The Jazz Session #371: Steve Lehman [ 53:40 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Saxophonist Steve Lehman’s new album is called Dialect Fluorescent (Pi Recordings, 2012). In this interview, Lehman talks about allocentric performance; what he learned from Jackie McLean about sound and evolution; the unlikely beginning of his current trio; and some of the touchstones in his own musical growth. Learn more at stevelehman.com and follow him on Twitter at @TheSteveLehman.

CONCERT NOTE: Lehman’s trio will be at The Jazz Gallery in NYC from June 7-9 with special guests David Virelles, Vijay Iyer and James Hurt.

NOTE: This is Steve Lehman’s second appearance on The Jazz Session. You’ll find our first conversation here.

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The Jazz Session #362: Patrick Cornelius [ 57:07 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Saxophonist Patrick Cornelius’s latest CD is Maybe Steps (Posi-Tone, 2011). In this interview, Cornelius talks about the new record as a continuation of his previous full-band writing, after a break for his trio record; why it’s important to him to tell stories during his live performances; his time in the artist diploma program at Juilliard; and the economics of jazz records. Learn more at patrickcornelius.com and follow him on Twitter at @PCorneliusMusic.

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The Jazz Session #351: Ochion Jewell [ 53:49 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Saxophonist Ochion Jewell’s debut CD is First Suite For Quartet (Mythology, 2011). In this interview, Jewell talks about his upbringing in a dry county in Appalachia; why he started his recording career with an ambitious multi-movement work; and how the piece took shape from inception to completion. Learn more at www.ochion.com.

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The Jazz Session #350: Jimmy Heath [ 1:08:41 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The Jazz Session celebrates its fifth anniversary with one of the giants of the music, saxophonist and composer Jimmy Heath. In this interview, Heath talks about his early days as a writer and arranger; his Queens neighborhood and its importance to jazz history; why he loves the sound of a big band; and how he keeps himself moving forward and growing at this stage in his career. He also shares a fax of a 1947 concert poster, received the morning of the interview, with some hilarious text. Learn more at jimmyheath.com.

CONTEST: I’m giving away 55 CDs to celebrate the 5th anniversary of The Jazz Session. Listen to the show to learn how to win.

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The Jazz Session #346: Ben Wendel [ 50:43 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Saxophonist Ben Wendel’s new CD is Frame (Sunnyside Records, 2012). In this interview, Wendel talks about composing the music for the album; his proclivity for long musical lines; and the many and varied writing projects he’s been involved in recently. Learn more at benwendel.com and follow him on Twitter at @benwendel.

CONCERT NOTE: Ben Wendel will be performing CD release shows for Frame at The Jazz Gallery in New York City on February 17 and 18. Details here.

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The Jazz Session #344.1: Tim Berne (corrected version) [ 57:36 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Saxophonist Tim Berne’s new band and album are both called Snakeoil (ECM, 2012). In this interview, Berne talks about what he looks for in new band members; what inspires him to compose; and why he believes the digital era has harmed independent record labels. Learn more at screwgunrecords.com.

ON TOUR: Snakeoil is touring the US and Europe. Visit Berne’s site for tour dates.

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The Jazz Session #343: Noah Kaplan [ 54:45 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Saxophonist Noah Kaplan’s new CD is Descendants (Hat Hut, 2011) with Joe Morris on guitar, Giacomo Merega on bass and Jason Nazary on drums. In this interview, Kaplan talks about his life-changing studies with Joe Maneri; why classical music theory was important to his musical development; and how he approaches collective improvisation. Learn more at noah-kaplan.com.

CONCERT NOTE: The Noah Kaplan Quartet performs Friday, February 3, 2012 at Douglass Street Music Collective (295 Douglass St. Brooklyn, NY) at 8 p.m.

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The Jazz Session #341: Bob Reynolds [ 1:10:38 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Saxophonist Bob Reynolds’ most recent album is A Live Life (2011) and he’s currently working on his forthcoming studio album. Reynolds is perhaps best known for his work with rock musician John Mayer. In this interview, Reynolds talks about the importance of good time (in the musical sense); how he’s learned to bring an audience along for the ride; and about his video lesson service. Learn more at bobreynoldsmusic.com and follow him on Twitter at @Bob_Reynolds.

