Barry first found music when he borrowed his sister's record collection when he was about eight and was hooked. When Caroline started it was a new beginning, and he listened to all the stations, but Caroline was his favourite by far. Later he became a singer in a band, then started doing discos when he was 18. He joined Caroline in 1977, touring the country with the Caroline Roadshow for 10 years, having great fun. Barry helped with tender trips and worked on the Ross Revenge in '84 and '85. ...
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Content provided by Jeffrey Siegel. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Jeffrey Siegel or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.
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Podcast 576: A Conversation with John Yao
Manage episode 180928331 series 83422
Content provided by Jeffrey Siegel. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Jeffrey Siegel or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.
I’ve pointed out before that we may be living through a golden age for trombone players in the world of jazz. Over the past few years rising stars like Ryan Keberle, Joel Yennior, Charlie Halloran and Michael Dease have joined the ranks of talents like Wycliffe Gordon, Conrad Herwig, Steve Turre and the legendary Roswell Rudd. These guys lead bands, not just hold down a chair in a big band horn section.
Add another name to their ranks – John Yao.
His latest small-group CD, Presence, is aptly titled, as he makes his presence felt right from the get-go, leading his quintet through a number of jazz styles and approaches. Boosted by saxophonist Jon Irabagon, the group tackles Yao compositions that vary from the avant-garde leaning “M Howard” to the straight ahead “Bouncey’s Bounce,” with fine results. Ably assisted by a rhythm section of Randy Ingram (Piano), Peter Brendler (Bass) and Shawn Baltazor (Drums), Yao’s trombone step out in front, but just as often finds a place in the band’s mix, creating a most enjoyable CD.
Podcast 576 is my conversation with John, as we discuss the new CD, his larger “17 piece instrument”, and his place in such institutions as the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and Arturo O'Farrill's Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra. Musical selections include “Tight Rope”, “Fuzzy Logic”, and “Bouncey’s Bounce.”
994 episodes
ShareManage episode 180928331 series 83422
Content provided by Jeffrey Siegel. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Jeffrey Siegel or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.
I’ve pointed out before that we may be living through a golden age for trombone players in the world of jazz. Over the past few years rising stars like Ryan Keberle, Joel Yennior, Charlie Halloran and Michael Dease have joined the ranks of talents like Wycliffe Gordon, Conrad Herwig, Steve Turre and the legendary Roswell Rudd. These guys lead bands, not just hold down a chair in a big band horn section.
Add another name to their ranks – John Yao.
His latest small-group CD, Presence, is aptly titled, as he makes his presence felt right from the get-go, leading his quintet through a number of jazz styles and approaches. Boosted by saxophonist Jon Irabagon, the group tackles Yao compositions that vary from the avant-garde leaning “M Howard” to the straight ahead “Bouncey’s Bounce,” with fine results. Ably assisted by a rhythm section of Randy Ingram (Piano), Peter Brendler (Bass) and Shawn Baltazor (Drums), Yao’s trombone step out in front, but just as often finds a place in the band’s mix, creating a most enjoyable CD.
Podcast 576 is my conversation with John, as we discuss the new CD, his larger “17 piece instrument”, and his place in such institutions as the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and Arturo O'Farrill's Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra. Musical selections include “Tight Rope”, “Fuzzy Logic”, and “Bouncey’s Bounce.”
994 episodes
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1 Podcast 997: Previewing the 2025 Saratoga Jazz Festival with Danny Melnick 38:09
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedThere's a new sponsor for the first big jazz festival of the season, but the same great music as always seems to be ready to go. The 2025 Saratoga Jazz Festival is sponsored by GE Vernova, and is scheduled for June 28-29 on the scenic grounds of Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC). As always, the range of talent is broad, from the blues (Gary Clark Jr.) to the great vocalists of today and tomorrow (Gregory Porter, Cassandra Wilson, Veronica Swift, Nicole Zuraitis) to certified jazz legends (Al DiMeola, Gary Bartz, Kenny Garrett) to successful crossover acts (Lettuce, Trombone Shorty). Click here for a full list of artists on the Main Stage and more intimate Charles R, Wood Discovery Stage. As always, producer Danny Melnick joined me to discuss the festival and give some insight into how the event is structured and how it takes place, as well as the skinny on which artists to catch. Danny has been graciously joining me for podcast conversations since 2011, and its always a pleasure to speak with him. Besides all the great music, the festival has continually upgraded its facilities, and has a juried art and craft fair, terrific restaurant-quality food and grounds to explore. "The Hang" is one of the great weekends of each summer, so be sure to put it on your calendar. Musical selections include the title track from NEA Jazz Master Kenny Garrett's Do Your Dance album and "Skylark" from Cassandra Wilson's Grammy winning New Moon Daughter album, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary at the festival in an exclusive New York performance.…
1 Podcast 996: A Conversation with Susan Hinkson 24:21
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedSometimes jazz musicians get their big breaks at school, and others from mentors on the bandstand. And others…from their job in land use regulation? Such is the case for singer Susan Hinkson, whose debut album Just In Time (on windfall creations, LLC) is a spirited romp through the Great American Songbook. For years Susan was a regulator and policy maker for architectural real estate both for the city of New York and as the managing member in the Capalino Ventures, LLC urban strategy firm. Among those with whom she worked closely was Richard Barth, the touchstone of regulatory real estate land use, who introduced her to his brother Bruce. Straight No Chaser fans are well-acquainted with pianist Bruce Barth, an important part of the New York jazz scene for decades. Ms. Hinkson has an expansive knowledge of showtunes, immersed in the music by a mother who was a musical arranger on Broadway. Together they listened to the storied Make Believe Ballroom radio show on WNEW-FM that played all the popular songs of earlier years. So when she met Bruce Barth to talk about voice lessons, the two knew they had a deep sense of musical commonality. Fast-forward to the present, and the result is Just In Time . The album features Barth on piano in a superb New York quintet comprising alto saxophonist Steve Wilson, bassist Vicente Archer and drummer Adam Cruz. Susan digs deep for some lesser recorded runes like the Rodgers/Hammerstein tune “This Nearly Was Mine” from South Pacific , as well as better known classics like the title track, “My Funny Valentine,” and “It Might as Well Be Spring.” With a nod to her favorite singers, she delivers a fun version of Blossom Dearie’s “Rhode Island Is Famous For You,” and goes against type with female-centric versions of “The Best is Yet to Come” and “One for My Baby (and One More for the Road).” Podcast 996 is my conversation with Susan, as we discuss her late start in recording and her attraction to “boy songs” in choosing repertoire. The podcast features her versions of “The Best is Yet to Come,” and "Thus Nearly Was Mine."…
1 Podcast 995: A Conversation with Richard Underhill and Stich Wynston from the Shuffle Demons 27:09
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedYou don’t judge a book by it’s cover, and you don’t judge a band by its name. Toronto-based Shuffle Demons may sound like a retro-blues band, but in fact the sounds they have captured on their latest album, Are You Really Real? (Alma/Universal ) don’t easily get categorized. There’s the jazz-funk of “X Marks The Spot,” swinging “Good Mourning,” and more intricate “Ride the Wave” among a set of tunes heavy in high-energy improvisation. The band presents a unique lineup of instrumentation featuring Richard Underhill (alto and baritone sax), Kelly Jefferson and Matt Lagan (tenor sax), Mike Downes (electric and acoustic bass) and drummer Stich Wynston. The result is an always interesting listen that will hit both your mind and bottom. Richard and Stich joined me for our conversation, as we followed the band’s history from busking on the streets of Toronto forty years ago, to personnel changes which shifted the band’s core sound, to today’s ensemble. Aided by the Canada Council for the Arts, the band has been able to record and release albums that try – and even succeed – to capture the energy of their live shows. Musical selections include “Good Mourning" and "Scala Rosa."…
1 Podcast 994: A Conversation with Eric Scott Reed 38:35
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedI last caught up with pianist Eric Reed almost two years ago, as he marked the release of his fine tribute album Black, Brown and Blue (Smoke Sessions Records). He returns to original music with his full name on the album Out Late (Smoke Sessions Records), buoyed by a killer band featuring trumpeter Nicholas Payton, tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, bassist Peter Washington, and drummer Joe Farnsworth. This stellar quintet’s members share deep histories with one another as well as with the l+abel’s namesake Manhattan club. So it seemed natural when Reed wanted to record a new batch of tunes in an “old school” style that they would record on an empty Smoke club’s stage. Out Late was recorded live, with only one take for each tune, and the musicians free of headphones or barriers. The result is a highly satisfying collection that rivals anything Reed has previously released. Anyone who has followed Reed’s remarkable story in recent years will immediately catch the double meaning embedded in the title as well. Two years ago, Reed made the decision to exist openly in his sexuality, a decision that he feels has also led to a newfound openness and freedom in his musical life. A key member of bands led by Wynton Marsalis, Joe Henderson and Freddie Hubbard, Reed has been sharing his gospel-tinged sound with jazz listeners since he toured with Marsalis at the age of eighteen. He has almost an album a year over the past thirty-five years, including four album-length explorations of the music of Thelonious Monk. Podcast 994 is my conversation with Eric as he discusses his decision to make this record with no frills or overdubs, his love for his fellow musicians, and his current tour schedule, where he will perform tributes to two of his piano heroes, Oscar Peterson and Hampton Hawes. Musical selections include “Out Late."…
1 Podcast 993: New Holiday Jazz for You All 1:00:27
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedThere's a bumper crop of new Holiday Jazz out there folks, so i you are looking for last minute enjoyment for Christmas and Hanukkah (and all the rest of the seasonal celebrations) you can listen to Podcast 993, featuring: Nick Maclean - "Christmas Time is Here" from his single on Browntasauras Records Christian Sands - "Do You Hear What I Here" from Christmas Stories George Burt0n - "The Holly and the Ivy" from Yule Log Rich Wiley - "Silver Bells" from Boptism Christmas George Gee Swing Orchestra - "Winter Wonderland Mambo" from Winter Wonderland Band of Other Brothers - "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" from This Year at Christmas Mitchell Shiner Latin Vibes - "Hanukkah Oh Hanukkah" from Latkes Con Salsa Matt Wilson's Christmas Tree-O - "8 Little Candles" from Tree Jazz - The Shape of Christmas to Come Brownman & Cruzao - "Frosty El Cubano" from their single on Brownasauras Records Gregory Porter - "Christmas Will Really Be Christmas" from Christmas Wishes (Deluxe Edition) Tower of Power - "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" from It's Christmas Laila Biali - "Drifting Down Ice" from Wintersongs Donald Vega - "Auld Lang Syne" from All is Merry and Bright…
