INTERVIEWS
- Trust: A Conversation with Sylvie Courvoisier and Mary HalvorsonAn artistic spark leads humanity to create wonders of beauty. Philosophers will debate the origins of this creative impetus. Some credit a higher, more divine power. But, regardless of its source, it is indisputable that there is a force that drives toward creation, one that transcends cultural norms, stylistic restrictions, and temporal limitations. Consider how… Read more: Trust: A Conversation with Sylvie Courvoisier and Mary Halvorson
- Fear, Resilience, and Reflection: A Conversation with Adam O’Farrill on ‘For These Streets’Mired by poverty and the global rise of fascism, the 1930s is far too often seen as a wholly bleak era stuck after the Roaring ‘20s and leading into a tumultuous global war. But, in reality, the era was also full of bright spots of optimism enveloped in a world of morosity. One need look… Read more: Fear, Resilience, and Reflection: A Conversation with Adam O’Farrill on ‘For These Streets’
- Finding a Universal Consciousness: A Conversation with Ambrose AkinmusireIt is sometimes easy to compartmentalize the internal and the external world. One can perceive personal thoughts as entirely an expression of spirit, removed from their surroundings. However, there is no sturdy wall between inside and out, only a permeable membrane. One’s personality and emotions will inevitably be shaped by experiences encountered during their life,… Read more: Finding a Universal Consciousness: A Conversation with Ambrose Akinmusire
- Dealing in Ideas: A Conversation with Seymour Wright on أحمد [Ahmed]A popular saying holds that “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” The quote is often attributed to Oscar Wilde, without evidence he uttered it. In reality, the Irish playwright was far less flattering to mimickers. Specifically, Wilde correctly called emulation “the homage which mediocrity pays to that which is not mediocre.” True creativity –… Read more: Dealing in Ideas: A Conversation with Seymour Wright on أحمد [Ahmed]
- Transient Luminous Event: A Conversation with Dougie BowneWhether we wish to admit it or not, the human mind yearns for the familiar. The core of art’s genrefication lies in comparing new experiences with those of old. We often instinctively draw lines to place what we hear within the strictures of time, place, and cultural and ideological lineages. And while context is important,… Read more: Transient Luminous Event: A Conversation with Dougie Bowne
- Outside the Academy: A Conversation with Jeff Parker on the ETA IVtetFrom a tour of Central Park to trek through the rainforest to a voyage to outer space, the power of art to transport its audience to a location is well-documented. Equally important, however, is the role a particular place plays in shaping music itself. Could the rhythmic ingenuity of jazz come about in any way… Read more: Outside the Academy: A Conversation with Jeff Parker on the ETA IVtet
- Slipping into Something: A Conversation with Nels Cline on the Consentrik QuartetWheels. Compact discs and vinyl records. Rings. A full moon. A plate. A Pizza. In our daily life, we are surrounded by circles. Even prehistoric generations saw the importance of the circle, carving them out of stone and timber and featuring the shape in petroglyphs and cave paintings. However, despite its constant presence, the circle… Read more: Slipping into Something: A Conversation with Nels Cline on the Consentrik Quartet
- SPACE: A Conversation with Roscoe MitchellConfucius noted that “silence is a true friend who never betrays.” To many creators, silence takes on supreme importance. Without silence, sound has no relevance. Silence is more than just the absence of organized sound, it is something to be given reverence. This is certainly the case for multi-instrumentalist Roscoe Mitchell. Throughout several prior interviews,… Read more: SPACE: A Conversation with Roscoe Mitchell
- Uncovering Forgotten Bridges: A Conversation with Ghazi Faisal Al-Mulaifi and Arturo O’FarrillFrench author Victor Hugo once wrote in his native tongue, “La musique exprime ce qui ne peut pas être dit et sur lequel il est impossible de se taire.” Roughly translated, “Music expresses what cannot be said and about which it is impossible to remain silent.” Music is more than a collection of notes and… Read more: Uncovering Forgotten Bridges: A Conversation with Ghazi Faisal Al-Mulaifi and Arturo O’Farrill
- Under the Influence of Music: A Conversation with George Porter, Jr. (Part Two)In the second half of our conversation with George Porter, Jr. we get deeper into the Meters, Earl King, Professor Longhair, The Wild Tchoupitoulas, sampling, and more. Part one is available here. PostGenre: Of course, with the Meters, you played bass and built most of your career around that instrument. Do you ever wish you had… Read more: Under the Influence of Music: A Conversation with George Porter, Jr. (Part Two)
