Suzanne Higgins Podcasts

Henry Spencer is a multi-award-winning trumpeter, composer and bandleader. Since releasing his album and an EP with a multi-GRAMMY Award Winner in New York (credits include Miles Davis, Prince, Herbie Hancock, Michael Jackson), touring with his band internationally with a growing following, audiences and radio/TV broadcasts, he's now working with t…

Mark joins the show to chat to Rob Cope about his new album, Live at the Village Vanguard. His first live album, and one not to be missed! Support the showBy Rob Cope & Tara Minton

Kyle joins the show to chat to Rob Cope about his new album, Eastwood Symphonic. Eastwood Symphonic, Kyle Eastwood forthcoming album, is a tribute from a son to his father, legendary actor and director. This family collaboration now becomes an unique album, that will come along a film produced by Arte, a European symphony tour and a unique event at…

Matthew Halsall is a trumpeter, producer and composer who is redefining spiritual jazz for the next generation. Over the course of nine albums, numerous accolades and his taste-making label, Gondwana Records, he’s become a vital voice in UK music with his lithe, limitless blend of jazz and deeply meditative influences that’s in tune with the natura…

Zoe Rahman: https://www.zoerahman.com/ Zoe Rahman’s style is deeply rooted in jazz yet it reflects her classical background, British/Bengali heritage and very broad musical taste. Known for her powerful technique, wide-ranging imagination and exuberant performance, she has become a highly sought-after musician on the international music scene, havi…

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/gemini--6#/ An artist interested in multiple musical directions and one who strives for quality and sincerity in his work. His exciting energy has compelled him towards many different musical directions and projects. Considered by his contemporaries as cutting edge, Gray shows promise as an artist that will not on…

"That's just kind of the nature of content marketing: you publish a lot of stuff that doesn't work. And you just kind of have to be okay with it."

If you enjoy this show, you can preorder Rob's new album Gemini at this link below. https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/gemini--6 Today John joins the show to chat about his incredible career so far. Support the showBy Rob Cope & Tara Minton

Saxophonists Andy and Suzanne join the show to chat to Rob about their career, their move from Manchester to Berlin and then again to Prague. A journey not to be missed! Support the showBy Rob Cope & Tara Minton

Rob Buckland has crafted a career around his primary work as a saxophonist that defies categorisation. Renowned for a highly distinctive, original sound, with real personality and projection, combined with an open-minded approach to repertoire and performance styles, his work takes him around the globe in an astonishing variety of musical settings.…

"I have a visceral reaction to people who say, AI won't take your job. It's people who know how to use AI that will take your job. AI is absolutely tearing apart the content world right now. I don't think it will stay this way forever. I think that it will bounce back."By Ryan Sargent

Award-winning New York City jazz pianist and accordionist Ben Rosenblum has been described as “mature beyond his years,” (Sea of Tranquility), an “impressive talent” (All About Jazz), who “caresses [the music] with the reverence it merits” (Downbeat Magazine). Since the release of his debut trio album, Instead (4 stars, Downbeat), Rosenblum has tou…

Ally Fiola is a Nova Scotian saxophonist and film composer. Her recently recorded original jazz album, Interblaze, features 3x Grammy winning saxophonist Jeff Coffin (Dave Matthews Band, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones), Grammy winning keyboardist Glenn Patscha (Bonnie Raitt), Kurdish guitarist Shvan Kaban, and many top-tier Nova Scotian musicians, i…

Amy Jones is one of the leading pop vocalists in the UK. Running her own band and business, The White Keys, she has built up an empire to rival any music business start up. Today she shares with us her journey as a musician and an entrepreneur. https://amysyed.tumblr.com/ www.instagram.com/amy.vt.jones www.thewhitekeys.co.uk Support the show…

Shirley Smart is recognised as one of the UK’s most versatile and creative cellists – being equally at home and well versed in jazz and Middle Eastern music, as well as classical music. Originally trained under Raphael Wallfisch at the Guilldhall School of Music, and Janos Starker in Paris, she subsequently moved to Jerusalem, where she remained fo…