1 Podcast 992: A Conversation with Sivan Arbel 23:22
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedAt its heart, Oneness is Israeli-born vocalist/songwriter/arranger Sivan Arbel’s musical response to the divisions she sees in society. Seamlessly blending Eastern and Western influences, she invites listeners to embrace their cultural and ideological differences and yet recognize the universal connections that bind us all. A tall order in late 2024. Oneness echoes this hopeful idealism by envisioning what is possible. Growing up in an environment where diverse cultures coexisted fueled her lifelong curiosity and desire to explore and integrate different musical influences. As a follow-up to 2016’s Broken Lines and 2019’s Change of Light, which was selected as Best Vocal Disc of the year by Jazz2K, the album stands as a major statement from a developing artist. The concept for Oneness started to take shape in 2022, during a week-long residency at Avaloch Farm Music Institute in New Hampshire, where Arbel and her band -- pianist Nick Hetko, bassist Sam Weber, and drummer Evan Hyde -- were awarded a retreat. The resulting work was honed before live audiences before recording the music, bringing to fruition Arbel’s lifelong exploration of unity through diversity, drawing from her experiences both in Israel and Brooklyn. In Podcast 992, Sivan and I talk about the tunes on Oneness, from her own “Second Floor Beloved," a deeply moving narrative about a homeless man on the Tel Aviv boardwalk sung in Hebrew, to the classic Tears for Fears song "Everybody Wants to Rule the World." Her fresh, soulful interpretation of that iconic tune infuses her rhythmic and harmonic flair into a brand=new musical statement. Sivan Arbel will be presenting the album release show on December 18, 2024 at 8PM at the New York City club Nublu.…
1 Podcast 991: A Conversation with Mauricio Morales 25:17
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedOn its own merits, the music on Seven Days, Mauricio Morales’ latest album, speaks with a strong, persuasive creative voice. The respected bassist-composer-bandleader’s fourth album presents seven distinctive compositions for sextet, with sophisticated shifts in mood and musical structure. In a mode of decidedly modern jazz which also manages to be easy on the ear and heart, the music also benefits from bold, integrated playing and soloing by his young allies from both the east and west coasts--connections made when the Mexican Morales lived and studied in Boston before settling in his current adopted hometown of Los Angeles. Morales composed this body of work—the result of a self-driven challenge to write seven tunes in as many days--while literally stuck in his native Mexico due to a mysterious Visa renewal snafu. Completing the challenge (barely, as you will hear him say) led to a live performance in Los Angeles, and following the urging of his bandmates to create a recorded version of the work, recorded entirely live over two days in the studio. Morales has been a rising force as player and bandleader/project-leader for the past several years, but his formative musical life goes back to his picking up the electric bass at 13 years old and the upright bass six years later. Working on the east coast scene after heading to Berklee School of Music in 2012, Morales migrated westward to Los Angeles in 2018. His diverse discography with the sometimes fusion-tinged tracks of 2021’s Luna, followed by the improvisation-leaning trio album Eclipse in 2022 and The Endless Ride last year. For the Seven Days project, Morales had bold and empathetic company in the band gathered to realize his vision—saxophonist Edmar Colón, guitarist Horace Bray, trombonist Ido Meshulam, pianist Luca Mendoza and dynamo drummer Jongkuk "JK" Kim. In Podcast 991, we discuss what Mauricio looks for in collaborators, the demands of daily composing and creation, and how he views Seven Days in the contet of his body of work.…
1 Podcast 990: A Conversation with Janis Siegel and Yoran Gershovsky 31:17
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedWith The Colors of My Life: A Cy Coleman Songbook , Manhattan Transfer founding member and Grammy Award-Winning vocalist Janis Siegel and acclaimed pianist/arranger/musical director Yaron Gershovsky, together have co-produced their first duo songbook album. And it comes from a classic “When a door closes, a window opens” moment. The Manhattan Transfer performed its final concert a year ago, bringing to a close one of the most storied chapters in vocal jazz history. With their scintillating live performances and memorable recordings, The Transfer bridged the gap from the fabulous four-part harmony groups of the thirties and forties and Lambert Hendrick & Ross to the 197u0’s, teaching late baby boomers how jazz singing should be done. Years earlier, Siegel and Gershovsky discovered that both had worked with the revered songwriter Cy Coleman – Gershovsky as the vocal arranger for the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical City of Angels , Siegel as part of the all-star vocal ensemble for Coleman’s final collaboration with lyricists Alan and Marilyn Bergman at the Kennedy Center. That conversation soon evolved into a full-fledged project: The Colors of My Life: A Cy Coleman Songbook on the Club44 label. It features the duo’s spirited interpretations of ten favorite Coleman compositions, pairing Siegel’s unmistakable voice with Gershovsky’s inventive music and vocal arrangements. The album boasts an elite roster of musicians including bassists David Finck and Boris Kozlov, drummer Cliff Almond, guest vocalist Aubrey Johnson, and The Crosby Street String Quartet. The alnum marks the first songbook album of Siegel’s diverse and prolific career, the first collection in her rich discography devoted to the work of a single composer. Beyond her ten Grammys with the Transfer, Janis has collaborated with pianists Fred Hersch, Edsel Gomez, Cedar Walton, Gil Goldstein, John di Martino, Addison Frei, and fellow vocalists including her former Transfer bandmate Laurel Massé, Lauren Kinhan of New York Voices, Bobby McFerrin, and Bob Dorough. Gershovsky is a highly accomplished, internationally recognized and award-winning pianist, arranger, composer and producer who has recorded and performed with such artists as Wayne Shorter, Pharoah Sanders, Lonnie Smith, Steve Gadd, Take 6 and the Count Basie Orchestra. His Broadway credits include vocal arranging for the Tony Award-nominated musicals Swing and City of Angels , and serving as keyboardist for Broadway megahits Les Miserables and The Phantom of the Opera . He has been the pianist and musical director for Manhattan Transfer since 1979, and is Janis’ first call collaborator. The repertoire on The Colors of My Life ranges from familiar standards to more obscure material. They range from the oft-performed “Witchcraft” and “The Best is Yet to Come,” to the previously unrecorded melancholy “Being Without You,” which Siegel took note of during that Kennedy Center workshop and always knew she’d return to. Podcast 990 is my conversation with Janis and Yaron, as they dissect the manner in which the Coleman tribute was prepared, what they find so moving about his work, and how best to bring freshness to well-loved standards. Musical selections include the silky slowed-down take on “Witchcraft,” and the afore mentioned “Being Without You.”…
1 Podcast 989: A Conversation with Youn Sun Nah 27:08
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedLong hailed for her style-blurring renditions of artists spanning Tom Waits and Jimi Hendrix to Marvin Gaye and Metallica, Elles sees Youn Sun Nah bringing her remarkable voice and unique perspective to a range of songs that have deeply fueled her own indescribable musical approach, all made famous by such iconic female artists as Björk, Sarah Vaughan, Grace Jones, Roberta Flack, Edith Piaf, Grace Slick, Maria João, and more. Recorded in New York City alongside acclaimed pianist Jon Cowherd (Brian Blade, Cassandra Wilson, Lizz Wright) and producer/musician Tomek Miernowski, Elles spans a wide array of songs either written or performed by notable women artists, from soulful spirituals (“Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child”) and psychedelic milestones (“White Rabbit”) to long-overdue takes on “Feeling Good,” “My Funny Valentine,” “I’ve Seen That Face Before (Libertango)” and “Killing Me Softly With His Song.” Backed by Cowherd’s subtle yet inventive work on a variety of keyboards, Youn Sun Nah reimagines standards both old and new in typically captivating fashion, traversing gender and generation with precision, magic, and intimacy. Youn Sun Nah is among contemporary jazz’s most admired vocalists, an international award-winning singer, songwriter, and performer, hailed by The Guardian for her “seamless” movement “between impressionistic high drama, abstract improv, or a folk artist’s candid simplicity.” The Seoul, South Korea-based artist began her musical journey with piano lessons as a child before singing gospel with the Korean Symphony Orchestra as a teen. A career in musical theatre beckoned but Youn Sun Nah instead chose to pursue her own muse by attending Paris’ Institut National de Musique de Beauvais, Nadia and Lili Boulanger Conservatory, and the CIM, a school of jazz and contemporary music. Youn Sun Nah quickly affirmed herself as an exceptional vocal star, winning prizes at jazz festivals and competitions. In Podcast 989, Youn and I talk about how she chooses cover songs that she can inhabit with her own spirit and style, how she came to jazz late, and why she has constantly changed accompanists through her year long tour. Musical selections include “White Rabbit” and “Baltimore Oriole” from Elles, and “My Favorite Things” from her breakthrough album Same Girl.…
1 Podcast 988: A Conversation with Orrin Evans 26:53
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedNo Cowards in Our Band is a musical drama telling the story of renowned activist and abolitionist Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) through his own words. With the performance just days before the 2024 Presidential Election, the piece is a striking reminder of the power of the pen, the voice, and the vote. Based on a libretto by Anthony Knight, Jr. and interwoven with Negro spirituals arranged by GRAMMY-nominated jazz artist Orrin Evans, No Cowards in Our Band stars actor, artist, and TV personality Masud Olufani as Frederick Douglass performing with a trio of opera singers, the “moving and electrifying performer” ( Wall Street Journal ) Nia Drummond, soprano – who went viral last year for a rendition of Happy Birthday that made Busta Rhymes cry – Metropolitan Opera tenor Edward Washington II, and Opera Ebony and Syracuse Opera’s Gregory Sheppard, bass. Evans is a fixture on the jazz scene now, and is featured on the cover of Downbeat in November. As a deft tune deconstructor, he traverses a broad timeline of the vocabularies of swinging, blues-infused hardcore jazz and spiritual jazz/avant garde jazz traditions, as well as the Euro-canon, with the intuitive spontaneity of an ear player. He projects an instantly recognizable sound, sometimes eliciting flowing rubato poetry. He records and performs in collaborative projects include the Eubanks Evans Experience (a duo with eminent guitarist Kevin Eubanks); the Brazilian unit Terreno Comum; Evans’ working trio with bassist Luques Curtis and drummer Mark Whitfield, Jr.; Tar Baby (a collective trio of 20 years standing with bassist Eric Revis and drummer Nasheet Waits); and the Captain Black Big Band, which just recently released Walk a Mile in My Shoe (Imani Records). Orrin was just off the red-eye from gigs on the West Coast when I caught up with him by Zoom, and we discussed his very personal involvement with No Cowards in Our Band , as his mother was an opera singer, and his father a playwright. We also dig into Walk a Mile in My Shoe, from which you will hear the Captain Black Big Band take on Bread’s 70’s soft-rock standard “If,” with a wonderful vocal by Paul Jost. Saturday, November 2nd at 7pm Concept and Libretto: Anthony Knight, Jr.Musical Arrangement: Orrin Evans Director: Michael Hofmann Masud Olufani as Frederick Douglass Nia Drummond , soprano Edward Washingington II, tenor Gregory Sheppard, bass Tickets : https://hudsonhall.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/#/instances/a0FUT000002I0d72AC Tier 1: Reserved Seating, $45 (plus $5 fee) Tier 2: General Admission, Mid-Center Section/Side Aisle, Front Mezzanine, $30 (plus $5 fee) Tier 3: General Admission, Rear and Side Seating, far sides may be partially obstructed, $19 (plus $3 fee)…