- Under the Influence of Music: A Conversation with George Porter, Jr. (Part One)In his magnum opus, “Southern Nights,” the great Allen Toussaint sets not only the vivid imagery of natural beauty but leaves a lyrical thought deep of wonder: “Its precious beauty lies deep beyond the eye. Goes running through your soul. Like the stories told of old.” This line does more than portray the scenery of… Read more: Under the Influence of Music: A Conversation with George Porter, Jr. (Part One)
- Unfolding: A Conversation with Lesley Mok and Phillip Golub on Dream BrigadeIn an age where the romanticized façades and angered “hot takes” of social media dominate the interpersonal, meaningful relationships- platonic, professional, or otherwise – are a treasured rarity. Paradoxically, those connections are essential for societal improvement and the existence of a robust community. Why should one care about social change if they have no reason… Read more: Unfolding: A Conversation with Lesley Mok and Phillip Golub on Dream Brigade
- Front-Row Seat: A Conversation with Jason MilesBy the early 1980s, artists had too much freedom to express themselves through sound. The consequences of avant-garde experimentalism were too esoteric. The fusing of jazz with rock was somehow too mainstream. No, we needed an art form that would still appeal to exactly slightly less than 1% of the market. No more no less.… Read more: Front-Row Seat: A Conversation with Jason Miles
- Subliminal Input: A Conversation with Jon Irabagon on ‘Server Farm’Computer scientist Alan Kay once noted, “Some people worry that artificial intelligence will make us feel inferior, but then, anybody in his right mind should have an inferiority complex every time he looks at a flower.” Despite consistently recurring alarmist narratives, Artificial Intelligence (AI) will never truly supplant humanity. While the emerging technology will present… Read more: Subliminal Input: A Conversation with Jon Irabagon on ‘Server Farm’
- Bloom: A Conversation with Ellen Fullman and Theresa WongWestern music is built around concepts of melody and harmony – the idea that one form of sonic expression should come to the fore and the other to sit behind in support. But what if those concepts are not as important as we are led to believe? What if, instead, there is a dynamically evolving… Read more: Bloom: A Conversation with Ellen Fullman and Theresa Wong
- Protecting the History: A Conversation with Ebo TaylorMany define “jazz” as the meeting of African rhythms and European harmonies. In a sense, this narrative is accurate – if you remove the influence of the church, songs of the field, or cues from the homeland – the form would cease to exist. But, in another sense, this effort to identify broad sources subjugates… Read more: Protecting the History: A Conversation with Ebo Taylor
- Sound Navigation: A Conversation with Ava Mendoza on ‘The Circular Train’The process of mining – digging deep into the earth to find an essential material – dates back at least forty-three thousand years. However, the process was not modernized until the adoption of rail in the 1550s. Carts would accumulate the laborers’ findings and move them to the surface. Two centuries later, James Watt used… Read more: Sound Navigation: A Conversation with Ava Mendoza on ‘The Circular Train’
- Always There: A Conversation with George BurtonFar too often, people tend to compartmentalize and localize matters of concern. However, such an approach minimizes the true scale of what is before us. Only in perceiving the big picture of an issue can truly substantive and meaningful reform occur. As one example, slavery in America and its vestiges are frequently removed from the… Read more: Always There: A Conversation with George Burton
- Going Beyond What We Know: A Conversation with Evan Parker and Matt Wright on Trance MapIn the late 1850s, two decades before Thomas Edison’s phonograph, French inventor Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville created the first sound recording device. In the generations since, the interrelation between recorded sound and new creation have continually been a matter of great controversy. When recorded music first emerged, many musicians became dismayed that it would end… Read more: Going Beyond What We Know: A Conversation with Evan Parker and Matt Wright on Trance Map
- Dream House: A Conversation with Kalia VandeverWestern literature has long noted the disconnection between perception and reality. In 1175, French monk Alain de Lille “Do not hold everything gold that shines like gold.” Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare carried this thought through The Canterbury Tales (1387-1400) and The Merchant of Venice (1596-1598), respectively. Now, centuries later, the division of what seems… Read more: Dream House: A Conversation with Kalia Vandever
- Normal Give or Take: A Conversation with Fred Frith (Part Two)We continue our conversation with Fred Frith (read part one here) with a focus on his work with homemade instruments, specifically his duo with Sudh Tewari, Normal. PostGenre: A little earlier, you mentioned how you put aside the guitar for a few years in the early 1980s. What led to your stepping away from the… Read more: Normal Give or Take: A Conversation with Fred Frith (Part Two)
