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Eclecticism Continued: A Conversation with Dave Liebman (Part One)

For over fifty years, Dave Liebman has been at the forefront of musical creativity. Whether his time as a sideman with artists including Miles Davis and Elvin Jones or his own works like Lookout Farm (ECM, 1973) or The Loneliness of a Long Distance Runner (CMP, 1986) or his various recordings with Quest, he has […]

Talk Memory: A Conversation with BADBADNOTGOOD’s Leland Whitty

Over the past decade, Canadian ensemble BADBADNOTGOOD has established itself as a powerful force in creative music. The group initially emerged from the shared love of hip hop by three students – Matthew Tavares, Alexander Sowinski, and Chester Hansen – at Humber College’s jazz program. Jump forward a few years and the addition of saxophonist […]

Changing Molecules: A Conversation with Steven Bernstein (Part Two)

We continue our conversation with Steven Bernstein by discussing his Community Music project more generally and what distinguishes Tinctures in Time (Royal Potato Family, 2021) from the forthcoming three albums in the series. We also consider Sexmob’s continued legacy on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the groundbreaking band’s founding, including the uniqueness of Bernstein’s choice to […]

Changing Molecules: A Conversation with Steven Bernstein (Part One)

Since arriving in New York over forty years ago, Steven Bernstein has established himself as a powerful voice in music. One commonality across most of his work has been a consistent refusal to be boxed into a particular style or approach. Many may point to his relationship to the downtown music scene. In 1990, the […]

Newport Jawn: A Conversation with Christian McBride (Part Two)

We continue our conversation with Christian McBride by discussing his thoughts on the connection between music and sports, his work as a DJ, the concept of genre, and some more on the Newport Jazz Festival and his role as its Artistic Director. Part one of our discussion can be found here. PG: Miles Davis used to […]

Newport Jawn: A Conversation with Christian McBride (Part One)

From its founding in 1954 until 2019, the Newport Jazz Festival had been canceled only once, for a single year following the unruly behavior of non-attendees in 1960. The event also spent a decade relocated in New York City, but still bore the Newport moniker, continuing its legacy from afar. But, as with much else, […]

Ritual for the Losses: A Brief Conversation with Jen Shyu

During her recording career thus far, Jen Shyu has drawn on a deep well of song, fable, and poetry from various Asian traditions. Often these incorporate each culture’s native languages. The music on Zero Grasses: Ritual for the Losses (Pi, 2021), her extraordinary new release similarly builds upon traditional Javanese music, Japanese katari, and East […]

Making Contact: Max Ribner’s 1st Language

Portland-based flugelhorn and trumpet player Max Ribner makes his solo debut with 1st Language (Self-release, 2021), a colorful tapestry of groove and texture utilizing over 50 collaborators across multiple continents. Ribner’s warm, articulate trumpet sound sits atop some killer rhythm sections interspersed with the sounds of gospel choir, brass band, and a 12 piece string […]