The Jazz Session

Vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and multimedia artist Jen Shyu ‘s new album comes out on April 23, 2021. It’s called Zero Grasses — Ritual For The Losses (Pi Recordings). In this interview, Shyu talks about writing music in the aftermath of the loss of her father; working with students to chronicle their experience of the pandemic; the mentors she admires; and much more. / / / I’...

Laila Biali just received a JUNO nomination for her 2020 album Out Of Dust , released during the pandemic and inspired by a challenging year in her personal life. In this interview Biali talks about translating experience to music; releasing an album during a time of crisis; bridging the pop-jazz divide; her work with Sting; and much more. / / / I’ve been recording conversations with jazz mu...

Violinist Sara Caswell has played with everyone from Esperanza Spalding to Brad Mehldau to Bruce Springsteen to symphony orchestras. In this interview, she talks about how her musicologist parents started her on the right path early; her decision to focus on improvised music; her 2018 Grammy nomination; her forthcoming album; and more. / / / I’ve been recording conversations with jazz musici...

Trumpeter Chloe Rowlands is part of The Westerlies, a brass quartet whose most recent album is a collaboration with Theo Bleckmann called This Land . In this interview, Rowlands talks about the formation of The Westerlies and how she joined; the origin of the new album; her experience coming out as a trans woman in the jazz world; and much more. Learn more at https://www.westerliesmusic.com/ . / /...

Ride Symbol Records recently reissued saxophonist and flautist Claire Daly ‘s 2008 album Rah! Rah! The album is a tribute to Rahsaan Roland Kirk. In this interview, Daly talks about her first exposure to Rahsaan on record and in person; the fabulous band that backs her on the album; how she fell in love with the baritone saxophone; and much more. / / / This show marks the 14th anniversary of...

Composer Jihye Lee ‘s sophomore album is called Daring Mind . In this interview, we trace Lee’s beginnings as a singer-songwriter in Seoul with no jazz background; how her desire to compose led her to attend Berklee College of Music; how she uses music to process emotions; and much more. / / / I’ve been recording conversations with jazz musicians on The Jazz Session since 2007. I...

Keyboardist and vocalist Rachel Eckroth just released a new duo recording with her husband Tim Lefebvre ( interview ) called The Blackbird Sessions Vol. 1 . In this interview, Eckroth talks about her evolution as a vocalist and keyboardist; the origins of this duo recording; her work with Rufus Wainwright; her upcoming projects; and more. You can hear more of her performances with Lefebvre at thei...

Laurie Pepper is back on the show to talk about the 11th volume in her Unreleased Art Pepper series. This one features a 1980 concert in Atlanta. In this interview, Pepper talks about how the concert came to be recorded; the work she continues to do on the extensive library of Art Pepper recordings she owns; the audiobook version of the classic jazz biography Straight Life ; and much more. Listen...

Pianist Yoko Miwa ‘s new album, Songs Of Joy , comes out on February 12, 2021. In this interview, Miwa talks about recording during the pandemic; the loss of her father and how she memorialized him in a composition; why she continues to include Monk in her repertoire; and much more. / / / I’ve been recording conversations with jazz musicians on The Jazz Session since 2007. I’m no...

Lara Driscoll is half of the Firm Roots Duo , a two-piano ensemble also featuring her husband Chris White . In this interview, Lara talks about the challenges of performing and recording with two pianos; how she and Chris work together as composers; fun times in an RV; the fascinating story of recording their new album, Firm Roots ; and more. / / / I’ve been recording conversations with jazz...

Pianist Yelena Eckemoff is a prolific composer. In this interview, she talks about Nocturnal Animals , which came out earlier this year, and Adventures Of The Wildflower , which comes out in March 2021. Eckemoff also talks about incorporating poetry and prose and art into her musical presentations; the path from idea to composition; and much more. Technical note: This is the first episode I record...

Violinist Tomoko Omura ‘s latest album is Branches, Vol. 1 . In this interview, she talks about the album’s sonic landscape; how she drew from Japanese folktales to write the music; the gorgeous artwork by Trina Hines ; and a lot more. Be sure to also watch the illustrated music video for “Revenge of the Rabbit.” / / / I’ve been recording conversations with jazz music...

