On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with pianist, composer, improviser, label founder, and educator Kris Davis—one of the most forward-thinking voices in creative music today. Our conversation left me feeling genuinely energized. Kris approaches music with a rare combination of curiosity, discipline, and fearless experimentation, and it was a joy to dig into how all of that shows up in her work.

We start with what’s immediately ahead for her: a trip to Hamburg to premiere a newly expanded big band version of a trio piece with the NDR Big Band. Kris shares the very real “composer panic” that comes with catching an engraving mistake right before rehearsal—one of those behind-the-scenes realities of composing that every musician can relate to.

From there, we talk about festivals—especially Big Ears, which feels like its own musical universe—and dive into two major pillars of her work: prepared piano and large-form composition. Kris reflects on studying with pianist Benoît Delbecq, whose approach to prepared piano emphasized rhythm, individuality, and finding a personal sonic vocabulary.

One of the highlights of our conversation is a deep look at her remarkable Solastalgia Suite, written for the Lutosławski Quartet after a commission through Poland’s Jazz to Pad Festival. Kris talks about learning how to write for strings in real time and how the concept of **solastalgia—the grief you feel for your home while you’re still living in it—**became the emotional core of the piece.

We also zoom out into the bigger picture of her work: her leadership role alongside Terri Lyne Carrington at Berklee’s Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice, and her decade-long journey building Pyroclastic Records, a label dedicated to supporting adventurous music and the artists creating it. At its heart, this conversation is about craft, community, curiosity, and the importance of taking creative risks on purpose.

Key Takeaways

• The behind-the-scenes realities of composing for large ensembles—including last-minute engraving panic before a premiere.
• Why festivals like Big Ears create a unique ecosystem for creative music.
• How studying with Benoît Delbecq shaped Kris Davis’s approach to prepared piano.
• The creative challenge of writing for string quartet for the first time.
• The emotional meaning of solastalgia and how it shaped the Solastalgia Suite.
• Kris’s work at Berklee’s Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice alongside Terri Lyne Carrington.
• How Pyroclastic Records has grown into an important platform for adventurous and forward-thinking music.

Music from the Episode

• Diatom Ribbons — Kris Davis
• Interlude (from the Solastalgia Suite) — Kris Davis
• Life on Venus (from the Solastalgia Suite) — Kris Davis
• Run the Gauntlet — Kris Davis

About the Podcast

The Bandwich Tapes is a long-form conversation podcast where host Brad Williams sits down with some of the most thoughtful musicians, composers, and artists working today. The show explores the stories behind the music—creative process, collaboration, career paths, and the human experiences that shape the sounds we love.

Connect with the Show

Email: [email protected]