Strictly Jazz Sounds-SJS

The conversation continues. In Part Two of Thelonious Monk: Wrong Is Right , Steve Braunginn returns to his extraordinary two-day conversation with T.S. Monk—Thelonious Sphere Monk III—and his son, Thelonious Monk IV. We pick up with tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse and a fascinating question: What made Rouse such a distinctive musical partner for Monk? T.S. draws a revealing distinction between th...

Thelonious Monk changed the language of jazz. But behind the unmistakable harmonies, rhythms and compositions was a husband, father and grandfather whose story is still being told by the family carrying his legacy forward. On this edition of Strictly Jazz Sounds, Steve Braunginn welcomes T.S. Monk—Thelonious Sphere Monk III—and his son, Thelonious Monk IV, for an expansive conversation about the m...

Having a virtual conversation with someone like Joe Lovano invites you to take in more than the words. You find yourself looking around the room with him — the basement, the books, the CDs, maybe a few records, family photos, and a trombone resting naked on top of a bookcase like it had just stepped away from the bandstand. Behind Joe, as we begin talking, there's a music stand with sheet music on...

Los Angeles has long been one of America's great jazz cities, yet its place in the music's history is often overshadowed by New Orleans, Chicago, Kansas City, and New York. In this episode of Strictly Jazz Sounds , Steve Braunginn sits down with Martin Ludlow, President and CEO of Bridge Street, Inc., to discuss the vision behind the inaugural LA Jazz Festival and why he believes it's time for Los...

When someone says jazz is dead, or that they cannot find great jazz being made today, I always think of the artists, mentors, and leaders who continue to move the music forward. Jeremy Pelt is one of those essential voices. Welcome to Strictly Jazz Sounds , the place where the music talks. I'm your host, Steve Braunginn. In this episode, I'm honored to welcome trumpeter, composer, bandleader, educ...

Today on Strictly Jazz Sounds , we enter the musical world of violinist and composer Jenny Scheinman — an artist whose music is shaped as much by landscape and community as by jazz tradition, classical music and folk. Before collaborating with musicians like Bill Frisell, Jason Moran, and Brian Blade, Jenny grew up off-the-grid in rural Humboldt County, surrounded by redwoods, wildlife, and acoust...

Episode 31-Jaleel Shaw: Painting the Invisibility in Jazz Jazz for Philadelphia native and alto saxophonist Jaleel Shaw is a soulful, boundary-pushing journey. His impressive collaborations include NEA Jazz Masters Roy Haynes and Terri Lyne Carrington, Grammy Award-winning artists: bassists Dave Holland and Christian McBride, and pianists Kris Davis, Robert Glasper, and Jason Moran. Shaw's musical...

Welcome to Strictly Jazz Sounds. In this episode, we spotlight saxophonist Mark Turner, an LA native known for his technical brilliance and soulful undertones. Turner's music is influenced by R&B and jazz from his upbringing, as well as legendary saxophonists like Warne Marsh and John Coltrane. Mark's humility and self-deprecation are evident, but his artistry shines through, especially in his lat...

It's a challenge to describe bassist John Patitucci. He's a 2025 Jazz Journalists Association Award winner for Electric Bassist of the Year, and four-time Grammy Award winning artist, one of today's elite bassists, not just jazz but in all of music, but that's too limiting. John is a bassist with not only excellent rhythm but a complex, angular rhythmic style with dynamic and warm tones and a styl...

 Producing a historical recording requires enormous patience, investigative powers like an investigative journalist. The journey is long, emotional, and exciting when the recordings are discovered, and the final package completed. This is what Zev Feldman does. He is the producer for and co-president of Resonance Records, a record label that releases archival recordings that are previously unissue...

Alto saxophonist Erena Terakubo, from Sapporo, Japan, began her recording career early, releasing her first album when she was only 15 years old. Inspired by a saxophone-playing M&M doll, Erena developed an interest in music that led her to become a notable figure in contemporary jazz. Her journey inclu0des playing in big bands in Sapporo and preferring jazz over classical music. In this episode,...

Taiwanese vibraphonist and percussionist Chien Chien Lu, along with Pittsburg, Pennsylvania native bassist Richie Goods, have crafted a sound that is both captivating and rhythmic. Their music draws from a rich tapestry of cultural influences including Taiwanese, American, and African-American traditions, especially within the jazz sub-culture. Chien Chien Lu and Richie Goods are dedicated to expa...

