Interview News

Bojan Z Interviewed at AAJ

Source: All About Jazz
July 31, 2006

Serbian pianist Bojan Zulfikarpasic (better known as Bojan Z) has been a part of the European jazz scene for over fifteen years, collaborating with artists including bassist Henri Texier and clarinetist Michel Portal. He's also led a number of projects on Label Bleu that include the multi-ethnic Koreni and, most recently, Xenophonia--his new piano trio record with bassist Remi Vignolo and, sharing the drum chair, Ben Perowksy and Ari Hoenig.

AAJ contributor Ian Patterson recently had the opportunity to talk ...

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Swiss Pianist/Composer Nik Baertsch Interviewed at AAJ

Source: All About Jazz
July 24, 2006

Swiss pianist/composer Nik Baertsch doesn't play pop, jazz or classical music - at least not in any conventional sense. With his two groups - Mobile and Ronin, the latter introduced to an international audience with its ECM debut Stoa, both play what Baertsch calls “ritual groove music" and it's as good a description as any for music that incorporates elements of funk, improvisation, minimalism and more.

It's a clearly-conceived musical philosophy that Baertsch has been honing for a number of ...

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Dom Minasi Interviewed at AAJ

Source: All About Jazz
July 17, 2006

Since re-emerging from a nearly two-decade self-imposed moratorium on recording, left-of-center guitarist Dom Minasi is back with a vengeance, releasing a string of albums that has culminated in this year's ambitious The Vampire's Revenge--a sweeping double disc that, along with Minasi's distinctive playing, features a veritable who's who of the avant-jazz scene.

Contributing Editor Paul Olson caught up with Minasi recently to talk about his career, but with specific emphasis on The Vampire's Revenge.

Read Dom Minasi: Vampires, Chaos in ...

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Dave Douglas Interviewed at AAJ

Source: All About Jazz
June 26, 2006

Trumpeter Dave Douglas has emerged, in the past two decades, as one of the most important musicians of our time. With a voracious musical appetite that runs from his ethnic-informed Charms of the Night Sky quartet to his “have band will travel" Mountain Passages group, he recently released his third disc, Meaning and Mystery, featuring his ongoing quintet with pianist Uri Caine, bassist James Genus, drummer Clarence Penn and newcomer, saxophonist Donny McCaslin.

Contributing Editor Paul Olson caught up with ...

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John Ellis Interviewed at AAJ

Source: All About Jazz
June 19, 2006

Woodwind multi-instrumentalist and occasional keyboardist John Ellis has been, until recently, a key component of 8-string guitar wizard Charlie Hunter's various-sized groups since Hunter's final CD for Blue Note, 2001's Songs from the Analog Playground.

But he's also emerged as a strong leader in his own right, and a composer worth paying attention to as well. Last year's One Foot in the Swamp (Hyena, 2005) was the calling card; his latest release, By a Thread (Hyena, 2006) the one that ...

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Jazz Mandolin Project's Jamie Masefield Interviewed at AAJ

Source: All About Jazz
June 12, 2006

Mandolinist Jamie Masefield has been the man behind the Jazz Mandolin Project since inception, a group that's seen a host of musicians come through its doors in its 10-year existence.

Following the release of Xenoblast (Blue Note, 2000), which gave the group its biggest push into the limelight, Masefield returned to the independent label scene, releasing a number of fine albums, including last year's The Deep Forbidden Lake (Lenapee, 2005).

AAJ contributor Doug Collette caught up with Masefield during his ...

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Peter Madsen Interviewed at AAJ

Source: All About Jazz
June 5, 2006

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Donny McCaslin Interviewed at AAJ

Source: All About Jazz
May 29, 2006

Saxophonist Donny McCaslin's career has been on a gradual ascension for a few years now, with some well-deserved profile coming from a Grammy nomination for his solo on Maria Schneider's outstanding ArtistShare disc, Concert in the Garden. But 2006 may well be the year that he makes the leap into greater public acclaim, with two radically different albums under his own name, in addition to replacing Chris Potter in trumpeter Dave Douglas' Quintet.

Contributing Editor Paul Olson caught up with ...

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