- Normal Give or Take: A Conversation with Fred Frith (Part One)When first learning about music, students are often taught to classify instruments by their sound. In the abstract, this basic exercise appears helpful. Woodwind reeds will inevitably produce a different tone than one can get on a brass mouthpiece. Tapping fingers on a string will likely not sound close to that produced by the same… Read more: Normal Give or Take: A Conversation with Fred Frith (Part One)
- Keeping the Flame: A Conversation with Archival King Zev FeldmanFar too often, history is perceived through a lens of minimizing the problems of the present. According to George Santayana, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Or to Edmund Burke, “People will not look forward to posterity, who never look backward to their ancestors.” But while the lessons learned from… Read more: Keeping the Flame: A Conversation with Archival King Zev Feldman
- Slicing through Silence: A Conversation with Jessica PavonePablo Picasso once noted that “Without great solitude, no serious work is possible.” In music, artists can converse in ways often words alone cannot. But there is also a great power in being alone. This power is known well by Jessica Pavone. Across her two decades of live performances and unaccompanied albums, the violist has… Read more: Slicing through Silence: A Conversation with Jessica Pavone
- Beautiful Imperfections: A Conversation with Aaron Parks on ‘Little Big III’As artificial intelligence increasingly disrupts our ordinary lives, there is an ongoing concern about how the new technology will impact music. In an industry in which its chief creators are already economically suppressed, it is all too easy to envision a future in which algorithms supplant artists. However, as anyone who has listened to significant… Read more: Beautiful Imperfections: A Conversation with Aaron Parks on ‘Little Big III’
- Jazz Master: A Conversation with Terry Gibbs (Part Two)We continue our conversation with Terry Gibbs (read part one here), with a discussion of the intersection of Jewish music and jazz, Alice Coltrane, the meaning of music, and more. PostGenre: Jumping ahead a bit – though we will go back – there are stories of how Charlie Parker played at bar mitzvahs. You have… Read more: Jazz Master: A Conversation with Terry Gibbs (Part Two)
- Jazz Master: A Conversation with Terry Gibbs (Part One)Since 1982, the National Endowment for the Arts has bestowed its Jazz Master award to living legends of the music. The designation is considered by many to be the highest honor an American jazz musician can receive. Generally, the NEA has made wise choices when selecting new Masters. Sonny Rollins (1983), Ron Carter (1998), George… Read more: Jazz Master: A Conversation with Terry Gibbs (Part One)
- Infinite Possibility: A Conversation with Nate Mercereau on ‘Excellent Traveler’Poet T.S. Eliot once noted, “People exercise an unconscious selection in being influenced.” Although one can feel the impact left by another individual on them, it is often difficult to quantify or qualify the vastness of the mark they have left. It is no different for art, where aesthetic antecedents are sometimes clear in one’s… Read more: Infinite Possibility: A Conversation with Nate Mercereau on ‘Excellent Traveler’
- Quilting Sound: A Conversation with Travis Laplante on ‘The Golden Lock’In a recently published piece titled “19 Critically Acclaimed Albums That Nobody Actually Listens To,” writer Victoria Omololu attempts to minimize incredible recordings with significant artistic merit. In the process, however, she reveals the author’s ignorance on the topic far more than anything of substance. This is particularly blatant in her description of Miles Davis’… Read more: Quilting Sound: A Conversation with Travis Laplante on ‘The Golden Lock’
- Drawing Energy from the Silence: A Conversation with Jason Kao Hwang on ‘Soliloquies’In September of 1939, only weeks after Hitler invaded Poland, a 100,000 Imperial Japanese force converged upon the city of Changsha in the Hunan province of China. Ultimately, the Chinese kept their territory in part through guerilla tactics. However, it bore a heavy toll. After the smoke settled, 50,000 were dead, injured, and missing. Many… Read more: Drawing Energy from the Silence: A Conversation with Jason Kao Hwang on ‘Soliloquies’
- Most Like Myself: A Conversation with Brian Marsella on the iMAGiNARiUMWhen viewed in the abstract, imagination is a very strange thing. A world that emphasizes logical reasoning would seemingly make no use of visions of the nonexistent. And yet, there is something special and powerful about the fantastical. The ability to play make-believe is a critical step in a child’s development. And as Albert Einstein… Read more: Most Like Myself: A Conversation with Brian Marsella on the iMAGiNARiUM
