The Late Set

By Nate Chinen, Josh Jackson

Jazz is a conversation — and that’s what The Late Set is all about. Nate Chinen and Josh Jackson convene every two weeks for straight talk and in-depth interviews with featured guests. Just like a han... more

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FAQs about The Late Set:

How many episodes does The Late Set have?

The podcast currently has 87 episodes available.

The Late Set episodes:

July 21, 2026 ResoNation, with Steven Bernstein
Steven Bernstein is a known wildcard in the modern jazz game. He's a wily slide trumpeter, and the whip-smart bandleader behind both Millennial Territory Orchestra, a pugnacious little big band, and Sexmob, a go-anywhere four-piece band. So in some respects, Bernstein's latest is striking for its directness.
ResoNation Trio finds him strictly on valve trumpet and flugelhorn, with a lean-and-limber rhythm team of Scott Colley on bass and Nasheet Waits on drums. True to form, Bernstein added a further twist — inviting maverick producer Scotty Hard to reconstitute the trio's recordings for the companion album Ultra Resonance, a kaleidoscopic refraction evoking both dub and electronic collage.
Bernstein dropped by our studio before a recent show to talk about the jazz tradition, his drive for connection, and why this project had to happen now.
Watch the full conversation on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/n3IwFJe5AiE
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro: Josh & Nate catch up, remember Steven during the pandemic
03:42 – Introducing the new records: ResoNation Trio & Ultra Resonance
06:08 – Interview begins: welcoming Steven Bernstein
07:02 – Steven as "the ultimate band guy" — why it had to be Colley & Waits
08:30 – Bay Area roots: coming up around Andrew Hill, Rahsaan, the AACM
11:00 – "Spontaneous composition" and the making of ResoNation Trio
14:04 – Why now: readiness, aging, and finding his own voice
20:48 – Sequencing the album & introducing Ultra Resonance
22:33 – Dub roots: Garvey's Ghost, Scotty Hard's remix process
29:41 – Magical realism as the concept linking both albums
31:25 – Live performance: Steven plays flugelhorn ("Rotary") + the horn's history
38:55 – Learning from Levon Helm — melody, blues, and "spiritual jazz"
42:21 – Jazz education, rhythm, and drummers as the root of the music
50:20 – On legacy, influence, and Sex Mob's lasting impact
1:00:07 – Debrief + "This I Dig"
Want to support The Late Set? Become a WRTI member: wrti.org/donate
Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/wrtimusic
Subscribe to our YouTube: youtube.com/@WRTImusic
...more
1h 14min
July 07, 2026The Power of Presence, with Kalia Vandever
Mana, the new album by Kalia Vandever, takes its name from a Native Hawaiian term for spiritual energy or sacred power. It’s an intentional gesture from an artist who has long possessed the instinct of a shape-shifter.
In addition to trombone, Vandever works with electronics and synthesizers on the album, as well as vocals — a first, inspired in part by their experiences with Haley Heynderickx, Japanese Breakfast and Harry Styles.
Before a mesmerizing solo performance at Solar Myth, Vandever joined Nate Chinen for a conversation about myth and mystique, collaboration and solitude, and what it means to open up in new ways as an improvising artist.
Chapters
00:00 — Intro: Entering the World of Mana

05:11 — Interview Begins: Hawaiian Ancestry, Spirituality & Inspiration

13:20 — Touring with Harry Styles and Finding a Performance Voice

20:21 — Singing, Songwriting & Emotional Honesty on Mana

29:07 — International Anthem, Genre and the Evolution of Kalia's Music

35:43 — Interview Wrap-Up

37:09 — “This I Dig”: Micah Thomas's Lucid & Emily Wilson's The Odyssey

42:20 — Producer's Picks: Henry Solomon, Louis Armstrong & Laurent Benedict

49:06 — Credits
Want to support The Late Set?
Become a WRTI member:

wrti.org/donate

Follow us on Instagram:

instagram.com/wrtimusic

Subscribe to our YouTube:

youtube.com/@WRTImusic

Write us an email:
[email protected]
...more
51min
June 23, 2026Universal Truth, with Emmet Cohen
Emmet Cohen makes music for the people. That isn’t to say he panders or dumbs it down. Cohen is simply a pianist who puts connection at the center of his performance ethic, whether he’s burning down the bandstand, lighting up a livestream or laying it down in the studio.
He has also made a point of seeking out his jazz elders and welcoming younger fans into the fold, all with a spirit of upbeat discovery. There’s a reason DownBeat’s July cover story bears the headline “Emmet Cohen: Messenger of Joy.”
Cohen recently came through Philadelphia with his tour Miles and Coltrane at 100 and stopped by WRTI for a lively chat. Along with saxophonist Tivon Pennicott, he also performed the title suite from his new album, Universal Truth.
Watch the performance of the “Universal Truth” suite:

