Podcast Archives - The Jazz Session

Guitarist Mary Halvorson explores adventurous musical territory on Saturn Sings (Firehouse 12 Records, 2010). In this interview, Halvorson talks about the influence of Anthony Braxton; her uncommon guitar; and her approach to composition. Learn more at www.maryhalvorson.com.

The post The Jazz Session #201: Mary Halvorson appeared first on The Jazz Session.

Saxophonist Dave Liebman is celebrating an amazing year full of recordings and awards. In this interview, Liebman talks about his lifelong commitment to education; the various honors bestowed upon him recently, including an NEA Jazz Master Award; and why he enjoys playing not only his own music but also the music of giants such as Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane. Learn more at www.daveliebman.com.

The post The Jazz Session #200: Dave Liebman appeared first on The Jazz Session.

Saxophonist Beth Schenck’s fascinating approach to rhythm is one of the standout features of her debut album, What Shock Heard (Inayat Records, 2010). In this interview, Schenck talks about rhythm; her diary-like approach to composition; and why she decided she needed a working band. Learn more at bethschenck.com.

The post The Jazz Session #199: Beth Schenck appeared first on The Jazz Session.

Vocalist Theo Bleckmann is all by himself on his new solo recording, I Dwell In Possibility (Winter & Winter, 2010). In this interview, Bleckmann talks about why he wanted to record an album with only voice and toy instruments; how he approaches adapting the work of others; and the joys of feeling free to perform in nearly any musical context. Learn more at www.theobleckmann.com.

The post The Jazz Session #198: Theo Bleckmann appeared first on The Jazz Session.

Steve Cardenas has worked as a sideman on too many records to count, and now he’s put out a solo album that shows why he’s in such demand — West Of Middle (Sunnyside, 2010). In this interview, Cardenas talks about his approach to composition and his appreciation of instrumental “songs”; his work with Don Sickler transcribing all of Thelonious Monk’s compositions; and his ideas about jazz education and its role in the continuation of the music. Learn more at www.stevecardenasmusic.com.

The post The Jazz Session #197: Steve Cardenas appeared first on The Jazz Session.

Pianist John Escreet explores a structured freedom on his album, Don’t Fight The Inevitable (Mythology, 2010). In this interview, Escreet talks about his upbringing in England; his important experiences with drummer Tyshawn Sorey and saxophonist David Binney; and a new commission that debuts this month. Learn more at www.johnescreet.com.

The post The Jazz Session #196: John Escreet appeared first on The Jazz Session.

Two weeks after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, Andrew Lamb’s trio went into the studio to record a response, the album New Orleans Suite (Engine Studios, 2005 & 2010). Now that album has been remastered and reissued to mark the fifth anniversary of the storm and the engineering disaster that flooded New Orleans. In this interview, Lamb talks about his personal connections to New Orleans; the experience of making the record in the days immediately after the storm; and why he feels musicians have a responsibility to make music that talks about social and political issues. Learn more at www.myspace.com/andrewtheblacklamb.

The post The Jazz Session #195: Andrew Lamb appeared first on The Jazz Session.

For more than a decade, Kneebody has been making music that’s hard to classify and harder to resist. Their new album is You Can Have Your Moment (Winter & Winter, 2010). In this interview, trumpeter Shane Endsley talks about the band’s different approach to recording the new album; the complex series of musical cues the band uses to arrange music live onstage; and how the combination of Theo Bleckmann and Charles Ives led to a recording relationship with the Winter & Winter label. Learn more at kneebody.com.

The post The Jazz Session #194: Shane Endsley of Kneebody appeared first on The Jazz Session.

Pianist Jimmy Amadie has recorded seven albums, despite being able to play for just a couple hours every few months as a result of severe problems with his hands. On his most recent record, Kindred Spirits (TP Recordings, 2010), Amadie is joined by Lee Konitz, Joe Lovano and Lew Tabackin, among others. In this interview, Amadie talks about the long road back to playing; his subsequent battle with cancer; and his desire to have his music judged against the master musicians of the genre. Learn more at www.jimmyamadie.com.

The post The Jazz Session #193: Jimmy Amadie appeared first on The Jazz Session.

Here’s an interview I recorded in 2007 with guitarist Gene Bertoncini. This is what I said about him back then:

Raised in the Bronx, Bertoncini began his musical education at an early age, encouraged by his parents. He studied architecture at Notre Dame before deciding on a life of music. That decision was a smart one — Bertoncini has since performed with the Metropolitan Opera orchestra, the Benny Goodman Sextet, Tony Bennett, Buddy Rich, Wayne Shorter, Burt Bacharach, Michel LeGrand and many others. He’s also on the faculty at the Tritone Jazz Camp (tritonejazz.com). All the selections in this show are taken from Bertoncini’s recording Acoustic Romance (Sons of Sound, 2003), featuring drummer Akira Tana and bassist Rufus Reid.

The post The Jazz Session #192: Gene Bertoncini appeared first on The Jazz Session.