Stanley Jordan is one of the most original and unique guitarists of our time.  In August of 2012 he swung by the WKCR-FM studio DJ'd, performed a solo set, talked music and philosophy, performed live and jammed with all of us including the great guitarist from Mali and Niger, Abdoulaye Alhassane.

It was an amazing opportunity to spend time with a creative force who approaches music, science, and life in his own way.  

George Wein was one of the most influential producers in the history of American music.  Founder of the Newport Jazz Festival, Newport Folk Festival, and New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, he lived a life amongst the greatest musicians of our time. 

Booker Stardrum whimsically co-founded SML with bassist Anna Butterss, synthesist Jeremiah Chiu, saxophonist Josh Johnson and guitarist Gregory Uhlmann. Their recent releases How You Been and Small, Medium, Large have squarely placed them as one of the most exciting groups in improvised music/jazz today.  

John Scofield is one of the great guitarists of out time.  The multi-Grammy award winning musician, has played with countless legends like Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan, Miles Davis, Billy Cobham, Charles Mingus, Tony Williams, Herbie Hancock, Mavis Staples, Charlie Haden, Phil Lesh, Dave Holland, Medeski, Martin and Wood...and on and on!

One of the great percussionists of our time, the 2024 Grammy Award-winninga "Kanjira King," began a decades long mentorship with Zakir Hussain in 1990. He tells us one of the first things Zakir did was open his ears to artists like Weather Report, Frank Zappa, and Miles Davis.

Béla Fleck is a 19 time Grammy award winning artist.  He is recognized as the musician who has expanded the possibilities of his instrument, the banjo, and he keeps pushing own limits creatively.

In this special conversation with the reknowned Sarod maestro, Alam Khan, we dig deep into what he learned form his father Ali Akbar Khan, family legends about his grandfather Allauddin Khan and what to expect at the upcoming concert at Carnegie Hall.  

A 2011 in-studio musical interview with Ustad Wasifuddin Dagar—torchbearer of an unbroken, 20-generation Dhrupad lineage dating back to the 15th century. 

This is an exclusive interview with the greatest living master of the bansuri, Hariprasad Chaurasia. 

David Ellenbogen and Chaurasia's Senior disciple Jay Gandhi join the maestro at his Vrindaban Gurukul, in Mumbai. 

This episode was originally broadcast in 2018