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The Jazz Session #335: Pete Robbins [ 53:19 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Saxophonist Pete Robbins’ new CD is Live In Basel (Hate Laugh Music, 2011) with his Transatlantic Quartet. In this interview, Robbins talks about the benefits of a working band; why his last three recordings have been live albums; and why his next project will find him traveling down yet another new musical road. Learn more at peterobbins.com and follow him on Twitter at @peterobbins.

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The Jazz Session #334: Michael Pedicin [ 1:14:03 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Saxophonist Michael Pedicin’s new album is Ballads …searching for peace (Jazz Hut, 2011). In this interview, Pedicin talks about this influence of his father on his career; why he feels he had to work his way up to a ballads album; and how he came to terms with his place in the worlds of both jazz and medicine. Learn more at michaelpedicin.com and follow him on Twitter at @mpedicin.

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The Jazz Session #333: Sam Rivers (1923-2011) [ 33:05 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

NOTE: I’m reposting this 2009 interview with Sam Rivers to commemorate his passing on Dec. 26, 2011. Nate Chinen has collected many of the remembrances of Rivers on his blog.

Sam Rivers is a musical renaissance man. He’s performed in big bands, bop bands, R&B groups, blues bands and free-jazz ensembles. Rivers is currently composing adventurous large-ensemble music (such as is found on his 2006 CD Aurora) in an unlikely location: Orlando, Florida. In this interview, Rivers talks about his early days in Boston; how he was recruited by Jimi Hendrix while playing with Cecil Taylor; and how a tour with Dizzy Gillespie led to his relocation to Florida. Learn more at rivbea.com.

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The Jazz Session #329: Adam Schatz [ 51:39 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Adam Schatz is the founder of Search & Restore, which opened its doors in late 2007 and has since become a 501(c)3 non-profit committed to bringing the artists and audiences of new jazz and improvised music together in new ways. In this interview, Schatz talks about the musical components of the organization’s mission and his own pursuits as a performing musician. Learn more about Search & Restore at searchandrestore.com and about their current fundraising efforts at jazz2012.com. The fundraiser runs through Dec. 19, 2011.

NOTE: This interview is a companion piece to my video conversation with Schatz, which you’ll find at JazzDIY’s site, JazzDIY.com.

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The Jazz Session #314: Marcus Strickland [ 1:07:46 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Saxophonist Marcus Strickland’s latest recording is Triumph of the Heavy (Strick Muzik, 2011), a 2-CD set that features a live trio performance and a studio session by his new quartet. In this interview, Strickland talks about why he added piano to his band; his awareness that he’s playing for other people; and the difference between the tunes he writes in the fall and the tunes he writes in the spring. Learn more at marcusstrickland.com and follow him on Twitter at @marcustrickland.

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The Jazz Session #311: Avram Fefer [ 58:10 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Saxophonist Avram Fefer’s new album is Eliyahu (Not Two, 2011). In this interview, Fefer talks about why this is his happiest sounding album yet; how the loss of his father changed the way he views the music on the album; and the influences of the music of a variety of cultures on his compositions. Learn more at www.avramfefer.com.

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The Jazz Session #300: Planetary Unknown [ 47:06 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

For The Jazz Session’s 300th episode, a rare chance to sit down with four musical veterans: David S. Ware, William Parker, Cooper-Moore and Muhammad Ali. The four have just released Planetary Unknown (Aum Fidelity, 2011). This interview was recorded in the dressing room just after their performance at the 2011 Vision Festival. In this interview, they talk about the spiritual side of music; give advice to young musicians; and tell stories from their 100+ years as performers. Learn more at Aum Fidelity’s Planetary Unknown page.

NOTE: Today (August 11, 2011) is the final day of the “100 By 300″ membership campaign and I haven’t quite reached my goal. Please support the show by joining today for as little as $10 a month.

Tracks used in this episode: Passage Wudang; Shift; Duality Is One; Divination; Crystal Palace; Ancestry Supramental.

Three of the four members of this band have been on The Jazz Session before:

• Cooper-Moore
• William Parker
• David S. Ware

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