Best Stephen Braunginn Podcasts (2024)

1
Episode 24-Walter Smith III: Jazz Educator and Saxophone Virtuoso 55:07

6d ago55:07

55:07

World-renowned saxophonist and Blue Note recording artist Walter Smith III is the model music educator and practitioner. This enormously talented saxophonist pursued music education as a profession as far back as high school. In this episode, Walter’s storied career follows the path beginning with performing at McDonald’s at age 7, to an exciting a…

1
Episode 23-Kris Davis: Creative Processes and Mentorship in Jazz 1:10:21

1M ago1:10:21

1:10:21

In this episode, I spend time with Grammy Award-winning pianist and Berklee College of Music professor of Jazz Kris Davis on 'Strictly Jazz Sounds.' We do a deep dive into her latest project, Run the Gauntlet, dedicated to six influential women jazz pianists, which drops on September 27, 2024. A common thread is woven throughout the hour, mentoring…

1
Episode 22-Yuhan Su: The Imagination is in the Music 1:14:52

2M ago1:14:52

1:14:52

Award winning vibraphonist Yuhan Su is another Gary Burton/Chick Corea-inspired musician, lured away from classical to the art form where improvisation reigns, jazz. This Taiwanese-born, New York based artist, left her homeland pursuing a jazz education at Berklee College of music, a frequently told story. Yuhan Su draws on her strengths to survive…

1
Episode 21-Wayne Escoffery: Fostering Pride in Black American Music-Jazz 1:12:58

2M ago1:12:58

1:12:58

Grammy-Award winning saxophonist Wayne Escoffery is my guest on the 21st episode of Strictly Jazz Sounds. What attracted me to Wayne was his prolific traveling, extensive performances and recordings with his own band (11 recordings), the Mingus Big Band (3 recordings, one a Grammy Award winner), the Black Art Jazz Collective (4 recordings), and as …

1
Episode 20-Roni Eytan: Jazz Harmonica Colossus 1:11:32

3M ago1:11:32

1:11:32

Roni Eytan, a renowned Israeli-born, New York based jazz harmonica player, performs with a passion that differs from other harmonica artists. Perhaps it’s the region from which he derives-the Middle East and North Africa. His culture greatly influences his compositions and inspires his passions. Roni’s work is influenced by harmonica legend Toots T…

1
Episode 19-Alexandra Ridout: Her Journey Into Jazz 1:00:01

4M ago1:00:01

1:00:01

Alexandra (Alex) Ridout is a young jazz trumpeter from the UK, now residing in New York City. In this episode of Strictly Jazz Sounds, she lays out her journey as a musician, comparing the experiences and educational backgrounds between the UK and the US. Ridout recalls her time at the Royal Academy of Music in London and Manhattan School of Music,…

1
Episode 18-Jocelyn Gould: Striking a Chord 1:20:41

6M ago1:20:41

1:20:41

In this episode of Strictly Jazz Sounds, I have a conversation with Jocelyn Gould, a professional jazz guitarist who fills all the shoes it requires to drive a successful career. Jocelyn shares her journey from pretending to play a cardboard guitar at the age of four to winning a Juno Award for her first album, Elegant Traveler. She later discusses…

1
Episode 17-Yasushi Nakamura: The Shy Bassist with the Groove 54:31

7M ago54:31

54:31

Yasushi Nakamura loves his music. And he truly loves laying down the groove lines behind a hot band like he does for almost a dozen bands. However, being one of today’s first-call bassists means frequent and long show tours that can take him away from his family of two-children and spouse for weeks, even months at a time. It has resulted in an impr…

1
Episode 16-Terri Lyne Carrington: Changing the Faces of Jazz 1:02:53

1y ago1:02:53

1:02:53

Question: What would jazz music sound like if it had been born in a country without patriarchy; taught without bias and performed on a stage with radical inclusivity? That’s what jazz titan Terri Lyne Carrington says is the foundation behind Berklee College of Music’s Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice. Terri Lyne is the founder and artistic dire…

1
Episode 15-Brandee Younger: Jazz Harp Meets Hip-Hop 46:27

1y ago46:27

46:27

In jazz, two legendary harp musicians come to mind. Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane. Now, there is a third musician whose image immediately erupts into focus. For harp artist, educator, and Grammy nominated musician Brandee Younger, both Ashby and Coltrane made a tremendous impact on her. And with her latest recording, Brand New Life, on Impulse R…

