The Jazz Session #293: Adam Rudolph [ 1:12:29 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Percussionist and composer Adam Rudolph’s latest album is Both/And (Meta Records, 2011). In this interview, Rudolph talks about making music that “sounds like itself”; how he uses harmonic and rhythmic challenges to find new musical directions; and the influence of mentors such as Yusef Lateef on his approach to making and thinking about music. Learn more at www.metarecords.com/adam.html.

Tracks used in this episode: Return of the Magnificent Spirits; Love’s Light; Tree Line; Blues In Orbit; Dance Drama Part 3; Dance Drama Part 4.

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The Jazz Session #282: Lukas Ligeti [ 1:00:35 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Drummer Lukas Ligeti’s most recent recording is Pattern Time (Innova Records, 2011). In this interview, Ligeti talks about his travels in Africa and how they’ve influenced his writing, particularly his approach to rhythm; how he crosses musical and cultural boundaries; and a fascinating analysis of swing. Learn more at www.lukasligeti.com.

Tracks used in this episode: Without Prior Warning; On Patterned Time; Timelessnesses; From The Ground Up; Tunnels Alight.

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The Jazz Session #260: Adam Cruz [ 47:27 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Drummer Adam Cruz has released his first CD as a leader, Milestone (Sunnyside, 2011), featuring his own compositions. In this interview, Cruz talks about finding his own voice as a composer; the challenges associated with leading a band; and the impact of his father on his life as a musician. Learn more at www.adamcruz.net.

Tracks used in this episode: Secret Life; Emje; Crepuscular; The Gadfly; Bird of Paradise.

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The Jazz Session #255: Marc Miralta [ 50:48 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Drummer Marc Miralta’s most recent CD is Dreams (Fresh Sound, 2007). In this interview, recorded while Miralta was in New York to play with Alexis Cuadrado, Miralta talks about his lifelong love of jazz; how he became known for his flamenco/jazz hybrid music; and why a life as an artist was a natural choice in his family. Learn more at www.marcmiralta.com.

Tracks used in this episode: Dreams; Way Out Willy; Cami del Bosc; Epistrophy and Segment (both from the New York Flamenco Reunion album); Eastern.

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The Jazz Session #246: Scott McLemore [ 40:44 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Drummer Scott McLemore and the ASA Trio just released a new album of the music of Thelonious Monk, a follow-up to last year’s daring take on Coltrane’s A Love Supreme. In this interview, McLemore tells the story of how he ended up playing jazz in Iceland; talks about the ASA Trio’s chemistry and origins; and explains how the band came to play the music of Monk and Coltrane. Learn more at www.asa-trio.com.

Tracks used in this interview: Bemsha Swing; San Francisco Holiday; Ask Me Now; Acknowledgment (from ASA Trio’s version of A Love Supreme); Raise Four; Straight, No Chaser.

NOTE:: Scott McLemore is part of a poem I wrote last year. If you’d like to read it, here ’tis.

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The Jazz Session #245: Anthony Brown [ 42:13 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Anthony Brown’s Asian American Orchestra uses instruments from around the world to put a unique spin on two Coltrane classics on their new album, India & Africa (Water Baby Records, 2010). In this interview, Brown gives an overview of the Asian-American jazz movement and its origins in Bay-area protests; discusses the challenges and opportunities of using non-Western instruments in a jazz setting; and talks about what inspired him to focus on John Coltrane’s music for this album. Learn more at www.anthonybrown.org.

Tracks used in this episode: Living Space; India; Percussion Discussion; Africa; Ole; Dahomey Dance.

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The Jazz Session #232: Gerald Cleaver [ 37:29 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Gerald Cleaver’s new album, Be It As I See It (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2011), is a musical exploration of the Great Migration and its relation to his own family’s history. In this interview, Cleaver discusses the musical and historical mission behind the formation of his band Uncle June; his use of spoken word and sound collages as additional layers in his compositions; and how he made careful decisions to arrive at his current place as a musician. Learn more at myspace.com/geraldcleavermusic.

Tracks used in this interview: To Love; Charles Street Sunrise; Fence & Post: Alluvia; Fence & Post: Ruby Ritchie/Well; He Said; Grammy; From A Life Of The Same Name.

