This week I get on the line with Kyle Nasser. As Kyle is a graduate of both

Berklee and Harvard, I knew the conversation might get serious. And it did,

as we went through the intricacies of his new album, Persistent Fancy. We

know Kyle from the NY outfit Beekman, but this is his debut as a

bandleader. The compositions have deep meaning and careful intricacy, and

yet one does not need to have a full understanding to enjoy the album.

Find Kyle's album Persistent Fancy at https://kylenassermusic.bandcamp.com/album/persistent-fancy

Produced by Nick Perri. Engineered by Ben Parry.

This week Mr. Brian Wolf from Drums & Tuba. If you were around in the

experimental years at the turn of the century, checking in on artists like

MMW and Les Claypool, you know this band. Started on the streets of Austin,

Texas, Drums & Tuba is Brian and drummer Tony Nozero. Together they

explore song structure as they hear it, and the unique sounds they create

appeal to punk rock as much as jazz. Let's hear Brian break it down.

Their new album Triumph! is available at https://drums-tuba.bandcamp.com/album/triumph

Produced by Nick Perri. Engineered by Ben Parry.

Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah is well received in the jazz world, but it is his transcendent level of creativity and his mission to unite us all by breaking down barriers within the construct of music that define him as a leader in this time. Louis had the chance to chat with Christian, and as is often the case, we ran over on time and we just let it roll. This is the second and final installment of the series. Enjoy.

Christian Scott's 'Ancestral Recall' can be found at https://christianscott.bandcamp.com/album/ancestral-recall

Produced by Nick Perri. Engineered by Steve Eshewsky.

Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah is well received in the jazz world, but it is his transcendent level of creativity and his mission to unite us all by breaking down barriers within the construct of music that define him as a leader in this time. Louis had the chance to chat with Christian, and as is often the case, we ran over on time and we just let it roll. This is part one of a two part series.

Christian Scott's 'Ancestral Recall' can be found at https://christianscott.bandcamp.com/album/ancestral-recall

Produced by Nick Perri. Engineered by Steve Eshewsky.

This week I spend some time speaking with RC Williams. A Dallas musician who has held down the weekly DFW Jam Sessions for many years; a place where world class musicians get together and explore. It was at one of these sessions that young UNT students with a band named Snarky Puppy met cats like RC, Sput Searight, Shaun Martin, and Corey Henry. RC & The Gritz is best known as Erykah Badu's band, and their new album, Analog World, hit this year. The band starts with a pickup band vibe, but soon you can tell they've got their own groove.

Catch the new RC & The Gritz record "Analog World" upon its release on March 8, 2019. https://rcandthegritz.bandcamp.com/album/analog-world

Produced by Nick Perri. Engineered by Steve Eshewsky.

This week it's off to West Virginia to visit with saxophonist Jared Sims. We

first met Jared in the Boston band Akashic Record, and now that he has re-

settled in his home state as the director of Jazz Studies at WVU, Jared is

returning to the roots of Jazz. His most recent album, The New York

Sessions, is a nostalgic trip through the sounds of the New York scene.

With titles like Tribeca Tap Bar and Brooklyn Tea, Jared captures the sound

and feeling of the greatest city on earth.

Purchase Jared's album "The New York Sessions" at https://jaredsims.bandcamp.com/

Produced by Nick Perri. Engineered by Steve Eshewsky.

This week we have the great pleasure of speaking with Vivian Sessoms.

Raised in a musical family in Harlem, Vivian's list of credits in the music

business requires a lot of scrolling, with notables like Stevie Wonder,

Sinead O Connor, and Ryuichi Sakamoto on the list. Vivian stunned us with

her two part album entitled LIFE, an epic collection of songs and lush

arrangements done with her husband, Chris Parks, and featuring the likes of

Keyon Harold, Casey Benjamin, Shedrick Mitchell, and Amp Fiddler. Her

powerful social commentary is mixed throughout, with the most powerful

track - I Can't Breathe - dedicated to Erica Garner.

Support Vivian by purchasing her album "Life" at https://vivian-sessoms.bandcamp.com/album/life

Produced by Nick Perri. Engineered by Steve Eshewsky.

Sasha Masakowski is an enigma: born and raised in New Orleans, the daughter of a celebrated Jazz Guitarist, Sasha is every bit at home in New York City and equally comfortable with the quirks and changes of our modern world as she is with the history of Jazz. We spoke about her album Art Market, which views and celebrates New Orleans through her lense - playful at times, worldly, with a full juxtaposition of genres.

Support Sasha and her latest record "Art Market" at https://sasha-masakowski.bandcamp.com/album/art-market

Produced by Nick Perri. Engineered by Steve Eshewsky.

Mark de Clive-Lowe has been on the global scene for some time; Hailing from New Zealand, Mark made spent a decade in London immersed in the London broken beat scene and has traveled the world with his detailed setup, composing on the spot and mixing electronic and organic sounds. In 2019 mark is set to release Heritage - a two part album that takes him back to his mother's homeland - Japan. The two part album, due out in February and April, musically expresses his connection, respect, and deep personal roots.

Purchase the first installment of Heritage at https://markdeclivelowe.bandcamp.com/album/heritage

Produced by Nick Perri. Engineered by Ben Parry.

The cats from Troker joined us by phone from Guadelajara and spoke of their early influences in the Ropeadope fam like DJ Logic and John Medeski. The band takes that early sound and brings it forward in a powerful way, with a strong emphasis on Mexican culture.

Find Troker's new album Imperfecto at https://trokermusic.bandcamp.com/album/imperfecto