Interview
From emerging talents to today's brightest stars, we interview musicians from around the globe.
Kenneth Dahl Knudsen: Beyond 'Sound American' – Crafting a Nordic Jazz Identity
by Ieva Pakalniskyte
What does finding an authentic musical voice in a genre so deeply connected to history and geography mean? The answer for Danish double bassist, composer, and educator Kenneth Dahl Knudsen is to transcend limitation and let identity shape the sound. A restless presence on the European jazz scene, Knudsen has resisted the pressure to “sound American" and instead draws from his Scandinavian roots, folk song, church music and rock energy, while taking influences from collaborators worldwide.
Continue ReadingDave Redmond: The Next In Line
by Ian Patterson
Ireland probably has more good jazz bassists than at any time before but ask who the most in-demand bassist in the country is and the answer is most likely Dave Redmond. The Dubliner has been a key player on the Irish jazz scene since the early 2000s, playing with Irish guitar greats Louis Stewart and Tommy Halferty. He has forged an enduring musical partnership with Kevin Brady in the drummer's piano trio as well as his electric quartet. Redmond and ...
Continue ReadingJamie Baum: These Are Her Times
by Dean Nardi
Jamie Baum is a world-class composer as well as flutist, who smoothly balances woodwinds with horns, guitar, bass, piano and drums so that they are equals. Her compositions can remind you of a Gil Evans arrangement with several decades of development added to create a thoroughly modern milieu. She mixes high-energy with ballads and Western foundations with South Asian colors; the music so charged it practically has a visible aura around the score. You can hear it on Bridges (Sunnyside, ...
Continue ReadingPaolo Angeli: Between Avant-garde and Sardinian Traditions
by Libero Farnè
I had not interviewed Paolo Angeli since February 2007, when the Sardinian musician had already moved on from Bologna, a scene that gave him crucial formative experiences and laid the groundwork for his artistic maturity. Since then, Angeli has embraced a wide range of musical experiences and collaborations, steadily building his international reputation through his presence in Europe's experimental capitals and his relocation to Spain. Increasingly central to his concerts are solo performances with his prepared Sardinian guitar, ...
Continue ReadingFrancesco Bigoni: A Long Love Affair with Siena Jazz
by Paolo Peviani
On the occasion of the fifty-fifth edition of the Siena Jazz summer seminars, we met with saxophonist Francesco Bigoni, the new artistic and didactic director of the National Jazz Academy of Siena. With a long trajectory as both student and educator at Siena Jazz, Bigoni reflects on the institution's evolution, its unique approach to jazz training, and his vision for the future. Siena Jazz: More Than a Festival or a School All About Jazz: Siena Jazz is a ...
Continue ReadingRita Marcotulli: Crafting a Self-Portrait Through Jazz and Passion
by Marco Iacoboni
Before her solo piano performance at the Connetto Festival Jazz 2025, we sat down with acclaimed Roman pianist and composer Rita Marcotulli to discuss her artistic evolution, the influence of technology, and the challenges and opportunities for young musicians in today's jazz scene. All About Jazz: Let's begin with your Autoritratto project, a return to solo piano. What inspired this introspective work? Rita Marcotulli: I named it Autoritratto--Italian for “self-portrait"--because it reflects my life's journey, an ...
Continue ReadingEddie Palmieri: Latin Jazz Standard-Bearer
by R.J. DeLuke
This article was first published on All About Jazz on October 8, 2003. Eddie Palmieri has enjoyed a long career presenting Latin music to the United States and to the world. It's his calling, for sure, but it may be more than that. You see, Palmieri feels that the music he brings--dance music with the excitement that comes from real Cuban-based rhythms first, and jazz or other flavors second--may be dying out. The baton for keeping ...
Continue ReadingAlisa Clancy Served Cheer and Empathy with Her Morning Cup of Jazz During COVID, Then Signed Off
by Joan Merrill
Bay Area jazz lovers were shocked to learn that “the voice of jazz" would no longer help them greet the day with her blend of jazz and good humor in a voice like no other. After 35 years as KCSM's premiere host, Alisa Clancy announced her retirement after almost single-handedly keeping the radio station operating during the pandemic when most people were at home fearful and isolated. In an article “KCSM's Alisa Clancy Signs Off" for ...
Continue ReadingJanel Leppin: Her Own Space
by Don Ball
The first thing you learn about musician/composer Janel Leppin is that labels don't fit her music very easily. From structured compositions to free-wheeling improvisations, Leppin does it all. She has made chamber jazz recordings, worked with punk groups, and created lush solo vocal works, all in an effort to tell her own stories and create her own space in music. All About Jazz talked with Leppin in June 2025 about her new group, Skullcap, and their new album, ...
Continue ReadingHal Galper: Adventures In The Zone
by Paul Rauch
This article was first published on All About Jazz on October 20, 2020. The career of Hal Galper has earned the pianist acclaim as both a performer and educator. Perhaps most importantly, it has drawn attention to his contributions to the music as a true innovator. While other pianists of his era gained more recognition, Galper sought out a career path where acclaim would be genuine among his peers and his audience, and not measured by the value ...
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