1
Episode 14-Roxy Coss: Students Are the Music 1:27:01

1y ago1:27:01

1:27:01

For tenor saxophonist, composer, bandleader, educator and artist Roxy Coss, jazz education is everything. When we talked in July, she and her husband, saxophonist, educator and composer, Lucas Pino, just returned from their week-long session as co-directors of the Brubeck Jazz Summit, (yes, that Brubeck-Dave Brubeck) a week-long intensive emersion …

1
Episode 13-Miki Yamanaka: Living Her Dreams 1:15:04

1y ago1:15:04

1:15:04

Japanese jazz pianist Miki Yamanaka, born and raised in Kyoto and Kobe Japan, now resides in New York City with her drummer husband Jimmy Macbride. Her upcoming album, Shades of Rainbow is set to drop on September 8. Excitement explodes in Miki during this hour-long interview with this jubilant pianist who is a mainstay at New York’s prime jazz clu…

1
Episode 12-Julieta Eugenio: Music is Magic 1:00:21

1+ y ago1:00:21

1:00:21

“Music in the soul can be heard by the universe.”— Lao Tzu Music moves the soul in so many ways. It moves the spirit and inspires living beings to become one with the music. Argentinian Julieta Eugenio was just that person from a young age. She’s not entirely sure why. Her parents didn’t play an instrument though they played recordings around the h…

1
Bonus to Episode 11-Jon Irabagon: Always Moving Forward 44:36

1+ y ago44:36

44:36

Welcome to the Bonus recording of Episode 11. More stories to tell by Jon Irabagon. The recording by the group, Mostly Other People Do the Killing, Blue, the note-for-note recreation of Miles Davis' classic album is “A work of conceptual jazz art,” writes Bandcamp. The listening public’s response varied considerably but suffice it to say that Jon a…

1
Episode 11-Jon Irabagon: Always Moving Forward 1:09:25

1+ y ago1:09:25

1:09:25

Episode 11- Jon Irabagon: Always Moving Forward Jon Irabagon is always driving ahead whenever he wants to make a statement with a new recording. With his saxophones facing forward, Jon’s bold and articulate improvisations draw on his singular drive to create a pathway for the future of jazz. He draws on the forces of the hand-chosen musicians, each…

1
Episode 10-Yonathan Avishai: Music Is Life 51:57

1+ y ago51:57

51:57

Yonathan Avishai and I met in a conference room at Bexley Public Library in the village of Bexley in Columbus, Ohio. He was bright, friendly, and alert despite his long flight the day before. Yonathan is an Israeli-born French resident. His flight took him over six time zones, from France to New York and then to Columbus. This was a visit arranged …

1
Episode 9-Laura Ann Gentry: Destination? Jazz of course! 52:01

1+ y ago52:01

52:01

What’s the difference between a producer of an event and a promoter? I’ve often wondered about that when it comes to producing or promoting a music community event or a jazz concert. Cincinnati, Ohio resident and Jazz Alive Executive Director Laura Ann Gentry set the record straight for me on Strictly Jazz Sounds, your conversation about all things…

1
Episode 8-Brian Blade: The Beat That Keeps On Coming 59:15

1+ y ago59:15

59:15

2022 was a banner year for drummer Brian Blade. Nine recordings were released with Brian as a leader, co-leader, or side-player that year. As the year was coming to a close, I began to compile my list of “Best Jazz of 2022”. It was then that I realized that Brian had been a very busy man during the last few years. My curiosity was spiked about this…

1
Episode 7-Fabian Almazan: This Environmental Warrior Plays Piano 57:29

1+ y ago57:29

57:29

Fabian Almazan gives his heart, music, and soul to sustaining the environment. He gives so much that he started a record label, Biophilia Records, that does not print CDs or vinyl records. How does he sell recordings? Each carefully designed CD sleeve has a digital code that buyers use to purchase the tracks. If that’s not enough, all recording art…

1
Episode 6 Timo Vollbrecht: Gives and Takes 46:57

1+ y ago46:57

46:57

German-born saxophonist and jazz educator Timo Vollbrecht is a mild-spoken man which slightly disarms you. You would not know by first sight that he is a practitioner and scholar of electronic-infused improvised jazz. He has long been a fan of transforming acoustic sounds with synthesizers, including using the saxophone as a tool. Timo is also a sc…

