On his second album, Escaping Shadows (Concord, 2009), saxophonist Benny Reid continues to explore the musical path first laid down by Pat Metheny. In this interview, recorded just after Reid’s performance at the 2009 Tanglewood Jazz Festival, Reid talks about the influence of Metheny; why he chooses to compose everything from the melodies to the [...]

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Drummer Martin Urbach is a citizen of the world. His travels have taken him from his native Bolivia to New Orleans and then New York. His experiences along the way are expressed musically on Free Will (self-produced, 2008). In this interview, Urbach talks about his musical and cultural upbringing; his flight from New Orleans during [...]

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The band Diverse consists of students from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. They all study with saxophonist Bobby Watson. They won a contest that included a recording contract with Origin Records, and the result is Diverse (Origin, 2009), a well-crafted selection of original music. In this interview, trumpeter Hermon Mehari talks about how [...]

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Bassist John Goldsby has worked in Germany for the last 15 years, playing in a state-sponsored jazz orchestra in Cologne. On his album Space For The Bass (Bass Lion, 2009), Goldsby explores the role of the bass in a variety of small-group settings. In this interview, Goldsby talks about why he’s chosen to make his [...]

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Saxophonist Roger Lewis is one of the founding members of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Since the 1970s, Lewis and the band have played with everyone from Dizzy Gillespie to Elvis Costello. In this interview, Lewis talks about the formation of the band; how the Dirty Dozen decided early on to use all their musical [...]

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The Dan Loomis Quartet currently features Loomis on bass, Eli Asher on trumpet, Robin Verheyen on saxophone and Jared Schonig on drums. This particular line-up of the band performed for the first time in Albany, NY, during the 2009 Albany Riverfront Jazz Festival. After the show, the four musicians talked about the freedom found in [...]

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Kat Edmonson is making a name for herself as both a smart interpreter of popular songs (both old and new) and as a musician who puts her values into practice in her art. Edmonson’s debut CD, Take To The Sky (Convivium Records, 2009) features creative reworkings of tunes by Carol King, The Cure and The [...]

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Pianist and vocalist Patti Wicks teams up with her Italian trio — bassist Giovanni Sanguinetti and drummer Giovanni Gulino — and guest saxophonist Scott Hamilton for Dedicated To… (Geco Records, 2009). In this interview, Wicks talks about how she dealt with her childhood visual impairment and learned to play by ear; her college days at [...]

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Saxophonist and composer Steve Lehman makes use of spectral harmony on his album Travail, Transformation and Flow (Pi Recordings, 2009). The result is a carefully crafted and emotionally engaging exploration of the physics of sound, played by a group of musicians who are seeking new ways to make improvised music. In this interview, Lehman offers [...]

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Ben Perowsky’s newest recording, Moodswing Orchestra (El Destructo, 2009), is an experiment is ambient improvisation. Perowsky has assembled an all-star cast of instrumentalists and vocalists, including everyone from Cibo Matto’s Miho Hatori and Brazilian vocalist Bebel Gilberto to turntable/laptop artist Markus Miller and tuba player Marcus Rojas. In this interview, Perowsky talks about his desire [...]

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John Abercrombie returns with Wait Till You See Her (ECM, 2009), another album of gorgeous, tuneful music from his quartet, featuring Mark Feldman on violin, Joey Barron on drums, and new band member Thomas Morgan on bass. In this interview, Abercrombie talks about how subtle movements in the audience impact a performance; the label “chamber [...]

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John Surman is a composer with a broad and multi-hued musical palette. He’s written for everything from solo saxophone to string quartet to choir with organ to contemporary dance. On Brewster’s Rooster (ECM, 2009), Surman reunites with longtime musical partners Jack DeJohnette and John Abercrombie (accompanied by bassist Drew Gress) for a quartet album that [...]

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Cymin Sawamatie was born in Germany to Iranian parents, and that mix of cultures informs the music of her band, Cyminology. On their third CD, and their first for ECM, Cyminology (ECM, 2009), the quartet explores the poetry of Rumi, Hafiz and Forugh Farrokhzad, combining these disparate poetic influences with a rich palette of composed [...]

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My grandfather was one of the biggest influences on my life, both in making me the man I am and in pointing me early on to the magic of music, and jazz in particular. To celebrate my 100th episode, I’m taking a break from the show’s normal format to share with you my remembrances of [...]

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Robert Glasper believes that improvised music can authentically incorporate hip hop rhythms — and he also believes that authenticity is a necessary quality to make the mix work. That kind of authenticity is what he’s striving for on Double Booked (Blue Note, 2009), the new CD featuring both his acoustic trio and his larger electric [...]

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The Industrial Jazz Group is a 15-ish-piece large ensemble that plays the inventive, challenging and often hilarious music of composer Andrew Durkin. That sentence, though, doesn’t come close to doing them justice. The band, made up of musicians fluent in jazz, classical and rock — and inspired by the free-for-all spirit of Frank Zappa [...]