- Spirit Walking: A Conversation with Luke StewartThere is something mysterious about a river. As Eartha Kitt noted, “The river is constantly turning and bending and you never know where it’s going to go and where you’ll wind up.” Its inconsistency makes the water both frightening and liberating. For the many who have lost their lives in the current, generations have seen… Read more: Spirit Walking: A Conversation with Luke Stewart
- No Isolation: A Conversation with Dave Holland (Part Two)We continue our conversation (check out part one here) with NEA Jazz Master Dave Holland by digging into his solo works, bluegrass music, music from around the world, and more. PG: Since musical relationships are very important to you, it would be interesting to know more about your solo bass work on both Emerald Tears… Read more: No Isolation: A Conversation with Dave Holland (Part Two)
- No Isolation: A Conversation with Dave Holland (Part One)Ludwig van Beethoven once noted, “Music is the one incorporeal entrance into the higher world of knowledge which comprehends mankind but which mankind cannot comprehend.” Such knowledge includes a unified understanding of humanity in which we all, to some extent, influence one another. Given the brilliance of their output, it is often easy to assume… Read more: No Isolation: A Conversation with Dave Holland (Part One)
- Finding the Common Denominators: A Conversation with Patricia Brennan on ‘Breaking Stretch’Often, one of the first things a young child learns about a band is that it divides into sections. Horns lead the melodies and craft harmonies, while percussion and bass provide a rhythmic backdrop. However, this segregation of instrumental voices relies on a deeply flawed premise built upon oversimplification. Is a tongue hitting a reed… Read more: Finding the Common Denominators: A Conversation with Patricia Brennan on ‘Breaking Stretch’
- Thread of Humanity: A Conversation with Lucian Ban and Mat Maneri on ‘Transylvanian Dance’Artists inevitably bring their own perspectives and biases into their interpretation of any work. It is impossible to completely divorce current work from the tinctures of one’s background. A great example is the work of Béla Bartók. Often considered one of the most important composers of the Twentieth Century, Bartók was a founding father of… Read more: Thread of Humanity: A Conversation with Lucian Ban and Mat Maneri on ‘Transylvanian Dance’
- Laboratory: A Conversation with Danilo Pérez and John Patitucci on the Legacy of Wayne ShorterThere is a tendency to mythologize someone like Wayne Shorter, who seems larger than life. Or to put the subject on a pedestal with the label “great” without providing a sufficient and accurate discussion of why they truly are so. It becomes all too easy for people with little understanding of the facts to jump… Read more: Laboratory: A Conversation with Danilo Pérez and John Patitucci on the Legacy of Wayne Shorter
- Collision and Coexistence: A Conversation with Nicole Mitchell on ‘Bamako*Chicago Sound System’Judeo-Christian theology tells the story of the Tower of Babel to explain the existence of different languages and cultures. In the Book of Genesis, a united humanity aimed to build a tower to the heavens until God struck them down and forced the people to have different tongues to confuse them and scatter them around… Read more: Collision and Coexistence: A Conversation with Nicole Mitchell on ‘Bamako*Chicago Sound System’
- Tradition Fuels the Future: A Conversation with Artistic Director Christian McBride on the Newport Jazz Festival at SeventyThe Newport Jazz Festival has survived seven decades primarily due to how forward-looking it has been. The event has generally recognized talent above notoriety. If you present high-quality artistry, people will support it. Many of the greats tied to the Newport legacy made their most important appearances when they were underrecognized or overlooked. Before placing… Read more: Tradition Fuels the Future: A Conversation with Artistic Director Christian McBride on the Newport Jazz Festival at Seventy
- Room For It All: Braxton Cook Previews ‘Newport at 70’As the legendary Newport Jazz Festival turns seventy years old, it is all too easy to look back at the ages passed and the brilliant artists who made their way to the City by the Sea. However, sole nostalgia does little to push the music forward. That is not to say that lessons should not… Read more: Room For It All: Braxton Cook Previews ‘Newport at 70’
- Forever: Stanley Clarke Previews N•4EVER’s Performance at the 2024 Newport Jazz Festival (Part Two)We continue our conversation with NEA Jazz Master Stanley Clarke. You can read part one here. PostGenre: You were one of the first people to fully take the electric bass from the background rhythm section to being featured as a melodic instrument. Do you have a sense of why musicians did not do that previously?… Read more: Forever: Stanley Clarke Previews N•4EVER’s Performance at the 2024 Newport Jazz Festival (Part Two)
