Podcast Archives - The Jazz Session

Sonny Rollins’ most recent album is Road Shows Vol. 2 (Doxy Records, 2011). In this interview, recorded at the 2012 Detroit Jazz Festival, Rollins talks about his love for Fats Waller; the world of politics and his place in it; and his feeling that a life in music was always his destiny. Learn more at sonnyrollins.com and follow him on Twitter at @SonnyRollins.

NOTE: This is Sonny’s third time on The Jazz Session. He was previously on the show in 2008 and 2010.

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The Gnu’s Room is a bookstore, coffee shop and community center in Auburn, Alabama. In this interview, conducted on the Jazz Or Bust Tour, owner Tina Tatum talks about the incredible community support that kept the Gnu’s Room open; the expanding mission of the store; and why Tina chose to stay in Auburn and create her own scene. This episode really has nothing to do with jazz, but it’s inspiring all the same. Learn more at thegnusroom.com and follow them on Twitter at @thegnusroom.

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Matthew Kaminski is a jazz organist with an interesting day job — he plays the organ for the Atlanta Braves. Kaminski’s debut album is Taking My Time (Chicken Coup Records, 2010). In this interview, recorded in the press box at Turner Field, Kaminski talks about the fun and fascinating world of playing organ for the Braves; the family of jazz organists; how he got his start playing organ and who turned him on to jazz. Learn more at matthewkaminski.com and follow him on Twitter at @bravesorganist.

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The Jazz Session celebrates 400 episodes with pianist, educator and former Jazz Messenger Donald Brown. This interview was recorded at Brown’s home in Knoxville, TN, during the first part of the “Jazz Or Bust” Tour. In this interview, Brown talks about his early days in Memphis; why writing music has always been important to him; his R&B roots; the injuries he sustained through improper technique and how they’ve affected his career; and his forthcoming recording project.

Note: Except for the first track, the music in this interview comes from Brown’s 2008 recording Fast Forward To The Past (Space Time Records). The first track is from a compilation called Tenors & Satin: The Knoxville Jazz Session.

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Woodwind player Evan Cobb’s 2011 CD Falling Up was recorded in the town he calls home, Nashville. In this interview, Cobb talks about his unlikely move to Nashville; the city’s jazz scene; the importance of playing multiple horns; how he knew he was ready to put out a record; and the effect of Nashville itself on his writing. Learn more at evancobbjazz.com and follow him on Twitter at @evancobbjazz.

The post The Jazz Session #399: Evan Cobb appeared first on The Jazz Session.

Nashville saxophonist Rahsaan Barber’s most recent album is Everyday Magic (Jazz Music City, 2011). In this interview, Barber talks about deciding to establish his career in his hometown, even after living in New York; the jazz scene in Nashville and how he sees it evolving; and why there was never a chance that he and his brother Roland would become accountants. Learn more at rahsaanbarber.com and follow him on Twitter at @rjbsax.

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Named after a pioneering African-American musician and educator (that’s W.O. Smith playing bass on Coleman Hawkins’ original “Body And Soul” recording), Nashville’s W.O. Smith Music School “makes affordable, quality music instruction available to children from low-income families. We transform lives through music.” In this interview, Executive Director Jonah Rabinowitz talks about the school’s origins; the mission it serves and the unique way it affords to offer its services; and the ambitious fundraising and community involvement that led to the school’s current state-of-the-art facility. Learn more at wosmith.org.

The post The Jazz Session #397: W.O. Smith Music School appeared first on The Jazz Session.

Woodwind player Denis Solee has been a mainstay in the Nashville Studio scene since the early 1970s, recording with everyone from Ray Charles and Stan Getz to Loretta Lynn and Garth Brooks. In this interview, Solee talks about how Nashville has changed since his arrival; what a lifetime in the studios has meant for his career as a jazz player; and why repairing horns reminds him of drag racing.

The post The Jazz Session #396: Denis Solee appeared first on The Jazz Session.

Saxophonist Jeff Coffin’s forthcoming CD with his band the Mu’tet is Into The Air (Ear Up Records, available Sept. 4, 2012). Coffin has had an active career as a bandleader and educator, and also as a member of Bela Fleck & The Flecktones and now the Dave Matthews Band. In this interview, conducted at Coffin’s Nashville home, the saxophonist talks about revelatory experiences with the music of John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman; what he learned from his early teachers and how he tries to pay that learning forward; and how he pushes himself into new musical territory despite an intense touring schedule. Learn more at jeffcoffin.com and follow him on Twitter at @JeffCoffinMusic.

NOTE: The music in this episode comes from three recordings — Mu’tet Live! (Ear Up Records, 2011); Duet (with Jeff Sipe; Compass Records, 2011); and Arc of the Circle (with Charlie Peacock; Runway Network, 2008).

The post The Jazz Session #394: Jeff Coffin appeared first on The Jazz Session.

Robert Jospe is a drummer and educator based in Charlottesville, VA. In this interview, recorded on the “Jazz Or Bust” Tour, Jospe talks about his involvement in the New York loft scene in the 1970s; his decision to relocate to Charlottesville and what it meant for his career; his approach to teaching rhythm and his belief that anyone can groove. Learn more at robertjospe.com and follow him on Twitter at @rjospe.

Note: The music in this episode comes from Jospe’s 2006 album Heart Beat.

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