Podcast Archives - The Jazz Session

Jason Crane interviews organist Gene Ludwig. He tossed a coin to decide whether to be an engineer or a musician. With that out of the way, Ludwig came on the scene in the late 1950s and has made a living playing the organ ever since. He’s been in the bands of Sonny Stitt and Arthur Prysock, and has played opposite everyone from Dizzy Gillespie to Cannonball Adderley. The musical samples in this interview are from Ludwig’s recording Hands On (Blue Leaf Records, 2003). Learn more at GeneLudwig.com.

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Jason Crane interviews trumpeter Terence Blanchard. A standard-bearer for his home city of New Orleans, Blanchard turns his musical spotlight on the positive changes that have occurred since Katrina with his new CD, Choices (Concord Records, 2009). In this wide-ranging interview, Blanchard talks about the cultural rebuilding of New Orleans, the ability of music to stand up in the face of tragedy, and his dedication to the growth and maturation of the musicians he employs. Find out more at TerenceBlanchard.com.

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Jason Crane interviews drummer Carl Allen. He and Rodney Whitaker have just released their second CD for Mack Avenue Records, titled Work To Do. Allen has been on the jazz scene since joining Freddie Hubbard’s band in college, and he’s served as the mentor for many jazz musicians, most notably Christian McBride. In this interview, Allen talks about why he and Whitaker chose the music they did for the new CD, his relationship with McBride, and whether the academy can replace the bandstand. Find out more at CarlAllen.com.

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The post The Jazz Session #70: Carl Allen appeared first on The Jazz Session.

Jason Crane interviews bassist Christian McBride. McBride returns to the acoustic realm with his new record, Kind of Brown (Mack Avenue Records, 2009). The album is a reunion of players from McBride’s career — drummer Carl Allen, pianist Eric Reed, saxophonist Steve Wilson, and vibraphonist (and former student of McBride’s) Warren Wolf, Jr. In this interview, McBride talks about Freddie Hubbard, Tony Reedus, his evolving role as a mentor, and “checking in at home.”

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The post The Jazz Session #69: Christian McBride appeared first on The Jazz Session.

Jason Crane interviews drummer and composer E.J. Strickland. Strickland’s new album is called In This Day (Strick Muzik, 2009). E.J. and his twin brother Marcus grew up in Miami, sons of a musical father. They knew early on that they wanted to be musicians, and they’ve pursued that path with a single-minded devotion. On In This Day, E.J. Strickland’s vision is realized not just from the drum chair, but compositionally as well. He wrote or co-wrote every tune on the record.

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The post The Jazz Session #68: E.J. Strickland appeared first on The Jazz Session.

Jason Crane interviews pianist, composer, arranger and bandleader Arturo O’Farrill. He won a Grammy for his 2008 recording Song For Chico (ZoHo, 2008), named for his father, composer/arranger Chico O’Farrill. In this wide-ranging interview, O’Farrill talks about the forgotten roots of jazz, the need to embrace hand-drumming, and how jazz can only move forward by learning about its past.

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The post The Jazz Session #67: Arturo O’Farrill appeared first on The Jazz Session.

Jason Crane interviews guitarist and composer Miles Okazaki about his album Generations (Sunnyside, 2009). The album finds Okazaki mining some of the same territory from his debut record, Mirrors, but this time with a focus on in-depth exploration and group improvisation. Featuring standout work from saxophonists Miguel Zenón, David Binney, and Christof Knoche; along with vocalist Jen Shyu, drummer Dan Weiss, and bassist Jon Flaugher. In this interview, Okazaki talks about the philosophy behind the album, and why the music also stands on its own.

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The post The Jazz Session #66: Miles Okazaki appeared first on The Jazz Session.

Jason Crane interviews singer/songwriter Kate Schutt about her album Telephone Game (ArtistShare, 2009). Schutt has walked a different path than the average musician. She went to Harvard, where she played Division I lacrosse and hockey. She also went to the Berklee College of Music to hone her jazz chops. She speaks Chinese because her high school offered it. She’s an American, but she lives in Guelph, Ontario, a place she describes as the “Austin, Texas of Canada.” And on Telephone Game, she let her fans contribute to the songwriting process. Learn more at KateSchutt.com.

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The post The Jazz Session #65: Kate Schutt appeared first on The Jazz Session.

Jason Crane interviews the members of the Respect Sextet. Their new album, Sirius Respect (Mode, 2009), explores the music of composers Karlheinz Stockhausen and Sun Ra. Formed nearly a decade ago at the Eastman School of Music, the Respect Sextet combines freewheeling improvisation with driving rhythms and a sense of humor. The members of the band have wide-ranging musical tastes and a fearlessly collaborative aesthetic, which leads to one-of-a-kind performances. In this interview, the members of Respect talk about the formation of the band, how they approach performance, and the use of humor in their music. Find out more at RespectSextet.com.

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The post The Jazz Session #64: The Respect Sextet appeared first on The Jazz Session.

Jason Crane interviews keyboardist Henry Hey, saxophonist Chris Cheek and bassist Tim Lefebvre, who, along with drummer Keith Carlock, make up the band Rudder. Rudder’s new album is called Matorning (Nineteen-Eight Records, 2009). These four musicians are incredibly busy in the jazz and pop worlds, but they’ve found the time to create a hip-shaking, brain-stimulating musical hybrid that some critics have said is in a genre all by itself. In this interview, the band talks about its history, the odd name of its new album, and the relative lack of crossover between the jazz and jam-band worlds.

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