The Jazz Session

Fievel's partner Stephanie interviews them about The Jazz Session, their life as a musician, their high school band director, and a lot more. 

Sonny Rollins died this week at the age of 95. He was on The Jazz Session in 2008, 2010, and 2012. Here are all three episodes.

Fievel chats with saxophonist Steve Wilson about his new album, Enduring Sonance . They discuss the band, the song selection, the approach to arranging the album, and the upcoming series of shows at Smoke. Steve and the band will be performing songs from the album at Smoke Jazz Club in NYC from April 29 to May 3, 2026. PATREON Become a Patreon supporter for $5 a month to get a bonus show called Th...

Fievel chats with saxophonist Caroline Davis about her new album, Fallows (Ropeadope, 2026). The album was recorded at a retreat in Wyoming. It’s a solo project made with saxophone and an electronic instrument called the Organelle. PATREON Become a Patreon supporter for $5 a month to get a bonus show called This I Dig Of You, on which the guest from the main episode talks about something non...

Jon Irabagon is releasing two albums on March 13, 2026. Focus Out is a full-band record with his quartet and guests. Saturday’s Child is a bass saxophone duet improv with Dan Oestreicher. In this interview, we talk about everything from meditation to improvisation to raising kids to the joy of a working band. Jon was previously on the show back in 2010 . PATREON Become a Patreon supporter fo...

Pianist Benjamin Lackner’s latest album is called Spindrift (ECM Records, 2025). In this interview, Benjamin talks about the intense compositional process that led to the album; the selection of his bandmates; the ECM sound; life in Berlin; and a lot more. PATREON Become a Patreon supporter for $5 a month to get a bonus show called This I Dig Of You, on which the guest from the main episode...

Voya (2025, Clap Your Hands) is the new album by saxophonist Tineke Postma and her band, featuring Theo Bleckmann on vocals. In this interview, they talk about working Theo into the existing quartet; the difference between identity and ego; the tears that were shed at their first live performance together; and much more. PATREON Become a Patreon supporter for $5 a month to get a bonus show called...

  Saxophonist Alison Shearer’s new album is called  In The Garden (Pinch Records, 2025). In this interview, Alison talks about the creation of the album with her working band; the way she works her own life story into instrumental compositions; her upcoming entry into the classical world; and more. Learn more at https://www.alisonshearermusic.com . Content warning:  This episode also ha...

Jack DeJohnette passed away. In his honor, I’ll hope you’ll enjoy this 2012 interview I recorded with Jack at the Blue Note in NYC at the time of the release of his album Sound Travels. [Photo: Mitchell Garrison]

On her new album,  Sounding Line , pianist Carmen Staaf explores the music of Thelonious Monk and Mary Lou Williams. In this interview, Carmen talks about making music in the context of Palestine and COVID; the intersection between Monk and Williams and how she arrived at it; the arranging of the album, which contains both duets and larger groups; the rhythmic complexity of Monk; and more. Please...

People make music for many different reasons. In Kelly Green’s case, her new album  Corner Of My Dreams  is in part an attempt to process the loss of her mother to suicide. In this interview, Green talks about writing the music on the new album; finding the right musicians to play it; telling her mom’s story at live shows; and much more. Find out more at https://www.kellygreenpiano.com...

Chris Cheek’s new album is  Keepers of the Eastern Door . It features Bill Frisell, Tony Scherr, and Rudy Royston. In this interview, we talk about putting the band together; how the stories of indigenous people inspired the album; how a painting led to a voyage of discovery; and more. A note that Chris was last on the show sixteen years ago with the band Rudder. After you listen to this epi...

Sheila Jordan passed away today (August 11, 2025) at the age of 96. This is an interview I did with Sheila for episode #500. She will be missed. /// The Jazz Session celebrates its 500th episode with NEA Jazz Master Sheila Jordan . In this interview, Jordan talks about how a nickel changed her life; her early years on 52nd Street with Charlie Parker; her work with Steve Swallow and the poetry of R...