- Forever: Stanley Clarke Previews N•4EVER’s Performance at the 2024 Newport Jazz Festival (Part One)After first being mass-produced by Fender in the 1950s, the electric bass, for many years, found a home in only the rhythm section. Its full power, to some extent, was obfuscated from view. Then came Stanley Clarke. Across his work with Return to Forever, the seminal fusion band he co-founded with Chick Corea, and records… Read more: Forever: Stanley Clarke Previews N•4EVER’s Performance at the 2024 Newport Jazz Festival (Part One)
- Fearless: A Conversation with Donny McCaslin on David Bowie, Elvis Costello, and the Newport Jazz FestivalAccording to a 2015 Nielsen report, “jazz” makes up a paltry 1.3% of total music consumption in the United States. This dire statistic suggests that the art form’s reach is relegated to its small clique of loyal followers. Fortunately, the value of art lies not in its commercial properties. Far more relevant than dollar signs… Read more: Fearless: A Conversation with Donny McCaslin on David Bowie, Elvis Costello, and the Newport Jazz Festival
- Trumpet Evolution: Riley Mulherkar Previews his 2024 Newport Jazz Festival Leader DebutIn his speech to the Royal Academy on April 30, 1953, Winston Churchill remarked, “Without tradition, art is a flock of sheep without a shepherd. Without innovation, it is a corpse.” The key is to find ways to let history lead you without being haunted by the ghosts of the past. This concept is frequently… Read more: Trumpet Evolution: Riley Mulherkar Previews his 2024 Newport Jazz Festival Leader Debut
- Truly Magical Place: Jaleel Shaw Previews his 2024 Newport Jazz Festival Leader DebutThe Newport Jazz Festival’s history of saxophonists is vast, including heroes like John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and Ornette Coleman. What are less discussed are the incredible sidemen at the event over the years. Often, recognition comes only to those who lead their own groups at the Festival. One could argue an exception exists in Paul… Read more: Truly Magical Place: Jaleel Shaw Previews his 2024 Newport Jazz Festival Leader Debut
- Prepared Piano with a Brazilian Identity: Amaro Freitas Previews his 2024 Newport Jazz PerformanceBiologist and naturalist E.O. Wilson once noted, “Destroying rainforest for economic gain is like burning a Renaissance painting to cook a meal.” Nature, particularly in a region as biodiverse as a rainforest, provides such enrapturing beauty that man could only hope to recreate. Nevertheless, the destruction of such natural habitats continues unabated. In the case… Read more: Prepared Piano with a Brazilian Identity: Amaro Freitas Previews his 2024 Newport Jazz Performance
- At Heart: A Conversation with Fred Wesley on his Incredible Career and a Preview of his 2024 Newport Jazz Festival PerformanceThere are few people funkier than Fred Wesley. As James Brown increasingly turned from Soul Brother Number One into the Godfather of Funk, Fred was there. Heck, he was even Brown’s bandleader, not once but twice, each with very different bands. The earlier incarnation grooved hard and released powerful songs like “Say It Loud (I’m… Read more: At Heart: A Conversation with Fred Wesley on his Incredible Career and a Preview of his 2024 Newport Jazz Festival Performance
- In Its Own Backyard: A Conversation with Newport Festivals Foundation’s Music Education Manager Leland Baker on his Role and SUNDAY JAZZIt is all too easy for a misguided person to view the Newport Festivals as events that attempt to be isolated from the outside world to some degree. The Festivals occur in a city many see as the backyard of the rich and powerful because of its summer cottages. The Jazz Festival was also co-founded… Read more: In Its Own Backyard: A Conversation with Newport Festivals Foundation’s Music Education Manager Leland Baker on his Role and SUNDAY JAZZ
- Bringing Together: Rob Garza Previews Thievery Corporation’s 2024 Newport Jazz Festival PerformanceMusic has a unique ability to unite humanity. As Ella Fitzgerald once noted, “Music is the universal language…. it brings people together.” This power is particularly evident when artists are willing to take inspiration from diverse sources. An openness to different ideas, regardless of where they derive, permits the creation of something more substantive than… Read more: Bringing Together: Rob Garza Previews Thievery Corporation’s 2024 Newport Jazz Festival Performance
- Melting Pot of Old and Young: A Conversation with Newport Festivals Security’s Ron CudworthThis year marks the 70th anniversary of the Newport Jazz Festival’s founding in 1954. But the history is not as linear as it may seem. One can divide the seven decades into five different eras. Yet, as a lifelong Newporter like Ron Cudworth can attest, there is still a throughline between them all. He’s seen… Read more: Melting Pot of Old and Young: A Conversation with Newport Festivals Security’s Ron Cudworth
