Bassist Max Johnson is a busy man. In demand on New York City’s bluegrass scene, he’s also part of several bands focusing on improvised music. In this interview, Johnson discusses three recent albums: Big Eyed Rabbit (Not Two, 2014), The Prisoner (NoBusiness, 2014), and The Invisible Trio (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2014). He also talks about the influence of his drummer father; how he became involved in bluegrass; and why he nearly quit school because of one person but decided to finish because of another. Learn more at maxjohnsonmusic.com.

CONCERT TONIGHT: Max is playing in New York tonight, June 9th 2014 at 11:00 pm at the McKittrick Hotel, 530 W 27th St. The show is free, and features Thomas Heberer on trumpet, Michael Attias on alto saxophone, Ingrid Laubrock on tenor saxophone, Max Johnson on bass and Ziv Ravitz on drums.

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Electric bassist Giacomo Merega‘s two newest projects are both trio recordings: The Surface Of An Object (Rudi Records, 2014) and Crows And Motives (Underwolf, 2014). In this interview, Merega talks about expressing the concept of “surface” in music; why he chose the electric bass and how he is crafting his own sound; free improvisation versus composition; graphic scores and whether seeing them changes one’s appreciation of a piece of music; and his concert series. Learn more about the series on its Facebook page and at the Prospect Range site.

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Baritone saxophonist Adison Evans‘ life took an unexpected turn when she was called to audition for Beyonce’s band. She got the gig, and left almost immediately for the Super Bowl and a world tour. Home between tours, Evans is still committed to the jazz she studied at Juilliard. In this interview, she talks about both sides of her life — traveling with a superstar and playing improvised music. Learn more at adisjazzkitchen.com and follow her on Twitter at @adison_evans.

LIVE SHOW! You can hear Adison Evans perform on her birthday, May 29, at Scholes Street Studio, 375 Lorimer Street in Brooklyn, NY. The show starts at 8 pm and costs $10 (free for kids).

JOIN The Jazz Session for $5 a month here. Your membership gets you free mp3s and helps me get to NYC to record more interviews. Thanks!

Primavera (2014, Inner Circle Music) is the new album by vocalist Sara Serpa and guitarist Andre Matos. In this interview, Serpa and Matos talk about using the studio as an instrument; the long process that led to this album; how the impending birth of their first child impacted the recording; and the use of others’ poetry in their music. Learn more at www.saraserpa.com and www.andrematosmusic.com, and follow Sara on Twitter at @serpasara.

BUY Sara’s and Andre’s music in The Jazz Session store and a portion of your purchase price will benefit the show. Note that you can click on a link in the store and then buy anything you want, and a portion of whatever you buy will help the show. Thanks!

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