The Checkout

Multi-instrumentalist Joey Dosik, a 33-year old singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, crafts original soul music that draws from the pantheon: Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Bill Withers, Stevie Wonder. On this edition of The Checkout, we'll get inside some of his sports-themed songs and walk through his autobiographical, L.A.-centered jazz playlist.

As we reflect on our eighth season featuring distinguished alumni from Berklee College Music, one theme becomes immediately apparent: jazz is flourishing internationally, especially among younger artists.

Butcher Brown — a group of five sophisticated musicians from Richmond, Va. — upholds a self-professed blue-collar approach to music. Stylistically speaking, that music falls somewhere on the spectrum between jazz, rock and funk.

The meteoric rise of James Francies is no surprise to anyone embedded in New York’s thriving jazz scene. Besides celebrating his auspicious debut, Flight, on Blue Note Records, this multi-pronged pianist keeps an ambitious touring schedule with guitarist Pat Metheny and others. On this edition of My Music, Francies — a Houston native at ease in many settings, from jazz to electronic music to hip-hop — tells his story.

Mark de Clive-Lowe, the Los Angeles-based live-electronics pioneer, is half-New Zealander and half-Japanese. He has lately turned his focus to his Japanese heritage — on a new album and on this episode of The Checkout, from the Berklee College of Music.

Last fall, The Checkout presented Thiefs in concert at Nublu in the East Village. The French-American jazz ensemble with a hip-hop edge takes on some of the concerning issues of today — specifically the rise of racism in Western society. Watch the band perform four thought-provoking compositions, including two song premieres, which are coming to their forthcoming album. Witty guides us through his Nublu performance on November 2nd, co-presented by the Cultural Services French Embassy in the

It makes sense that Nellie McKay would find a close kinship with the late NEA Jazz Master Bob Dorough. Despite being separated by nearly 60 years in age, both artists found a niche for their quirky and original songs. The duo made one memorable recording together and also toured the world. On this edition of The Checkout, Nellie McKay pays tribute to her favorite hipster sidekick, who passed away last April.

There are many theories as to why jazz is cool again. Perhaps we’re not giving enough credit to Brainfeeder, the genre-agnostic indie label founded by composer-producer Flying Lotus. Ten years have passed, and one thing is clear: the L.A. based company has been steadily boosting jazz’s prospects and giving the music a healthy makeover. Today we listen back to some of its early recordings, and shine a light on two of its rising stars, Brandon Coleman and Jameszoo.

Anniversaries can be a time for reflection, and taking stock of where we’ve been. So in celebration of WBGO's 40th anniversary, this episode of The Checkout dips into the archives, recalling the era when it was hosted and produced by its founder, Josh Jackson.

Anniversaries can be a time for reflection, and taking stock of where we’ve been. So in celebration of WBGO's 40th anniversary, this episode of The Checkout dips into the archives, recalling the era when it was hosted and produced by its founder, Josh Jackson.

Alina Engibaryan is a contemplative singer, keyboardist and composer whose musical roots go back to her childhood in Russia. Her grandfather, Nikolay Goncharov, was a master jazz drummer in an era when jazz was perceived as “the devil’s music.” Now this #RhodesGirl — as one Engibaryan fan put it on Instagram, in praise of her Fender Rhodes piano playing — is preparing to make her statement at the 2019 Winter Jazzfest. She’ll appear on WBGO’s 40th anniversary concert at S.O.B.’s on Jan. 11, as

Alina Engibaryan is a contemplative singer, keyboardist and composer whose musical roots go back to her childhood in Russia. Her grandfather, Nikolay Goncharov, was a master jazz drummer in an era when jazz was perceived as “the devil’s music.” Now this #RhodesGirl — as one Engibaryan fan put it on Instagram, in praise of her Fender Rhodes piano playing — is preparing to make her statement at the 2019 Winter Jazzfest. She’ll appear on WBGO’s 40th anniversary concert at S.O.B.’s on Jan. 11, as

When Jason Lindner became embedded in New York’s jazz scene in the mid 1990s, he led an underground big band. These days, he's paving the way for a new breed of jazz synth artists, with the same renegade spirit. On this episode of The Checkout, Lindner — the former keyboardist for David Bowie, trumpeter Avishai Cohen and so many others — speaks about his artistic growth, as expressed on The Buffering Cocoon , his third release with the band he calls Now Vs. Now.

When Jason Lindner became embedded in New York’s jazz scene in the mid 1990s, he led an underground big band. These days, he's paving the way for a new breed of jazz synth artists, with the same renegade spirit. On this episode of The Checkout, Lindner — the former keyboardist for David Bowie, trumpeter Avishai Cohen and so many others — speaks about his artistic growth, as expressed on The Buffering Cocoon , his third release with the band he calls Now Vs. Now.

A few years ago, the Trinidadian jazz trumpeter Etienne Charles released A Creole Christmas , a brilliant musical meld of Christian hymns, Venezuelan parangs, and island calypsos. He brought that festive sound into our studio in 2016, leading a sharp and versatile band.