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Virginia-born saxophonist Darius Jones wants to tell his story, and he’s chosen as his vehicle his new album, Man’ish Boy (AUM Fidelity, 2009). This is an album born of economic poverty and emotional wealth. Joining Jones are multi-instrumentalist Cooper-Moore and drummer Rakalam Bob Moses. This powerful and beautiful album is an important statement by a [...]

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Guitarist Joe Morris has spent three decades finding ways to contribute to the language of the guitar and to the literature of improvised music. He’s managed to stay true to himself and his sound during that entire time, even as he’s added the bass to his repertoire. On Today On Earth (AUM Fidelity, 2009), Morris [...]

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The Fay Victor Ensemble’s The FreeSong Suite (Greene Avenue, 2009) is a tour de force of writing, improvisation and performance. Victor and her band paint one fluid word picture after another, linking these composed sections with free playing that is smart, muscular and emotional. In this interview, Victor talks about why she needed a steady [...]

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Guitarist Julian Lage was playing gigs when he was 5 years old. By age 7, he was the subject of a documentary. At age 12, he played on the Grammy Awards show, and shortly after began gigging and recording with Gary Burton. Now, at the ripe old age of 21, Lage has released Sounding Point [...]

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Composer and bandleader Dave Rivello is a man on a mission. For nearly two decades, Rivello has been writing original music for his large ensemble and performing that music in clubs in and around Rochester, NY, where he teaches at the Eastman School of Music. The result? Facing The Mirror (Allora Records, 2009), a CD [...]

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How do you sum up the career of one of the most distinctive saxophonists ever? For Laurie Pepper, spanning the breadth of her late husband Art Pepper’s career was both a daunting and joyous task, one she accomplished with great success on The Art History Project (Widow’s Taste, 2009). The three CDs cover Pepper’s career [...]

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Guitarist Mike Stern has played with everyone. And yes, that includes Miles Davis. After decades in the business, he could easily be resting on his laurels. Instead, he’s pushing himself into new territory, as displayed on his CD Big Neighborhood (Heads Up, 2009), which finds him in the company of everyone from Esperanza Spaulding to [...]

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Trombonist David Gibson delivers another album full of melody and grounded in a strong sense of purpose on his new CD A Little Somethin’ (Posi-Tone, 2009). Gibson is a veteran of the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band, and a leader in his own right. In this interview, Gibson talks about the importance of melody in [...]

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Dutch bassist Joris Teepe has lived in New York for the past 20 years, making a name for himself with everyone from Benny Golson to the late Rashied Ali. Recently, Teepe was commissioned to write music for both an orchestra and a big band in Europe. Those two experiences were so positive that he decided [...]

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Ellis Marsalis is more than the father of four famous sons. He’s an acclaimed pianist and educator in his own right, and his musical history has covered a lot of ground. Homecoming (ELM Records, 2009), his new CD, is a mix of old and new, combining a reissue of 1985 duet session with saxophonist Eddie [...]

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The American Federation of Jazz Musicians Local 802 is trying to win pension benefits for jazz musicians who play in New York City clubs. In 2007, Local 802 fought and won tax relief for NYC jazz clubs, with the expectation of state legislators that the clubs would use this money to provide pension benefit contributions [...]

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Pianist Vijay Iyer navigates the stream of history on his new trio recording, Historicity (ACT, 2009). Joined by bassist Stephan Crump and drummer Marcus Gilmore, Iyer unravels and rebuilds compositions of his own, and those of a cast as diverse as Stevie Wonder, Andrew Hill, Leonard Bernstein and M.I.A. In this interview, Iyer tackles everything [...]

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Drummer Jason Marsalis turns to the vibraphone on his new record, Music Update (ELM Records, 2009). In this interview, Marsalis talks about the reason he chose to focus on the vibes; the process by which he recorded the drum ensemble tracks on the CD; and his view of the current state of recovery in New [...]

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Jason Crane interviews guitarist Bobby Broom. Broom, a longtime member of Sonny Rollins’ band, has a new album of Monk tunes called Plays For Monk (Origin Records, 2009). In this interview, Broom talks about why he felt the need to tackle Monk’s material; the impact of choosing Chicago rather than New York as his base [...]

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Jason Crane interviews bassist John Patitucci. On Remembrance (Concord, 2009), Patitucci uses the classic sax-bass-drums formation to pay homage to jazz masters past and present. Joined by Joe Lovano and Brian Blade, Patitucci is heard to great effect on both acoustic and electric bass. In this interview, Patitucci talks about his friend Michael Brecker, to [...]

