Fun 2 Know Podcast

On today's show, the saxophonist and the newly-anointed bandleader of the Sun Ra Arkestra, Knoel Scott.

Sun Ra is the storied musician who came out of Alabama in the 1930s, landing in Chicago in the late 1940's, writing arrangements for the legendary big band leader Fletcher Henderson. Inspired by visions life in outer space, the musician transformed from Sonny Blount to Sun Ra, sent from Saturn to bring music to our embattled Earth. He assembled his big band, known as “The Arkestra,” and Sun Ra began writing, recording, and performing his music at an astounding clip, relocating to New York for most of the 1960s and finally settling in Philadelphia by the start of the 1970s.

Their live shows became the stuff of legend, a mix of psychedelic lights, costumes, chanting, dancing, and music mixing styles from across a range of 20th styles, with Ra's lecturing on ancient Egypt, space and the future while playing a dazzling selection of early mini-synths. In 1978 the band would be guests on Saturday Night Live and earlier this year were the subject of PBS' American Masters series with the documentary “Sun Ra: Do the Impossible. 



Sun Ra would transition in 1993, John Gilmore led the band until his passing in 1995 and saxophonist Marshall Allen would vigorously lead the modern Arkestra as they expanded their profile performing and recording internationally. Marshall Allen's retirement has just been announced, stepping down at the age of 102. Now Knoel has officially taken the reins. 



We got together to talk about the Arkestra then-forthcoming concert at the McCarter Theater September 3rd of 2026. We talk abut his early experiences growing up in a musical community in Jamaica, Queens, his first discovery with Sun Ra's music, the lure of money, fortune and fame, the brilliance of bebop and Charlie Parker, our place in the cosmos and more. Thanks to Bobbie's Bookstore in Philly's Germantown for graciously hosting the interview.

On today's show, we welcome back renowned electric bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma. This is the third time we've had Jamaaladeen at the mic, if you listen back to Fun-2-Know episodes 47 & 11 you can hear Jamaaladeen talk about growing up in North Philadelphia and playing the bands of legendary players Charles Earland and Walt Dickerson while still in his teens.

But it is his experience in Ornette Coleman's ground-breaking mid-seventies band Prime Time that has been a source of endless inspiration to Tacuma, Jamaaladeen's 2010 release FOR THE LOVE OF ORNETTE would be among the last recorded appearances of the music giant. Beginning in 1983 with a string of records for the Grammavision label, Jamaaladeen has produced decades of releases for many labels including Moers Music, DIW, Jazzwerkstatt, Tzadik, P-Vine & Timeless and in recent years has put his energies into his own Jam-All Productions imprint, much of which you can find at Bandcamp.

The list of musicians he's recorded and performed with is extensive, including Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana, Mary Halvorson, David Murray, James Blood Ulmer, The Golden Palominos, The Roots and that list goes on and on.

Since 2015, Jamaladeen has also produced and promoted The Outsiders Festival in his hometown of Philly, bringing a wonderfully diverse group of talent to town and he also owns the Redd Carpet Room, a boutique curated by Tacuma's sharp taste in fashion.

On today's show, the saxophonist, vocalist and composer Maria Grand. Originally from Geneva, Switzerland, Maria came to New York to pursue a career in music while still in her late teens. She has been releasing her own music since 2017, recordings that feature her enthralling tenor saxophone playing and vocals in service of exploratory, melodic compositions. She's performed and recorded with Vijay Iyer, Mary Halvorson, Antoine Roney and others and her latest is just out, entitled BOTH SIDES.

Maria was passing through Philadelphia when we met up, the night before I caught a wonderful show with her quartet at the Black Squirrel Club. Maria brought her percussionist Shakoor Hakeem along for the conversation, they've collaborated together since meeting in a youth jazz program as teens. We'll hear Shakoor in our conversation as well, discussing his experiences making music with Maria. We talk about growing up in a musical family, struggles in high school, coming to New York to study in the jazz mecca as well as Maria's work in musical therapy.

