Posted under Podcast & Vocalists
Vocalist Andrea Wolper’s new CD is Parallel Lives (Jazzed Media, 2011). In this interview, Wolper talks about her unfettered and very personal approach to song choice and performance; how poetry influences her work; and her parallel life as an activist for social justice. Learn more at andreawolper.com and follow her on Twitter at @AndreaWolper.
Posted under Guitarists & Podcast & Vocalists
Vocalist and guitarist Camila Meza’s most recent CD is Retrato (Vertice Records, 2009). In this interview, Meza talks about her early days learning guitar in her native Chile; how a teacher discovered she could sing and the effect it had on her life; and how she sometimes feels like two people at once when she plays and sings at the same time. Learn more at camilameza.com.
CONCERT NOTE: Camila Meza performs on 11/1/11 at 8:30 p.m. at Cornelia Street Cafe in New York.
Posted under Podcast & Vocalists
Renée Yoxon is a vocalist from Ottawa, Ontario. Her debut recording, Let’s Call It A Day, is a duet album with guitarist René Gely. In this interview, Yoxon talks about the jazz scene in Ottawa; how she started singing standards and why she still does; and how her science background has influenced the way she approaches the physicality of singing. Learn more at www.reneeyoxon.com and follow her on Twitter at @reneeyoxon.
Posted under Podcast & Trombonists & Vocalists
An interview and performance with vocalist Kyoko Kitamura and trombonist Jen Baker, recorded live at Downtown Music Gallery in Manhattan. In this interview, Kitamura and Baker talk about collective improvisation; building a new vocabulary; and the structures of their compositions. Learn more at kyokokitamura.com and baker7jenz.com/home.html.
Posted under Podcast & Vocalists
Vocalist Jay Clayton has long been known as both an accomplished singer of standards and a fearless adventurer in the world of electronics. In this interview, Clayton talks about those dual personas and how she brings them together; discusses her work with Sheila Jordan, Theo Bleckmann and others; and talks about her early days in the New York loft scene. Learn more at jayclayton.com.
Tracks used in this episode: (from In And Out Of Love) Falling In Love With Love; Freedom Jazz Dance; (from Circle Dancing) Circle Dancing; Sappho; Ditto; (from In And Out Of Love) Sunshower.
Posted under Podcast & Vocalists
Mad Heaven (Palmetto, 2011) is the new album by pianist and vocalist Peter Eldridge. In this interview, Eldridge talks about making a thematic album; the influence of his parents and siblings on his musical taste and career choice; and the many projects he’s working on, including a film score, a musical and a duo project with bassist Matt Aronoff. Learn more at petereldridge.com.
Tracks used in this episode: Charmer; Voce e Eu; Buffet Philosophy; Mad Heaven; No Tomorrow; Pra Machucar Meu Coracao; The Very Thought Of You.
Posted under Podcast & Vocalists
Vocalist Fay Victor explores her Trinidadian roots in the company of Other Dimensions In Music on Kaiso Stories (Silkheart, 2011). In this interview, Victor talks about the chance meeting that led to the new CD; how she melded the calypso music of Trinidad with the experimental jazz she’s known for; and the many projects with which she’s currently involved. Learn more at www.fayvictor.com.
Tracks used in this episode: Maryanne; John Gilman Wants Tobacco; Three Friends’ Advice; Nora; Saltfish; We Is We.
NOTE: Fay is performing tonight (April 11, 2011) at 7 p.m. with Dominic Lash at Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center, 107 Suffolk Street, NYC, as part of the Evolving Music Series. Please note that this is a new location for the series. Also on the bill: Theo Bleckmann & Jay Clayton (8 p.m.); Charles Gayle’s Forgiveness (9 p.m.); Arts for Artestra (10 p.m.).
Posted under Podcast & Vocalists
Singer and songwriter Rebecca Martin turns her attention to the Great American Songbook on When I Was Long Ago (Sunnyside, 2010). In this interview, Martin talks about how a recording with Paul Motian led to her own album with no chordal instrument; why she chose to interpret standards for this recording; and her ideas about the primacy of melody. Learn more at www.rebeccamartin.com.