1 Podcast 987: A Conversation with Tord Gustavsen 32:24
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedTord Gustavsen has gone down many musical paths in his still-blossoming career. Classically trained and educated in musicology, Tord also has a deep knowledge of jazz, which he has seamlessly integrated with the folk and religious music of his upbringing in Oslo. In many ways a quintessential ECM artis (though in our conversation he says he did not think this was originally the case), he has performed and recorded in any number of traditional jazz formats, as well as integrating choirs, singers and world music into his sound. With Seeing, Tord begins an intricate new chapter in his series of acclaimed trio recordings, initiated in 2003 with Changing Places – an album that is today considered a classic. The new recording with its compact, concentrated song forms features five Gustavsen originals, two chorals after Johann Sebastian Bach, a traditional Norwegian church hymn, plus the 19th century English chorale “Nearer My God, to Thee."Tord, together with long-time ally Jarle Vespestad on drums and Steinar Raknes on double bass digs deep into his unique blend of jazz, blues, gospel, Scandinavian folk and church music on the album. Fans of the deeply moving and meditative music for which Gustavsen has become famous will not be disappointed. Seeing, recorded in fall 2023 at Studios La Buissonne in Southern France, was produced – naturally - by Manfred Eicher. Podcast 987 is our conversation, as we talk about his trio, the new album, his musical background and influences, and how he approaches improvisation. Musical selections include “Seattle Song,” taken from an improvisational idea he and the trio created as a sound check before a show in the Emerald City, and a stirring version of “Auf Meinen Lieben Gott,” which featuring a stunning bass solo by Steinar Raknes.…
1 Podcast 986: Previewing the Hudson Jazz Festival with Cat Henry 32:26
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedI’m always happy to preview jazz festivals across the US on Straight No Chaser. The big ones like Newport or Monterey are always great, and regional festivals like those held in Saratoga or by NJPAC are a blast. But I have a special place in my heart for the cities and towns who present festivals, places like Northampton, MA , or Burlington, VT , H artford, CT or Portland, Oregon, or in the case, Hudson, NY. Scheduled in February in years’ past, the 2024 Hudson Jazz Festival marks the festival’s official move to October, offering music lovers the chance to get out and enjoy the festival’s many offerings and the region’s idyllic autumnal landscape. Coinciding with the seasonal change, the festival is taking its events city-wide with the addition of three new festival venues that showcase well-loved Hudson destinations and a free pre-festival Community Dayfeaturing Melanie Charles’ Make Jazz Trill Again: Trill Mega Jam. There are multiple free events each day, with top-notch ticketed events at historic Hudson Hall each evening. Friday night features Ekep Nkwelle presenting “Ella Fitzgerald - Against All Odds,” an evening of songs associated with the legendary Ella, and bringing attention to her little known incarceration in Hudson, NY as a teenager. Saturday night’s headliner is trumpeter Riley Mulherkar (formerly of the Westerlies ) leading a quartet with Chris Pattishall (piano), Barry Stephenson (bass) and Chris Icasiano (drums). Riley has released his first solo album, the eponymous Riley, and we’ll feature “Ride or Die” from that album. Sunday afternoon wraps up with the Ethan Iverson Trio, with the former Bad Plus pianist joined by Reuben Rogers on bass and Gerald Cleaver on drums. Podcast 986 is my preview of the festival with curator Cat Henry. Ms. Henry has previously curated concerts for MoMA Summergarden: New Music for New York, featuring composers such as Henry Threadgill, Myra Melford and Don Byron, and produced programs for Lincoln Center’s inaugural Poet-in-Residence, Mahogany L. Browne. Henry currently serves as Executive Director of Live Music Society, a foundation supporting grassroots music venues where musicians start their careers, connect with audiences and hone their craft. Previously, she served as Vice President, Concerts and Touring, for Jazz at Lincoln Center, where she managed all performance-related activities under the JALC brand, including concert seasons at Rose Theater and The Appel Room, worldwide touring of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, and nightly sets at Dizzy’s Club. She is a fellow of the Executive Program in Arts and Culture Strategy at the University of Pennsylvania and holds a BFA in Jazz Performance from The New School. Originally from the UK, she lives in Brooklyn with her teenage daughter.…
1 Podcast 985: A Conversation with Dan Siegel 27:00
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedPianist and keyboardist Dan Siegel has covered a broad swath of the jazz spectrum over the course of his four-and-a-half decade career, from straight ahead swing to sleek contemporary sounds. While that’s a testament to Siegel’s multi-faceted talents and restless curiosity, it’s also the result of the diverse array of collaborators that have joined him along the journey – a roster that includes Bela Fleck, Steve Gadd, Larry Carlton, Ernie Watts, Ottmar Liebert, Lee Ritenour, Brian Bromberg, Eric Marienthal, Bob Sheppard, Boney James, Alex Acuña and others. Siegel’s twenty-third release, Unity, is the latest and one of the finest examples of that alchemical process. It reunites the keyboardist with drummer Oscar Seaton for the first time in 20 years, since the recording of the 2004 album Inside Out. It also marks his first meeting with bassist David “DJ” Ginyard, Seaton’s rhythm section partner in Terence Blanchard’s electrically charged E-Collective band. From the time the trio entered the studio together, Siegel’s vision of the music he’d written for the session irrevocably changed, a display of the titular unity. To the core trio, Siegel added a rotating cast of master guitarists, most of them longtime compatriots and friends who each added their own distinctive flavors to the tracks: Rob Bacon (Raphael Saadiq, Amp Fiddler), Allen Hinds (Roberta Flack, Natalie Cole), Michael Miller (Boz Scaggs, Chick Corea), Dean Parks (Steely Dan, Michael Jackson), and Michael Thompson (Babyface, Whitney Houston). Unity also features percussion great Lenny Castro, whose relationship with Siegel dates back to the keyboardist’s self-titled 1982 album, as does that of prolific saxophonist Tom Scott, who heads the album’s horn section. During out conversation for Podcast 985, Siegel acknowledged that at 70, his long and rewarding career is entering a concluding chapter. It’s refreshing to hear an artist address the arc of his career, and Dan speaks eloquently for his fondness for his collaborators, his life as a musician and producer, and the possibility that he may still have more musical mountains to climb. Muscial selections from Unity include “free Spirit” and “Simple Things.”…
1 Podcast 984: A Conversation with Ethan Margolis AKA Emagerio 36:03
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked‘Genre-fluid’ is a great word to describe the music of guitarist Ethan Margolis, aka “Emaginario.” A life-long student of music, he has traveled the world from his native Cleveland to bring African diaspora-Caribbean sounds and flamenco stylings to his musical base of the blues and folk-rock. Margolis has evolved into a creative and worldly artist, whose deep connections with flamenco, jazz, blues and even punk coalesce into a unique musical voice. Elements of that Margolis style can be heard coming to fruition on his latest album, Interlude of the Duende (released on Ropeadope), in trio form with a pair of jazz masters Larry Grenadier and drummer Eric Harland. “Duende” is the Spanish word in the title, has been called “a heightened state of emotion, expression and authenticity” and is often connected with flamenco and the Andalusian Romaní population. On this recording, the term appropriately reflects the complexity of the music, the power of the collaboration itself and more broadly Margolis’ life experience in Spain’s Romaní community. Ethan continues to translate that rhythmic language into American jazz formats and recordings in the vein of Hungarian Roma guitarist Gabor Szabó ("Gypsy Queen") and most importantly, the jazz-flamenco crossover playing of Lenny Breau. In Podcast 984 we discuss his still-maturing musical saga, talk about past and future collaborations with pianist Chano Domínguez, and take a deep dive into the world of flamenco. Musical selections include the aptly titled “Beginning with a Groove,” and “A Beating Heart.”…
1 Podcast 983: A Conversation with Norma WInstone 32:34
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedNorma Winstone has been a one of a kind musician in the jazz scene for more than fifty years. A unique artist as both jazz vocalist and lyricist, and ability to sing in ensembles from Big Bands to Avant-garde ensembles to intimate duets and trios have made each release in her distinctive career a “must hear.” Her first ECM recording in six years, Outpost of Dreams, finds Norma in a new duo with pianist Kit Downes. Norma brings her poetic sensibilities to new pieces by Downes as well as compositions by Carla Bley, Ralph Towner, and John Taylor. The results are always striking, and often moving. Take “Out Of The Dancing Sea.” Based on the work habits of noted Scottish painter Joan Eardley, Aidin O’Rourke and Downes wrote piece of music, which in turn was also inspired by James Robertson’s short story about Eardley. To this Norma brings her gifts, and the end result is one of the album’s highlights. Podcast 983 is my talk with Norma, as we discuss how she and Downes came to work together, and the making of Outpost of Dreams. We also go back to some of Norma’s most memorably collaborations, including work with Kenny Wheeler and Fred Hersch. Musical selections include “Out Of The Dancing Sea,” and “Beneath an Evening Sky” from Outpost of Dreams and “My Soul” from her collaboration with Wheeler, Mirrors.…
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Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show
1 Podcast 982: A Conversation with Greg Skaff 32:50
