The Jazz Session

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.”

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 up Mormon in small southwestern towns. Day is nearly finished...

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 Be Happy (Fleurieu Music, 2008). And be sure...

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 saxophonist with the Thad Jones & Mel Lewis big band, and then lau...

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 the record ends with the moving tri...

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 Strayhorn&#82...

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 with trumpeter Terence Blanchard, Parks has released his Blue Note debut, Invi...

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 stew of creative and fun tunes, all penned by Ellis.

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 Hamilton tracks, and an EP that pays trib...

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 explore larger societal questions. His 2007 alb...

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, 2007). Both concerts show Pep...

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 Rogers on bass and Greg Hutchinson on drums, along with guest appear...

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 through a contemplative lens. Being There is a...

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 singing another — Shulman is able to...

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 addition to his various project...

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 in multiple venue...

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 commissioned for a Chamber Music A...

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 famed Albany jazz club Justin’s or his continuing gig wi...

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), brings together a classic rhythm section that played...

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, Germany, threw W...

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 Houston’s arts high school to Berklee and then into gigs with The Crusaders...

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 Chick Corea and Roy Haynes. Vitous’s new album is Universal Syncopations II (ECM, 20...

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 on Finding Space , an album of original music by Parker (pl...

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 cast from across the musical spec...

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 Sextet, Tony Bennett, Buddy Rich, Wayne Shorte...