03-23-26 Jazz w Dan Buskirk hour two with Kevin Diehl by Fun 2 Know Podcast

On today's show: drummer, percussionist, composer Chad Taylor. I first became aware of Chad's name around the turn of the 21st century, as the players in Chicago's post-rock scene, most famously including the instrumental band Tortoise, began to collaborate with players from Chicago's rich modern jazz world, where the famous creative musician's collective, the AACM was still active. Chad's playing was always distinguished by an extra sense of propulsiveness, juicing the energy and supplying an expressive net beneath his collaborators.

Chad began his long musical partnership with Rob Mazurek under the name Chicago Underground, recording genre-defying improvisational songs and soundscapes that frequently featured Tortoise guitarist Jeff Parker. Chad would become one of his era's most prolific drummers working his everyone from Iron & Wine to Pharoah Sanders. After becoming synonymous with Chicago jazz Chad moved east, finally landing in Philadelphia where he's spent the past decade. In this time he has appeared on some of the most critically-lauded jazz records of recent years, including projects with guitarist Marc Ribot as well as the late trumpeter Jaimie Branch and saxophonist James Brandon Lewis, both former guests on Fun 2 Know.

You'll get an idea of just what a genial gentleman Chad is by knowing that although we've communicated through IM's, we'd never actually met or had spoken together until just moments before the tape rolled on our interview. In abundant modesty and good humor Chad talks about his early musical motivations, his teen years, already drumming in Chicago clubs, and his moves to NYC and Philly, his studies with Blue Note drum great Joe Chambers and Chad current gig as Head of Jazz Studies at the University of Pittsburgh. Chad has also had success composing and leading his own groups and is celebrating the release of his latest work with his new Philly-centric Chad Taylor Quintet, SMOKE SHIFTER on the Otherly Love label.

On today's show, Sun Ra Arkestra guitarist DM Hotep. Philadelphia-born DM Hotep has been a part of the Sun Ra Arkestra for over 25 years. The musical group was originally formed in the 1950s by the keyboardist known as Sun Ra. Ra's all-encompassing imagination claimed his origins were from the planet Saturn, and with light shows, flamboyant costumes and group chants and a musical palette elaborately versed in both the earthly and celestial, the Arkestra were forerunners of the concept of “Afrofuturism,” contributing to the African diaspora's interaction with culture, technology, astronomy and sci-fi themes. “Space is the Place” was one of Sun Ra's main credos, with interstellar exploration and space reoccurring as a regular motif. Sun Ra's band the Arkestra has continued on since his passing in 1993, today led by the 101 year old longtime Arkestra saxophonist Marshall Allen.

We talk to DM about his fascination with the guitar, how he got pulled into the reestablished Arkestra's orbit and how he found his musical place amongst the sometimes 20-plus conglomeration. DM's musical adventures go beyond the Arkestra, he also performs and records with his partner, Arkestra vocalist Tara Middleton in Jupiter Blue, in Kevin Diehl's collaborative Airlft while also curating the residency of Marshall Allen's Ghost Horizons, regularly bringing brave musicians from around the world to perform and be conducted by the legendary Marshall Allen. We'll hear samples of DM's work, including some of his film scoring, throughout the conversation.

We also discuss DM's upcoming performance at The Rotunda in Philadelphia, 4014 Walnut Street. At 7pm on Thursday July 10th, DM will be perform a solo ambient set, followed by a screening of Jerome Bixby's THE MAN FROM EARTH, a speculative sci-fi feature, presented by Bright Bulb Screenings.

On today's show, the pianist and composer, Digba Ogunbiyi. Digba is originally from Lagos, Nigeria and came to the states to pursue his dream of a career playing jazz piano. His diligence has earned him a doctorate in musical studies and a position at Syracuse University as an instructor of jazz piano. Digba currently resides in Philadelphia, where a chance meeting at a neighborhood cafe led to our discussion  presented here.  Digba's story makes for an unusually moving episode of Fun 2 Know, telling of how his love for piano led him to jazz music, a genre that does not have much of a following in his native Nigeria. This led to his journey to the U.S., where his talent was recognized and nurtured.  Talking to Digba and listening to his music reinforces the suspicion that him and his talent are on the cusp of big things.    Stick around for the end to hear info on Digba's upcoming gigs, including one at Philly's Chris' Jazz Cafe in July.