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedA reliably swinging presence and facile improviser on the New York scene since the late ‘80s, guitarist Greg Skaff has shared the bandstand with such jazz greats as Stanley Turrentine, Freddie Hubbard, David “Fathead” Newman and Ralph Peterson Jr., as well current notables like Mike LeDonne, David Hazeltine, Orrin Evans, Ben Allison, Jim Rotondi and Joe Farnsworth. He has also toured and recorded with “Queen of R&B” Ruth Brown and jazz diva Gloria Lynne and recorded seven albums as a leader. Skaff’s latest, Re Up, recorded with bassist Ugonna Okegwo and young drumming sensation Jonathan Barber, follows the guitar trio format he explored on 2021’s Polaris, which paired him with two legends: bassist Ron Carter and drummer Albert “Tootie” Heath. Greg speaks highly of his collaborators, who were all-in on the project, and put in the time rehearsing and playing live before going into the studio. It was on the bandstand that tasty covers (Thelonious Monk’s “Green Chimneys” and Duke Ellington’s “Fleurette Africaine,” rendered as a sublime solo guitar piece) and Skaff’s sometimes challenging originals took shape. The result is Re Up (you’ll have to listen to the podcast to hear about the serendipity that led to the title). Born in Wichita, Kansas, Skaff studied jazz at Wichita State University before moving to New York, where he soon began making an impression with his solidly swinging style. He held the guitar chair in tenor saxophonist Stanley “Don’t Mess With Mr. T” Turrentine’s band for five years and subsequently worked in bands led by saxophonists Bobby Watson and David “Fathead” Newman as well as in bassist Ron Carter’s big band. This is his seventh album as a leader. Podcast 982 is my conversation with Greg Skaff, as he whips out his guitar to let us hear how some of the tracks on the album came to be. You can hear three tracks from the album, including a solo rendition of his dreamy “Peace Place,” which also has trio version.…
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Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show
1 Podcast 981: A Conversation with Conrad Herwig, Part Two 37:04
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedThe Latin Side of McCoy Tyner is Conrad Herwig’s latest reimagination of music from his musical heroes, and in this case, former boss on the bandstand. Backed by a band that includes his closest friends and long-time collaborators, including Craig Handy (tenor & baritone saxophone), Alex Norris (trumpet & flugelhorn), Bill O'Connell (piano), Ruben Rodriguez (bass), Robby Ameen (drums), and Camilo Molina congas & bata), the new album is a worthy companion to previous entries in the “Latin Side” series, Luques Curtis and Eddie Palmieri sit in on a track each. Well-known as an anchor of the Mingus Big Band and a first-call session musician, Conrad has released more than twenty-five albums as a leader..Among his more notable credits include Joe Lovano’s 52nd Street Themes, Al Di Meola’s Orange and Blue, and Miles Davis’s final large-scale performance released as Live at Montreux. Podcast 981 completes our two part conversation with Herwig, who spoke to me by telephone while sitting a in a park near his home. The bird calls you hear in the background add a wonderful ambience to our talk. In this second part, we discuss his musical history and future projects, and talk about some of my favorite Herwig sessions, including The Tip of the Sword with Richie Beirach and Jack DeJohnette, and New York Breed, with Beirach, Adam Nussbaum, Dave Liebman, and Rufus Reid. Musical selections from those albums include “Thought Precede Action” and McCoy Tyner’s “Search for Peace.”…
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Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show
1 Podcast 980: A Conversation with Conrad Herwig, Part One 31:09
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedThe Latin Side of McCoy Tyner is the latest installment in a critically-acclaimed series that started in 1996 with The Latin Side of John Coltrane. It's the work of Conrad Herwig, a musically gifted, bilingual artist, a master trombonist who grew up admiring jazz's greatest practitioners but, at the same time, cutting his Latin Jazz teeth with legends such as Mario Bauza, Tito Puente, Paquito D'Rivera and the great pianist and composer, Eddie Palmieri. Herwig called McCoy Tyner his boss for a number of years, so bringing his reimagination skills to the legendary pianist’s music is a natural step for the trombonist. He has assembled a group of musicians he calls his closest friends and long-time collaborators for the album, including Craig Handy (tenor & baritone saxophone), Alex Norris (trumpet & flugelhorn), Bill O'Connell (piano), Ruben Rodriguez (bass), Robby Ameen (drums), and Camilo Molina congas & bata), Luques Curtis and Eddie Palmieri sit in on a track each. Beyond his “Latin Side” series (including the music of John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Joe Henderson, Herbie Hanock, and Wayne Shorter), Herwig is well-known as an anchor of the Mingus Big Band and a first-call session musician. Among his more notable credits include Joe Lovano’s 52nd Street Themes, Al Di Meola’s Orange and Blue, and Miles Davis’s final large-scale performance released as Live at Montreux. He’s released more than twenty-five albums as a leader. Podcast 980 is the first of my two part conversation with Conrad, who spoke to me by telephone while sitting a in a park near his home. The bird calls you hear in the background add a wonderful ambience to our talk. In this first part, we discuss jhow the Latin Side series began, and how he chooses his material, He discusses the contribution of his fellow musicians to the recordings, and you’ll hear the The Latin Side of McCoy Tyner’s take on “Seach for Peace.” Part Two of our conversation appears later this week.…
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Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show
1 Podcast 979: Previewing the Freihofer's Saratoga Jazz Festival with Danny Melnick 28:51
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedAn early highlight of the summer for jazz fans in the US Northeast is always the Freihoer's Saratoga Jazz Festival, held on the grounds of the lovely Saratoga Performing Arts Center ("SPAC"). This year's lineup should please almost any jazz fan, bringing ta wide ranging lineup to two stages on June 29 and 30. Want the inside scoop on the festival? listen to Podcast 979 as festival organizer Danny Melnick talks about the acts, the scene and the background on a great weekend of music. The Festival scehdule (subject to change) is: Saturday, June 29th Amphitheater Stage · 12:00PM – The New Orleans Groove Masters featuring Herlin Riley, Jason Marsalis & Shannon Powell · 1:45PM – Joey Alexander Trio with special guest Theo Croker · 3:30PM – The Yussef Dayes Experience · 5:15PM – Samara Joy · 7:00PM – Cimafunk with special guest Pedrito Martinez · 8:55PM – Lake Street Dive Charles R. Wood Discovery Stage · 11:00AM – Sara Caswell Quartet · 12:20PM – Harold López-Nussa: Timba a la Americana · 1:40PM – Tia Fuller · 3:00PM – Steven Bernstein’s Millennial Territory Orchestra · 4:20PM – Theo Croker · 5:40PM – Coco Montoya Sunday June 30th Amphitheater Stage · 12:30PM – Terence Blanchard Sextet · 2:00PM – Cory Henry · 3:30PM – Laufey · 5:15PM – Stanley Clarke N*4Ever · 7:00PM – Norah Jones Charles R. Wood Discovery Stage · 11:30AM – Skidmore Jazz Institute Faculty All-Stars Centennial Celebration of Max Roach, Bud Powell & J.J. Johnson featuring Clay Jenkins, Steve Wilson, Steve Davis, Mike Moreno, Bill Cunliffe, Todd Coolman & Dennis Mackrel · 12:55PM – Helen Sung: JazzPlasticity · 2:20PM – Miguel Zenon Quartet · 4:00PM – Olatuja · 5:35PM – Pedrito Martinez Group…
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Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show
Those who cover music love to categorize the music and musicians we focus on. I put myself all too often into this group. What should I call it? Is it Acid Jazz? Post Bop? Downtown Loft? But far too often muscians fall in between the cracks of these often arbitrary categories, and we are left looking for new descriptive words. Often the words fail us. The UK-based duo Edy Forey are definitely in those cracks, even if they call their music “Urban Jazz.” What does that sound like, and where does it come from? Listen to Podcast 978, my conversation with Edy Forey and find out, Vocalist Edy Szewy and keyboardist Guilhem Forey believe music is sacred and musicians matter greatly. Szewy was born in Poland to an American father and a Polish mother. Her parents separated early, but her dad would send her CDs from America that you couldn’t find locally. By the time she moved to one of the cultural centers of Europe, Edinburgh Scotland, she had absorbed the very American grooves of TLC and En Vogue, enthralled with the songwriting and production skills of the likes of D’Angelo and Lauryn Hill, imagining that one day she could do it too. Conversely, Forey, born in Paris and raised in Nantes, France was a child musical prodigy. Bach spiritually and emotionally pulled him in at the age of three—so much so that this classical music was almost scary to his immature mind. But by the time his grandfather introduced him to American icon Ray Charles and British guitarist Eric Clapton, everyone who heard him play realized he was a gifted pianist. At age 11, his mom walked him into a rehearsal hall for his first jazz piano lessons. So taken was the teacher on this introductory audition, he flung his door open and quickly recruited a bassist and drummer to join in. It was the talented adolescent’s first jam session. By 16, Forey was leading a jazz trio. Culture Today , their debut album, sounds more like a project that has been germinating for years, rather than a coming-out party. Part of the reason is the presence of Bob Power behind the board, a man whose distinguished resume includes work by Me’Shell N’degéocello, The Roots, D’Angelo, and Erykah Badu mixing and mastering the duo’s entire album. Then there is the sound of several guest artists who joined them on this record, including founding members of Snarky Puppy bassist Michael League and saxophonist Bob Reynolds. Also, Sharay Reed, of the Funk Apostles, Femi Koleoso of the Ezra Collective and reed player Alex Hahn provided significant contributions. Both Edy and Foret=y joined me for our conversation as we dug into the roots of their sound, how they go about collaborating on material, and where they want to go with their music now that they have made that all-important first album. Musical selections include “Better Way,” with the two bassist sound of Luca Alemanno (double bass) and Dean Mark (electric bass) and their cover of the standard “Nature Boy,” with some revised harmony and additional lyrics by Edy.…
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Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show
1 Podcast 977: A Conversation with Nicola Caminiti 32:46
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked" "In a world where it's easy to be cynical and bitter, what strikes me most about Nicola and his music is the pure joy and excitement that he brings and carries with him at all times. To be present in the euphoria of this art form is the most difficult skill the way I see it and many young artists seem to ignore that simple and powerful fact. Nicola, in addition to being an accomplished instrumentalist and composer, possesses that ineffable quality that draws us to his music." - Rio Sakairi, the artistic director of The Jazz Gallery, NYC, In one of the best debut recordings of the year so far, Italian-born, NYC-based saxophonist Nicola Caminiti has released Vivid Tales of a Blurry Self-Portrait on his own label. Leading a quartet that includes pianist Lex Korten, bassist Ben Tiberio and drummer Miguel Russell, Nicola shows strong writing skills and plenty of chops to go with them. The band’s interplay shows that they’ve been honing this material for some time now, and the result is a terrific listen. Caminiti has racked up impressive accolades over the recent past, including being named a 2023 Herb Alpert ASCAP Young Composer, winning the North American Saxophone Alliance Jazz Competition, and a Jazz Gallery Artist Commission for 2023-2024. He's performed with Pedrito Martinez, Arturo O’Farrill & Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, and his friend and mentor Dayna Stephens, among many others. Podcast 977 is my conversation with Nicola, as we discuss the band, how he goes about writing his tunes, and what musicians have inspired and driven him to be a jazz musician. Musical selections from Vivid Tales of a Blurry Self-Portrait include “Elliptical Biking,” written during the pandemic, and “Adam Arturo,” a tribute of sorts to jazz musician Adam O’Farrill.…