Montreal-based saxophonist and composer Christine Jensen has been described as, “an original voice on the international jazz scene… [and] one of Canada’s most compelling composers,” by Mark Miller of the Globe and Mail. According to Greg Buium of Downbeat Magazine, “Jensen writes in three dimensions, with a quiet kind of authority that makes the ma…

Inspired by Dave Koz and tutored by renowned music teacher Artem Mendelenko, saxophonist Andrey Chmut was born in the small town of Medzhybizh in Western Ukraine. His young life was filled with music (his mother plays the balalaika, his father plays the accordion, one of his sisters is a violinist while another is a singer) and since the age of fiv…

Mayo released his third album, Meu Brasil in January 2023. Meu Brasil is his first Brazilian project and features maestro Sergio Mendes, guitarists/composers Dori Caymmi and Guinga and the voice of Gracinha Leporace, among others. “This album is an homage to a music and a country that has so deeply shaped my musical life. It’s called Meu Brasil bec…

Hannah Horton is a melodic maverick, visionary jazz saxophonist, composer, bandleader and journalist. Star of UK jazz, her music is rooted in jazz, folk and funk. Her established individual and sophisticated sound is edging through boundaries and creating waves worldwide. An official Henri Selmer Artist, alumni of the prestigious Guildhall School o…

Immy, daughter of Pete Churchill and Nikki Iles is forging her own way in the world. Today we chat to her about all things music. Such an inspiring young musician, catch this one now! Support the showBy Rob Cope & Tara Minton

Fergus McCreadie is one of the most exciting young jazz pianists on the world stage. With his unique blend of Jazz and Scottish folk music inspired by his country’s sublime landscapes, Fergus captures the hearts and minds of audiences worldwide. He is undoubtedly a future star in the making. Released on Edition Records to instant critical acclaim, …

Corrie Dick is the name of a UK-based musician specialising in euphoric, sonically-conscious groove drumming. He is lauded for his touch, uniquely fresh approach to style and melodicism. He is an essential component of any project lead by Laura Jurd including Mercury Prize Shortlisted Dinosaur; provides the intricate and fluent stick work in the El…

Caitlin LM is an electronic producer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist from Manchester. Her ethereal vocals and live instruments meld with pulsating synths and undulating beats to create a powerful yet intimate soundworld. Taking inspiration from the likes of Bonobo, Jon Hopkins and Thom Yorke, with jazz and cinematic influences, her music flows …

"Preserve your time for what you can do that ChatGPT can't. Strategy, creative thinking, internal cross-collaboration, education…and if you can use ChatGPT to have even more output and be even more productive, it’s only going to help you and help the company."By Ryan Sargent

Art Themen was involved in the traditional jazz scene in Manchester in the late 1950s. A member of the award winning Cambridge University jazz band from 1958 to 1961, he became involved in the early London blues scene, playing alongside Alexis Korner, Jack Bruce, Mick Jagger and Chuck Berry. He fronted the Stan Tracey quartet for 20 years from 1976…

Olivia Murphy is a multi-award winning composer, conductor and improviser based in South-East London, originally from Peterborough. After studying jazz saxophone at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Olivia has found composition her main focus and an important emotional outlet. She thinks of herself as a story-teller, enjoying weaving melodic line…

New York saxophonist Daniel Bennett has been hailed as one of the most original and unpredictable musical voices of his generation. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette describes Bennett's music as a mix of "modern jazz and avant-pop." Daniel Bennett has been featured in Timeout New York, NPR and the Boston Globe. The UK Jazz Journal called Bennett, "an out…

Beboptical Illusion is the 3rd release from drummer and band leader Gaz Hughes, today we preview the new music on the show. This album features the same trio from his previous albums but marks a leap forward in the band's evolution as most of the tracks are original compositons. The album was recorded in August 2022. It is being released on 3rd Feb…

“I think once you test [AI] out and see it for yourself and see how much faster it makes you and see that you're not being replaced, you’re just being enhanced, you feel really good about it.”By Ryan Sargent

