The Jazz Session #46: Kenny Garrett [28:53m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Jason Crane interviews saxophonist Kenny Garrett about his new CD, Sketches of MD (Mack Ave Records, 2008). This album features the paired saxophones of Garrett and Pharoah Sanders, who’ve performed together many times but never recorded live. Garrett wrote all the tunes on the album, each of which draws inspiration from a sideman or groove concept associated with the Miles Davis band (the “MD” of the album title). Find out more at kennygarrett.com.

CONTEST: Win Sketches of MD! I’ve got three copies of the CD to give away. To win, send an e-mail with the subject line “KENNY” to contest@thejazzsession.com. (Note: If you’ve won in the past 30 days, please sit this one out. Thanks!)

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Lee Ingalls writes the jazz blog The New Low Down. Lee had this to say about The Jazz Session this week:

This is long overdue, but I feel the need to plug The Jazz Session, a fine jazz blog with a great jazz podcast to boot. If I were ever to do a jazz podcast, I’d hope it could be half as good as the podcast that host Jason Crane does every week. Crane brings both knowledge and a genuine enthusiasm to the proceedings and generally keeps the conversation from degrading into arcane shop talk for experts. I’m still working my way through the archives, but recent interviews with Aaron Parks and Eddie Daniels have both been a treat.

Better git it in your feed reader.

Thanks, Lee!

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Poet and jazz fan Hayden Carruth died this week. He wrote a lot about jazz in both poems and prose. Here’s an example, courtesy of George Thomas, host of Jazz In The Evening on Vermont Public Radio:

The Fantastic Names of Jazz

Zoot Sims, Joshua Redman,
Billie Holiday, Pete Fountain,
Fate Marable, Ivie Anderson,
Meade Lux Lewis, Mezz Mezzrow,
Manzie Johnson, Marcus Roberts,
Omer Simeon, Miff Mole, Sister
Rosetta Tharpe, Freddie Slack,
Thelonious Monk, Charlie Teagarden,
Max Roach, Paul Celestin, Muggsy
Spanier, Boomie Richman, Panama
Francis, Abdullah Ibrahim, Piano
Red, Champion Jack Dupree,
Cow Cow Davenport, Shirley Horn,
Cedar Walton, Sweets Edison,
Jaki Byard, John Heard, Joy Harjo,
Pinetop Smith, Tricky Sam
Nanton, Major Holley, Stuff Smith,
Bix Beiderbecke, Bunny Berigan,
Mr. Cleanhead Vinson, Ruby Braff,
Cootie Williams, Cab Calloway,
Lockjaw Davis, Chippie Hill,
And of course Jelly Roll Morton.

From Doctor Jazz (Copper Canyon Press)

Tonight at 9 p.m. ET, George will be featuring a jazz tribute to Hayden Carruth on his show. You can listen online.

As I mentioned, Hayden Carruth wrote quite a bit about jazz. Many of thsoe prose writings (and a poem or two) are collected in his book Sitting In: Selected Writings on Jazz, Blues, and Related Topics. That book is available at Amazon.com:

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I’ve been giving away CDs each week for the past several weeks, and I’d like to congratulate all the winners thus far:

• Chris from Isle of Man, UK (Jo Lawry CD)
• Irina from Munich, Germany (Eddie Daniels 2-CD set)
• Jon from Glen Ellen, CA (Eddie Daniels 2-CD set)
• David from Towson, MD (Eddie Daniels 2-CD set)
• Alex from Austin, TX (Javon Jackson CD)

As you can see, people listen to The Jazz Session all over the world!

YOU CAN STILL WIN: I’ve got two copies of the Javon Jackson CD and one copy of the Jo Lawry CD. To win, send an e-mail with the first name of the artist you’d like to contest@thejazzsession.com.

Coming up: Listen for your chance to win CDs by Kate McGarry and Kenny Garrett. And coming up in the weeks ahead — a treasure trove of reissued LPs! (That’s right, LPs!)

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