The Jazz Session

Guitarist Mike Stern has played with everyone. And yes, that includes Miles Davis. After decades in the business, he could easily be resting on his laurels. Instead, he’s pushing himself into new territory, as displayed on his CD Big Neighborhood (Heads Up, 2009), which finds him in the company of everyone from Esperanza Spaulding to Randy Brecker to Eric Johnson to Steve Vai. In this interv...

Trombonist David Gibson delivers another album full of melody and grounded in a strong sense of purpose on his new CD A Little Somethin’ (Posi-Tone, 2009). Gibson is a veteran of the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band, and a leader in his own right. In this interview, Gibson talks about the importance of melody in his writing; the sound of a working band; and why he chooses to focus on origin...

Dutch bassist Joris Teepe has lived in New York for the past 20 years, making a name for himself with everyone from Benny Golson to the late Rashied Ali. Recently, Teepe was commissioned to write music for both an orchestra and a big band in Europe. Those two experiences were so positive that he decided to start a big band in New York, and the result is the CD We Take No Prisoners (Challenge Recor...

Ellis Marsalis is more than the father of four famous sons. He’s an acclaimed pianist and educator in his own right, and his musical history has covered a lot of ground. Homecoming (ELM Records, 2009), his new CD, is a mix of old and new, combining a reissue of 1985 duet session with saxophonist Eddie Harris, and new music recorded in 2009 with fellow New Orleanian pianist Jonathan Batiste....

The American Federation of Jazz Musicians Local 802 is trying to win pension benefits for jazz musicians who play in New York City clubs. In 2007, Local 802 fought and won tax relief for NYC jazz clubs, with the expectation of state legislators that the clubs would use this money to provide pension benefit contributions for jazz artists. Now that the tax money has been made available, the club own...

Pianist Vijay Iyer navigates the stream of history on his new trio recording, Historicity (ACT, 2009). Joined by bassist Stephan Crump and drummer Marcus Gilmore, Iyer unravels and rebuilds compositions of his own, and those of a cast as diverse as Stevie Wonder, Andrew Hill, Leonard Bernstein and M.I.A. In this interview, Iyer tackles everything from mirror neurons to math jazz, Fibonacci numbers...

Drummer Jason Marsalis turns to the vibraphone on his new record, Music Update (ELM Records, 2009). In this interview, Marsalis talks about the reason he chose to focus on the vibes; the process by which he recorded the drum ensemble tracks on the CD; and his view of the current state of recovery in New Orleans. Find out more at JasonMarsalis.com . If you’d like to buy this album, you can he...

Jason Crane interviews guitarist Bobby Broom. Broom, a longtime member of Sonny Rollins’ band, has a new album of Monk tunes called Plays For Monk (Origin Records, 2009). In this interview, Broom talks about why he felt the need to tackle Monk’s material; the impact of choosing Chicago rather than New York as his base of operations; and how he recorded his one-and-only Hendrix-style de...

Jason Crane interviews bassist John Patitucci. On Remembrance (Concord, 2009), Patitucci uses the classic sax-bass-drums formation to pay homage to jazz masters past and present. Joined by Joe Lovano and Brian Blade, Patitucci is heard to great effect on both acoustic and electric bass. In this interview, Patitucci talks about his friend Michael Brecker, to whom the title track is dedicated; his v...

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...

Jason Crane interviews pianist Marian McPartland. For 30 years, McPartland has been the host of Piano Jazz , a weekly radio program featuring duets between McPartland and many of the great jazz players of the past several generations. In this interview, McPartland talks about the benefit of an unexpected visit from Bill Evans; why the Hickory House was a good jazz room in spite of itself; and why...

Jason Crane interviews guitarist Terrence Brewer. Brewer’s new album is called Groovin’ Wes (Strong Brew Music, 2009). After three albums of original music, Brewer uses his new record to explore music by, or identified with, Wes Montgomery. In this interview, Brewer talks about his early years in Pittsburg (not the one you’re thinking of); his decision to start his recording care...

Jason Crane interviews Sam Yahel. Yahel is best known as an organist who has performed and recorded with Joshua Redman, Bill Frisell, Norah Jones, Lizz Wright, Ryan Kisor, Madeleine Peyroux and many others. He started as a pianist, though, a side he showcases on his new album, Hometown (Posi-Tone, 2009). In this interview, Yahel talks about his decision to make a piano recording, how his organ pla...