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Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show
1 Podcast 976: A Conversation with Zaccai Curtis 38:58
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedZaccai Curtis continues to be one of the most engaging piano players of the past decade. Whether as a band leader (alone or with his brother Luques) or backing the likes of the late Ralph Peterson, Lakecia Benjamin and Cindy Blackman Santana, his strong sense of rhythm and deep knowledge of Latin and Afro-Cuban sounds and Bebop chords make him a cornerstone of those artist’s sounds. Cubop Lives! is an album that stands as the culmination of his work as a composer/arranger, performer, and educator steeped in the Afro-Cuban Jazz tradition. Backed by Willie Martinez (drums, voice, timbales), Camilo Molina (percussion), Reinaldo De Jesus (percussion, drums), and brother Luques Curtis (bass), he has delivered an album that creates a fusion of the Bebop and Latin jazz traditions. For example, one of the most notable ways he does this is through the “Noro Morales Suite,” a collection of four pieces by the great Puerto Rican pianist, Noro Morales, one of Zaccai’s musical heroes. And then with his take on Scott Joplin’s “Maple Leaf Rag,” he reinterprets a piano staple and turns it into something fresh and new. Since his days learning at the feet of masters like Jackie McLean in Hartford, Connecticut, Zaccai has absorbed innumerous influences. With the new album, he gets to turn that sound loose, on his original tunes and tasty covers. There is nary a week moment on the album, and I suspect it will find its way to many year-end “Best of” lists. Zaccai records on the Truth Revolution Recording Collective, a group he, Luques and likeminded musicians run to release and distribute their work. We discuss his label, and how he came to be so versed in Latin Jazz in Podcast 976. Musical selections include “Maple Leaf Rag” and the Curits-penned blues “Black Rice.”…
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Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show
1 Podcast 975: A Conversation with Charles McPherson, Part Two 29:09
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedPodcast 975 continues my conversation with the great Charles McPherson. A giant of the saxophone, Charles is a product of the rich jazz city of Detroit, where he was mentored by the late Barry Harris. His closest childhood friend was the future trumpeter Lonnie Hillyer; the two later played together with the iconic Charles Mingus, with whom McPherson would tour and record for more than a decade. McPherson and Hillyer lived just blocks from the famed Blue Bird Inn, a renowned jazz club where the house band included Harris, Pepper Adams, Paul Chambers, and Elvin Jones. His new album Reverence pays a tribute to the late Barry Harris, as well as showcasing his top notch band featuring Terell Stafford on trumpet. We discuss the band and the tunes that make up Reverence, as well as The Lost Album at Ronnie Scott's , a previously unreleased album sh owcasing McPherson, Charles Mingus, a very young Jon Faddis, Bobby Jones, John Foster and Roy Brooks. That recording form shows in August 1972 at the famed London jazz club, illustrates McPherson's approach to playing his saxophone.…
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Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show
1 Podcast 974: A Conversation with Charles McPherson, Part One 37:26
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedReverence is Charles McPherson’s first release for Smoke Sessions Records, and a few listens reveal why he’s been held in such reverence for the last 64 years. The album captures a scintillating live performance from Smoke Jazz Club, where McPherson is joined by his remarkable current group featuring trumpeter Terell Stafford , pianist Jeb Patton, bassist David Wong, and drummer Billy Drummond. The set is a showcase for McPherson’s gifts as both composer and soloist and bridges his deep and far-reaching exploration of the full jazz spectrum. Reverence kicks off a yearlong series of live recordings celebrating the 25th anniversary of Smoke Jazz Club and the tenth anniversary of its record label, Smoke Sessions. McPherson’s preference for recording live was a major factor in launching this series. After an inspiring, post-pandemic week performing at the recently renovated and reopened Smoke back in November 2022, McPherson knew he wanted to capture that same atmosphere and energy on his next recording, so the decision to skip the studio and record live was a relatively easy one. Born in Joplin, Missouri, McPherson spent his formative years in the rich jazz city of Detroit, where he was mentored by the late Barry Harris. His closest childhood friend was the future trumpeter Lonnie Hillyer; the two later played together with the iconic Charles Mingus, with whom McPherson would tour and record for more than a decade. McPherson and Hillyer lived just blocks from the famed Blue Bird Inn, a renowned jazz club where the house band included Harris, Pepper Adams, Paul Chambers, and Elvin Jones. Reverence was born shortly after Barry Harris passed away in late 2021. Harris was a pivotal figure for McPherson, not just as a musician but as a person. In light of his recent passing, the album is particularly dedicated to his memory. The final track on Reverence, “Ode to Barry,” was penned in homage to the great pianist and educator. Beyond topnotch McPherson originals, the set is rounded out by a pair of familiar standards: “Come Rain or Come Shine,” the Harold Arlen classic, showcasing the warm tenderness of McPherson’s ballad playing in a quartet setting; and the yearning, nostalgic “Old Folks,” led by a wistful Stafford outing. Podcast 974 is the first of a two part conversation with Charles McPherson, as he talks about his love of live performances and of bebop vocabulary, and tells the story of his time with Barry Harris. Podcast 975 will pick up the conversation with talk of his time with Charles Mingus and Art Farmer, and how he keeps busy in his home near San Diego, California.…
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Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show
1 Podcast 973: A Conversation with Linda Purl 31:52
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedYou’ve probably seen Linda Purl act more often than you’ve heard her sing. Besides being Richie Cunningham’s girlfriend and Fonzie’s fiancée on Happy Days , Matlock ’s daughter Charlene Matlock, and Pam’s Mom/Steve Carell’s girlfriend on The Office , she has had stints on Homeland , True Blood, and Hacks . She has starred in over 45 made-for-TV movies and is currently recurring on The Bold and the Beautiful. She’s been on the Broadway stage and a number of Off-Broadway productions, performing roles from Shakespeare to the one-woman theatrical presentation of Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking . But she can sing. And This Could Be the Start (Reaching Records) shows off her talents in spades. Backed by a band composed off Tedd Firth (piano) David Finck (bass), Ray Marchica (drums & percussion) and Nelson Rangell (Reeds) the album is a tight collection of Standards, from Jimmy Van Heusen and Cole Porter to Cy Coleman and Stephen Sondheim. Add to that the vocal version of Carla Bley’s “Lawns” with lyrics by Sara Teasdale, and you have a constantly interesting listen. Born in Connecticut, Ms. Purl grew up in Japan, becoming the only foreigner to have trained at the Toho Geino Academy. Her studies continued at Neighborhood Playhouse and Lee Strasberg Institute. She was Founding Director of the California International Theatre Festival. She tours with her Music Director Tedd Firth, who she describes as her catalyst for recording the new album. Podcast 973 is my conversation with Linda Purl as discusses how she selects her tunes and prepared for This Could Be the Start. Musical selections include a dreamy “Let’s Get Lost,” the peppy “Live Alone and Like It” and “Two Hearts on Lawns.”…
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Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show
1 Podcast 972: A Conversation with Dane Alderson of Yellowjackets 28:51
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedSince Yellowjackets’ eponymous 1981 debut album, the group has hewed its own creative path, influencing colleagues with enviable compositional craftsmanship and an ever-shifting blend of influences. In many ways Yellowjackets embody both continuity and renewal, with founding pianist/keyboardist Russell Ferrante providing the four-decade thread first joined by Will Kennedy, who took over the drum chair from 1987-99 and returned to the fold in 2010. Bob Mintzer, a Jacket since 1990, contributes on tenor and soprano saxophones and EWI. The bass chair in Yellowjackets has been held by some mighty players over the years, beginning with the legendary Jimmy Haslip , and then Felix Pastorious. By the band’s standards Australian-born electric bass virtuoso Dane Alderson is still the new kid, though he’s already anchored the quartet at bass for almost ten years. A product of the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts in Western Australian, his playing shows his great love of rock (“I was a total metalhead” he says in our conversation), R&B and funk. The band’s last release was the Grammy nominated Parallel Motion. Every Jacket is well represented on the album with Alderson contributing two stand-out tracks. His slyly grooving “Early” grew out of a sketch that had been languishing on his laptop for more than a decade. “Onyx Manor” has a funk-infused drum and bass start, expanding to give everyone in the band a chance to shine. Podcast 972 is my conversation with Dane Alderson, belatedly posted from our past conversation. We discuss how he came to join the Yellowjackets, his decision to play a 6 string bass, and his many influences as a player and a fan. Muscial selections include the Alderson-penned “Onyx Manor.”…
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Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show
1 Podcast 969: A Conversation with Fernando Trueba 20:52
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedFernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal’s Bossa Nova-themed animated film They Shot the Piano Player will be in wide release nationwide from Sony Classic Pictures this week. Trueba and Mariscal are the duo behind the 2012 Academy Award nominated Chico and Rita, and their latest work features a who’s who of the best of Brazilian music, including João Gilberto, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Vinicius de Moraes, Milton Nascimento and Paulo Moura. The film follows a New York music journalist who goes on a quest to uncover the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of young Brazilian piano virtuoso FernandoTenorio Jr. in 1976. A celebratory origin story of the world-renowned Latino musical movement Bossa Nova, the film captures a fleeting time bursting with creative freedom at a turning point in Latin American history in the 60s and 70s, just before the continent was engulfed by totalitarian regimes. The film features the voice of actor Jeff Goldblum, who is no stranger to the world of jazz, performing and recording on piano. Trueba is also no stranger to music, having won two Grammy Awards and four Latin Grammy Awards.as a producer for the likes of Bebe and Chuco Valdes, and Michel Camillo, His 2000 documentary Calle 54 set the standard for examination of Latin Jazz. He spoke with me from Spain, and he related the arduous process that led to the creation of They Shot the Piano Player. Fernando shares his thoughts on the importance of the music of Brazil and what he hopes to accomplish with this film, and more particularly, this animated film. Musical selections include Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Stone Flower" from the album Fernando says started his love of Brazilian music.…
