Episodes of The Jazz Session

1. The Jazz Session #51: Kate McGarry - 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 [...]
2. The Jazz Session #50: Stevie Holland - Jason Crane interviews vocalist Stevie Holland. On her new album, Before Love Has Gone (150 Music, 2008), Holland uses her song selection to tell a personal story. Each song on the album has a particular story behind it, and several are lesser-known gems. Holland is joined on the album by pianist Martin Bejerano, bassist Edward [...]
3. The Jazz Session #49: Sonny Rollins - Jason Crane interviews saxophonist Sonny Rollins. He’s just released Road Shows Vol. 1 (Doxy Records, 2008), a compilation of live performances spanning 20 years. Gary Giddins calls it “one of the finest Sonny Rollins albums ever released.” In this interview, recorded on Election Day 2008, Sonny talks about everything from the prospect of an Obama [...]
4. The Jazz Session #48: Marcin Wasilewski - Jason Crane interviews Polish pianist and composer Marcin Wasilewski. His new recording, January (ECM, 2008), features his own compositions alongside those of Gary Peacock, Carla Bley, Ennio Moricone and … Prince. Wasilewski’s trio is very much a part of the new European piano trio renaissance, featuring inventive material played democratically. CONTEST! The Marcin Wasilewski Trio [...]
5. The Jazz Session #47: Satoko Fujii - Jason Crane interviews pianist and composer Satoko Fujii. Fujii has released four new recordings in 2008, her 50th birthday year. These records find her with her New York trio; on accordion in the avant-folk-jazz group of her husband, trumpeter Natsuki Tamura; in a quartet with some of Japan’s most talented improvising musicians; and in a [...]
6. The Jazz Session #46: Kenny Garrett - Jason Crane interviews saxophonist Kenny Garrett about his new CD, Sketches of MD (Mack Ave Records, 2008). This album features the paired saxophones of Garrett and Pharoah Sanders, who’ve performed together many times but never recorded live. Garrett wrote all the tunes on the album, each of which draws inspiration from a sideman or groove [...]
7. The Jazz Session #45: Javon Jackson - Jason Crane interviews saxophonist Javon Jackson. On his new recording for Palmetto Records, Once Upon A Melody, Jackson pays tribute to the people and songs that have influenced him, from Wayne Shorter to Sonny Rollins to Ramsey Lewis to Corinne Bailey Rae. During this interview, Javon leads a track-by-track tour of the record, and you’ll [...]
8. The Jazz Session #44: Adam Niewood - Jason Crane interviews saxophonist Adam Niewood about his new 2-CD set, Epic Journey: Volumes I & II (Innova, 2008). Niewood is the son of famed woodwind player Gerry Niewood, but he has stepped firmly out of his father’s shadow with this new release, which features both composed and free-improvised music. Niewood’s writing skills are as [...]
9. Kate McGarry sings “Chelsea Morning” - In going through my audio recorder, I discovered that I had recorded a complete song by Kate McGarry and the Less Is More Trio at the 2008 Tanglewood Jazz Festival. Here are Kate on vocals, Keith Ganz on guitar and Clarence Penn on percussion with Joni Mitchell’s “Chelsea Morning.”
10. The Jazz Session #43: Spencer Day (Tanglewood Jazz Fest Part 3) - Jason Crane interviews singer-songwriter Spencer Day in the last of three interviews recorded at the 2008 Tanglewood Jazz Festival. Day and his band had just finished their set at the festival, one day after Day joined Marian McPartland on stage for a live taping to celebrate her 90th birthday. That’s quite a distance from growing [...]
11. The Jazz Session #42: Jo Lawry (Tanglewood Jazz Fest Part 2) - Jason Crane interviews vocalist Jo Lawry in the second of three shows recorded live at the 2008 Tanglewood Jazz Festival in Lenox, MA. Lawry hails from Australia, and she’s pursuing her doctorate in jazz performance at the New England Conservatory. With flawless intonation and inventive arranging, Lawry impresses on her debut recording, I Want To [...]