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The Jazz Session #223: Gabriel Gloege [ 40:26 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Drummer Gabriel Gloege’s Dymaxion Quartet takes inspiration from Buckminster Fuller and photographer Asca S.R. Aull on the album Sympathetic Vibrations. In this interview, Gloege talks about those two sources of inspiration; how Fuller’s ideas and Aull’s photos inform the music on this album; and how he structures his compositions in the absence of a chordal instrument. Learn more at dymaxion4.com.

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The Jazz Session #217: Matt Jorgensen [ 37:11 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Matt Jorgensen pays tribute to his father-in-law, artist Dale Chisman, on his new CD, Tattooed By Passion (Origin Records, 2010). In this interview, Jorgensen talks about Chisman’s art and the genesis of this album; how Chisman’s approach to painting mirrors Jorgensen’s approach to composing; and how Jorgensen and Thomas Marriott worked together to write several of the tunes on the album. Learn more at www.mattjorgensen.com.

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The Jazz Session #211: Tomas Fujiwara [ 40:03 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Drummer Tomas Fujiwara has assembled some of the most in-demand improvisers on the creative music scene today for his debut album, Actionspeak (482 Music). In this interview, Fujiwara talks about how he met the members of his band, The Hook Up; his first experience as a band leader in a recording session; and his early years in Boston and how he ended up studying with drummer Alan Dawson. Learn more at tomasfujiwara.com.

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The Jazz Session #191: Roland Vazquez [ 36:21 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Roland Vazquez explores a series of historical and philosophical ideas through the medium of music on The Visitor (RVCD, 2010). In this interview, Vazquez talks about his former and current large ensembles; the programmatic elements underlying the compositions; and why he decided to do something — or rather not do something — for the first time on this album. Learn more at www.rolandvazquez.com.

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The Jazz Session #175: Sunny Jain [ 36:19 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Drummer Sunny Jain is using his superpowers for good, choosing on his new album, Taboo (Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records, 2010) to make a series of strong statements about social issues, set against South Asian cultural norms. In this interview, Jain talks about his decision to use traditional song forms to say non-traditional things; the intricate interplay of the band; and the many guest vocalists who appear on the record. Learn more at www.sunnyjain.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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The Jazz Session #169: Peter Erskine [ 38:56 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Drummer Peter Erskine has done it all: Stan Kenton, Weather Report, the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis band and many, many others. Most recently, he’s appeared on two albums, The Trio Live At Charlie O’s (Fuzzy Music, 2010) and The Avatar Sessions (Fuzzy Music, 2010). In this interview, Erskine talks about the differences between playing drums in a big band and trio; the unexpected success of the recording at Charlie O’s; and some of the upcoming projects with which he’s involved. Learn more at www.petererskine.com and www.fuzzymusic.com.

If you’d like to buy these albums, you can support The Jazz Session by purchasing them via the links below:

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The Jazz Session #168: Dana Hall [ 34:29 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Drummer Dana Hall has made a name for himself in the bands of Terell Stafford, Malachi Thompson, Bobby Broom and many others. Now he’s taking the lead with his debut recording, Into The Light (Origin, 2009). In this interview, Hall talks about the recording of the new album; the idea of “pacing” a recording session; and how he chose a career as a drummer after he’d already established himself as a aerospace engineer. Learn more at danahallmusic.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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The Jazz Session #159: Stanton Moore [ 33:07 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Drummer and New Orleans native Stanton Moore is a busy man, whether with his bands Galactic and Garage a Trois or as a solo artist. He’s just released a trio CD called Groove Alchemy (Telarc, 2010), which is also the name of the companion instructional DVD and book, all of which explore funk drumming. In this interview, Moore talks about the legacy of drummers Jabo Starks, Clyde Stubblefield and Zigaboo Modeliste; why he decided to explore funk drumming in depth with this new project; and the experience of recording the album at Levon Helm’s studio in Woodstock, NY. Learn more at www.stantonmoore.com.

Moore also talks about the important work of Defend The Coast and Gulf Restoration Network, two organization dedicated to repairing the man-made damage to the wetlands along the Gulf Coast. Please give these organizations your support.

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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