My guest today is Bassist Mike Boone. Patriarch of the Philly Jazz Scene, mentor to all, and one of the greatest musical minds I've ever come across. Originally from New York City, he moved to Philadelphia in 1983, after attending the Eastman School of music and touring with Ben Vereen and Buddy Rich. Mike is the top call in Philadelphia on both electric and upright bass, and is the torch-bearer of the Philly Jazz tradition. He has just released and re-released several amazing albums on bandcamp featuring the legendary Sid Simmons, Uri Caine, Byron Landham, and Mekhi Boone.

https://mikeboone1.bandcamp.com/

My guest today is Andy Bianco, guitarist, educator and composer based in Brooklyn. Originally from Pittsburgh, he graduated from Berklee College of Music before moving to NYC. His new album "NYC Stories" featuring George Burton and Wayne Escoffery is out on Outside in Music. In our conversation we talked about a wide range of topics including: moving to bigger scene, solo guitar concepts, composing, building a band and much more.

Saxophonist Joshua Lee is a graduate of Temple University's Boyer College of Music, and is the Managing and Co-Artistic Director of Jazz Lives Philadelphia.  Joshua brings experience gained from performing throughout the east coast with The Count Basie Orchestra, The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia, and many more. He leads projects of his own including Josh Lee and the Family, The Life Brass Band, and the Jazz Lives Philadelphia Big Band. Joshua is devoted to bringing his love of jazz to the masses—young and old alike.

Mike Bond is one of my favorite pianists on the New York scene today. He has performed with Savion Glover, Conrad Herwig, Joe Magnarelli and Duane Eubanks, to name a few, and is a featured sideman on guitarist Jean Chaumont’s debut album “The Beauty Of Differences” which received a 4 star review in Downbeat Magazine.

​As a leader, Bond has performed at Smalls and Mezzrow, as well as the Central Jersey Jazz Festival, the Canadian Music Festival in Toronto, and the New York City Winter Jazz Festival. He’s music director at the non-denominational Jacob’s Well Church in New Brunswick, N.J., and is a Community Advisory Board member for the award winning jazz station 88.3 WBGO.

Bond’s debut recording, ‘The Honorable Ones’, produced by legendary pianist Orrin Evans: features Steve Wilson: alto saxophone; Josh Evans: trumpet; Ben Wolfe: bass; Anwar Marshall: drums + guests Gene Shinozaki: Claudia Acuña: Maya Holliday.

The album release will be celebrated on Feb. 24th at Exuberance in Philadelphia and Feb. 27 at Small’s in NYC.

www.mikebondmusic.com