12. The Jazz Session #41: Eddie Daniels (Tanglewood Jazz Fest Part 1) - Jason Crane interviews clarinetist and tenor saxophonist Eddie Daniels in the first of three Jazz Session shows recorded live at the 2008 Tanglewood Jazz Festival in Lenox, MA. Daniels played the fest with many of the same musicians who appear on his 2-CD live album Homecoming (IPO Recordings, 2007). Daniels got his start as a [...]
13. The Jazz Session #40: Joel Harrison - Jason Crane interviews composer and guitarist Joel Harrison. With The Wheel (innova, 2008), Harrison straddles the line between written and improvised music, composing for an ensemble made up of a string quartet and jazz quintet. The results are surprising and powerful. The majority of the album is composed of the five-movement suite “The Wheel,” and [...]
14. The Jazz Session #39: Donny McCaslin - Jason Crane interviews saxophonist and composer Donny McCaslin about his new record, Recommended Tools (Greenleaf Music, 2008). The new album is McCaslin’s statement in the saxophone trio format, and he’s joined by two of New York’s finest — bassist Hans Glawischnig and drummer Johnathan Blake. McCaslin shines on this album of original compositions, plus Billy [...]
15. The Jazz Session #38: Aaron Parks - Jason Crane interviews pianist and composer Aaron Parks. Parks is 24 years old—and he started college 11 years ago. A child prodigy who entered the University of Washington at age 13 as a triple major in math, computer science and music, Parks quickly found that music was his true calling. Now, after a five-year stint [...]
16. The Jazz Session #37: John Ellis - Jason Crane interviews saxophonist John Ellis. After making a name for himself during his five years with guitarist Charlie Hunter, Ellis has emerged as a leader and composer in his own right. His new album, Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow (Hyena Records, 2008) is a celebration of the sousaphone (yes, the sousaphone!) in a funky [...]
17. The Jazz Session #36: Chico Hamilton - Jason Crane interviews drummer, composer, arranger, educator and NEA Jazz Master Chico Hamilton. The 86-year-old Hamilton released four albums (!) in 2006, and then collected tracks from the four albums on 2007’s Hamiltonia (Joyous Shout, 2007). This year will see the release of two more recordings — a remix album featuring new takes on classic [...]
18. The Jazz Session #35: Avishai Cohen (trumpet) - Jason Crane interviews trumpeter and composer Avishai Cohen. (Not to be confused with bassist and composer Avishai Cohen.) Cohen is at the center of a vibrant musical scene in New York City — full of experimentation, melding musical styles, and an appetite for adventure. More than that, Cohen is a philosopher-musician, using his compositions to [...]
19. The Jazz Session #34: Laurie Pepper on Art Pepper - Jason Crane interviews Laurie Pepper, wife of the late alto saxophonist Art Pepper (1925-1982). Laurie has recently put out two sets of previously unreleased live recordings by Art Pepper — Unreleased Art, Vol. 1: The Complete Abashiri Concert — November 22, 1981 (Widow’s Taste, 2006) and Unreleased Art, Vol. 2: The Last Concert (Widow’s Taste, [...]
20. The Jazz Session #33: Kate McGarry - Jason Crane interviews vocalist Kate McGarry about her new album, The Target (Palmetto, 2007). It’s yet another stellar album in a career that has seen her working with everyone from Fred Hersch to Maria Schneider. On The Target, McGarry is joined by her husband Keith Ganz on guitar, Gary Versace on organ and piano, Reuben [...]
21. The Jazz Session #32: Tord Gustavsen - Jason Crane interviews pianist and composer Tord Gustavsen. His most recent recording, Being There (ECM, 2007), is part of a trilogy of records exploring the intimate territory traversed by the pianist and his trio. With bassist Harald Johnsen and drummer Jarle Vespestad, Gustavsen delves deeply into the rich musics of the world, filtering the results [...]
22. The Jazz Session #31: Matt Shulman - Jason Crane interviews trumpeter and vocalist Matt Shulman about his new album, So It Goes (Jaggo Records, 2007). Shulman sings and plays trumpet, but that’s where the Chet Baker comparison ends, although like Baker, Shulman incorporates the hip music of the day into his own work. Skilled at multiphonics — playing one note while simultaneously [...]