There's a not so polite saying about teaching music and music teachers that goes like this: If you can, play. If you can't, teach. That is what jazz legend Ellis Marsalis once said to a Detroit drummer who was considering becoming a music teacher. I'm talking about drummer, educator, producer and band leader Clarence Penn. Fortunately, Clarence did not take it to heart, eventually acquiring a mast...

World-renowned saxophonist and Blue Note recording artist Walter Smith III is the model music educator and practitioner. This enormously talented saxophonist pursued music education as a profession as far back as high school. In this episode, Walter's storied career follows the path beginning with performing at McDonald's at age 7, to an exciting area of study at one of today's premier high school...

In this episode, I spend time with Grammy Award-winning pianist and Berklee College of Music professor of Jazz Kris Davis on 'Strictly Jazz Sounds.' We do a deep dive into her latest project, Run the Gauntlet , dedicated to six influential women jazz pianists, which drops on September 27, 2024. A common thread is woven throughout the hour, mentoring. As a recipient of it herself, Kris Davis discus...

Award winning vibraphonist Yuhan Su is another Gary Burton/Chick Corea-inspired musician, lured away from classical to the art form where improvisation reigns, jazz. This Taiwanese-born, New York based artist, left her homeland pursuing a jazz education at Berklee College of music, a frequently told story. Yuhan Su draws on her strengths to survive the intense transitions as a single woman migrati...

Grammy-Award winning saxophonist Wayne Escoffery is my guest on the 21 st episode of Strictly Jazz Sounds. What attracted me to Wayne was his prolific traveling, extensive performances and recordings with his own band (11 recordings), the Mingus Big Band (3 recordings, one a Grammy Award winner), the Black Art Jazz Collective (4 recordings), and as sideman with trumpeter Tom Harrell (7 recordings,...

  Roni Eytan, a renowned Israeli-born, New York based jazz harmonica player, performs with a passion that differs from other harmonica artists. Perhaps it's the region from which he derives-the Middle East and North Africa. His culture greatly influences his compositions and inspires his passions. Roni's work is influenced by harmonica legend Toots Thielemans but only partially. The folk cultures...

Alexandra (Alex) Ridout is a young jazz trumpeter from the UK, now residing in New York City. In this episode of Strictly Jazz Sounds, she lays out her journey as a musician, comparing the experiences and educational backgrounds between the UK and the US. Ridout recalls her time at the Royal Academy of Music in London and Manhattan School of Music, emphasizing her family's influence, especially he...

In this episode of Strictly Jazz Sounds, I have a conversation with Jocelyn Gould, a professional jazz guitarist who fills all the shoes it requires to drive a successful career. Jocelyn shares her journey from pretending to play a cardboard guitar at the age of four to winning a Juno Award for her first album,  Elegant Traveler . She later discusses the challenges and triumphs of her career, incl...

Yasushi Nakamura loves his music. And he truly loves laying down the groove lines behind a hot band like he does for almost a dozen bands. However, being one of today's first-call bassists means frequent and long show tours that can take him away from his family of two-children and spouse for weeks, even months at a time. It has resulted in an impressive list and number of recordings made on both...

Question: What would jazz music sound like if it had been born in a country without patriarchy; taught without bias and performed on a stage with radical inclusivity? That's what jazz titan Terri Lyne Carrington says is the foundation behind Berklee College of Music's Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice. Terri Lyne is the founder and artistic director of the Institute and a professor at Berklee,...

In jazz, two legendary harp musicians come to mind. Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane. Now, there is a third musician whose image immediately erupts into focus. For harp artist, educator, and Grammy nominated musician Brandee Younger, both Ashby and Coltrane made a tremendous impact on her. And with her latest recording, Brand New Life , on Impulse Records, Brandee Younger embraces Ashby and her im...

For tenor saxophonist, composer, bandleader, educator and artist Roxy Coss, jazz education is everything. When we talked in July, she and her husband, saxophonist, educator and composer, Lucas Pino, just returned from their week-long session as co-directors of the Brubeck Jazz Summit, (yes, that Brubeck-Dave Brubeck) a week-long intensive emersion of jazz education and performance for talented stu...

Japanese jazz pianist Miki Yamanaka, born and raised in Kyoto and Kobe Japan, now resides in New York City with her drummer husband Jimmy Macbride. Her upcoming album, Shades of Rainbow is set to drop on September 8. Excitement explodes in Miki during this hour-long interview with this jubilant pianist who is a mainstay at New York's prime jazz clubs for emerging talent, Smalls and Mezzrow, both f...