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Easier to See from the Outside: A Conversation with John Lurie

Symbolist painter Gustave Klimt once noted, “Art is a line around your thoughts.” Of course, as the march of time progresses, an artist’s thoughts change and adapt. No one should expect 1950s Miles Davis to sound precisely the same as his 1970s or 1980s counterparts. But what happens when an artist’s life circumstances change so […]

Moving by Breath: A Conversation with David Leon on ‘Bird’s Eye’

Arguably, the essence of jazz lies in its use of improvisation. The ability of an artist to create in the moment based on the artist’s then-existing perspective – rather than merely trying to put their own spin on the choices of another or their past self – often causes the artist to reveal more about […]

Translating the Language: A Conversation with Lenny White (Part Two)

We continue our conversation with Lenny White (read part one here), with a discussion of his work with Santana, Azteca, Gato Barbieri, Return to Forever, Jaco Pastorious, and much more. PostGenre: A lot of your music has Latin influences. You worked with Santana on Caravanserai (Columbia, 1972). Around that time, you also performed and recorded with Azteca. […]

Translating the Language: A Conversation with Lenny White (Part One)

This site primarily emphasizes music that pushes – or even transcends – preexisting concepts of how certain music “should sound.” Arguably, jazz itself is an amalgamated confluence of diverse stylistic perspectives. One of the best examples of such music can be found in Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew (Columbia, 1969). The record’s boldness made it neither transfixed on […]

“If You’re Not Still Learning, You’re Still”: A Conversation with Kahil El’Zabar on the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble at Fifty

Canadian journalist Graydon Carter once noted, “We admire elephants in part because they demonstrate what we consider the finest human traits: empathy, self-awareness, and social intelligence. ” Given these attributes, the mastodon descendant is an apt symbol for Kahil El’Zabar’s Ethnic Heritage Ensemble. The trio’s original inspiration comes from the animal, with the imagery of […]

Past, Present, and Future: A Conversation with Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah, Chieftain of the Xodokan Nation of Maroons and Grand Griot of New Orleans (Part Two)

We continue our conversation (read part one here) with Chief Adjuah, formerly known as Christian Scott, by discussing the connections between Afro Indigenous music and R&B, rock, and hip hop. We also get into the social messages in his music and the origins of the Adjuah Bow, his custom made kamele n’goni gravi-hybrid. PostGenre: Although […]

Past, Present, and Future: A Conversation with Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah, Chieftain of the Xodokan Nation of Maroons and Grand Griot of New Orleans (Part One)

Many attribute the phrase “History is a series of lies that people have agreed upon” to Napoleon Bonaparte, allegedly stated after his defeat at Waterloo in June 1815. Perhaps fittingly, there is some controversy on the origins of the quote. However, the substance behind the sentiment is undeniable. As Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah, formerly known as […]

Broken Trance: A Conversation with Ches Smith on ‘Laugh Ash’

As Arnold Schoenberg once noted, “Intelligibility in music seems to be impossible without repetition.” Repetition is a shared facet of all music. And it seems an attraction to repetition is an innately human response. Repetition transcends style. Repetition transcends culture. Repetition transcends era. But things are not exactly as they seem. Merely copying a sound […]

Harmony on Your Side: A Conversation with George Coleman (Part Two)

We continue our conversation with NEA Jazz Master George Coleman (read part one here) by continuing to discuss his time with Miles Davis, Donald Byrd, the recording session for Herbie Hancock’s Maiden Voyage, working with organists, and ballads. PostGenre: There is a famous story about your time with Miles. Tony Williams, especially, had been giving […]

Harmony on Your Side: A Conversation with George Coleman (Part One)

Unfortunately, sometimes life gets in the way of interviews making it to print. This interview with the legendary George Coleman, which took place on May 19, 2023, is one such conversation. At the time, the NEA Jazz Master was promoting his latest live recording, Live at Small’s Jazz Club (Cellar Live, 2023), an electrifying quartet recording with […]