Violinist Mark Feldman Interviewed at AAJ

In his twenty years in New York City, violinist Mark Feldman's played a dizzying number of gigs and sessions with trumpeter Dave Douglas, pianist Uri Caine, saxophonist Tim Berne, drummer Billy Hart, pianist Muhal Richard Abrams, bassist Mark Dresser, and of course, saxophonist John Zorn, with whom Feldman has had a particularly fruitful association.

For his first solo release on ECM, What Exit (ECM, 2006), the veteran violinist put together a trans-Atlantic dream band: British pianist John Taylor, Swedish bassist Anders Jormin, and New York-based drummer Tom Rainey. The result is an album that combines detailed (and sometimes humorous) writing with open-ended interaction, and was one of last year's best releases.

AAJ Contributing Editor Paul Olson sat down with Feldman recently, shedding light on this witty, refreshingly self-effacing and surprisingly diverse artist who has played with everyone from Loretta Lynn and Willie Nelson to Zorn's Masada String Trio, Trilok Gurtu, John Abercrombie, Sylvie Courvoisier, and many, many more.

Check out Mark Feldman: His Own Music, His Own Sound, His Own Aesthetic at AAJ today!