- Engagement: A Conversation with Lakecia Benjamin on ‘Phoenix Reimagined (Live)’There is something special about a live recording compared to one edited in the studio. An increased openness to risk and chance creates a palpable energy that is difficult to recreate in a more controlled setting. This is particularly true for improvised music, where art is crafted in a fleeting moment. A great example can… Read more: Engagement: A Conversation with Lakecia Benjamin on ‘Phoenix Reimagined (Live)’
- Vessel: A Conversation with Deron Johnson on Miles Davis and ‘Free to Dance’From where does music derive? Some would argue the artist is the sole cause of their own creations. But, to many, music comes from somewhere supreme and flows through them. Hence, Sonny Rollins’ statements that he is simply a conduit to a higher power. Or William Parker’s that “No individual invented any music; we just… Read more: Vessel: A Conversation with Deron Johnson on Miles Davis and ‘Free to Dance’
- Weaving: A Conversation with Janel LeppinAs an art form, weaving requires different threads to combine into one to create a sturdier whole cloth. How the threads are combined affects the characteristics of the end product. It is appropriate that cellist Janel Leppin is also a weaver by trade, as one can hear a direct application of the concepts from her… Read more: Weaving: A Conversation with Janel Leppin
- Saving the Duck: A Conversation with Alfredo Colón on ‘Blood Burden’Self-expression lies at the heart of all art. Creation that fails to reflect the artist’s spirit will never be able to connect with an audience perceiving it. As a result, dreams, hopes, and fears are all poured into the best art. But while every person has their own ideas and preferences, they do not exist… Read more: Saving the Duck: A Conversation with Alfredo Colón on ‘Blood Burden’
- Double Bill : A Conversation with Bill Frisell and Bill MorrisonAlbert Einstein once remarked, “Art is standing with one hand extended into the universe and one hand extended into the world, and letting ourselves be a conduit for passing energy.” This perspective rings true regardless of the particular format taken by such art. However, a specific magic can emerge when two or more art forms… Read more: Double Bill : A Conversation with Bill Frisell and Bill Morrison
- Freeing the Lion: A Conversation with James Blood Ulmer on Harmolodics and the Black Rock TrioGreat artists have honed a sound that is identifiable regardless of the environment surrounding them. The truly brilliant, however, are not satisfied with a mere voice. Instead, they create their own language entirely. This is best seen with Ornette Coleman and the invention of Harmolodics, a system that frees musical compositions from needing a tonal… Read more: Freeing the Lion: A Conversation with James Blood Ulmer on Harmolodics and the Black Rock Trio
- Channel to the Future: A Conversation with Elliott Sharp on ‘Die Grösste Fuge’Throughout the ages, some of the greatest composers have gifted to the world pieces not meant for their time. Often such artists are unappreciated until decades after their death. In other cases, the artist recieves recognition, but their controversial work is written off as some wild aberration. In both cases, however, time often proves the… Read more: Channel to the Future: A Conversation with Elliott Sharp on ‘Die Grösste Fuge’
- Bringing the Instrumental Back: A Conversation with Molly Miller on ‘The Ballad of Hotspur’From the 1940s through the 1960s, even into part of the 1970s, instrumental music reigned supreme in the popular consciousness. The swing era brought the music of Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and Glenn Miller to large audiences. Even as the end of World War II brought about rock and roll, many widely recognized groups still… Read more: Bringing the Instrumental Back: A Conversation with Molly Miller on ‘The Ballad of Hotspur’
- Physical Expression: A Conversation with Steph Richards on ‘Power Vibe’Far too often, people perceive music as a solely auditory experience, something heard but which does not affect the rest of the listener’s body. The reality, however, is far more complex. One can physically feel the energy of acoustic waves. It is a large part of why the audibly impaired still appreciate music, even when… Read more: Physical Expression: A Conversation with Steph Richards on ‘Power Vibe’
- Constructing Sound: A Conversation with Tomeka Reid on ‘3+3’Joann Wolfgang von Goethe once remarked, “Music is liquid architecture; Architecture is frozen music.” But the philosopher is hardly the first to notice the shared facets – terms rhythm, texture, harmony, and proportion – between musical and physical blueprints. Some architects have attempted to examine their works’ connections to music. With 3+3 (Cuneiform, 2024), cellist… Read more: Constructing Sound: A Conversation with Tomeka Reid on ‘3+3’
