The Jazz Session #77: Kurt Elling [ 26:12 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Jason Crane interviews vocalist Kurt Elling. Known for his affinity for the music of John Coltrane, Elling’s new album, Dedicated To You (Concord, 2009), is his most explicit tribute yet. The album features the music of the classic Impulse recording John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman, performed here with saxophonist Ernie Watts, the Laurence Hobgood trio, and a string quartet. Elling discusses the genesis of the project, how he adapted this famous repertoire, and his role as an interpreter of the music.

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The Jazz Session #76: Steve Kuhn [ 51:47 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Jason Crane interviews pianist Steve Kuhn. Kuhn’s new album, Mostly Coltrane (ECM, 2009), pays tribute to John Coltrane, with whom Kuhn worked for several weeks in the early 60s. In this interview, Kuhn talks about Coltrane, the Lenox School of Jazz, his composing methods, and the support he received early on from Bill Evans. He also discusses the sacrifices he made in pursuit of his musical vision.

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The Jazz Session #75: Avery Sharpe [ 42:11 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The Jazz Session #75: Avery Sharpe [ 42:11 ] Download

Jason Crane interviews bassist Avery Sharpe. Sharpe’s album, Autumn Moonlight (JKNM, 2009) is an exploration of the piano trio by a man who played bass in one of the most famous such trios in recent memory, that of McCoy Tyner. In this interview, Sharpe talks about why he likes to perform in the trio format, how he chose between insurance adjusting and the bass, and the night he left Art Blakey for McCoy Tyner. Find out more at AverySharpe.com.

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The Jazz Session #74: Nicholas Urie [ 32:11 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The Jazz Session #74: Nicholas Urie [ 32:11 ] Download

Jason Crane interviews composer Nicholas Urie. Urie’s fascinating album, Excerpts From An Online Dating Service (Red Piano, 2009) combines lyrics taken from online dating sites with complex and creative music for a large band. Citing Kurt Weill as a major influence, Urie has made an album that explores what Weill might have been like if he’d had a Facebook account. Find out more at NicholasUrie.com.

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I’m happy to announce a big gang o’ winners from various contests. Congrats to all!

Meet The Stricklands

Ken from Albany won the Meet The Stricklands package for his donation to my Livestrong Challenge Ride. The package includes tickets to the double-CD release party this Friday featuring Marcus and E.J. Strickland, two autographed CDs, and a meet-and-greet after the show. (Because Ken can’t make the show, his fellow jazzhead Scott will attend. Ken, though, will be enjoying the signed CDs.)

Gary Burton “Past and Present”

The following folks won a copy of Gary Burton’s new CD, Quartet Live, along with a copy of the recently reissued ECM recording, Dreams So Real:

• Brian in Albany, NY
• Foluwaso in Lagos, Nigeria
• Devon in Denver, CO
• Dano in Boulder, CO
• Scott in Newington, CT

Tony Bennett/Bill Evans CD giveaway

The following folks won a copy of The Complete Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Reordings:

• Marisa in Glen Mills, PA
• John in Syracuse, NY
• Eddie in Cudahy, WI
• Eric in Charenton-le-Pont, France
• Rick in State College, PA

Stay tuned for more free music!

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The Jazz Session #73: Bill Anschell and Brent Jensen [ 40:35 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The Jazz Session #73: Bill Anschell and Brent Jensen [ 40:35 ] Download

Jason Crane interviews pianist Bill Anschell and saxophonist Brent Jensen. Their new album, We Couldn’t Agree More (Origin, 2009) is a duet session. In this interview, Anschell and Jensen talk about how the album came to be, the particular qualities of duet playing, and the question of standards versus new music.

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The Jazz Session #72: Gene Ludwig [ 37:28 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The Jazz Session #72: Gene Ludwig [ 37:27 ] Download

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.

If you’d like to buy this album, you can help support The Jazz Session by buying it via the link below:

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Want to meet Marcus and E.J. Strickland and see some great music? For every $5 you donate to help me fight cancer, you’ll receive a raffle ticket for a special drawing to win tickets the Strickland’s CD release party at Joe’s Pub in NYC on Friday, August 21. All donations must be made by 10 p.m. ET this Monday, August 17. The winner will get two tickets to the show, an autographed copy of the two new CDs by the Stricklands, and a chance to meet and talk with them at the show. Donate here: http://philly09.livestrong.org/jasoncrane

(I’m enormously grateful to Jason Paul Harman Byrne at Red Cat Publicity for making this happen.)

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The Jazz Session #71: Terence Blanchard [ 36:57 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The Jazz Session #71: Terence Blanchard [ 36:57 ] Download

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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The Jazz Session #70: Carl Allen [ 42:34 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The Jazz Session #70: Carl Allen [ 42:33 ] Download

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 Jazz Session #69: Christian McBride [ 29:28 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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.”

If you’d like to buy this album, you can help support The Jazz Session by buying it via the link below:

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