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Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show
1 Podcast 971: A Conversation with George Coleman, Part Two 31:03
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedThe legendary George Coleman’s latest project is a release from hard-bop supergroup One For All, an album appropriately called Big George on Smoke Sessions Records. One For All is composed of tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, trumpeter Jim Rotondi, trombonist Steve Davis, pianist David Hazeltine, bassist John Webber, and drummer Joe Farnsworth. Coleman joins the group on three tracks, the Rotondi original “Oscar Winner,” standard “My Foolish Heart,” and Hank Mobley’s “This I Dig of You.” Coleman is approaching his 89th birthday, and still plays with the classic sense of Memphis blues that is his birthright. Underrated as a leader for much of his career, he was in invaluable part of recordings and performing bands with all the greats, from Max Roach and Chet Baker to Elvin Jones and Charles Mingus to Horace Silver and Lee Morgan. He was a crucial part of some of the most important recordings in jazz history, holding the saxophone chair on Herbie Hancock’s Maiden Voyage, and Miles Davis’ Seven Steps to Heaven, and the live albums My Funny Valentine and Four and More. Podcast 971 is Part Two of my two part conversation with George Coleman, as he talks about his past collaborations with Herbie Hancock, Elvin Jones, Miles Davis and B.B. King. Musical selections include the title track from “Maiden Voyage” and the Coleman composition “5/4 Thing” from his collaboration with Elvin Jones and Wilbur Ware.…
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Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show
1 Podcast 970: A Conversation with George Coleman, Part One 29:40
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedNew York’s premier hard-bop supergroup, One for All has evolved over the course of its quarter-century history from a sextet of young torchbearers to an assemblage of the music’s most revered traditionalists. Just how in-demand these six artists have become can be traced by the span of time that elapses between albums. 2016’s The Third Decade followed its predecessor by five years; seven years of that decade have now passed before the band’s long-awaited follow-up, Big George . Due out March 15, 2024 from Smoke Sessions Records, Big George features the unparalleled line-up of tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, trumpeter Jim Rotondi, trombonist Steve Davis, pianist David Hazeltine, bassist John Webber, and drummer Joe Farnsworth. This time around the group has invited a very special guest for the proceedings – tenor sax legend George Coleman. While the title of Big George is a nod to Coleman, the session is not a “tribute album” in the traditional sense. The tip of the hat is more an acknowledgment of the giants who still walk among us – a list that has grown distressingly (if inevitably) shorter over the sextet’s 27-year lifetime. Coleman is a living legend with an emphasis on the “living,” and his vital presence on three of the album’s nine tracks is less about paying homage than an opportunity to breathe fire alongside one of the greatest to ever do it. Coleman is approaching his 89th birthday, and still plays with the classic sense of Memphis blues that is his birthright. Underrated as a leader for much of his career, he was an invaluable part of recordings and performing bands with all the greats, from Max Roach and Chet Baker to Elvin Jones and Charles Mingus to Horace Silver and Lee Morgan. He was a crucial part of some of the most important recordings in jazz history, holding the saxophone chair on Herbie Hancock’s Maiden Voyage, and Miles Davis’ Seven Steps to Heaven, and the live albums My Funny Valentine and Four and More. Podcast 970 is Part One of my two part conversation with George Coleman, as he talks about his collaboration with One For All and looks back on his past with sharp and sometimes surprising detail. Musical selections from Big George include the Jim Rotondi composition “Oscar Winner.”…
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Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show
1 Podcast 968: A Conversation with Ada Rovatti 36:07
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedItaly-born, Long Island, New York-based saxophonist and arranger Ada Rovatti’s seventh album as a leader, The Hidden World of Piloo is deeply personal, and stylistically varied. It features six improvisationally rich instrumentals that include blues grooves, samba vibes, straight-up lyricism, melancholic balladry and a comedic finale. Two songs include strings; another features the dobro, a country instrument unlikely to be in a jazz song. In a change for Ada, several compositions showcase top-tier vocalists, including jazz-poll champion Kurt Elling, the Netherlands jazz singer Fay Claassen, German pop/jazz star Alma Naidu and fired-up R&B singer Niki Haris (the daughter of jazz great Gene Harris) who once served as a Madonna backing vocalist. These singers allow her band members—including her husband Randy Brecker on trumpet and flugelhorn, organist Simon Oslender, bassist Claus Fischer, drummer Tim Dudek, percussionist Café Da Silva—to both support and augment the lyrics and melodies Ms. Rovatti has carefully created. Ms. Rovatti grew up in Italy playing classical piano before making the switch to saxophone which led her to the Berklee College of Music and later New York where she became active in the jazz community. Ada began recording as a leader with two albums in 2003: Ada Rovatti & The Elephunk Band’s For Rent and her quartet’s Under the Hat. Her discography continued with Airbop . Green Facto r, Disguise and in 2019 her Brecker Plays Rovatti—Sacred Bond , with her husband Randy joining her in playing her compositions. Today Rovatti tours with her own band as well as serves as the tenor saxophonist in Brecker’s band. Podcast 968 is my conversation with Ada Rovatti, as we discuss the creation of The Hidden World of Piloo , her decision to write lyrics for her newest tunes, and how her background led to her carer playing sax. Musical selections include “Hey You (Scintilla Of Sonder)” featuring Fay Claassen on vocals, and “Make Up Girl,” a tune written about the entrance into adolescence of her daughter.…
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Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show
1 Podcast 967: A Conversation with Sullivan Fortner, Part Two 20:14
20:14 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked20:14
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedIn Part One of our conversation, pianist and composer Sullivan Fortner talked about the creation of his latest release, the creative two-disc Solo Game. One disc is solo piano, the result of a curation in the studio with his mentor Fred Hersch, and the other electric keyboard and other musical toys to create both composed through and improvised soundscapes. Part Two talks about future Fornter projects, like his coming performance with the National Symphony in `Washington DC to salute Duke Ellington and a choir-based recording to begin later in the year. We also talk about his work with jazz singers, most botably Cécile McLorin Salvant and thoughtson legends like pianist Barry Harris and Roy Hargrove, with whom Sullivan shared a bandstand for years starting in 2010. Musical selections for Podcast 967 include one of Sullivan's collaborations with Ms. Salvant from her Ghost Song album, "Until."…
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Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show
1 Podcast 966: A Conversation with Sullivan Fortner, Part One 29:13
29:13 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked29:13
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedThe latest release from the rising star Sullivan Fortner shows off two very different sides of his musical pallet – lyrical and moving solo piano, and electronic explorations. Both will leave you wanting more, and to hear what he has next up his sleeve. Frustrated by his lack of musical outlets during the pandemic, “Game,” the second of two discs that make up Solo Game came first. Visiting a studio in Brooklyn to consider a project, Fortner began employing a range of instruments and effects — Fender Rhodes, Hammond B3, Moog, vocoder, celesta, chimes, drums, an immense variety of percussion (and a piano as well). The results are shimmering soundscapes that feel as spontaneous as they are admirably constructed. Some are composed (“It’s a Game,” “Snakes and Ladders,” “Cross and Circles” and “The Minute Waltz” borrowed from Frédéric Chopin), others improvised on the piano then “orchestrated” by means of electronics – effects from Pro Tools, Melodyne and Auto-Tune were added afterward. “Solo” is more traditional, but still revelatory. Fortner called upon one of his mentors, Fred Hersch, to help him produce a solo piano program. Hersch asked Fortner to draw up a list of his favorite pieces, from the Great American Songbook and beyond, from which Hersch made choices over the course of four recording sessions, with no rehearsal or second takes allowed. From more than 200 songs on the initial list, 24 were recorded and Fortner selected nine for this album Fortner moves with consummate skill between classic standards (“I Didn’t Know What Time it Was” by Rodgers & Hart; Duke Ellington’s “Come Sunday;” “This is Now” from Kurt Weill and Ira Gershwin) to less well known jazz compositions (among them Randy Weston’s “Congolese Children”) and works by Stevie Wonder (“Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing”) and Antônio Carlos Jobim (“Once I Loved”), taking each into unexpected territory. His harmonic sense is sophisticated, his polyrhythmic concepts bold, his sound crystalline, and he makes of these performances something highly personal yet rooted in tradition, at once respectful and progressive. Now in his late thirties, he enrolled at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts at age 13, where he became Valedictorian of his high school graduating class. He continued his formal music studies at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in jazz performance, and at the Manhattan School of Music, where he earned a Master’s degree in jazz performance. Fortner complemented that experience by studying under such jazz piano masters as Peter Martin, Fred Hersch, Jason Moran, and Phil Markowitz, and playing in bands led by Stefon Harris, Etienne Charles, Roy Hargrove, and Christian Scott. In Part One of this two part conversation, we discuss the making and recording of Solo Game and hear one musical selection from each project, the reinterpretation of the standard “I Didn’t Know What Time it Was,” and his composed experimental piece “Snakes and Ladders.” Part two will let us focus on Sullivan’s future projects, as well as discussion of his work with jazz singers, most notably Cécile McLorin Salvant.…
