Podcast Archives - The Jazz Session

Grammy-nominated composer, Miho Hazama is one of the most promising and talented composers/arrangers of her generation. Miho developed her signature jazz chamber orchestra “m_unit” while still a graduate student at the Manhattan School of Music. In fact, that is where I first met Miho when we overlapped, navigating jazz studies and all New York has to offer. Watching her career go from strength to strength since then has been an utter joy. In 2019, she took up a post as the chief conductor of Danish Radio Big Band, following in the footsteps of Thad Jones, Bob Brookmeyer and Jim McNeely. Besides DR Big Band, Miho has worked as a conductor with Metropole Orkest and the WDR Big Band, and she is also the Associate Artistic Director of the New York Jazzharmonic. She just recorded a new album with the Danish Radio Big Band called “Imaginary Visions”, which comes out on Edition Records on 24 September 2021. Miho was quarantining in Japan ahead of concert dates when we caught up after not having seen one another for nearly ten years.

Show Notes:

The Danish Radio Big Band Welcomes Miho Hazama to Denmark

Imaginary Visions is released on 24 September 2021 on Edition Records

Theme music by The Respect Sextet

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The post The Jazz Session #567: Miho Hazama appeared first on The Jazz Session.

Terence Blanchard is one of jazz’s most esteemed trumpeters and defies expectations by creating a spectrum of artistic pursuits. He’s a twice-Oscar nominated film composers, and a two-time opera composer whose most recent opera “Fire Shut Up in My Bones” opens New York’s Metropolitan Opera season on 27 September 2021. A month ago, on the 27th August, Terence released  his new album Absence on Blue Note Records. It features his synth-inflected band E-Collective and the acclaimed Turtle Island Quartet and pays homage to the life and music of the great Wayne Shorter. Terence was in the middle of rehearsing the opera in NYC when we chatted about jazz, opera, film scoring, and the lasting effect of great teachers.

Show Notes:

Absence was released on 27 August 2021 on Blue Note Records

Theme music by The Respect Sextet

Support The Jazz Session by becoming a member at Patreon.

The post The Jazz Session #566: Terence Blanchard appeared first on The Jazz Session.

Gretchen Parlato burst onto the scene in 2004, when she won the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz International Voice Competition. Since then, she’s been nominated for a Grammy, released five albums, performed with Wayne Shorter, Kamasi Washington, Becca Stevens and more, and massively influenced several generations of jazz vocalists. After 8 years spent exploring and enjoying motherhood, she made something of return to jazz with her album “Flor”, released on Edition Records in 2021. The album celebrates both her re-emergence, a blossoming if you will, and her love for the Brazilian sounds that shaped her. We talk about the music of Flor, her advice on dealing with criticism, and how she feels about having impacted the jazz vocal landscape with her signature understated singing and impeccable musicianship.

Show Notes:

Flor was released in March 2021 on Edition Records

Theme music by The Respect Sextet

Support The Jazz Session by becoming a member at Patreon.

The post The Jazz Session #565: Gretchen Parlato appeared first on The Jazz Session.

Saxophonist and NEA Jazz Master Dave Liebman was last on The Jazz Session in 2010 so we were due for a catch up, especially because he has a new album “Selflessness: The Music of John Coltrane” out on Dot Time Records on 3 September, a day before his 75th birthday. We chat about Trane (of course!), Dave’s time playing with Miles Davis, and the timelessness of Rodger and Hammerstein’s “My Favourite Things”.

Show Notes:

Selflessness is out 3 September 2021 on Dot Time Records

Theme music by The Respect Sextet

Support The Jazz Session by becoming a member at Patreon.

The post The Jazz Session #564: Dave Liebman appeared first on The Jazz Session.

Here’s the big announcement!

The post The Jazz Session: Meet The New Host! appeared first on The Jazz Session.

That’s a dramatic headline, but I think the news in this mini episode is worth it.

The post The Jazz Session’s Biggest News EVER appeared first on The Jazz Session.

Vocalist Gian Slater‘s most recent album is Grey is Ground. In this interview, Slater talks about the five years of work to create the album; the tension between rhythm and melody so artfully displayed on the recording; navigating the genre question; and much more.

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I’ve been recording conversations with jazz musicians on The Jazz Session since 2007. I’m now living in a van and traveling the country, so I need your support more than ever. Please become a member today at thejazzsession.com/join. For $5 a month you’ll get a weekly bonus episode called Track of the Week, plus early access to every show. For $10 a month you get all that plus an extra monthly bonus show.

Theme music by The Respect Sextet

The post The Jazz Session #563: Gian Slater appeared first on The Jazz Session.

Trumpeter and vocalist Sarah Wilson has a new album coming out in July 2021 called Kaleidoscope. In this interview, Wilson talks about the mentors to whom the music is dedicated; how she went from anthropology to puppet theater to the world of improvised music; incorporating vocals into her skill set; and more.

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I’ve been recording conversations with jazz musicians on The Jazz Session since 2007. I’m now living in a van and traveling the country, so I need your support more than ever. Please become a member today at thejazzsession.com/join. For $5 a month you’ll get a weekly bonus episode called Track of the Week, plus early access to every show. For $10 a month you get all that plus an extra monthly bonus show.

Theme music by The Respect Sextet

The post The Jazz Session #562: Sarah Wilson appeared first on The Jazz Session.

Saxophonist and flute player Anna Webber has a new double album called Idiom (Pi Recordings). In this interview, Webber talks about how she took inspiration for the compositions on the album from extended instrumental techniques; her recent residency in Germany; her plans for after the pandemic; and her work with … Bruce Springsteen? Sure, why not.

CONCERT NOTE: The CD release party for Idiom is scheduled for September 23, 2021 at Roulette in Brooklyn.

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I’ve been recording conversations with jazz musicians on The Jazz Session since 2007. I’m now living in a van and traveling the country, so I need your support more than ever. Please become a member today at thejazzsession.com/join. For $5 a month you’ll get a weekly bonus episode called Track of the Week, plus early access to every show. For $10 a month you get all that plus an extra monthly bonus show.

Theme music by The Respect Sextet

The post The Jazz Session #561: Anna Webber appeared first on The Jazz Session.

Pianist Sunna Gunnlaugs was once the only professional female jazz musician in Iceland. In this interview, she talks about the work she’s done to change that fact; her recent recording and performing projects; life during the pandemic; and much more. (Note: Sunna was on The Jazz Session back in 2010. You can listen to that interview here.)

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I’ve been recording conversations with jazz musicians on The Jazz Session since 2007. I’m now living in a van and traveling the country, so I need your support more than ever. Please become a member today at thejazzsession.com/join. For $5 a month you’ll get a weekly bonus episode called Track of the Week, plus early access to every show. For $10 a month you get all that plus an extra monthly bonus show.

Theme music by The Respect Sextet

The post The Jazz Session #560: Sunna Gunnlaugs appeared first on The Jazz Session.