Jason Crane interviews pianist Myra Melford. Melford is active with many groups and on many recordings, including this year’s Under The Water (Libra, 2009) with pianist Satoko Fujii. In this interview, Melford talks about her early contact with Leroy Jenkins, Henry Threadgill and other AACM musicians; her pursuit of an individual voice; and the role that her meditation and martial arts pract...

Jason Crane interviews jazz journalist Marc Myers about saxophonist Bud Shank’s early influence on bossa nova. Although largely forgotten by modern bossa nova fans, Bud Shank’s band with guitarist Laurindo Almeida was at the forefront of the Brazillian-folk-jazz movement. Their early records ended up in Rio de Janeiro, where Antonio Carlos Jobim, Joao Gilberto and others listened to th...

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 discu...

Jason Crane interviews pianist Steve Kuhn. Kuhn’s new album, Mostly Coltrane (ECM, 2009), pays tribute to John Coltrane, with whom Kuhn worked for several weeks in the early 60s. In this interview, Kuhn talks about Coltrane, the Lenox School of Jazz, his composing methods, and the support he received early on from Bill Evans. He also discusses the sacrifices he made in pursuit of his musical...

Jason Crane interviews bassist Avery Sharpe. Sharpe’s album, Autumn Moonlight (JKNM, 2009) is an exploration of the piano trio by a man who played bass in one of the most famous such trios in recent memory, that of McCoy Tyner. In this interview, Sharpe talks about why he likes to perform in the trio format, how he chose between insurance adjusting and the bass, and the night he left Art Bla...

Jason Crane interviews composer Nicholas Urie. Urie’s fascinating album, Excerpts From An Online Dating Service (Red Piano, 2009) combines lyrics taken from online dating sites with complex and creative music for a large band. Citing Kurt Weill as a major influence, Urie has made an album that explores what Weill might have been like if he’d had a Facebook account. Find out more at Nic...

Jason Crane interviews pianist Bill Anschell and saxophonist Brent Jensen. Their new album, We Couldn’t Agree More (Origin, 2009) is a duet session. In this interview, Anschell and Jensen talk about how the album came to be, the particular qualities of duet playing, and the question of standards versus new music. If you’d like to buy this album, you can help support The Jazz Session by...

Jason Crane interviews organist Gene Ludwig. He tossed a coin to decide whether to be an engineer or a musician. With that out of the way, Ludwig came on the scene in the late 1950s and has made a living playing the organ ever since. He’s been in the bands of Sonny Stitt and Arthur Prysock, and has played opposite everyone from Dizzy Gillespie to Cannonball Adderley. The musical samples in t...

Jason Crane interviews trumpeter Terence Blanchard. A standard-bearer for his home city of New Orleans, Blanchard turns his musical spotlight on the positive changes that have occurred since Katrina with his new CD, Choices (Concord Records, 2009). In this wide-ranging interview, Blanchard talks about the cultural rebuilding of New Orleans, the ability of music to stand up in the face of tragedy,...

Jason Crane interviews drummer Carl Allen. He and Rodney Whitaker have just released their second CD for Mack Avenue Records, titled Work To Do . Allen has been on the jazz scene since joining Freddie Hubbard’s band in college, and he’s served as the mentor for many jazz musicians, most notably Christian McBride. In this interview, Allen talks about why he and Whitaker chose the music...

Jason Crane interviews bassist Christian McBride. McBride returns to the acoustic realm with his new record, Kind of Brown (Mack Avenue Records, 2009). The album is a reunion of players from McBride’s career — drummer Carl Allen, pianist Eric Reed, saxophonist Steve Wilson, and vibraphonist (and former student of McBride’s) Warren Wolf, Jr. In this interview, McBride talks about...

Jason Crane interviews drummer and composer E.J. Strickland. Strickland’s new album is called In This Day (Strick Muzik, 2009). E.J. and his twin brother Marcus grew up in Miami, sons of a musical father. They knew early on that they wanted to be musicians, and they’ve pursued that path with a single-minded devotion. On In This Day , E.J. Strickland’s vision is realized not just...