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Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show
1 Podcast 965: A Conversation with Giorgi Mikadze 39:27
39:27 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked39:27
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedGiorgi Mikadze (pronounced “Gih-ohr-gih Mih-kahd-zeh”) is a pianist who values his heritage and roots, having been born and raised in Georgia, at the foot of the Caucasus mountains. While his training and early carer arch may have seemed typical for an aspiring jazz musician – classical training, Berklee and Manhattan School of Music studies, time on the road with his elders – his choice of music is not. Rather than concentrate on the Great American Songbook or record only his own compositions, Giorgi has adapted Georgia music, from folk songs to movie scores. This process comes to a new high with the release of Face to Face: The Georgian Songbook Vol. 1 on the French label PeeWee!. The album features pieces by seven of the Caucasus country’s most revered composers, most of them originally penned for film, animation and theatrical soundtracks from the Sixties through the Nineties. Mikadze adds three of his own compositions to the mix, suggesting that much like the American model, this new Songbook is one that invites a continual expansion and evolution. Face To Face also marks Mikadze’s first venture on record into the traditional piano, bass and drums jazz trio. He’s joined by the stellar French rhythm section of bassist François Moutin and drummer Raphaël Pannier, the latter of whom was a Berklee classmate of Giorgi’s. The results are a wonderful mix of Georgian melodies with a jazz sensibility. Podcast 965 is my conversation with Giorgi as he discusses the microtonal roots of Georgian music, how his jazz playing brought him back to his native music, and where he plans to take it in the future. Musical selections include the rousing “Satchidao,” and the moving “Not Easy to Repeat.” Giorgi Mikadze performs on the Main Space at (Le) Poisson Rouge in New York City for a CD Release Party on Saturday February 3, 2024 at 8 pm. For more information, click here ,…
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Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show
1 Podcast 964: A Conversation with Nitai Hershkovits 31:12
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedFollowing in the footsteps of the giants of solo piano who have recorded for ECM Records, Call on the Old Wise is Nitai Hershkovits’ first record as a leader for the famous label, presenting his powerful pianistic ingenuity in a largely improvised solo setting. A veteran of Oded Tzur’s quartet (he appears on Isabela and Here Be Dragons ) , Nitai was also a mainstay of Avishai Cohen’s trio from 2011 to 2016. The album is partially dedicated to Nitai’s former piano teacher Suzan Cohen, with whom he studied in Jerusalem and who according to Nitai is the mentor to whom the term ‘wise’ in the record’s title alludes. The pieces “The Old Wise,” “Of Mentorship” and “For Suzan” refer directly to her. But Nitai draws from wide-reaching influences, ranging from his work in jazz contexts and innovative contemporary explorations to his background in classical music. This immaculate balance of idioms gives rise to an abundance of colors and timbres, explored by a pianist, who has successfully forged his very own voice as improviser and shape-designer. Born to a Moroccan mother and a Polish father, Nitai originally started out his musical path on clarinet before switching to the piano at age 15. Jazz and improvised music were the focal point of his musical investigations throughout his teens, with a particularly strong interest for the idiosyncrasies of Sonny Rollins. In this period, Nitai won several jazz competitions in the Tel Aviv area, before his deepened interest in classical music took shape, leading to studies in both jazz and classical piano. He has recently moved back to Israel, where he is involved with a variety of musical projects, including collaborations with electronic musician Yuvi Havkin aka Rejoicer and drummer Amir Bresler, who can be heard on their joint venture Apifera . Musical selections from Call on the Old Wise include "Of Trust and Remorse" and "This You Mean to Me", both Nitali originals, and Duke Ellington's "Single Petal of a Rose."…
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Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show
1 Podcast 963: A Conversation with Buster Williams 26:02
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedAs 2023 comes to a close, Straight No Chaser posts a few conversations with artists who produced memorable albums this year. Today’s podcast features bassist Buster Williams, who released Unalome on the Smoke Sessions label this past winter. While the band on Unalome is familiar – drummer Lenny White, pianist George Colligan, alto saxophonist Bruce Williams and Vibes master Stefon Harris are all long-time running partners – the album adds vocalist Jean Baylor for covers and Williams originals that take his music in a less familiar territory. One of the most revered bassists of the last half century, the Grammy-winning Williams has played, recorded, and collaborated with such jazz giants as Art Blakey, Chet Baker, Chick Corea, Dexter Gordon, Jimmy Heath, Larry Coryell, Wynton, and Branford Marsalis, Sonny Rollins, Count Basie, Errol Garner, Freddie Hubbard, and countless others. He was a charter member of Herbie Hancock’s groundbreaking Mwandishi band and the all-star Thelonious Monk tribute ensemble Sphere. And at 80 years of age, Buster Williams shows no sign of slowing his climb along that ascending path. Among the topics we disucss was the recent documentary about Buster's life, "From Bass to Ininity" directed by Adam Kahan. Musical selections for Podcast 96_ include the Williams original “In the Middle of a Rainbow,” and a revamped take on the classic “42nd Street.” If you enjoyed this podcast, please check out Podcast 486 for another conversation with Buster from 2015.…
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Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show
1 Podcast 962: A Conversation with Dominic Miller 30:16
30:16 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked30:16
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedDominic Miller may be best known to the world as Sting’s “right-hand man on guitar” and co-writer of “Shape of My Heart,” among the ex-Police bassist's other pop hits. But the multi-faceted Miller has a completely different outlet for his improvisatory talents as well. Vagabond is the guitarist’s third recording for ECM, and might prove his most poetic tale to date. After Dominic’s debut Silent Light (2017), which captured the guitarist in solo performances with occasional percussive injections by Miles Bould, Absinthe (2019) found him expand his subtle instrumental sketches in a quintet lineup. For Vagabond , the guitarist has come up with a quartet, and partnered up with Ziv Ravitz on drums and Swedish pianist Jacob Karlzon, while long-time collaborator Nicolas Fiszman returns on bass. Most of the tunes come from solo sketches, several from the isolated period of the recent pandemic. Once he was in the south of France in April 2021 with producer Manfred Eicher, the tunes began to build, develop and become showcases for his sidemen to interject their musical skills. The guitarist provides a framework for Ziv, Jakob and Nicolas to spread out in, whether the slow-burning groove of “Altea” or the mesmerizing balladry of “Lone Waltz,” with each player building dynamic momentum. Born in Argentina to an American father and Irish mother, Miller was raised in the U.S. from age 10 and then educated there and in England. The guitarist’s international mindset has only been deepened through decades touring the globe, working with the likes of Paul Simon, The Chieftains, Plácido Domingo and, most often, Sting. This quartet will be touring Europe between Sting jaunts in the Winter and Spring of 2024, so keep your eyes open for a date near you. Musical selections for Podcast 962 include “Lone Waltz” and the fiery “All Changes,” the latter inspired from Sting’s use of arpeggios in the Police classic “When the World is Running Down, You Make the Best of What’s Still Around.”…
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Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show
1 Podcast 961: A Conversation with Ralph Towner, Part Two 17:49
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedOn Part Two of our conversation, guitarist Ralph Towner talks about his growth as a guitarist from his early days playing trumpet and piano, through his time with influential bands like the Paul Winter Consort and Oregon, and then his many solo, duo and trio recordings. We talk about his work with Wolfgang Muthspeil and Slava Grigoryan (From a Dream and Travel Guide in 2008 and 2013) as well as his favorite duo recordings, especially those with bassist Gary Peacock. We also discuss some of his other collaborations, including his brief brush performing with Weather Report in 1972. At First Light is Ralph’s 25th ECM album as leader or co-leader, and his latest solo guitar release. Besides those prior releases, he has guested on important ECM albums by Keith Jarrett, Jan Garbarek, and Kenny Wheeler. Never one to be pigeon-holed as an interpreter and composer of a specific type of music, At First Light features new and old Towner pieces, as well as tunes from Broadway musicals and the much-covered Irish traditional air “Danny Boy.” Ralph also looks back on older pieces he has revisited on the album, especially “Guitarra Picante,” a piece originally from the Oregon songbook.…
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Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show
1 Podcast 960: A Conversation with Ralph Towner, Part One 32:30
32:30 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked32:30
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedAt the age of 83, guitarist Ralph Towner continues to write, perform and improvise on the highest of musical levels. He has been an ECM artist for more than fifty years, appearing in many different contexts, one of the most important being a run of solo recordings which began with Diary in 1973. At First Light is the latest addition to the solo guitar series. Never one to be pigeon-holed as an interpreter and composer of a specific type of music, this release features new and old Towner pieces, as well as tunes from Broadway musicals and the much-covered Irish traditional air “Danny Boy.” Born into a musical family in Washington in 1940, Towner grew up immersed in classical music, jazz and the popular music of the day. A trumpet player from the age of seven, he took up piano seriously in his teens, in parallel studying composition, then embraced the classical guitar at 22. What makes Towner’s sound unique is his desire to draw crucial inspirations from classical music, contemporary composition, Bill Evans’s conception of jazz and also from Brazilian music. At this time, his sound can only be called “Towner-esque.” At First Light was recorded at Lugano’s Auditorio Stelio Molo RSI in February 2022, and produced by ECM maestro Manfred Eicher. Towner lives in Rome with his wife, the actress Mariello Lo Sardi, and we spoke by Zoom on an unseasonably hot morning a few months ago. In part one of our two-part conversation, we discussed the differences to Towner of recording solo versus a group, of using different strings and guitars to create the varying colors and sounds he hears in his head, and how as a young piano player he began his career improvising with the likes of John Abercrombie, Gary Peacock and Gary Burton. Musical selections from At First Light includes “Make Someone Happy.”…
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Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show