23. The Jazz Session #30: Brian Groder - Jason Crane interviews trumpeter, flugelhornist and composer Brian Groder. Groder’s new album, Torque (Latham Records, 2006), features jazz master Sam Rivers on saxophone and flute, along with bassist Doug Mathews and drummer Anthony Cole. Groder has played with everyone from Cecil Taylor and Joanne Brackeen to Joe Cocker, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr. In [...]
24. TJS Extra #3: Jazz Improv Live! Convention - Jason Crane interviews Eric Nemeyer, vibraphonist and founder of Jazz Improv magazine. Nemeyer is also the creator of the Jazz Improv Live! Convention, a four-day gathering of jazz musicians, writers, historians, broadcasters and fans. The convention runs from October 25-28 in New York City. It features panel discussions, presentations, and workshops, along with nightly concerts [...]
25. The Jazz Session #29: Donny McCaslin - Jason Crane interviews saxophonist Donny McCaslin. One of the busiest saxophonists in the business, McCaslin plays with Maria Schneider, Dave Douglas and many others. He also fronts his own groups, including the band on his new CD, In Pursuit (Sunnyside, 2007). A follow-up to his critically acclaimed record Soar (Sunnyside, 2006), In Pursuit features compositions [...]
26. The Jazz Session #28: Brian Patneaude - Jason Crane interviews saxophonist and composer Brian Patneaude. His new quartet album is called As We Know It (WEPA Records, 2007). Patneaude was born and raised near Albany, NY. He’s chosen to make his musical stand in Albany, and the choice is paying off. Patneaude is a busy musician, whether it’s his weekly residency at [...]
27. The Jazz Session #27: Joel Frahm - Jason Crane interviews saxophonist Joel Frahm. Frahm is one of the busiest saxophonists on the scene today. You’ll find him on recordings with pianist Brad Mehldau, vocalist Jane Monheit, trumpeter Avishai Cohen, drummers Matt Wilson and Pete Zimmer, and the Waverly 7. His fourth record as a leader, We Used To Dance (Anzic Records, 2007), [...]
28. The Jazz Session #26: Eberhard Weber - Jason Crane interviews bassist Eberhard Weber. Weber’s name is synonymous with the “ECM sound,” because he’s been the bassist of choice on classic ECM recordings dating back to the label’s founding three decades ago. Since the early 1980s, Weber has played in saxophonist Jan Garbarek’s band. To celebrate his 65th birthday, the city of Stuttgart, [...]
29. The Jazz Session #25: Kendrick Scott - Jason Crane interviews drummer and composer Kendrick Scott. Scott’s new album with his band Oracle is The Source (World Culture Music, 2007). Scott grew up in Houston, surrounded by a musical family and the Baptist church. He knew from an early age that he wanted to be a musician, and he followed this path from [...]
30. The Jazz Session #24: Miroslav Vitous - Jason Crane interviews bassist Miroslav Vitous. Vitous came to the U.S. in 1966, and quickly became part of the New York jazz scene. He was a founding member of Weather Report along with Wayne Shorter and Joe Zawinul. Vitous played on the landmark trio session Now He Sings, Now He Sobs (Blue Note, 1968) with [...]
31. The Jazz Session #23: Rick Parker - Jason Crane interviews composer and trombonist Rick Parker. Parker’s most recent album with the Rick Parker Collective is Finding Space (WJF Records, 2006). It was named one of the top CDs of 2006 by Michael Ricci, publisher of All About Jazz. Parker sees himself as a composer first, trombonist second. His passion for writing shows [...]
32. The Jazz Session #22: David Witham - Jason Crane interviews keyboardist and composer David Witham. Witham is George Benson’s musical director, a gig he’s held down for more than 20 years. His resume includes everyone from Michael Brecker and Eddie Harris to k.d. lang, Jose Feliciano and Paul Anka. On his new album, Spinning The Circle (Cryptogramophone, 2007), Witham assembles an all-star [...]
