than ever. Please become a member today at thejazzsession.com/join . For $5 a month you’...
Apr 21, 2021•51 min•Season 13Ep. 554
