Saxophonist Walter Smith III joins Pablo Held to discuss working on articulation, Walter’s compositional process behind songs like “Seesaw“, “ACE“ and “A Brief Madness“ and lessons learned from jazz legends Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter and Roy Haynes. Other topics include learning standards like “I Should Care“, “Little Melonae“ or “Nothing Like You“, working with the Bill Stewart Trio and Terence Blanchard and what goes into planning an album like his newest record “TWIO Vol.2“.

Pedal steel guitarist Ian McGimpsey joins Pablo Held to talk about his journey with the instrument, exploring its mechanics, tuning systems, and his unique approach to improvisation and harmony. Other topics include Ian’s composition ‘Etude #1’, arranging ‘Danny Boy’, and how Ian is documenting his creative process.

Trumpeter Alexandra Ridout joins Pablo Held for a conversation ahead of their upcoming tour together. They talk about playing sessions, learning standards, composing, and her thoughts about the flugelhorn. Other topics include Alexandra’s trumpet heroes, sitting in on gigs, being kind to yourself as a musician, performing with Artemis and Melissa Aldana, and the influence of Geri Allen.

Catch Alexandra Ridout on tour with the Pablo Held Trio:

May 1 // Basel (CH) // Bird’s Eye
May 2 // Basel (CH) // Bird’s Eye
May 3 // Denzlingen // Fuge Trifft Fuge
May 5 // Köln // King Georg
May 6 // Düsseldorf // Jazz Schmiede
May 7 // Wuppertal // Insel
May 8 // Hannover // HMTMH [masterclass]
May 9 // Hannover // Jazzclub
May 10 // Nieder Olm // Begegnungen

tickets and more info:
https://pabloheld.com/tour

Drummer and composer RJ Miller joins Pablo Held to talk about the creative process behind his albums “Ronald’s Rhythm” and “Free Soul”, finding specific grooves for songs and what he thinks about endings. Other topics include playing in the groups of Jorge Rossy and Aaron Parks, seeing Paul Motian at the Village Vanguard, and lessons learned from Ornette Coleman and Masabumi Kikuchi.

Saxophonist & composer Chris Potter returns to ‘Pablo Held Investigates’ for an in-depth conversation, recorded just before heading out on their European tour together. Zooming in on their repertoire, Chris shares insights into his compositional process. Other topics include Herbie Hancock’s ‘Actual Proof’, what Chris pays attention to when listening to Charlie Parker and John Coltrane, playing on ‘Alegria’ by Wayne Shorter and much more.

Singer-songwriter and guitarist Becca Stevens joins Pablo Held to talk about her new album “Maple To Paper” and the compositional process behind the title track. Other topics include learning standards, the power of lyrics and their inner rhythm, balancing creativity and parenting, and studying songs like “The Rainbow Connection,” Ornette Coleman’s “What Reason Could I Give,” and Charles Mingus’ “Portrait”.

Chris Weisman joins Pablo Held for a special episode about their unique long-distance collaboration in which they made albums for each other. They talk about exchanging songs on paper, giving up control over arrangement, production and instrumentation, and releasing records on which neither of them plays a single note of their own music. Moving beyond process, the conversation dives into questions of authorship, musical identity, and trust, as they reflect track-by-track on both albums and on the emotional experience of hearing one’s music transformed through another artist’s imagination—and how this project reshaped their understanding of what the term “my music” really means.

Album links:
Chris Weisman – Pablo Held Plays My Music
https://chrisweisman.bandcamp.com/album/pablo-held-plays-my-music
Pablo Held – Chris Weisman Plays My Music
https://pabloheld.bandcamp.com/album/chris-weisman-plays-my-music

00:00:00 The origin story of this project
01:33:20 How Chris made Pablo’s album
03:14:27 How Pablo made Chris’ album

Pianist, composer & recording engineer Pete Rende joins Pablo Held to talk about strong melodies, finding your own voice and playing what you hear. Other topics include Pete’s whispering exercise, composing, working with jazz legends Paul Motian and Ron Carter, and his return to playing after a long break.

Saxophonist & composer John O’Gallagher joins Pablo Held to talk about sound and projection on the alto saxophone, his PhD research on late-period Coltrane, and how pitch-class set theory shapes his music. Other topics include stories behind the making of his new album ‘Ancestral’, playing together at Pablo’s ‘Alice Coltrane Tribute’ concert in Cologne, recording on Joe Henderson’s big band album, memories of Andrew Hill, and much more.