Jason Crane chats with guitarist Nico Soffiato and trumpeter/keyboardist Josh Deutsch about their new Redshift Trio album  Cloud Forest . The trio features three drummers on different tracks: Dave King, Rudy Royston, and Bram Kinchloe. In this interview, Nico and Josh talk about creating the music; their expanding sonic palette; how they chose the drummers; the logistics of longevity; and more. PA...

Jason Crane chats with the members of the improvising collective Jump Off This Bridge : Judith Insell (viola), Virg Dzurinko (piano), Eli Asher (trumpet), and Leonid Galaganov (percussion). They tell a Rashomon-esque story about the formation of the band, and then the conversation covers their new album, Quarks ; group improvisation; knowing when not to play; finding joy in the collective; and mor...

German pianist Johanna Summer has released several albums in recent years: Upright (ACT, 2025);  Cameo (ACT, 2025 with Jakob Manz); and Resonanzen (ACT, 2023). In this interview, Summer discusses all three albums; her musical partnership with Manz; improvising on classical themes; finding freedom through limitation; and much more. NOTE:  Members get an extra segment from the interview in which Joh...

Jason Crane talks with saxophonist Muriel Grossmann about her new album, Light Of The Mind . They also talk about Buddhism and its relationship to improvisation; the music scene on the Spanish island where Muriel lives; finding players and sticking with them; and more. Learn more about Muriel at http://www.murielgrossmann.com . PATREON Become a Patreon supporter for $5 a month to get a bonus show...

Jason Crane talks with Emily Mikesell and Kate Campbell Strauss about their debut album, Give Way . The album uses overdubbing to create a choir of of trumpets and saxophones. In this interview, they talk about the random way they were paired in a grad school class; why the partnership works so well; how they used Brian Eno’s prompts to write the music; and more. Get the album on Bandcamp he...

The Jazz Session returns after nearly a year with a new episode featuring pianist Rachel Eckroth. This interview was recorded in October 2023 and focuses on Rachel’s then-new album Humanoid. We also talk about returning to the piano, recording in a live setting, the album  Money Jungle , and more. Find Rachel online at https://www.racheleckroth.com . Rachel was also on episode 544 in 2021 ....

The Jazz Session turns 17 today! I’m celebrating with an archival episode from back in my jazz radio days. I interviewed Les McCann in 2004 about his classic album Swiss Movement . Les passed away on December 29, 2023. I thought I’d commemorate his passing and celebrate his life and the birthday of this show by sharing that interview with you. Thanks for listening and for supporting Th...

Saxophonist Allison Au’s new album is called Migrations . On it, she explores her family’s history of migration, and by extension the plight of migrants everywhere. In this interview, Allison talks about the album’s spoken word and sung elements; her family history and how it impacted the work; the arranging challenges presented by the presence of strings; and more. Allison was p...

Danish saxophonist Benjamin Koppel’s new trio recording with Scott Colley and Brian Blade is called Perspective . In this interview, Benjamin talks about the special relationship between the band members; the band as a collective; his family’s long history in music in Denmark; why he chooses to play in so many different genres; and more. PATREON Become a Patreon supporter for $5 a mont...

Allison Miller’s latest album is called Rivers In Our Veins. In this interview, Allison talks about the inspiration for the project and the research into American waterways that went into it; the care she took in assembling the band; the multimedia nature of the project, which includes both visuals and dancers; and much more. PATREON Become a Patreon supporter for $5 a month to get a bonus s...

Saxophonist Benjamin Boone’s new album is Caught In The Rhythm (Origin Records, 2023). In this interview, Ben talks about his ongoing project to combine poetry with improvised music; how he approaches the selection and setting of the poems; his study of the music of speech; using his music for social commentary; and more. PATREON Become a Patreon supporter for $5 a month to get a bonus show...

Marc Copland’s latest album is Someday (InnerVoiceJazz, 2023). In this interview, Marc talks about his bandmates; why he seeks out opportunities to play with younger musicians; his years with John Abercrombie and Gary Peacock; going into the studio without a detailed plan; and much more. PATREON Become a Patreon supporter for $5 a month to get a bonus show called This I Dig Of You , on which...