youtu.be/3O-9LYjxj88

Watch our interview with Emmet Cohen:

youtu.be/N-Cps3TDKvI

Chapters
00:00 — Intro

02:05 — Miles & Coltrane at 100

05:12 — The Rise of Emmet's Place

12:10 — Building a Worldwide Jazz Community

16:25 — Reaching New Audiences

22:08 — Emmet Cohen on AI

24:22 — Why Young People Are Finding Jazz

29:50 — The Meaning of Universal Truth

33:00 — Live Piano Performance: “Eternal Glimpse”

34:10 — Writing Music Inspired by Miles & Coltrane

37:40 — Legacy, Mentorship and What Lasts

40:35 — Becoming the “Vibe Provider”

42:42 — Josh & Nate React

44:44 — “This I Dig”

50:47 — Credits
Want to support The Late Set?
Become a WRTI member:

wrti.org/donate

Follow us on Instagram:

instagram.com/wrtimusic

Subscribe to our YouTube:

youtube.com/@WRTImusic

Write us an email:
[email protected]
...more
53min
June 09, 2026Yeah No, with Chris Speed and Jim Black
When Chris Speed formed Yeah No in the late 1990s, there was no lane for its hybrid style, which drew from both post-punk and post-bop, with shoegaze and Balkan klezmer folded into the mix. Speed, a multi-reedist, had intrepid partners in trumpeter Cuong Vu, bassist Skúli Sverrisson and drummer Jim Black — each a sonic visionary, and all committed to a shared band ideal.
Since then, the musicians have pursued other projects in far-flung locales. So it felt momentous this spring when Yeah No kicked off a reunion tour at Solar Myth under the auspices of Ars Nova Workshop, whose inaugural show the band played more than 25 years ago.
Before the performance, Speed and Black sat down for an onstage interview with Nate Chinen, whose history with the band stretches back to that era.
Chapters
00:00 — Intro

07:00 — Interview with Chris Speed and Jim Black

42:30 — “This I Dig”
Special thanks to Beau Gordon, Mark Christman and the folks at Ars Nova Workshop and Solar Myth.
Want to support The Late Set?
Become a WRTI member:

wrti.org/donate

Follow us on Instagram:

instagram.com/wrtimusic

Subscribe to our YouTube:

youtube.com/@WRTImusic

Write us an email:
[email protected]
...more
52min
May 26, 2026 Miles Davis at 100
We’ve rarely seen a centennial celebration like the one that coalesced around Miles Davis: cover stories,
deluxe reissues, luxury brand partnerships and tributes of every imaginable form.
Then again, we’ve rarely seen an artist like Miles — who once credibly claimed to have “changed music four or five times.”
His body of work remains a source of endless fascination. In this episode, Josh Jackson and Nate Chinen sit down to compare notes and highlights,
including some of the less celebrated turns and pivots in a famously forward-thinking career.
Want to support The Late Set?
Become a WRTI member:

wrti.org/donate

Follow us on Instagram:

instagram.com/wrtimusic

Subscribe to our YouTube:

youtube.com/@WRTImusic

Write us an email:
[email protected]
...more
52min
May 12, 2026Monk con Clave, with Carlos Henriquez
For more than 25 years, bassist Carlos Henriquez has been the beating heart of the rhythm section in the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra,
as well as other bands led by Wynton Marsalis. He’s done more than his share of swinging in those settings.
But as a product of the Nuyorican community, Henriquez has also remained deeply rooted in clave —
the pulse at the center of folkloric Afro-Latin music.
In this episode, he joins Josh Jackson to discuss Monk con Clave, his dynamite new album with the JALC Orchestra,
featuring special guests including pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba and percussionist Pedrito Martínez.
Henriquez also reflects on his formative path through jazz education,
and weighs in on a timely question of succession.
Chapters
00:00 — Intro

03:05 — Interview with Carlos Henriquez

40:36 — Carlos Henriquez performs “I Mean You” (solo bass) and discusses his bass inspirations