1 Podcast 959: A Conversation with Christine Jensen 32:18
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Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedOne of the few positives of the horrid COVID pandemic that shook the music world to its core has been the release of musci composed during those uncertain days. Alton and soprano saxophonist Christine Jensen's lastest album, Day Moon (Justin Time Records) stands as a shining example of how a great musician turns struggle into art. Recorded with her quartet of pianist Steve Amirault and her long-time collaborators bassist Adrian Vedady and drummer Jim Doxas, Day Moon is highlighted by the four-song suite Quiescence. Written for a commission from New York’s Jazz Coalition that had raised funds for composers. Jensen sketched compositions including the Brazilian clave-feel “Tolos d’Abril,” her April Fool’s birthday song. Ms. Jensen is the two-time winner of Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year at the Juno Awards, the Canadian version of the Grammys. She's released eleven albums as a leader, from her CODE Quartet to the large scale Christine Jensen Jazz Orchestra, She's collaborated with her sister, the noted trumper Ingrid Jensen, as well as Ben Monder, Donny McCaslin and Geoffrey Keezer. Podcast 959 is my conversation with Christine, as she discusses how she writes music, how she plays to the strengths of her collaborators, and where she is headed musically. Musical selections include “Tolos d’Abril.”…
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Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show
1 Podcast 958: A Conversation with Sean Mendelson 30:02
30:02 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked30:02
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedFor the first time ever, the complete Vince Guaraldi soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving , the timeless 10th animated Peanuts special, from writer and creator Charles Schulz, director Bill Melendez and Phil Roman and producers Melendez and Lee Mendelson. Originally airing on November 20, 1973 on CBS-TV, the special has been broadcast or streamed every year for the last 50 years. But the soundtrack album has remained elusively out of reach. Now we have the original recordings that comprise the thirteen song cues of the Special, plus another nine bonus or alternative tracks that have never been released or heard before. The recording features Guaraldi (piano, keyboards, guitar, vocals), Seward McCain (electric bass), future funk master Mike Clark (drums), Tom Harrell (trumpet and brass arrangements), and Chuck Bennett (trombone). Guaraldi even contributes a rare vocal on “Little Birdie.” The soundtrack was produced by Sean and Jason Mendelson, re-mixed by Terry Carleton at Bones and Knives, and restored and mastered/re-mastered by Vinson Hudson. Sean Mendelson is the son of the legendary Lee Mendelson, the man who coaxed Charles Schulz into taking his comic strip to television, and co-write the classic “Christmas Time is Here.” A fine musician in his own right, on Podcast 958, Sean takes us through the circuitous route this music has taken, and how it has been upgraded to meet current standards. Musical selections include a particualrly funky take on “Linus and Lucy” and “Little Birdie.”…
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Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show
1 Podcast 957: A Conversation with Michael Dease and Gregg Hill 26:45
26:45 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked26:45
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedPerennial DownBeat Critics Poll winner trombonist Michael Dease has embraced his role as a torchbearer for his mentors and the great jazz ancestors over his 15 deeply-swinging, state-of-the-art mainstream recordings. For The Other Shoe (Origin Records), Dease teams with the formidable composer Gregg Hill, expanding his rhythmic & harmonic palette with a flexible, in-the-moment perspective while remaining true to the sensibilities at his musical core. With the prodigiously talented pianist Geoffrey Keezer as a central foil, Dease brings along a wide-ranging collection of musicians, each specifically brought in for their unique outlooks and talents. Most notable is the inclusion of clarinetist Virginia MacDonald, along with the solid one-two punch of Liany Mateo on bass, and drummer Colleen Clark. Gregg Hill’s music has been the subject of tribute albums before, especially two releases by bassist Rodney Whitaker and another by guitarist Randy Napoleon. The compositions Dease chooses for The Other Shoe always call for careful listening. They dart with unusual; time signatures, play with chord progressions and key signatures that require the listener to pay attention. But these are hardly avant-garde tunes – they have strong melodies, accentuated by Dease’s strong sense of the songs. Michael Dease began his musical career playing saxophone, switching to trombone late in his teens. Three years later he was holding down a trombone chair with Illinois Jacquet’s Big Band. Since then, he has been a first call player for the large ensembles of Christian McBride, Roy Hargrove, Jimmy Heath, Nicholas Payton and more. As a soloist and bandleader he has recorded 16 albums, many or the Posi-Tone Records label. Podcast 957 is my conversation with Michael Dease and Gregg Hill, as they discuss the elements of Hill’s music that attracts them, how Dease assembled his unusual lineup for the album, and what they most admire about one another. Musical selections include “The Goodbye Blues.”…
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Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show
1 Podcast 956: A Conversation with Jon Cowherd 31:48
31:48 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked31:48
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedKeyboardist Jon Cowherd has been on my list of interview subjects for a long time, and after an unconscionable delay, Podcast 956 features him and his latest release, a trio album on the Le Coq Records imprint called "Pride and Joy." And what a trio it is - Cowherd joined by long-time friend and musical running partner Brian Blade on drums, and the sensational John Patitucci on bass. Add guest spots by Chris Potter on saxophone and Alex Acuna on percussion, and you have a killer lineup for a sensational album. Cowherd has been at the center of some of the most interesting muscial projects of the past years, including The Brian Blade Fellowship, the Mercy Project, and albums by top singers such as Lizz Wright, Cassandra Wilson and Alyssa Graham. His work on the Joni Mitchell tribute concerts with Brandi Carlile have earned rave reviews. Musically, the album draws some inspiration from Cowherd's new home in Colorado, a marked departure from his urban New York digs of the past thirty years. The music is expansive, with plenty of space for solos. The sense of roominess permeates the tunes. Along with Jon's six compositions, Patitucci contributes the topnotch "Chickmonk" and Blade the album closer "Quilt City Blues."…
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Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show
As a fan of the Great American Songbook (and really, who isn't?) I'm always looking for new and different approaches to these storied songs. Enter the Nigerian born singer Douyé, whose latest release The Golden Sèkèrè, is a wonderful meld of polyrhythms, swing and soul. Having grwon up listening to American torch singers as well as Afrobeat, it was inevitable that Douyé, would tackle tunes by Ray Noble, Cole Porter and Richard Rodgers. Her Nigerian-steeped support team features arrangers Bada Ken Okulolo, Tosin Aribisala and Zem Audu as well as guitarist Dokun Oke and percussionist Najite Agindotan. She also enlists an impressive guest list, including trumpeter Sean Jones, guitarist Lionel Loueke and especially bassist Buster Williams. Podcast 955 features my conversation with Douyé, as we dig into her approach to some of the classics, including the big band backed version of "I've Got You Under My Skin" and the bass-driven take on "Devil May Care."…
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Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show
1 Podcast 954: A Conversation with Joe Alterman about Les McCann 29:34
29:34 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked29:34
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedPianists Joe Alterman and Les McCann make something of an odd couple. The pair are separated in age by more than half a century; McCann is confined to a medical rehab facility in Los Angeles, while Alterman left New York City to return to his native Atlanta, Georgia six years ago. But since their paths first crossed back in 2012, according to Alterman, “barely a day has passed that we haven't chatted.” So it's only natural that Alterman's trio would evenually tackle the McCann songbook, and now we have Joe Alterman Plays Les McCann: Big Mo & Little Joe. Bassist Kevin Smith and drummer Justin Chesarek add the necessary swing as Alterman reimagines and erharmonizes his friend's tunes, some of them more than sixty years old. From the gospel roar of the opening "Gone On and Get That Church" through tender ballads like Dorene Don;t Cry" and the moving conclusion (co-written by McCann and Alterman) "Don't Forget to Love Yourself," Alterman leads us through tunes that perhaps should have gotten more notice over the years. If nothing else, Big Mo & Little Joe.gives the listener a peak into the compositions and craft of an underrated jazz master, Les McCann. Musical selections include "Gone On and Get That Church" and Don't Forget to Love Yourself."…
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Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show
1 Podcast 953: A Conversation with Omer Klein 36:36
36:36 Play Later Play Later Lists Like Liked36:36
Play Later Play Later Lists Like LikedListeners to Straight No Chaser know I have great fondness for the music of the piano trio, an art I consider one of the highest forms of jazz in terms of improvisation and collaboration. The music these groups make grows richer over time, so those groups that stay together can often take their sound to another level as they mature. Pianist Omer Klein has made some of the most intriguing piano trio music of the recent past. His latest album Life & Fire marks an anniversary – Klein and his trio partners bassist Haggai Cohen-Milo and drummer Amir Bresler have been together for ten years. Over this period, they have produced four albums and shared their common musical experience with audiences worldwide. To celebrate the group took both music from the past repertoire and new tunes, and recorded in a small studio with an audience of friends and family, making Life & Fire sound not just intimate, but celebratory. In our conversation Omer talks about how the group has grown together, how he individually continues to work outside of the trio – he has written scores for dance and performed with classical musicians – and the music scene in his hometown of Frankfurt, Germany. Musical selections are “Niggun” with a challenging 11/8 meter, and the melodic “Tzuri,” written for his late grandfather.…
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this podcast is going to be all about 60's music. the goal with this podcast is to educate a younger generation on one of the greatest decades of music of all time, and to prove to people that Millennials can love 60's music as well and it's not just for Baby boomers. Each week I"m going to review one song by one artist from the 60's and split the podcast into two halfs. first half is going to be my perspective and my opinion on the song and why I think it's so good or why I don't think it's ...
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