Posted under Pianists & Podcast & Saxophonists & Violinists & Vocalists
Multi-instrumentalist Kali Z. Fasteau continues to experiment with the nature of sound on her new album, Animal Grace (Flying Note, 2010). In this interview, Fasteau talks about how she pushes past the perceived limits of the instruments she plays; how her experiences traveling the world inform her music; and the system of balance she finds in music and in life. Learn more at www.kalimuse.com.
Posted under Bands & Podcast & Tanglewood Jazz Festival & Violinists & Vocalists
The Jazz Session #218: Tanglewood Jazz Festival Sampler [ 30:04 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
A collection of short interviews recorded at the 2009 Tanglewood Jazz Festival in Lenox, MA. Featuring Regina Carter, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Nnenna Freelon and more. Learn more at www.tanglewoodjazzfestival.org.
Posted under Podcast & Vocalists
Vocalist Sara Serpa teams with her former teacher, pianist Ran Blake, on Camera Obscura (Inner Circle Music, 2010). In this interview, Serpa (who is Portuguese) talks about interpreting English lyrics; the high-wire act of singing with Ran Blake’s unique accompaniment; and the story of her journey from Lisbon to Boston to New York. Learn more at www.saraserpa.com.
Posted under Podcast & Vocalists
Vocalist Theo Bleckmann is all by himself on his new solo recording, I Dwell In Possibility (Winter & Winter, 2010). In this interview, Bleckmann talks about why he wanted to record an album with only voice and toy instruments; how he approaches adapting the work of others; and the joys of feeling free to perform in nearly any musical context. Learn more at www.theobleckmann.com.
Posted under Podcast & Vocalists
Vocalist Amy Cervini is one of a handful of jazz singers who are successfully taking their repertoire from outside the Great American Songbook. On Cervini’s new album, Lovefool (Anzic Records, 2009), she tackles everything from the Cardigans to Depeche Mode to Nellie McKay and makes it all work. In this interview, Cervini talks about how she chooses her repertoire; the response of jazz and pop fans to the music she sings; and how she’s managed to build both performing and artist management careers. Oh, and she’s having a baby, too. Learn more at www.amycervini.com.
If you’d like to buy this album, you can support The Jazz Session by purchasing it via the link below:
Posted under Pianists & Podcast & Tanglewood Jazz Festival & Vocalists
Pianist and vocalist Michael Kaeshammer has spent more than a decade making music that’s both fun and smart. He draws on everything from James P. Johnson and Fats Waller to contemporary pop music on his new album, Lovelight (Alert Music, 2009). In this interview, recorded at the 2009 Tanglewood Jazz Festival, Kaeshammer talks about the nature of showmanship; how he came to love the early stride piano masters; and why New Orleans has become an important source of inspiration for his music. Learn more at kaeshammer.com.
If you’d like to buy this album, you can support The Jazz Session by purchasing it via the link below.
Posted under Podcast & Tanglewood Jazz Festival & Vocalists
Kat Edmonson is making a name for herself as both a smart interpreter of popular songs (both old and new) and as a musician who puts her values into practice in her art. Edmonson’s debut CD, Take To The Sky (Convivium Records, 2009) features creative reworkings of tunes by Carol King, The Cure and The Cardigans, alongside (un)expected versions of Cole Porter, George Gershwin and Henry Mancini. In this interview, Edmonson talks about her years of apprenticeship in Austin, TX; how she’s navigating the line between jazz and pop music; and how she turned a quotation from Gandhi into a hit YouTube video. NOTE: Edmonson is making two rare East Coast appearances this week: at Sculler’s in Boston on Tuesday (11/10) and at The Jazz Standard in New York on Wednesday (11/11). Learn more at katedmonson.com.
If you’d like to buy this album, you can help support The Jazz Session by purchasing it via the link below:
Read my poetry at jasoncrane.org.
