Home » Jazz News

Interview News

Timely announcements covering new album releases, tours, concert series, special events, job postings, crowdfunding campaigns and more. You can find more news by searching our website, viewing our news stream, seeing what's trending or reading our blog posts. Subscribe to our news RSS feed and/or embed AAJ news content on your website or blog. Learn about our news service here. Submit news here.

Interview

Interview: Vocalist Benn Bacot

Source: Lauren Rogers
July 4, 2012

Q: When did you decide to become a singer? A: My very first memories are of standing in front of the radio, singing and listening to the music. It has always been a part of who I am from the very beginning. I didn't choose it; it chose me! Q: Was jazz always your primary music of choice? A: No. I have sung many different types of music over the years from choral music to R&B and musical theater. About ...

Continue Reading

Interview

An Interview With Jazz Crooner Jonathan Karrant

Source: Lauren Rogers
July 1, 2012

Q: When did you decide to become a singer? A: I always knew I wanted to be an entertainer. At age 6 I had my first solo at church. I became very involved with theater; however, by age 20 I realized that singing was most important to me and put all my energy into music. Q: Was jazz always your primary music of choice? A: I have always been drawn toward jazz, to songs with wonderful, interesting melodies and amazing, ...

Continue Reading

Interview

Interview: Finland-based Guitarist Pauli Saksa

Source: Lauren Rogers
June 26, 2012

Q: When did you decide to become a guitarist? A: At the age around 15, I played both piano and guitar. My piano teacher advised me to apply to a piano conservatorium in Helsinki. I passed the examination, and the headmaster asked me if I play other instruments. I told him the guitar. He said that I should leave it, ”your beard will turn grey when young if you practice music as guitarist." That was likely very good advice as ...

Continue Reading

Interview

Ty's Take: From The Farm To Fame: Lisa Engelken

Source: C. L. Burnett, American Jazz Museum
June 19, 2012

Lisa Engelken (pronounced EN-gel-ken) is preparing to drop her second album this year and has set the sights even higher for her newest project, “Little Warrior: anima explorations” than she did for her critically acclaimed and well received first album, “Caravan.” “With ‘Little Warrior’ I hope to build upon the momentum of my last album ‘Caravan’,” that was very well received both popularly and critically,” she said. “The harmony and lyric content of “Little Warrior” is a bit more complex, ...

Continue Reading

Interview

The Quest to Reach New Audiences

Source: The Independent Ear by Willard Jenkins
June 19, 2012

Last post we detailed the 8th annual DC Jazz Festival, and its admirable outreach efforts that resulted in their building a big tent across Washington that all told encompassed an incredible 21 neighborhoods. One of the key partner organizations in the DC Jazz Festival this year was CapitalBop, the brainchild of two enterprising young Washingtonians, journalist Giovanni Russonello (better known in the jazz community as Gio) and musician and one of my fellow WPFW programmers Luke Stewart. What they delivered ...

Continue Reading

Interview

Interview: Crooner Mark Shelton

Source: Lauren Rogers
June 18, 2012

Q: When did you decide to become a singer? A: I sang in school and church choirs as a kid, and grew up through the music of the '60s and '70s. I listened to a lot of the early era of rock & roll as my dad had a massive collection of 45s from the '50s and '60s, along with LPs of show tunes and movies. But the story about when I truly decided to be a singer starts when ...

Continue Reading

Interview

Ty's Take: Darryl White Quartet Featuring Bobby Watson

Source: C. L. Burnett, American Jazz Museum
June 14, 2012

During the Jazz heyday of Kansas City in the 1930’s I would be looked at as such a square for not going to my first Jazz concert until I was 25. And quite frankly after spending Saturday night at the Blue Room I would have to agree. The Darryl White Quartet featuring saxophone legend Bobby Watson put on quite a show that really opened the eyes and ears of this Jazz rookie. White and his quartet played it up for ...

Continue Reading

Interview

Marty Morell on Bill Evans (PT. 3)

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
June 14, 2012

If you think listening to Bill Evans' albums is an emotional ride, imagine what it was like to play drums in his trio. Marty Morell [pictured] had that honor as a member of the pianist's trio for seven years—longer than any other drummer. From 1968 to 1975, Marty toured, recorded albums and grew close to the artist who today has become something of a cult figure among jazz fans. Admittedly, I'm one of those fans. Having spent my teens playing ...

Continue Reading