1
Episode 5-Immanuel Wilkins: Community Breeds Greatness 55:05

1+ y ago55:05

55:05

Immanuel Wilkins is considered one of the most compelling instrumentalists in improvised music today. His primary instrument is the alto saxophone but that’s not all he can play. There’s a video you can find on YouTube of an interview he did when he was 11 years old. You see an acoustic bass in the background. He can play not only the bass but also…

1
Episode 4-Marta Sanchez: Spanish American Gem 40:12

1+ y ago40:12

40:12

Marta Sanchez combines the technical of classical with the soul of jazz, presenting innovative and emotive compositions that stir the mind and fill the spirit. This Madrid, Spain native now resides in Brooklyn, NY, performing in New York clubs with the best New York has to offer. Marta is now among the elite performers in the jazz capital of the wo…

1
Episode 3-Caleb Wheeler Curtis: Improvisation in Space, Time, and Sound 50:45

1+ y ago50:45

50:45

Caleb Wheeler Curtis designs playgrounds for his band members when he composes, creating opportunities for improvisation within a structured framework. It’s all about space to freely express oneself. This Ann Arbor, Michigan native who now lives in Brooklyn, New York City, has recently released to critical acclaim his fifth album, Heatmap. Caleb an…

1
Episode 2-Stephanie Matthews & A Tribe for Jazz: The Image of Jazz 31:56

2y ago31:56

31:56

The jazz scene in Columbus, Ohio is an eclectic one. Like many big cities Columbus has a 24-hour jazz radio station that plays mostly smooth and R&B-tinged jazz peppered with some classic jazz from the 50s, 60s and 70s; it has establishments that host jazz groups and at least two bona fide jazz clubs. Then, there are two nonprofit organizations: Ja…

1
Episode 1-Emmet Cohen: Jazz Streaming Visionary 45:49

2y ago45:49

45:49

On today’s episode of Strictly Jazz Sounds, I have a conversation with Emmet about his show: how he selects the guests, the challenges doing the show, the dreams he holds for it and the impact he hopes to have on jazz as an artform. Emmet Cohen is a pianist, composer, bandleader, and internet entrepreneur. What began as a means to play a gig when t…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Stephen Braunginn Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

1
Strictly Jazz Sounds

Steve Braunginn

1
Episode 24-Walter Smith III: Jazz Educator and Saxophone Virtuoso 55:07

1
Episode 23-Kris Davis: Creative Processes and Mentorship in Jazz 1:10:21

1
Episode 22-Yuhan Su: The Imagination is in the Music 1:14:52

1
Episode 21-Wayne Escoffery: Fostering Pride in Black American Music-Jazz 1:12:58

1
Episode 20-Roni Eytan: Jazz Harmonica Colossus 1:11:32

1
Episode 19-Alexandra Ridout: Her Journey Into Jazz 1:00:01

1
Episode 18-Jocelyn Gould: Striking a Chord 1:20:41

1
Episode 17-Yasushi Nakamura: The Shy Bassist with the Groove 54:31

1
Episode 16-Terri Lyne Carrington: Changing the Faces of Jazz 1:02:53

1
Episode 15-Brandee Younger: Jazz Harp Meets Hip-Hop 46:27

1
Episode 14-Roxy Coss: Students Are the Music 1:27:01

1
Episode 13-Miki Yamanaka: Living Her Dreams 1:15:04

1
Episode 12-Julieta Eugenio: Music is Magic 1:00:21

1
Bonus to Episode 11-Jon Irabagon: Always Moving Forward 44:36

1
Episode 11-Jon Irabagon: Always Moving Forward 1:09:25

1
Episode 10-Yonathan Avishai: Music Is Life 51:57

1
Episode 9-Laura Ann Gentry: Destination? Jazz of course! 52:01

1
Episode 8-Brian Blade: The Beat That Keeps On Coming 59:15

1
Episode 7-Fabian Almazan: This Environmental Warrior Plays Piano 57:29

1
Episode 6 Timo Vollbrecht: Gives and Takes 46:57

1
Episode 5-Immanuel Wilkins: Community Breeds Greatness 55:05

1
Episode 4-Marta Sanchez: Spanish American Gem 40:12

1
Episode 3-Caleb Wheeler Curtis: Improvisation in Space, Time, and Sound 50:45

1
Episode 2-Stephanie Matthews & A Tribe for Jazz: The Image of Jazz 31:56

1
Episode 1-Emmet Cohen: Jazz Streaming Visionary 45:49

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