Pianist Miki Yamanaka ‘s new album is Human Dust Suite . In this interview, Yamanaka talks about the artwork that inspired the suite; how she left a graduate program in seismology in Japan to become a jazz pianist in New York; why she chose the specific players who accompany her on the album; and more. CONCERT NOTE: Miki Yamanaka is playing with Philip Harper at Smalls Jazz Club this Saturda...

Drummer and educator Dr. Colleen Clark is the first woman to receive a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Jazz Performance at the University of North Texas. In this interview, she talks about her educational background; why she loves Thelonious Monk and Charles Mingus; her sports-adjacent philosophy of music education; her new band; and more. / / / I’ve been recording conversations with jazz m...

Champian Fulton’s new album, Birdsong , is a tribute to Charlie Parker’s 100th birthday. The album features Fulton’s working band plus saxophonist Scott Hamilton. In this interview, Fulton talks about meeting Hamilton in Europe; why she feels such a special connection to Bird; how she’s kept in touch with her audience during the pandemic; and some upcoming recording project...

Vocalist Allegra Levy ‘s new album is Lose My Number: Levy Sings McNeil (SteepleChase, 2020). On it, she sings lyrics she wrote for the songs of her longtime collaborator, trumpeter John McNeil. In this interview, Levy talks about writing lyrics for someone else’s tunes; the story behind her all-woman band; finding new performance models both during and after the pandemic; and more. /...

Trombonist and vocalist Natalie Cressman has released an album and a single with Brazilian guitarist Ian Faquini, and a second album is nearly complete. In this interview, Cressman talks about immersing herself in the Portuguese language; the subtlety of her duo playing with Faquini; virtual music during the pandemic; and the recording of their second album. / / / I’ve been recording convers...

Vocalist Sara Serpa confronts the history of Portuguese colonialism in Angola on her new album Recognition . In this interview, she talks about her family’s experiences as both colonizers and resistance fighters; the formation of the unique ensemble that plays the music on the album; how she created the film which the music accompanies; and a forthcoming project based on the work of author E...

Pianist Angelica Sanchez has a new duet album with pianist Marilyn Crispell ( interview ) called How To Turn The Moon . In this interview, Sanchez talks about her lifelong admiration of Crispell’s playing; the intricacies of the piano duet; her interest in neuroscience and the work of artist Santiago Ramón y Cajal; and more. / / / I’ve been recording conversations with jazz musicians o...

Vocalist Christine Correa ‘s new album with pianist Ran Blake is When Soft Rains Fall . It’s a tribute to Billie Holiday’s seminal recording Lady In Satin . In this interview, Correa talks about her longtime relationship with Blake and how that informed the recording process; why she encourages her students to put down the sheet music and use their ears; her upcoming projects; an...

Guitarist Leni Stern has spent years collaborating with musicians from other cultures and musical styles, particularly with musicians from Senegal and Mali. On her latest album, 4 , Stern continues that work, and adds Argentinian keyboardist Leo Genovese into the mix. In this interview, Stern talks about how she started studying west African music; adapting her own playing to the rhythmic needs of...

Flute player Jamie Baum talks about her experiences as a New-York-based jazz musician during the pandemic. She also sheds light on her experiments with South Asian music; appreciation vs. appropriation; her various composing projects; and some upcoming album releases. / / / I’ve been recording conversations with jazz musicians since 2007. I think it’s important work that deserves publi...

Welcome to the premiere of season 13 of The Jazz Session ! This episode begins with some big news before turning to pianist Cat Toren and her new album, Scintillating Beauty . In this interview, Toren talks about the genesis of the new record; sound healing; bringing a child into the world; her upcoming projects; and the challenge of navigating online spaces. / / / As you’ll hear in this epi...

In this episode, Dwight from Eat The Rich joins me to talk about Joni Mitchell’s 1980 live album Shadows And Light . The album features Pat Metheny, Lyle Mays, Michael Brecker, Jaco Pastorius, Don Alias, and The Persuasions. We talk about some of the highlights of the record and play excerpts. Then we talk about the current economic state of the jazz world, and what the future might bring. Y...

Since the beginning of quarantine, clarinetist Ben Goldberg has been recording a new piece of music each day in a project called Plague Diary . In this interview, Goldberg talks about why he started this project; how Steve Lacy helped him articulate an artistic vision; the influence of poet/educator/prophet Allen Grossman; and much more. / / / This is the final episode of season 12 . If you’...