Interview News

Drummer/Composer Asaf Sirkis Interviewed at AAJ....And More

Source: All About Jazz
September 30, 2008

Since arriving in London from Israel at the end of the end of the '90s, Asaf Sirkis has earned a reputation as one of the world's premier drummers. His scintillating stick work has sparked saxophonist Gilad Atzmon's Orient House Ensemble since its inception, as well as coloring the projects of saxophonist Tim Garland in recent years.

Yet this sensitive, cerebral drummer, who has drawn favorable comparison to legends Tony Williams and Jack DeJohnette, is not easy to pigeonhole. His own ...

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Legendary Bassist/Bandleader Dave Holland Interviewed at AAJ...And More

Source: All About Jazz
September 29, 2008

It's been a long time since Dave Holland's small hands strummed a ukulele at about the age of five, an endeavor that eventually led him to the guitar and entry in a fledgling band as a teenager around his Wolverhampton, England, home. They played rock and R&B that were popular around 1960. They also decided the needed a bass player, and Holland stepped up, playing what he calls a broomstick bass--"a stick and a piece of string and a box." ...

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Vicki Burns Interview on KCSM Jazz 91 with Chris Cortez

Source: All About Jazz
September 27, 2008

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Jazz St. Louis Podcasts Offer Interviews with Visiting Artists

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
September 25, 2008

Although it somehow escaped my notice until now, earlier this month Jazz St. Louis launched a series of podcasts featuring interviews with visiting artists performing at Jazz at the Bistro. There are two podcasts online so far, with JSL executive director Gene Dobbs Bradford conversing with pianist and singer Tony DeSare, who played the Bistro two weeks ago, and pianist Cedar Walton, who's performing there this week. You can stream or download the DeSare interview here, while the ...

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Saxophonist John Richmond Interviewed at AAJ

Source: All About Jazz
September 24, 2008

When he originated the Monday night jazz series at The Turning Point Cafe in October of 2007, tenor and soprano saxophonist John Richmond created a space where mature jazz artists can play in the company of stylistically compatible peers.

Distractions like theme-oriented programming, promotional gimmicks, or hoopla of any kind are conspicuously absent. There's a refreshing lack of pretense, with a consistently high quality of music bolstered by Richmond's easygoing rapport with his audience.

AAJ Contributor David Orthmann spoke with ...

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Saxophonist Paul Shapiro Interviewed at AAJ...And More

Source: All About Jazz
September 23, 2008

Reed man Paul Shapiro is one of the most resourceful and versatile musicians in the vibrant New York scene. In addition to his work in the jazz world, with Phillip Johnston's Microscopic Septet and forward-thinking improvisers such as Julius Hemphill and Elliot Sharp, Shapiro is a founding member of the international musicians' cooperative, Brooklyn Funk Essentials. He has played and recorded with a wide range of artists, including pop icons such as Michael and Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey, rappers ...

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Bassist Todd Sickafoose Interviewed at AAJ

Source: All About Jazz
September 22, 2008

With the release of his unique, understated, and critically acclaimed Tiny Resistors (Cryptogramophone, 2008), bassist/composer Todd Sickafoose suddenly and unintentionally upped the ante for indie jazz. Surging ahead of such indie mainstays (and label mates) as Nels Cline, Steuart Liebig, and boss Jeff Gauthier, Sickafoose has garnered strong press from such diverse sources as Bass Player Magazine, PopMatters, Jazz Times, USA Today, and The New York Times. The daring, spacious compositions and performances on Tiny Resistors, Sickafoose's third CD collection, ...

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Trombonist Nick Vayenas Interviewed at AAJ

Source: All About Jazz
September 16, 2008

Soft spoken, straightforward, and possessed of a pleasantly down to earth sense of humor, trombonist Nick Vayenas' speech reflects well his musical approach--deliberate, unassuming, mellow, and deceptively layered.

Candid about his stature as a young composer and player still just starting out, Vayenas discusses the genesis of his musical approach with AAJ Contributor Franz Matzner in Nick Vayenas: First Steps. He also delves into lessons learned putting together his debut album Synesthesia (World Culture Music, 2008), which he shaped from ...

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