Podcast Archives - The Jazz Session

Vocalist Ed Reed’s new CD is Born To Be Blue (2011). Reed, now 83, has lived the kind of life about which movies are made. This interview charts the story of his life: his childhood in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, where a young Charles Mingus was a frequent neighborhood visitor and the big bands were a constant source of entertainment; his time in the military, where he was introduced to drugs; his years in San Quentin and Folsom prisons, where he played in the prison bands with the likes of Art Pepper; his eventual rehabilitation after many attempts; and his turn to performing and recording in his 70s. Learn more at edreedsings.com.

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Vocalist Amy Cervini’s new CD is Digging Me, Digging You (Anzic, 2012), a tribute to Blossom Dearie. In this interview, Cervini talks about her early exposure to Dearie and why she fell in love with her music; how she chose the songs for this album from Dearie’s large repertoire; why she favors working bands; and the itinerary of her upcoming tour. Learn more at amycervini.com and follow her on Twitter at @amycervini.

CONCERT NOTE: Amy is playing two CD release shows in New York on March 6 and 7, 2012, from 7-9 p.m. both nights at the 55 Bar, 55 Christopher St. She is also touring throughout North America. Visit her website for details.

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Saxophonist Ochion Jewell’s debut CD is First Suite For Quartet (Mythology, 2011). In this interview, Jewell talks about his upbringing in a dry county in Appalachia; why he started his recording career with an ambitious multi-movement work; and how the piece took shape from inception to completion. Learn more at www.ochion.com.

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The Jazz Session celebrates its fifth anniversary with one of the giants of the music, saxophonist and composer Jimmy Heath. In this interview, Heath talks about his early days as a writer and arranger; his Queens neighborhood and its importance to jazz history; why he loves the sound of a big band; and how he keeps himself moving forward and growing at this stage in his career. He also shares a fax of a 1947 concert poster, received the morning of the interview, with some hilarious text. Learn more at jimmyheath.com.

CONTEST: I’m giving away 55 CDs to celebrate the 5th anniversary of The Jazz Session. Listen to the show to learn how to win.

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Composer Darcy James Argue’s latest work is a multimedia piece called Brooklyn Babylon. In this interview, he tells the amazing story of how he and visual artist Danijel Zezelj created the piece; goes behind the scenes of the composition and the technical aspects of producing such a large work; and also talks about a performance on March 9, 2012 at which his band Secret Society will play his works and the works of other composers. Learn more at secretsociety.typepad.com, see much more of Brooklyn Babylon at brooklynbabylon.com and follow Darcy on Twitter at @darcyjamesargue.

NOTE: This interview is part of a new monthly collaboration with JazzDIY, the online journal for the 21st century jazz musician. Visit JazzDIY.com to see a video interview with Darcy James Argue in which he talks about the business of music.

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The Wee Trio is James Westfall (vibes), Dan Loomis (bass) and Jared Schonig (drums). Their new album is Ashes To Ashes: A David Bowie Intraspective. In this interview, the trio talks about why they chose David Bowie — and why they were initially reluctant to do so; how they managed an 8,000-mile tour across the United States; and what makes the trio work as a unit. Learn more at theweetrio.com and follow them on Twitter at @weetrois.

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Drummer Aaron Staebell’s new CD is Bending and Breaking (2011). In this interview, Staebell talks about smashing different sounds and styles together to see what works; how a visit from John Hollenbeck caused him to finally perform his own compositions in public; why it’s important for him that his compositions have stories behind them; and why he likes living and working in Rochester, NY. Learn more at aaronstaebell.com and follow him on Twitter at @aaronstaebell.

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Saxophonist Ben Wendel’s new CD is Frame (Sunnyside Records, 2012). In this interview, Wendel talks about composing the music for the album; his proclivity for long musical lines; and the many and varied writing projects he’s been involved in recently. Learn more at benwendel.com and follow him on Twitter at @benwendel.

CONCERT NOTE: Ben Wendel will be performing CD release shows for Frame at The Jazz Gallery in New York City on February 17 and 18. Details here.

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Sue Mingus has been guiding bassist Charles Mingus’s legacy since he died in 1979. She is the author of Tonight At Noon (Random House/Pantheon, 2002), a memoir of her life with Mingus. In this interview, Sue Mingus talks about the fourth annual Mingus High School Competition and Festival, happening this month in New York; how to bring Mingus’s music to the current generation of musicians; why she feels differently now about going after music pirates; her memoir and the idea of memory; and what lies ahead for the music and legacy of Charles Mingus.

NOTE: See a complete calendar of the Mingus High School Competition and Festival and also the performance schedule of the Mingus ensembles.

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Saxophonist Tim Berne’s new band and album are both called Snakeoil (ECM, 2012). In this interview, Berne talks about what he looks for in new band members; what inspires him to compose; and why he believes the digital era has harmed independent record labels. Learn more at screwgunrecords.com.

ON TOUR: Snakeoil is touring the US and Europe. Visit Berne’s site for tour dates.

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