Podcast Archives - The Jazz Session

Jason Crane interviews pianist Marian McPartland. For 30 years, McPartland has been the host of Piano Jazz, a weekly radio program featuring duets between McPartland and many of the great jazz players of the past several generations. In this interview, McPartland talks about the benefit of an unexpected visit from Bill Evans; why the Hickory House was a good jazz room in spite of itself; and why she chose to compose a piece for one of the most famous environmental activists of the 20th century. Find out more at the Piano Jazz Web site.

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Jason Crane interviews guitarist Terrence Brewer. Brewer’s new album is called Groovin’ Wes (Strong Brew Music, 2009). After three albums of original music, Brewer uses his new record to explore music by, or identified with, Wes Montgomery. In this interview, Brewer talks about his early years in Pittsburg (not the one you’re thinking of); his decision to start his recording career by founding a record label and releasing two CDs at once; and why he chose to record an album of standards. Find out more at TerrenceBrewer.com.

If you’d like to buy this album, you can help support The Jazz Session by buying it via the link below:

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Jason Crane interviews Sam Yahel. Yahel is best known as an organist who has performed and recorded with Joshua Redman, Bill Frisell, Norah Jones, Lizz Wright, Ryan Kisor, Madeleine Peyroux and many others. He started as a pianist, though, a side he showcases on his new album, Hometown (Posi-Tone, 2009). In this interview, Yahel talks about his decision to make a piano recording, how his organ playing has added to his piano playing, and the influence of Malian singer Oumou Sangaré (after whom he named one of the tracks on Hometown). Find out more at SamYahel.com.

If you’d like to buy this album, you can help support The Jazz Session by buying it via the link below:

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Jason Crane interviews pianist Myra Melford. Melford is active with many groups and on many recordings, including this year’s Under The Water (Libra, 2009) with pianist Satoko Fujii. In this interview, Melford talks about her early contact with Leroy Jenkins, Henry Threadgill and other AACM musicians; her pursuit of an individual voice; and the role that her meditation and martial arts practices have played in her music. Find out more at MyraMelford.com.

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Jason Crane interviews jazz journalist Marc Myers about saxophonist Bud Shank’s early influence on bossa nova. Although largely forgotten by modern bossa nova fans, Bud Shank’s band with guitarist Laurindo Almeida was at the forefront of the Brazillian-folk-jazz movement. Their early records ended up in Rio de Janeiro, where Antonio Carlos Jobim, Joao Gilberto and others listened to them and turned them into bossa nova. Find out more at Marc Myers’ excellent site, jazzwax.com.

If you’d like to buy this album, you can help support The Jazz Session by buying it via the link below:

The post The Jazz Session #78: Bud Shank’s Bossa Years appeared first on The Jazz Session.

Jason Crane interviews vocalist Kurt Elling. Known for his affinity for the music of John Coltrane, Elling’s new album, Dedicated To You (Concord, 2009), is his most explicit tribute yet. The album features the music of the classic Impulse recording John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman, performed here with saxophonist Ernie Watts, the Laurence Hobgood trio, and a string quartet. Elling discusses the genesis of the project, how he adapted this famous repertoire, and his role as an interpreter of the music.

If you’d like to buy this album, you can help support The Jazz Session by buying it via the link below:

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Jason Crane interviews pianist Steve Kuhn. Kuhn’s new album, Mostly Coltrane (ECM, 2009), pays tribute to John Coltrane, with whom Kuhn worked for several weeks in the early 60s. In this interview, Kuhn talks about Coltrane, the Lenox School of Jazz, his composing methods, and the support he received early on from Bill Evans. He also discusses the sacrifices he made in pursuit of his musical vision.

If you’d like to buy this album, you can help support The Jazz Session by buying it via the link below:

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Jason Crane interviews bassist Avery Sharpe. Sharpe’s album, Autumn Moonlight (JKNM, 2009) is an exploration of the piano trio by a man who played bass in one of the most famous such trios in recent memory, that of McCoy Tyner. In this interview, Sharpe talks about why he likes to perform in the trio format, how he chose between insurance adjusting and the bass, and the night he left Art Blakey for McCoy Tyner. Find out more at AverySharpe.com.

If you’d like to buy this album, you can help support The Jazz Session by buying it via the link below:

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Jason Crane interviews composer Nicholas Urie. Urie’s fascinating album, Excerpts From An Online Dating Service (Red Piano, 2009) combines lyrics taken from online dating sites with complex and creative music for a large band. Citing Kurt Weill as a major influence, Urie has made an album that explores what Weill might have been like if he’d had a Facebook account. Find out more at NicholasUrie.com.

If you’d like to buy this album, you can help support The Jazz Session by buying it via the link below:

The post The Jazz Session #74: Nicholas Urie appeared first on The Jazz Session.

Jason Crane interviews pianist Bill Anschell and saxophonist Brent Jensen. Their new album, We Couldn’t Agree More (Origin, 2009) is a duet session. In this interview, Anschell and Jensen talk about how the album came to be, the particular qualities of duet playing, and the question of standards versus new music.

If you’d like to buy this album, you can help support The Jazz Session by buying it via the link below:

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