Originally from the Netherlands, vocalist, and songstress, Vivienne Aerts is barely categorizable in genre or style. She plays in band formation, duo, solo, supplemented with synthesizer, loop station, and effects. Vivienne surprises challenges and tells stories. Her lyrics travel to the core of recognition; talk to the soul and open a barrel of em…

Faye MacCalman is a performer, composer-songwriter and improviser on saxophone, clarinet and voice. Freewheeling through genre boundaries inspired by jazz, blues-folk, minimalism and rock to name a few, Faye fuses experimental songwriting with off kilter patterns, heartfelt melodies and surreal atmospheres. Faye is bandleader of critically acclaime…

"Sometimes in B2C you get to be a little more clever than clear, and I think that's flipped in B2B, but I don't think that has to mean boring."By Ryan Sargent

Quentin and Rob join the show to tell Tara Minton all about their new album, Five Way Split. Out March 17th on Ubuntu Music. Guest intro by Caitlin L-M. Support the showBy Rob Cope & Tara Minton

Born in 1967 to the late, great bassist Jamil Nasser, Muneer 's exposure to the jazz idiom was early and powerful. In 1976, "My dad took me to see Dizzy Gillespie at the Village Gate and Dizzy blew the place apart. I had to get a trumpet and weeks later I did." In 1979, he went to the International Art of Jazz Workshop for college students. Dave Bu…

On this episode of The Legislature Today, we conclude our daily coverage for the 2023 legislative session with one last reporter roundtable. Randy Yohe, Chris Schulz, Emily Rice and Curtis Tate are all on the set together to discuss bills that have passed and the bills that are left. Both chambers traditionally work until midnight Saturday night as…

On this episode of The Legislature Today, there was a united reaction from lawmakers to a bill passed yesterday that limits the number of treatment beds a county can have. Government reporter Randy Yohe has more. Yohe also gives us a story from the House of Delegates, which discussed extending a state of emergency for the state’s corrections system…

"You have to have a point of view, an opinion, something original to say. It can't just be ten things you need to know about webinars. That won't cut it. Give me something useful in value, and give it to me quickly. "By Ryan Sargent

On this episode of The Legislature Today, Education Reporter Chris Schulz sits down with House Education Committee Chairman Joe Ellington, R-Mercer. Just before the start of the session, the state had to come to grips with several reports showing concerning declines in math and reading scores. They discuss what has been done so far to improve stude…

On this episode of The Legislature Today, Gov. Jim Justice signed House Bill 2526 into law Tuesday. The bill includes a 21.25 percent tax cut across all six income brackets, with the governor’s office calling it the largest tax cut in state history. Government reporter Randy Yohe has the story. With the signing of the bill, lawmakers have taken a s…

On this episode of The Legislature Today, we have officially begun the final week of the 2023 West Virginia Legislative session. WVPB’s News Director Eric Douglas talks with reporter Curtis Tate about bills he’s been following this legislative session, including the latest on a bill that would limit gender-affirming health care in West Virginia. Al…

As an acclaimed trombonist, composer, and producer, Delfeayo Marsalis has also dedicated his prolific career to music theatre and education. Along with the Marsalis family of musicians including his father Ellis, the artist was destined to a life in music. Marsalis has toured internationally with jazz legends such as Ray Charles, Art Blakey, Max Ro…

On this episode of The Legislature Today, we have our weekly reporter roundtable to recap the week and explore what’s still to come. WVPB’s Chris Schulz and Emily Rice sit down with Brad McElhinny of WV MetroNews. Also, the Senate’s PEIA bill is now in the hands of the House of Delegates. The proposed health insurance premium increases and coverage…

On this episode of The Legislature Today, with West Virginia’s abortion ban clarified and solidified in state code by recent legislation, Appalachia Health News Reporter Emily Rice speaks with Sen. Patricia Rucker, R-Jefferson, and Del. Ric Griffith, D-Wayne, on women’s and maternal health in West Virginia. Also, late Wednesday afternoon, the House…