The Jazz Session #139: Linda Oh [32:59m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Bassist Linda Oh was born in Malaysia to Chinese parents, grew up in Perth, Australia, and now plays the bass in New York City. Her debut recording, Entry (self-produced, 2009), is a strong trio statement featuring trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and drummer Obed Calvaire. In this interview, Oh discusses her decision to challenge herself on her first recording; her upbringing and how it influenced her decision to become a jazz bassist; and how she has dealt with stereotypes about Asian women as she’s forged her career. Learn more at www.lindaohmusic.com.

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 The Jazz Session #125: Harry Babasin [54:30m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

You’d think that helping to invent a new genre of music and being the first person to play your instrument in a jazz setting would be enough to get you some headlines in the jazz history books. You’d be wrong. Meet Harry Babasin, the bassist who played on the very first recordings of what became bossa nova, and then became the first person to play pizzicato cello in a jazz group. He’s now largely forgotten. In this interview, his son Von Babasin talks about Harry’s life and accomplishments, and Von’s mission to film a documentary that will restore his dad to his rightful place in jazz history. Learn more at www.jazzinhollywood.com/harrythebear.html.

Harry Babasin’s band The Jazz Pickers features Harry’s cello work. 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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 The Jazz Session #110: John Goldsby [35:39m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Bassist John Goldsby has worked in Germany for the last 15 years, playing in a state-sponsored jazz orchestra in Cologne. On his album Space For The Bass (Bass Lion, 2009), Goldsby explores the role of the bass in a variety of small-group settings. In this interview, Goldsby talks about why he’s chosen to make his home in Germany since the mid-90s; his view of the bass and its place in an ensemble; and how an improbable gig in Louisville, KY, put him on the bandstand with some of the great names in jazz. Learn more at goldsby.de.

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 The Jazz Session #108: The Dan Loomis Quartet [32:44m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The Dan Loomis Quartet currently features Loomis on bass, Eli Asher on trumpet, Robin Verheyen on saxophone and Jared Schonig on drums. This particular line-up of the band performed for the first time in Albany, NY, during the 2009 Albany Riverfront Jazz Festival. After the show, the four musicians talked about the freedom found in a band without a chordal instrument; how they approach complex rhythms and forms; and what makes the experience of collective improvisation such a joy. Learn more at danielloomismusic.com.

The previous incarnation of the Dan Loomis Quartet recorded an album in 2007 called I Love Paris (Jazz Excursion Records, 2007). If you’d like to buy the album, you can help support The Jazz Session by purchasing it via the link below:

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 The Jazz Session #96: Joe Morris [43:30m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Guitarist Joe Morris has spent three decades finding ways to contribute to the language of the guitar and to the literature of improvised music. He’s managed to stay true to himself and his sound during that entire time, even as he’s added the bass to his repertoire. On Today On Earth (AUM Fidelity, 2009), Morris continues to explore the place of the guitar in the world of free improvisation. In this interview, Morris talks about his early decision to play without effects; how the masters of the music create their own technique; and the innovative way he teaches his students to do what feels right with their music. Learn more at www.joe-morris.com.

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 The Jazz Session #89: Joris Teepe [26:34m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Dutch bassist Joris Teepe has lived in New York for the past 20 years, making a name for himself with everyone from Benny Golson to the late Rashied Ali. Recently, Teepe was commissioned to write music for both an orchestra and a big band in Europe. Those two experiences were so positive that he decided to start a big band in New York, and the result is the CD We Take No Prisoners (Challenge Records/Twinz Records, 2009). In this interview, conducted in Teepe’s back yard in Englewood, NJ, Teepe talks about how Don Braden helped him learn to arrange for large ensembles; how he approaches the bass in the very different bands of Golson and Ali; and why he decided two decades ago to follow the “New York sound” across the water. Learn more at www.joristeepe.com.

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 The Jazz Session #84: John Patitucci [37:53m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Jason Crane interviews bassist John Patitucci. On Remembrance (Concord, 2009), Patitucci uses the classic sax-bass-drums formation to pay homage to jazz masters past and present. Joined by Joe Lovano and Brian Blade, Patitucci is heard to great effect on both acoustic and electric bass. In this interview, Patitucci talks about his friend Michael Brecker, to whom the title track is dedicated; his varying approaches to playing the bass; and why his dining room has two pictures in it, one of his mother and one of a famous jazz musician. Find out more at www.johnpatitucci.com.

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