Recent Jazz Session Podcasts
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Patti Wicks
(33:50)
Posted: 2009-11-06
Pianist and vocalist Patti Wicks teams up with her Italian trio bassist Giovanni Sanguinetti and drummer Giovanni Gulino and guest saxophonist Scott Hamilton for Dedicated To (Geco Records, 2009). In this interview, Wicks talks about how she dealt with her childhood visual impairment and learned to play by ear; her college days at the Crane School of Music and her early years in New York; and why Italy has become a home-away-from-home for her.
Steve Lehman
(39:00)
Posted: 2009-11-04
Saxophonist and composer Steve Lehman makes use of spectral harmony on his album Travail, Transformation and Flow (Pi Recordings, 2009). The result is a carefully crafted and emotionally engaging exploration of the physics of sound, played by a group of musicians who are seeking new ways to make improvised music. In this interview, Lehman offers a crash course in spectral harmony; discusses his compositional style and why he chose the particular musicians on the album; and talks about the influence on his life and music of Jackie McLean and Anthony Braxton.
Ben Perowsky
(31:42)
Posted: 2009-11-02
Ben Perowsky's newest recording, Moodswing Orchestra (El Destructo, 2009), is an experiment is ambient improvisation. Perowsky has assembled an all-star cast of instrumentalists and vocalists, including everyone from Cibo Matto's Miho Hatori and Brazilian vocalist Bebel Gilberto to turntable/laptop artist Markus Miller and tuba player Marcus Rojas. In this interview, Perowsky talks about his desire to embrace the spirit of jazz but avoid jazz language; and how the process of the recording was as much about improvisation as was the content.
John Abercrombie
(45:19)
Posted: 2009-10-30
John Abercrombie returns with Wait Till You See Her (ECM, 2009), another album of gorgeous, tuneful music from his quartet, featuring Mark Feldman on violin, Joey Barron on drums, and new band member Thomas Morgan on bass. In this interview, Abercrombie talks about how subtle movements in the audience impact a performance; the label chamber jazz and whether it applies to his band; and his role as the evil Donald Dastardly in the radio drama Harry Lovett, Man Without A Country, which also featured the voices of John Surman and Jack DeJohnette. (On a personal note, John was on The Jazz Session #3, back when no one had ever heard of this show. Im grateful for his early support of The Jazz Session, and its very gratifying to have him back here 100 episodes later.)
John Surman
(38:29)
Posted: 2009-10-28
John Surman is a composer with a broad and multi-hued musical palette. Hes written for everything from solo saxophone to string quartet to choir with organ to contemporary dance. On Brewster's Rooster (ECM, 2009), Surman reunites with longtime musical partners Jack DeJohnette and John Abercrombie (accompanied by bassist Drew Gress) for a quartet album that explores group interplay. In this interview, Surman talks about finding a place in his music for his disparate influences; why he writes for many types of ensembles; and why he doesnt play in the U.S. more often.
Cyminology
(36:24)
Posted: 2009-10-26
Cymin Sawamatie was born in Germany to Iranian parents, and that mix of cultures informs the music of her band, Cyminology. On their third CD, and their first for ECM, Cyminology (ECM, 2009), the quartet explores the poetry of Rumi, Hafiz and Forugh Farrokhzad, combining these disparate poetic influences with a rich palette of composed and improvised music. In this interview, Samawatie talks about her culturally rich upbringing; the nature of her compositions; and why Cyminology cant play in Iran.
Bernard Flanders (My Grandfather)
(42:10)
Posted: 2009-10-23
My grandfather, Bernie Flanders, was one of the biggest influences on my life, both in making me the man I am and in pointing me early on to the magic of music, and jazz in particular. To celebrate my 100th episode, Im taking a break from the shows normal format to share with you my remembrances of my grandpa and some of the music that he loved.
