The Jazz Session #103: John Abercrombie [45:19m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

John Abercrombie returns with Wait Till You See Her (ECM, 2009), another album of gorgeous, tuneful music from his quartet, featuring Mark Feldman on violin, Joey Barron on drums, and new band member Thomas Morgan on bass. In this interview, Abercrombie talks about how subtle movements in the audience impact a performance; the label “chamber jazz” and whether it applies to his band; and his role as the evil Donald Dastardly in the radio drama Harry Lovett, Man Without A Country, which also featured the voices of John Surman and Jack DeJohnette. Learn more at johnabercrombie.com. (On a personal note, John was on The Jazz Session #3, back when no one had ever heard of this show. I’m grateful for his early support of The Jazz Session, and it’s very gratifying to have him back here 100 episodes later.)

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

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 The Jazz Session #102: John Surman [38:29m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

John Surman is a composer with a broad and multi-hued musical palette. He’s written for everything from solo saxophone to string quartet to choir with organ to contemporary dance. On Brewster’s Rooster (ECM, 2009), Surman reunites with longtime musical partners Jack DeJohnette and John Abercrombie (accompanied by bassist Drew Gress) for a quartet album that explores group interplay. In this interview, Surman talks about finding a place in his music for his disparate influences; why he writes for many types of ensembles; and why he doesn’t play in the U.S. more often. Learn more at JohnSurman.com.

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

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I’m giving away five copies of ECM’s new compilation CD Anniversary Waltz. To enter, just send an email to contest@thejazzsession.com with “ECM” as the subject line (no quotation marks). I’ll draw one winner at random each day, Monday-Friday. Good luck!

Winners thus far:

• James from Boise, ID
• Robert from Silver Spring, MD
• David from Oakland, CA
• Carlos from Stockholm, Sweden
• Mark from Homer Glen, IL

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My newest column for Popdose.com is an exploration of three Joni Mitchell albums from the late 70s — Hejira, Mingus, and Shadows and Light. The piece looks at Mitchell’s use of both jazz musicians and jazz language on these recordings.

Read the article: Joni Mitchell, Jazz Musician

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 The Jazz Session #101: Cyminology [36:24m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Cymin Sawamatie was born in Germany to Iranian parents, and that mix of cultures informs the music of her band, Cyminology. On their third CD, and their first for ECM, Cyminology (ECM, 2009), the quartet explores the poetry of Rumi, Hafiz and Forugh Farrokhzad, combining these disparate poetic influences with a rich palette of composed and improvised music. In this interview, Samawatie talks about her culturally rich upbringing; the nature of her compositions; and why Cyminology can’t play in Iran. Learn more at www.cyminology.de.

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

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Photo by Ben Johnson, Sr.

I saw organist Gene Ludwig in concert earlier tonight, and wrote these three pieces while watching the show. If you’d like to know more about Gene, listen to my interview with him on The Jazz Session.

Gene Ludwig

1.

Gone deep inside, he slides
effortlessly across the organ keys,
never losing the sense of weightlessness
every earthbound mortal
longs for.
Unlike most, he isn’t held
down by gravity, not forced to
wear the chains of step-by-step,
inch-by-inch. Instead, he
gently leaves the earth, smiling.

2.

Perhaps he’s the local mortician,
skin made alabaster through
affinity with those he serves;
or an accountant, toiling away
until life’s energy winds down
like the gold watch they’ll give him;
he could be any one of a hundred
buttoned-up Rotarians in grey flannel suits,
friends with the mayor or with
the chief of police.
Then he sits down at the organ, and
joy springs from those ivory fingers.
He strips off the grey shell,
revealing the light at his core.
That light is the only thing
that reaches us faster
than his sound.

3.

Grabbing two handfuls of
electricity, he
naturally believes that life is beautiful, that
everyone has ready access to this
level of presence, this certain
understanding of the melody.
Doubtless, they all
would trade places
if they could, exchanging
Gene’s grace for their own.

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 The Jazz Session #100: Bernard Flanders (My Grandfather) [42:10m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

My grandfather was one of the biggest influences on my life, both in making me the man I am and in pointing me early on to the magic of music, and jazz in particular. To celebrate my 100th episode, I’m taking a break from the show’s normal format to share with you my remembrances of my grandpa and some of the music that he loved.

Here’s a photo of the band my grandfather played in. He’s in the exact center of the top row. This photo was taken in 1930:

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