On today's show, the saxophonist and composer James Brandon Lewis joins us for a spirited conversation. James Brandon Lewis has become a prominent figure in the world of modern creative music, showing himself to be prolific both as a band leader and as a player on a number of others' projects, building a thrilling body of work, and personally, some of the most-played in my collection over the past five years. His album 2021 release JESUP WAGON with the Red Lily Quintet, a tribute to George Washington Carver seemed to heighten interest in Lewis, winning the Downbeat album poll and his 2023 release FOR MAHALIA, WITH LOVE would win the Best Album from the Francis Davis Jazz Critics Poll. He has also recorded with his own trios and in collaboration with the D.C. rock group The Messthetics, all showing a different side of his musical personality and talent.

In early June I met with James at 8:30 am, the morning after his sold out gig at Solar Myth in Philadelphia. The conversation came easy, we talked about his family and his roots in Buffalo, we talked about his extensive schooling, which took James from Buffalo to D.C., to Colorado and Los Angeles, and finally to New York City, with James just recently receiving his doctorate. We discuss his pursuit of his own sound, the community of family, musicians and teachers that inspired and supported him along the way, the film “Mr. Holland's Opus,” audience assumptions, where he's heading next and how he sees his place in the jazz firmament.

On today's show, it's the Baltimore-based pianist, composer, and bandleader Lafayette Gilchrist. Lafayette is an extravagantly-gifted instrumentalist and composer, the type of pianist often described as a “two-handed player” for the strong rhythms of his left hand and his nimble melodicism of his right. His deep understanding of the music's history find him schooled in piano styles that go back at least a century, as well as having a modern spirit that places him in conversation with the piano's contemporary improvising explorers. Born in D.C., Lafayette could be seen as an example of great tradition of the area's musical talent, players that had to be versed in the ideas and the styles of the North while containing the soulful feel of Southern sounds.

Since his debut THE ART IS LIFE from 1993, Lafayette has produced over a dozen releases, playing solo, in duos, in trios and with often his septet, The New Volcanoes. He has also toured and recorded with saxophone legend David Murray and his music is heard in the HBO series', THE WIRE, THE DEUCE and TREME. His most-recent release UNDAUNTED drew wider attention to Lafayette's talent, and when I met up with him it early August in was just before a sold out show appearing at Chris Jazz Cafe in Philly.

We talk about Lafayette discovery of the piano, finding mentors in area jazz greats Grachan Moncur III and saxophonist Carl Grubbs. We talk about records that inspired him, his philosophy in leading a band, his musical work with children and even our mutual love of cats. Lafayette was gracious enough to conclude the interview post-gig, so we'll get a rare pre-and-post gig conversation on this latest episode.

Here's the part where I give a brief introduction to this episode's guest, something particularly difficult with a guest as extravagantly talented as Steven Erdman. He might be best described as a one-man production company, having skills as a graphic artists with hand-illustrating skills, a songwriter and producer, an animator and filmmaker, and set designer and creator and over the last thirty odd years has worked on projects at Nickelodeon and MTV, contributed artwork to numerous publications and gave birth to the weirdo rock sounds of Lard Dog & The Band of Shy, known for their surreal theatrical performances.

Erdman has rubbed shoulders and collaborated with a cavalcade of well-known talents, over the course of the episode we'll hear anecdote about everyone from James Brown, Van Morrison, Natasha Lyonne, Clarence Reid aka Blowfly, The Sun Ra Arkestra's Marshall Allen, one-time bandmate Norah Jones, and more. It all makes for a decidedly epic and entertaining conversation, as Erd discusses his many setback and drive to keep creative, or as he proclaims, to “Yam On!”