The Jazz Session #225: Kali Z. Fasteau [ 43:53 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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.

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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.

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The Jazz Session #212: Sara Serpa [ 34:51 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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.

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The Jazz Session #198: Theo Bleckmann [ 39:27 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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.

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The Jazz Session #135: Amy Cervini [ 55:48 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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:

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The Jazz Session #133: Michael Kaeshammer [ 27:23 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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.

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The Jazz Session #107: Kat Edmonson [ 38:50 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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:

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The Jazz Session #106: Patti Wicks [ 33:50 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Pianist and vocalist Patti Wicks teams up with her Italian trio — bassist Giovanni Sanguinetti and drummer Giovanni Gulino — and guest saxophonist Scott Hamilton for Dedicated To… (Geco Records, 2009). In this interview, Wicks talks about how she dealt with her childhood visual impairment and learned to play by ear; her college days at the Crane School of Music and her early years in New York; and why Italy has become a home-away-from-home for her. Learn more at pattiwicks.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 #101: Cyminology [ 36:24 ] 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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The Jazz Session #95: Fay Victor [ 40:58 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The Fay Victor Ensemble’s The FreeSong Suite (Greene Avenue, 2009) is a tour de force of writing, improvisation and performance. Victor and her band paint one fluid word picture after another, linking these composed sections with free playing that is smart, muscular and emotional. In this interview, Victor talks about why she needed a steady band to realize her musical vision; how she arrived at the mix of freedom and pre-determination that characterizes the album; and what the breakdown of Joe’s car says about human relationships. Find out more at

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The Jazz Session #83L Karrin Allyson [ 30:12 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Jason Crane interviews vocalist Karrin Allyson. Her new recording, By Request: The Best of Karrin Allyson (Concord, 2009), showcases tracks from her 11 albums on the Concord label. In this interview, Allyson talks about the lucky break that led to her relationship with Concord; the intricacies of Brazilian music; and how her music is shaped by everything from her classical piano background to the singer-songwriters she heard on the radio when she was growing up. Find out more at Karrin.com.

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

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The Jazz Session #77: Kurt Elling [ 26:12 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Jason Crane interviews vocalist Kurt Elling. Known for his affinity for the music of John Coltrane, Elling’s new album, Dedicated To You (Concord, 2009), is his most explicit tribute yet. The album features the music of the classic Impulse recording John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman, performed here with saxophonist Ernie Watts, the Laurence Hobgood trio, and a string quartet. Elling discusses the genesis of the project, how he adapted this famous repertoire, and his role as an interpreter of the music.

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

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The Jazz Session #65: Kate Schutt [ 48:43 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The Jazz Session #65: Kate Schutt [ 0:01 ] Download

Jason Crane interviews singer/songwriter Kate Schutt about her album Telephone Game (ArtistShare, 2009). Schutt has walked a different path than the average musician. She went to Harvard, where she played Division I lacrosse and hockey. She also went to the Berklee College of Music to hone her jazz chops. She speaks Chinese because her high school offered it. She’s an American, but she lives in Guelph, Ontario, a place she describes as the “Austin, Texas of Canada.” And on Telephone Game, she let her fans contribute to the songwriting process. Learn more at KateSchutt.com.

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

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The Jazz Session #61: Lisa Sokolov [ 29:18 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The Jazz Session #61: Lisa Sokolov [ 29:18 ] Download

Jason Crane interviews vocalist and pianist Lisa Sokolov about her new album, A Quiet Thing. Sokolov is not like any singer you’ve ever heard before, but she is certainly one you need to hear. In this interview, Sokolov talks about what singing is and how she’s arrived at her unique approach to performance and arranging. She also talks about writing haiku in her sleep, and the song that resulted.

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The Jazz Session #51: Kate McGarry [ 37:02 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Jason Crane interviews vocalist Kate McGarry. Her new album, If Less Is More … Nothing Is Everything (Palmetto, 2008), explores everything from spirituality to The Cars in McGarry’s typically atypical style. McGarry is joined on the record by guitarist Keith Ganz, organist Gary Versace, bassist Reuben Rogers, drummer Clarence Penn, saxophonist Donny McCaslin, percussionist James Shipp, and vocalists Peter Eldrige and Jo Lawry.

CONTEST: Win Kate McGarry’s new CD! To enter, send an e-mail to contest@thejazzsession.com with “KATE” in the subject line. And remember — if you’ve won in the past 30 days, sit this one out, OK? Good luck!

BONUS TRACK: Listen to Kate sing Joni Mitchell’s “Chelsea Morning” at the 2008 Tanglewood Jazz Festival.

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