- Spontaneous Combustion: A Conversation with Chloë Sobek and Tim Berne on ‘Burning Up’Artists have long written compositions that express emotional depths possible only through music. These songs can bring the listener to tears, cause goosebumps, make them want to move or call them to action. But some of the best music is not so heavily preplanned. For one, Miles Davis’ classic “So What” (Kind of Blue (Columbia, 1959) was… Read more: Spontaneous Combustion: A Conversation with Chloë Sobek and Tim Berne on ‘Burning Up’
- Pass Everything in My Soul: A Conversation with David Murray on ‘Francesca’The love song is one of the oldest and most primal forms of musical expression, dating back to ancient Greece, if not earlier. Charles Darwin even theorized that the love song was the first form of human musical expression. Of course, the emphasis on romance in songs has continued to the present day. It is… Read more: Pass Everything in My Soul: A Conversation with David Murray on ‘Francesca’
- Filter: A Conversation with Isaiah Collier on ‘The Almighty’John Coltrane once noted he would “like to point out to people the divine in a musical language that transcends words… to speak to their souls.” The idea is for an artist to produce art not to win acclaim or respond to a momentary issue in their life but to use their gifts to respond to an… Read more: Filter: A Conversation with Isaiah Collier on ‘The Almighty’
- The Journey: A Conversation with Kenny Garrett on ‘Who Killed AI?’Miles Davis once remarked, “It’s not about standing still and becoming safe. If anybody wants to keep creating, they have to be about change.” This emphasis on evolution does not necessarily mean needing to adapt a new voice. The key is to retain your core identity while stretching into new realms. Miles certainly did, and so have many of his protegees, including… Read more: The Journey: A Conversation with Kenny Garrett on ‘Who Killed AI?’
- 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… Read more: Virtues of Melody: A Conversation with Alan Braufman on ‘Infinite Love Infinite Tears’
- 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… Read more: Electric Connection: A Conversation with gabby fluke-mogul on ‘GUT’
- 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… Read more: 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’
- 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… Read more: Intervalic Awakening: A Conversation with Modney on ‘Ascending Primes’
- 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… Read more: Solo? : A Conversation with Josh Johnson on ‘Unusual Object’
- 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… Read more: Reflections : A Conversation with Karriem Riggins on Jahari Massamba Unit’s ‘YHWH is Love’
- 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… Read more: Pushing Off: A Conversation with Christopher Hoffman on ‘Vision is the Identity’
- Watchtower: A Conversation with Dezron DouglasUnfortunately, 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… Read more: Watchtower: A Conversation with Dezron Douglas
- Traveling the Sound World : A Conversation with Brandon Ross on Phantom StationBorrowed 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… Read more: Traveling the Sound World : A Conversation with Brandon Ross on Phantom Station
- 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… Read more: Collaborative High Intensity : A Conversation with Anthony Pirog on ‘The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis’
- Easier to See from the Outside: A Conversation with John LurieSymbolist 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… Read more: Easier to See from the Outside: A Conversation with John Lurie
- 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… Read more: Moving by Breath: A Conversation with David Leon on ‘Bird’s Eye’
- 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.… Read more: Translating the Language: A Conversation with Lenny White (Part Two)
- 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… Read more: Translating the Language: A Conversation with Lenny White (Part One)
- “If You’re Not Still Learning, You’re Still”: A Conversation with Kahil El’Zabar on the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble at FiftyCanadian 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… Read more: “If You’re Not Still Learning, You’re Still”: A Conversation with Kahil El’Zabar on the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble at Fifty
- 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… Read more: 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)
- 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… Read more: 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)
- 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… Read more: Broken Trance: A Conversation with Ches Smith on ‘Laugh Ash’
- 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… Read more: Harmony on Your Side: A Conversation with George Coleman (Part Two)
- 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… Read more: Harmony on Your Side: A Conversation with George Coleman (Part One)