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Jason Crane interviews vocalist Karrin Allyson. Her new recording, By Request: The Best of Karrin Allyson (Concord, 2009), showcases tracks from her 11 albums on the Concord label. In this interview, Allyson talks about the lucky break that led to her relationship with Concord; the intricacies of Brazilian music; and how her music is shaped [...]

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Jason Crane interviews pianist Marian McPartland. For 30 years, McPartland has been the host of Piano Jazz, a weekly radio program featuring duets between McPartland and many of the great jazz players of the past several generations. In this interview, McPartland talks about the benefit of an unexpected visit from Bill Evans; why the Hickory [...]

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Jason Crane interviews guitarist Terrence Brewer. Brewer’s new album is called Groovin’ Wes (Strong Brew Music, 2009). After three albums of original music, Brewer uses his new record to explore music by, or identified with, Wes Montgomery. In this interview, Brewer talks about his early years in Pittsburg (not the one you’re thinking of); his [...]

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Jason Crane interviews Sam Yahel. Yahel is best known as an organist who has performed and recorded with Joshua Redman, Bill Frisell, Norah Jones, Lizz Wright, Ryan Kisor, Madeleine Peyroux and many others. He started as a pianist, though, a side he showcases on his new album, Hometown (Posi-Tone, 2009). In this interview, Yahel talks [...]

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Jason Crane interviews pianist Myra Melford. Melford is active with many groups and on many recordings, including this year’s Under The Water (Libra, 2009) with pianist Satoko Fujii. In this interview, Melford talks about her early contact with Leroy Jenkins, Henry Threadgill and other AACM musicians; her pursuit of an individual voice; and the role [...]

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Jason Crane interviews vocalist Kurt Elling. Known for his affinity for the music of John Coltrane, Elling’s new album, Dedicated To You (Concord, 2009), is his most explicit tribute yet. The album features the music of the classic Impulse recording John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman, performed here with saxophonist Ernie Watts, the Laurence Hobgood trio, [...]

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Jason Crane interviews pianist Steve Kuhn. Kuhn’s new album, Mostly Coltrane (ECM, 2009), pays tribute to John Coltrane, with whom Kuhn worked for several weeks in the early 60s. In this interview, Kuhn talks about Coltrane, the Lenox School of Jazz, his composing methods, and the support he received early on from Bill Evans. He [...]

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Jason Crane interviews bassist Avery Sharpe. Sharpe’s album, Autumn Moonlight (JKNM, 2009) is an exploration of the piano trio by a man who played bass in one of the most famous such trios in recent memory, that of McCoy Tyner. In this interview, Sharpe talks about why he likes to perform in the trio format, [...]

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Jason Crane interviews composer Nicholas Urie. Urie’s fascinating album, Excerpts From An Online Dating Service (Red Piano, 2009) combines lyrics taken from online dating sites with complex and creative music for a large band. Citing Kurt Weill as a major influence, Urie has made an album that explores what Weill might have been like if [...]

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Jason Crane interviews pianist Bill Anschell and saxophonist Brent Jensen. Their new album, We Couldn’t Agree More (Origin, 2009) is a duet session. In this interview, Anschell and Jensen talk about how the album came to be, the particular qualities of duet playing, and the question of standards versus new music. If you’d like to [...]

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Jason Crane interviews organist Gene Ludwig. He tossed a coin to decide whether to be an engineer or a musician. With that out of the way, Ludwig came on the scene in the late 1950s and has made a living playing the organ ever since. He’s been in the bands of Sonny Stitt and Arthur [...]

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Jason Crane interviews trumpeter Terence Blanchard. A standard-bearer for his home city of New Orleans, Blanchard turns his musical spotlight on the positive changes that have occurred since Katrina with his new CD, Choices (Concord Records, 2009). In this wide-ranging interview, Blanchard talks about the cultural rebuilding of New Orleans, the ability of music to [...]

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Jason Crane interviews drummer Carl Allen. He and Rodney Whitaker have just released their second CD for Mack Avenue Records, titled Work To Do. Allen has been on the jazz scene since joining Freddie Hubbard’s band in college, and he’s served as the mentor for many jazz musicians, most notably Christian McBride. In this interview, [...]

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Jason Crane interviews bassist Christian McBride. McBride returns to the acoustic realm with his new record, Kind of Brown (Mack Avenue Records, 2009). The album is a reunion of players from McBride’s career — drummer Carl Allen, pianist Eric Reed, saxophonist Steve Wilson, and vibraphonist (and former student of McBride’s) Warren Wolf, Jr. In this [...]

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Jason Crane interviews drummer and composer E.J. Strickland. Strickland’s new album is called In This Day (Strick Muzik, 2009). E.J. and his twin brother Marcus grew up in Miami, sons of a musical father. They knew early on that they wanted to be musicians, and they’ve pursued that path with a single-minded devotion. On In [...]

