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Virtues of Melody: A Conversation with Alan Braufman on ‘Infinite Love Infinite Tears’

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart once noted that “melody is the essence of music.” This may be true, but such a perspective overlooks how melody can also serve as a restraint. For an artist seeking to freely express themselves, would not adherence to a central motific theme stand in their way? As a result, in the mid to late Twentieth Century, as composers of […]

Electric Connection: A Conversation with gabby fluke-mogul on ‘GUT’

Since the first electric violins hit the market in 1930, the concept of electronically manipulating the violin has maintained an aura of mystery. While musicians including Joe Venuti and Stuff Smith readily adopted amplification to their instruments over the decades, there has remained a resistance among many to change one of the most virtuosic touchstones […]

Tranquility and Rest to the Mind: Conversations with Wadada Leo Smith and Amina Claudine Myers on ‘Central Park’s Mosaics of Reservoir, Lake, Paths and Gardens’

Thirty-seven and a half million people visit New York City’s Central Park every year. That, by itself, is a fascinating statistic when one considers the entire population of the metropolis is less than a quarter of that amount. What brings so many New Yorkers and tourists alike to the nation’s first landscaped park? Park architect Frederick Law Olmstead answered this question well by noting […]

Intervalic Awakening: A Conversation with Modney on ‘Ascending Primes’

Prime numbers – whole numbers greater than one that are not the products of two smaller whole numbers – are something of an enigma. While primaility has been under human consideration since at least 1550 BC, there is still a general lack of clarity about these numbers. While generations of mathematicians have formulated equations to […]

Solo? : A Conversation with Josh Johnson on ‘Unusual Object’

Certain instruments seem destined for solo explorations. Perhaps the best example would be the piano, where a single artist can easily use one hand to accompany the other. Less stereotypical, yet no less significant, are the long run of solo saxophone recordings. Many horn players over the years have found that playing alone can provide a […]

Reflections : A Conversation with Karriem Riggins on Jahari Massamba Unit’s ‘YHWH is Love’

The corporate-led division of music into genres ignored the reality of the music presented. This is perhaps no better seen than in the relationship between “jazz” and “hip hop.” Over the last two decades, many have written about the meeting of these two stylistic influences. This analysis, however, is incredibly misguided. Technically speaking, it is […]

Pushing Off: A Conversation with Christopher Hoffman on ‘Vision is the Identity’

Henry David Thoreau once noted, “The perception of beauty is a moral test.” Regardless of whether we wish to acknowledge it, one cannot deny that their biases and history shape how they experience everything around them, including art. Interestingly, this artistic predisposition extends to ideas of how a particular instrument “should sound.” In the case […]

Watchtower: A Conversation with Dezron Douglas

Unfortunately, sometimes life gets in the way of interviews making it to print. This interview with Dezron Douglas, which took place on November 10, 2022, is one such conversation. At the time, the bassist was about to release his quartet’s record, Atalaya (International Anthem, 2022). As that same group – with pianist George Burton, drummer […]

Traveling the Sound World : A Conversation with Brandon Ross on Phantom Station

Borrowed from the ancient Greek φαντάζω, the idea of a phantom evokes a shadowy force that someone cannot precisely locate. The term suggests something seen or heard but which is not actually present. The power of a phantom comes from the perceiver’s inability to fully understand their surroundings. In this sense, Phantom Station is an […]

Collaborative High Intensity : A Conversation with Anthony Pirog on ‘The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis’

Jazz and punk have long had a fascinating relationship. Mixing both styles dates back to at least fifty years ago, with punk powerhouse The Stooges incorporating jazz-influenced saxophone solos on “L.A. Blues” and the title track on Fun House (Elektra, 1970). Actually, many of the early punk icons were fans of jazz music, particularly the grittiness and […]