What a delight to welcome back onto the show for the 2nd time, the great jazz saxophonist and composer, Dr. Charles McPherson!

An incredibly prolific artist with a career spanning decades, McPherson has performed on over 70 recordings, both as a leader and sideman with practically all the greatest names in jazz.

Most recently McPherson was honored for his 80th birthday and played at a special double concert: "McCoy Tyner and Charles McPherson at 80” at Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis on April 5 and 6 of this year.

He also appeared at the Kennedy Center honoring his lifelong friend, Stanley Crouch at the NEA Jazz Masters Tribute Concert.

The resident composer for the San Diego Ballet, McPherson premiered his new ballet “Song of Songs” for this season.

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1:27 - How did the tunes at the Jazz at Lincoln Center Concert get chosen?
2:32 - What was your tune selection process?
3:21 - Did you know Sonny Stitt?
5:52 - Sonny Stitt’s competitive nature
9:29 - Can you share any anecdotes of competitive cutting contests?
10:38 - How does your thought process change in a cutting contest?
11:48 - Bebop and Classical improvisational duels
12:30 - Studying with classical technique with a classical saxophonist
13:13 - Are you a good sight reader?
13:30 - Are you more of an ear-player?
13:55 - How did you develop the ability to sing anything you play, and how do you do that while playing at the same time?
17:03 - Talking about the Jazz Trumpet Player Lonnie Hilyer
18:20 - How did Lonnie Hilyer build his harmonic concept?
18:38 - Did Lonnie Hilyer play the piano?
19:32 - Who were Lonnie Hilyer’s trumpet heroes?
20:12 - Joining Charles Mingus at the same time
21:08 - Were you nervous joining Mingus?
21:27 - Being aware of Mingus’ reputation
21:44 - Story of Mingus ripping apart piano strings with his bare hands
22:13 - On feeling the pressure of playing with Mingus
23:12 - When did you feel really confident about your abilities?
23:51 - Did working with Mingus supercharge your development?
24:21 - Did Mingus give you suggestions on how to play?
25:54 - Did you know the lineage of the saxophone players older than Charlie Parker?
27:17 - Which of the older generation of saxophone players should people check out
29:05 - What are the downsides of modern Jazz education?
30:08 - The individuality of older saxophone players
30:54 - Did Charlie Parker think in terms of modes?
31:39 - Is it important how we name the knowledge?
33:31 - Did Jazz get watered down post-bebop?
37:40 - Did you listen to all the music of the ballet literature?
38:05 - Was dancing the most important element while writing the music?
38:56 - How did you conceive of the orchestration?
41:35 - Do you have to revise much of the music with the choreographer?
42:58 - How long would it take to write each song?
44:36 - How did it feel performing it?
45:08 - What do the dancers do when you are improvising?
46:42 - What’s your relationship with Stanley Crouch?
47:27 - Stanley Crouch praising McPherson in the New York Times
48:37 - HOT SEAT: Top 3 Trumpet Players
49:04 - HOT SEAT: Top 3 Bass Players
49:12 - HOT SEAT: Top 3 Drummers
49:21 - HOT SEAT: Top 3 Tenor Saxophone Players
49:36 - HOT SEAT: Top 3 Alto Saxophone Players
49:46 - HOT SEAT: Top 3 Blues Tunes
50:38 - HOT SEAT: Top 3 Rhythm Changes Tunes
50:49 - HOT SEAT: Top 3 Pianists
51:45 - HOT SEAT: Top 3 Ballads
52:15 - HOT SEAT: Top 3 Medium tempo tunes
52:55 - Meeting Bud Powell
53:14 - The difficulty of talking to Bud
53:20 - What did Mingus think of Bud?
53:57 - What’s the hardest tune you’ve ever written?
54:10 - The tune that was most difficult to write?
54:43 - What was the easiest tune that you wrote?
55:06 - What 3 albums of yours would you recommend a fan check out?
55:35 - If you could hang out with Charlie Parker, what would you ask?
56:26 - Wrapping Up and Goodbyes