1:00:28 — “This I Dig”
Want to support The Late Set?
Become a WRTI member:

wrti.org/donate

Follow us on Instagram:

instagram.com/wrtimusic

Subscribe to our YouTube:

youtube.com/@WRTImusic

Write us an email:
[email protected]
...more
1h 6min
April 28, 2026Jazz is (Still) Dangerous, with Kresten Osgood
When we declare music a “universal language,” what space do we leave for regional dialects and local customs?
How has jazz evolved from a uniquely American export into a music that truly knows no borders?
These and other questions hang in the air as we prepare to celebrate International Jazz Day at a moment of roiling global tensions.
It feels like the right time to connect with Kresten Osgood — a Danish drummer, composer and commentator,
and host of the podcast Dangerous Sounds. He joins Josh Jackson for a far-ranging conversation,
sharing his perspective on the music and the mission.
Following the interview, Osgood performed a solo drum improvisation. Watch here:

youtu.be/arjCn6U4QRU

Chapters
00:00 — Intro

04:30 — Interview with Kresten Osgood

43:22 — “This I Dig”
Want to support The Late Set?
Become a WRTI member:

wrti.org/donate

Follow us on Instagram:

instagram.com/wrtimusic

Subscribe to our YouTube:

youtube.com/@WRTImusic

Write us an email:
[email protected]
...more
50min
April 14, 2026Organic Music, with Irreversible Entanglements
Irreversible Entanglements can always be trusted to push revolutionary concerns to the fore.
But the band puts just as much stock in community, as we’ll hear in this provocative and lively episode.
Four of the group’s five members — vocalist Camae Ayewa (aka Moor Mother), trumpeter Aquiles Navarro,
saxophonist Keir Neuringer, and bassist Luke Stewart — joined Josh Jackson at The Fabric Workshop and Museum
for a listening session and public discussion of Don Cherry’s 1972 album Organic Music Society,
as a tie-in to the exhibition The Living Temple: The World of Moki Cherry, presented by Ars Nova Workshop.
The band also talked about Future Present Past, its knockout fifth release,
and the imperative of speaking truth to power, now as ever.
The band also discusses Future Present Past, its knockout fifth release, along with the enduring imperative
of speaking truth to power — now as ever.
Chapters
00:00 — Intro

04:30 — Interview with Irreversible Entanglements

46:47 — “This I Dig”
Want to support The Late Set?
Become a WRTI member:

wrti.org/donate

Follow us on Instagram:

instagram.com/wrtimusic

Subscribe to our YouTube:

youtube.com/@WRTImusic

Write us an email:
[email protected]
...more
55min
April 08, 2026dance! skip! hop!, with Tomeka Reid
Tomeka Reid finds authority in flexibility on the cello, taking full advantage of an instrument that can be earthy or ethereal,
growly or sweetly serene. Her irresistible new album — dance! skip! hop! — finds her in all of these modes and more,
at the helm of her long-running quartet.
During a recent visit to our studio, Reid spoke about how the album grew out of an impulse to dance.
In a far-ranging conversation with Nate Chinen, she also reflects on her early cello inspirations,
the impact of AACM mentors like Anthony Braxton, and her work as an educator and advocate.
Chapters
00:00 — Intro

02:35 — Interview with Tomeka Reid

40:15 — “This I Dig”
Want to support The Late Set?
Become a WRTI member:

wrti.org/donate

Follow us on Instagram:

instagram.com/wrtimusic

Subscribe to our YouTube:

youtube.com/@WRTImusic

Write us an email:
[email protected]
...more
47min
March 31, 2026dance! skip! hop!, with Tomeka Reid
Tomeka Reid finds authority in flexibility on the cello, taking full advantage of an instrument that can be earthy or ethereal, growly or sweetly serene. Her irresistible new album — dance! skip! hop! — finds her in all of these modes and more, at the helm of her long-running quartet.
During a recent visit to our studio, Reid spoke about how the album grew out of an impulse to dance. In a far-ranging conversation with Nate Chinen, she also reflects on her early cello inspirations, he impact of AACM mentors like Anthony Braxton, and her work as an educator and advocate.
Chapters
00:00 — Intro

02:35 — Interview with Tomeka Reid

40:15 — “This I Dig”
Want to support The Late Set?
Become a WRTI member:

wrti.org/donate

Follow us on Instagram:

instagram.com/wrtimusic

Subscribe to our YouTube:

youtube.com/@WRTImusic

Write us an email:
[email protected]
...more
47min

FAQs about The Late Set:

How many episodes does The Late Set have?

The podcast currently has 87 episodes available.

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