33. The Jazz Session #21: Gene Bertoncini - Jason Crane interviews guitarist Gene Bertoncini. Raised in the Bronx, Bertoncini began his musical education at an early age, encouraged by his parents. He studied architecture at Notre Dame before deciding on a life of music. That decision was a smart one — Bertoncini has since performed with the Metropolitan Opera orchestra, the Benny Goodman [...]
34. Rochester International Jazz Festival - Day 9 - Show #9 from the 2007 Rochester International Jazz Festival. Featuring reviews, news, interviews and more! On this edition: Live sound samples from The Jens Winther European Quartet, Cowboy Mouth, The Soul Rebels and Avishai Cohen. Then, the grand finale: Greg, Seth, Ken and Jason get together for one massive roundtable discussion about the festival. Enjoy [...]
35. The Jazz Session #20: Dapp Theory - Jason Crane interviews Andy Milne and John Moon of Dapp Theory at the 2007 Rochester International Jazz Festival. Andy Milne formed Dapp Theory several years ago to fuse many musical worlds, including hip hop, spoken word, and jazz improvisation. The original group recorded Y’all Just Don’t Know (Concord, 2003). Since then, the personnel roster has [...]
36. The Jazz Session #19: Don Byron - Jason Crane interviews clarinetist Don Byron at the 2007 Rochester International Jazz Festival. Byron performed two sets with his Ivey Divey trio featuring pianist Jason Moran and drummer Billy Hart. Byron has covered a lot of ground in his musical career, from the Ivey Divey project (honoring Lester Young) to the music of Junior Walker, [...]
37. The Jazz Session #18: Jason Moran - Jason Crane interviews pianist Jason Moran at the 2007 Rochester International Jazz Festival. Moran came to play with two bands — his own Bandwagon and Don Byron’s Ivey Divey trio. Moran’s most recent CD is Artist In Residence (Blue Note, 2006), an album composed mostly of Moran’s commissioned works. Moran talks about philosopher Adrian Piper, [...]
38. Rochester International Jazz Festival - Day 7 - Show #8 from the 2007 Rochester International Jazz Festival. Featuring reviews, news, interviews and more! On this edition: Live sound samples from James Moody, an interview with guitarist Mel Henderson of Paradigm Shift, and a sneak preview of a soon-to-be-released album from a major name in jazz. Be sure to visit the following sites for [...]
39. Show #17: Matt Wilson - Jason Crane interviews drummer Matt Wilson between his sets at the 2007 Rochester International Jazz Festival. Wilson played two shows with his Arts & Crafts band featuring Dennis Irwin on bass, Gary Versace on organ and piano, and Michael Rodriquez on trumpet (sitting in for Terrell Stafford). The band’s new album is Scenic Route (Palmetto, [...]
40. Rochester International Jazz Festival - Day 6 - Show #7 from the 2007 Rochester International Jazz Festival. Featuring reviews, news, interviews and more! On this edition: Live sound samples from the Webster Schroeder High School Jazz Band, a wonderful story about vibraphonist Joe Locke, and some wacky behind-the-scenes antics from the members of Matt Wilson’s Arts & Crafts. Be sure to visit the following [...]
41. Rochester International Jazz Festival - Day 5 - Show #6 from the 2007 Rochester International Jazz Festival. Featuring reviews, news, interviews and more! On this edition: Live sound samples from Trio Beyond with John Scofield, Jack DeJohnette and Larry Goldings, interviews with festival attendees, and conversations with pianist Dino Losito and drummer Mike Melito. Be sure to visit the following sites for more RIJF [...]
42. Rochester International Jazz Festival - Day 4 - Show #5 from the 2007 Rochester International Jazz Festival. Featuring reviews, news, interviews and more! On this edition: Live sound samples from Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks and Mamadou Diabate, interviews with festival attendees, and a feature on the Swedish electronica group Midaircondo. Be sure to visit the following sites for more RIJF coverage: Fretful Porpentine Jazz@Rochester Cup [...]
