The Jazz Session

No BS! Brass hails from Richmond, VA, and they don’t sound like any brass band you’ve ever heard. Their new album, No BS! (2010), features their special blend on horns, funk and metal attitude. In this interview, co-founder Reggie Pace talks about the birth of the band; his own growth as an arranger and writer over the course of the band’s three albums; and the burgeoning music s...

Saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh teams with guitarist Ben Monder and drummer Daniel Humair on I Will Follow You (Bee Jazz, 2010). In this interview, Sabbagh talks about the formation of this trio; his varying approaches to composition; and how his diverse musical choices make him difficult to label but more content as a player. Learn more at jeromesabbagh.com. Tracks used in this episode: I Will Follow...

Trombonist Brian Drye leads a band of first-call New York players on the album Bizingas (NCM East, 2010). In this interview, Drye talks about the mischievous origins of the band’s name; his free-form approach to structuring the music on the album; and why he gravitates toward non-standard instrumentation. Learn more at bizingas.com . Tracks used in this episode: Tagger; Money Market; Sifting...

Portuguese saxophonist Rodrigo Amado’s new album, Searching For Adam (Not Two, 2010), features Taylor Ho Bynum, John Hebert and Gerald Cleaver. In this interview, Amado describes how he chose his bandmates without having played with them before; talks about his decision to record freely improvised music; and tells the story of the amazing transformation of the jazz scene in Lisbon and Portug...

Trombonist Ray Anderson teams up with longtime friend Marty Ehrlich for the new live record, Hear You Say (Challenge Records, 2010). In this interview, Anderson talks about his friendship with Ehrlich, which goes back to their days with Anthony Braxton; how he came to have such an open musical mind; and some breaking news regarding another new CD coming out this spring. Learn more at www.rayanders...

Saxophonist David Binney is one of the most prolific composers on the jazz scene today. His most recent album is Graylen Epicenter (Mythology, 2011). In this interview, Binney talks about the origin of the band on this record; the interesting story behind the CD’s unusual title; and his opinion on the grant process for jazz composers. Learn more at www.davidbinney.com . Tracks used in this e...

Bassist Robert Hurst has been a first-call musician since his early days with Wynton and Branford Marsalis. He’s just released two new albums, Bob Ya Head (Bebob Records, 2011) and Unrehurst, Vol. 2 (Bebob Records, 2011). In this interview, recorded at Jazz Standard in New York, Hurst talks about the politics and rhythms underlying Bob Ya Head ; how his Detroit upbringing impacted his musica...

Pianist Lynne Arriale’s new CD, Convergence (Motema, 2011), is her second album to feature a horn player, this time saxophonist Bill McHenry. In this interview, Arriale talks about her decision to expand her band; how she searches within herself as part of her compositional process; and why she enjoys teaching as a means of human connection. Learn more at lynnearriale.com . NOTE: Convergence...

Gerald Cleaver’s new album, Be It As I See It (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2011), is a musical exploration of the Great Migration and its relation to his own family’s history. In this interview, Cleaver discusses the musical and historical mission behind the formation of his band Uncle June; his use of spoken word and sound collages as additional layers in his compositions; and how he made...

Soprano saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom delivers yet another excellent record with Wingwalker (Outline, 2011). In this interview, Bloom talks about her use of movement in performance; why she doesn’t feel the need to “script” much of the recording process; and how some solos can only be played amidst great silence. Learn more at http://janeirabloom.com . Tracks used in this interview:...

Bass clarinetist Jason Stein and his trio Locksmith Isadore have just released their third album, Three Kinds Of Happiness (NotTwo, 2010). In this interview, Stein talks about why he started playing bass clarinet; how this album marks a new beginning for the trio; and how he approaches solo performances on the bass clarinet. Learn more at http://jasonsteinmusic.com . Tracks used on this program: C...

Mina Cho grew up in Korea playing classical music and American gospel. A chance meeting with a Berklee grad sent her to Boston where she studied South American folk music. Her new album, Originality (Mina Cho Music, 2010), combines all those influences and more. In this interview, Cho discusses her uncommon background; her studies with composer Leo Blanco; and why gospel music is so important to h...

Herbie Nichols would have been 92 years old today. The pianist is the subject of a new biography — Herbie Nichols: A Jazzist’s Life by Mark Miller. In this interview, Miller talks about why Nichols failed to become known during his lifetime; why Nichols is often labeled an acolyte of Thelonious Monk; and how Miller came to write the book in the first place. Learn more at the Web site o...

Saxophonist Christine Jensen is at the helm of a big band for her new album, Treelines (Justin Time, 2010). In this interview, Jensen talks about why she formed a big band; her special musical rapport with her sister, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen; and how she takes her compositional inspiration on this album from the natural world. Learn more at www.christinejensenmusic.com . NOTE : This is Christine J...

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 .

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 .

Woodwind player Jason Robinson released three albums this fall — solo ( Cerberus Reigning ), duo ( Cerulean Landscape ) and full band ( The Two Faces of Janus ). In this interview, Robinson discusses his use of electronics and computer manipulation in his solo saxophone playing; how the music of Duke Ellington and Cecil Taylor inform his duets with pianist Anthony Davis; and how he very care...

Drummer Gabriel Gloege’s Dymaxion Quartet takes inspiration from Buckminster Fuller and photographer Asca S.R. Aull on the album Sympathetic Vibrations . In this interview, Gloege talks about those two sources of inspiration; how Fuller’s ideas and Aull’s photos inform the music on this album; and how he structures his compositions in the absence of a chordal instrument. Learn mo...

Pianist Dan Tepfer creates fresh and dynamic music on his new trio album, Five Pedals Deep (Sunnyside, 2010). In this interview, Tepfer talks about forming his new trio with Thomas Morgan and Ted Poor; some differences between European and American approaches to jazz performance; and his extended musical partnership with Lee Konitz. Learn more at www.dantepfer.com .

Saxophonist Patrick Cornelius has put together a “chordless” ensemble for his new album, Fierce (Whirlwind Recordings, 2010). In this interview, Cornelius talks about his particular approach to composing for a band with no chordal instrument; his various musical projects at home and abroad; and his travels in the music from his home in Texas to Boston to New York. Learn more at www.pat...

Saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa teams up with fellow saxophonist Bunky Green for Apex (Pi Recordings, 2010), an album of original compositions featuring Jason Moran, Francois Moutin, Jack DeJohnette and Damion Reed. In this interview, Mahanthappa talks about his first exposure to Bunky Green’s playing; why this all-star cast feels like a working band; and the thought process behind the compo...

The Either/Orchestra is celebrating 25 years of making music with their new CD, Mood Music For Time Travellers (Accurate Records, 2010). In this interview, founder and leader Russ Gershon talks about how the band got started; how it has survived for 25 years; and the music on the new album, which returns to the “classic” E/O sound after several years working with Ethiopian musicians. L...

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 .

Matt Jorgensen pays tribute to his father-in-law, artist Dale Chisman, on his new CD, Tattooed By Passion (Origin Records, 2010). In this interview, Jorgensen talks about Chisman’s art and the genesis of this album; how Chisman’s approach to painting mirrors Jorgensen’s approach to composing; and how Jorgensen and Thomas Marriott worked together to write several of the tunes on t...

The Jazz Session is launching a new membership campaign — “100 By 300” — with the goal of reaching 100 members by the 300th show. For the cost of a couple cups of (admittedly expensive) coffee each month, you can keep The Jazz Session going for years to come. Visit the Join page and become a member for as little as $10 a month or $110 a year. Thank you for your support! And...