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Jason Crane interviews guitarist and composer Miles Okazaki about his album Generations (Sunnyside, 2009). The album finds Okazaki mining some of the same territory from his debut record, Mirrors, but this time with a focus on in-depth exploration and group improvisation. Featuring standout work from saxophonists Miguel Zenón, David Binney, and Christof Knoche; along with [...]

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Jason Crane interviews singer/songwriter Kate Schutt about her album Telephone Game (ArtistShare, 2009). Schutt has walked a different path than the average musician. She went to Harvard, where she played Division I lacrosse and hockey. She also went to the Berklee College of Music to hone her jazz chops. She speaks Chinese because her high [...]

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Jason Crane interviews the members of the Respect Sextet. Their new album, Sirius Respect (Mode, 2009), explores the music of composers Karlheinz Stockhausen and Sun Ra. Formed nearly a decade ago at the Eastman School of Music, the Respect Sextet combines freewheeling improvisation with driving rhythms and a sense of humor. The members of the [...]

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Jason Crane interviews keyboardist Henry Hey, saxophonist Chris Cheek and bassist Tim Lefebvre, who, along with drummer Keith Carlock, make up the band Rudder. Rudder’s new album is called Matorning (Nineteen-Eight Records, 2009). These four musicians are incredibly busy in the jazz and pop worlds, but they’ve found the time to create a hip-shaking, brain-stimulating [...]

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Jason Crane interviews trombonist Jeff Albert about his new album, Similar In The Opposite Way (Fora Sound, 2009). Albert is one of the leaders of the creative music scene in New Orleans, and his Open Ears Music Series helps provide a home for experimental and free music in the Crescent City. In this interview, Albert [...]

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Jason Crane interviews vocalist and pianist Lisa Sokolov about her new album, A Quiet Thing. Sokolov is not like any singer you’ve ever heard before, but she is certainly one you need to hear. In this interview, Sokolov talks about what singing is and how she’s arrived at her unique approach to performance and arranging. [...]

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Jason Crane interviews drummer Mike Melito. While not a household name among jazz fans, Melito is well known to many jazz musicians, having played with everyone from James Moody and Benny Golson to Joe Locke and Rachel Z. Melito is based in Rochester, NY, and he made the decision early on to stay in his [...]

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Jason Crane interviews vibraphonist Gary Burton. After three decades, Burton reunited with Pat Metheny and Steve Swallow — and added drummer Antonio Sanchez — to record Quartet Live! (Concord Jazz, 2009), an album celebrating the music of the original Gary Burton Quartet. Originally conceived as a one-time-only performance at the Montreal Jazz Festival, the band [...]

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Jason Crane interviews trumpeter Hugh Masekela about his 2009 album Phola (Times Square Records). The album finds Masekela in a quieter, more reflective mood — a decision he credits to producer Erik Paliani. Despite the more reserved surroundings, Masekela’s flugelhorn playing is as intense as ever. In the interview, Masekela discusses Miriam Makeba, music as [...]

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Jason Crane interiews Steve Lake of ECM Records about the Touchstones series, ECM’s reissue series of classic recordings in new packaging at affordable prices. Lake has been with the label since the earliest days and has seen ECM grow into one of the world’s most respected music labels. In this interview, Lake discusses the history [...]

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Jason Crane interviews saxophonist David Sanborn. Sanborn is one of the few jazz players whose name is known even outside the jazz world. It’s fitting, then, that he’s using his new album Here & Gone (Decca, 2008) to bring a lesser-known jazz saxophonist into wider awareness. Here & Gone celebrates the music of Hank Crawford, [...]

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Jason Crane interviews vibraphonist James Westfall, bassist Dan Loomis and drummer Jared Schonig, known collectively as The Wee Trio. Their first record, Capitol Diner Vol. 1 (Bionic Records, 2008) features original music, jazz standards … and Nirvana. The trio explores the music they love through the lens of collective improvisation, and the results are fresh, [...]

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Jason Crane interviews organist Barbara Dennerlein about her pipe organ recording Spiritual Movement No. 2 (Bebab Records, 2008). The album was recorded at one of Germany’s most famous churches in front of a very appreciative audience. In this interview, recorded before a concert in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Dennerlein discusses jazz on the pipe organ; why organists [...]

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Jason Crane interviews the members of the trio Fly: bassist Larry Grenadier, drummer Jeff Ballard and saxophonist Mark Turner. Fly is very much a collective effort — the group operates with a leaderless philosophy in which everyone contributes equally. As a result, the trio has come up with some fresh and exciting sounds as they [...]

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Jason Crane interviews pianist Marilyn Crispell about her album of solo piano pieces, Vignettes (ECM, 2008). Crispell made an early name for herself with Anthony Braxton, and she’s since amassed an impressive list of recordings that include composed and freely improvised pieces. In this interview, Crispell talks about the nature of improvisation, the particular challenges [...]

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