43. Show #16: Robin Eubanks - Jason Crane interviews trombonist Robin Eubanks before his set at the 2007 Rochester International Jazz Festival. Eubanks is in Rochester with his band EB3, which features Eubanks on acoustic and electric trombone, loops and percussion pads, and keyboard bass; Michelle Rosewoman (subbing for Orrin Evans) on keyboards and keyboard bass; and Kenwood Dennard on drums [...]
44. Rochester International Jazz Festival - Day 3 - Show #4 from the 2007 Rochester International Jazz Festival. Featuring reviews, news, interviews and more! On this edition: Interviews with Dutch trumpeter Saskia Laroo, Swedish trumpeter Peter Asplund, and Canadian Afro-beat band Mr. Something Something. Plus music samples from all three artists. Be sure to visit the following sites for more RIJF coverage: Fretful Porpentine Jazz@Rochester Cup O’ Books Will [...]
45. Nordic Jazz Now - Show #3 from the Rochester International Jazz Festival. This show focuses on Nordic Jazz Now — bands from Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark who are performing all this week at the festival. RIJF Artistic Director John Nugent also produces the Stockholm Jazz Festival. In this episode: Vidar Brathen from the Norwegian Jazz Forum, Bengt Strokirk [...]
46. Rochester International Jazz Festival - Day 2 - Show #2 from the 2007 Rochester International Jazz Festival. Featuring reviews, news, interviews and more! On this edition: “Sounds of the Street.” Includes performance excerpts from Scott Goudie and The Shuffle Demons, plus interviews with trumpeter Mike Catone, Jazz90.1 DJ Gary O, and RIJF staffer Bob Madeira. Be sure to visit the following sites for [...]
47. Rochester International Jazz Festival - Day 1 - Show #1 from the 2007 Rochester International Jazz Festival. Featuring reviews, news, interviews and more! On this edition: reviews of Raul Midon, Geri Allen with Jimmy Cobb, Peter Asplund, Steps Ahead, and Jon Ballantyne. Be sure to visit the following sites for more RIJF coverage: Fretful Porpentine Jazz@Rochester Cup O’ Books Will Yurman’s multimedia slideshows Please excuse this extra data, [...]
48. Show #15: Cecilia Smith - Jason Crane interviews vibraphonist and composer Cecilia Smith. Smith’s new project, Dark Triumph(CEA Music, 2005) chronicles the life of her aunt, Victoria Lancaster Smith, through spoken word, improvisation, orchestral arrangements, members of the Boys Choir of Harlem, and a jazz rhythm section. This ambitious album originated when Victoria Smith showed Cecilia Smith an 8-bar melody [...]
49. TJS Extra #2: Jazz writer Doug Ramsey - TJS Extra looks at jazz from other angles. Think of it as a companion piece to The Jazz Session. On this edition, Jason Crane interviews jazz writer Doug Ramsey. Ramsey is a broadcast and print journalist with an extensive background in jazz writing. He is the author of several books, including Take Five: The Public [...]
50. Show #14: Terry Gibbs - Jason Crane interviews vibraphonist Terry Gibbs. This week, ASCAP, one of the organizations that safeguards performers’ and composers’ rights, announced that it will add Gibbs to its Jazz Wall of Fame in a ceremony on June 1 at Lincoln Center. Gibbs is already recognized as an ASCAP Jazz Living Legend for a career that spans [...]
51. TJS Extra #1: Rochester International Jazz Festival - TJS Extra looks at jazz from other angles. Think of it as a companion piece to The Jazz Session. This edition takes you behind the scenes of the Rochester International Jazz Festival. Jason Crane interviews festival producers John Nugent and Marc Iacona. With more than 600 artists, 200+ concerts and 18 venues, the RIJF has [...]
52. Show #13: Bobby Sanabria - Jason Crane interviews percussionist, bandleader, composer and educator Bobby Sanabria. Sanabria is a living link to the great Afro-Cuban jazz tradition. He’s played with just about everyone, including Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, Paquito D’Rivera, Charles McPherson, Mongo Santamaria, Chico O’Farrill and Mario Bauza. He’s also a Grammy-nominated solo artist and a powerful force in bringing [...]
53. Show #12: Jeff “Tain” Watts - Jason Crane interviews drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts. You might know him from his years with Wynton Marsalis, or his years with Branford Marsalis, or his stint as the drummer on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, or from his many, many recordings as a leader and sideman. Tain’s new album is Folk’s Songs (Dark Key [...]
54. Show #11: Christine Jensen - Jason Crane interviews saxophonist and composer Christine Jensen. Based in Montreal, Jensen has recorded three albums. Her most recent project is Look Left (Effendi, 2006), the result of a half-year spent studying and writing in Paris. The Globe and Mail called Jensen “one of the most important Canadian composers of her generation.” Find out more [...]
55. Show #10: Pete Zimmer - Jason Crane interviews drummer Pete Zimmer. Zimmer moved to New York several years ago after graduating from the New England Conservatory. He’s released three records on his own label, Tippin’ Records, the most recent of which is his new CD, Judgment (Tippin’ Records, 2006). The album features tenor saxophonists George Garzone and Joel Frahm. Find [...]
56. Show #9: Victor Goines - Jason Crane interviews saxophone and clarinet player Victor Goines. Goines has made quite a name for himself with such seminal groups as the Wynton Marsalis Septet and the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra. In addition to touring the world with the those bands, he’s also an accomplished leader in his own right, and the director [...]
57. Show #8: David Torn - Jason Crane interviews David Torn, a man of many talents. He’s a film composer whose music you’ve heard in Friday Night Lights, Believe In Me, and The Order. He’s also contributed tones and textures to films like this year’s Best Picture winner, The Departed, and the 2000 hit Traffic. Before his film days, he was [...]
58. Show #7: Wayne Escoffery - Jason Crane interviews saxophonist Wayne Escoffery about his life and his new album, Veneration (Savant, 2007). Escoffery was born in London and moved to New Haven, Connecticut as a child. He sang in a boys choir and then got introduced to the saxophone. Choosing the latter, Escoffery moved into the orbit of legendary saxophonist Jackie [...]
59. Show #6: Misha Piatigorsky - Jason Crane interviews pianist Misha Piatigorsky. Misha fled with his family from Russia during the height of the Cold War and ended up in New Jersey. A classically trained pianist, he discovered jazz and fell in love with the music, ending up at Rutgers studying with Kenny Barron. He won the 2004 Thelonious Monk Composers [...]
60. Show #5: Toru Dodo - Jason Crane interviews Japanese pianist Toru Dodo. Born in Tokyo, Dodo started playing piano at age 4, then gave up his dream of concert piano for the economics department at Tokyo’s Meiji University. He found jazz at Meiji, and eventually came to the United States to study at Berklee College of Music. Since moving to [...]
61. Show #4: Francis Jacob - Jason Crane interviews French guitarist Francis Jacob. Jacob’s career has taken him around the world: France, Switzerland, Boston, Brazil, Paris and now New York. Along the way, he’s picked up a gift for improvisation and a taste for West African music. On his new CD, Side By Side (2006), he combines his many influences and [...]
62. Show #3: John Abercrombie - Jason Crane interviews guitarist John Abercrombie, whose forthcoming record is The Third Quartet (ECM, 2007). Abercrombie has been on more than 50 ECM recordings as a leader or sideman, including sessions with Charles Lloyd, Kenny Wheeler, Jack DeJohnette, Dave Liebman and Dave Holland. This interview features several excerpts from the new CD in advance of [...]
63. Show #2: Luis Perdomo - Jason Crane interviews pianist Luis Perdomo. Since coming to New York from his native Venezuela, Perdomo has blossomed as a player. As a student at the Manhattan School of Music and at Queens College, he studied with pianists Harold Danko and Sir Roland Hanna. As a professional musician, he’s played with Ray Baretto, Ravi Coltrane, [...]
64. Show #1: Grant Stewart - It’s here — the first episode of The Jazz Session, a jazz interview podcast hosted by Jason Crane. In this show, Jason interviews tenor saxophonist Grant Stewart. Stewart has been in New York for the past 16 years, since moving there from his native Toronto. He’s played with quite a roster of jazz artists, from [...]