- Complex Dream: A Conversation with Rubin Kodheli on his Music and Remembering Ryuichi SakamotoOn March 28, 2023, the world lost one of its great composers, Ryuichi Sakamoto. Although emotionally powerful, Mr. Sakamoto’s work is difficult to characterize. He drew inspiration from Western classical music, including minimalism. But he was also an electronic music pioneer. In fact, it was not uncommon for his acoustic work to almost sound electronic… Read more: Complex Dream: A Conversation with Rubin Kodheli on his Music and Remembering Ryuichi Sakamoto
- Marathon of Discovery: A Conversation with Winter Jazzfest Founder/Producer Brice Rosenbloom on the Festival at Twenty YearsFor over a century, New York City has been the epicenter of jazz music. While many artists develop their craft elsewhere, it is in the City that Never Sleeps that they often reach their creative zenith. The artistic power of New York comes partly from the powerful culture of creativity birthed there. This same environment… Read more: Marathon of Discovery: A Conversation with Winter Jazzfest Founder/Producer Brice Rosenbloom on the Festival at Twenty Years
- Cloudward: A Conversation with Mary HalvorsonThe Philosopher G.K. Chesterton once commented, “There are no rules of architecture for a castle in the clouds.” Here on the ground, architects must follow rigid rules and principles to ensure the sturdy erection of their vision and avoid collapse. But what happens when you work in a place where it is safe for some… Read more: Cloudward: A Conversation with Mary Halvorson
- Mourning and Hope: A Conversation with Susan AlcornFor centuries, music has served as an empowering call for the oppressed and alienated. The origins of Blues, jazz, and rock all have their core in the subjugation of Black America. In Nazi Germany, youths would covertly undermine the Reich by playing verboten swing music in hidden corners of their community. Fela Kuti used Afrobeat as… Read more: Mourning and Hope: A Conversation with Susan Alcorn
- Dedication: A Conversation with Dr. Eddie HendersonOne would be hard-pressed to find a figure that better represents the evolution of modern improvisation-based music than Eddie Henderson. At age nine, the trumpeter studied with the master of the jazz idiom – Louis Armstrong. Eight years later, Henderson met Miles Davis, who shifted his focus away from European classical music. Later, Henderson became… Read more: Dedication: A Conversation with Dr. Eddie Henderson
- Painting with Sound: A Conversation with Sam NewsomeFrom advertising jingles to a neighbor’s booming subwoofer we are continually surrounded by music. in modern life But what is “music”? Cannot a sound without a “musical” intent nevertheless have a musical element? Consider something as innocuous as taking a shower. If one truly listens to the water steadily pouring overhead, one can sense gravity… Read more: Painting with Sound: A Conversation with Sam Newsome
- Viking of Sixth Avenue: A Conversation with Ghost Train Orchestra’s Brian Carpenter on MoondogFor several decades starting in the late 1940s, one could frequently find a blind, long-bearded, mysterious figure – cloaked with a horned helmet and spear – surveilling the looming highrise towers of his urban midtown Manhattan kingdom. Dubbed the “Viking of Sixth Avenue”, many passers-by wrote the man off as an eccentric madman best ignored.… Read more: Viking of Sixth Avenue: A Conversation with Ghost Train Orchestra’s Brian Carpenter on Moondog
- Sit with Sound: A Conversation with Sarah Belle ReidFar too many people use the terms listening and hearing interchangeably. But in reality, as composer Pauline Oliveros noted, “listening is not the same as hearing and hearing is not the same as listening.” The key distinction between the two is the amount of intentional effort the perceiver puts into understanding their surroundings. Listening requires… Read more: Sit with Sound: A Conversation with Sarah Belle Reid
- Composing Peace: A Conversation with Miguel Atwood-Ferguson on ‘Les Jardins Mystiques, Vol. 1’Much attention – rightfully so – over the last several years has been paid to the Los Angeles improvisational music scene. Shapeshifting multi-instrumentalist Atwood-Ferguson has been at the core of those developments with contributions to over six hundred recordings, including many from his home city. He is even on two of this writer’s favorite releases… Read more: Composing Peace: A Conversation with Miguel Atwood-Ferguson on ‘Les Jardins Mystiques, Vol. 1’
- Unmined Field: A Conversation with Kate Gentile on ‘Find Letter X’For centuries, the letter “X” has represented the unknown. On a pirate’s map, crossed diagonals denote some undiscovered treasure. In algebra, students must determine ”X” as an unrevealed variable. In an episode of the Simpsons – a consistent bellwether of Western popular culture over the last three decades – even the imbecilic Homer knows it… Read more: Unmined Field: A Conversation with Kate Gentile on ‘Find Letter X’
- Resilient Hope: A Conversation with Caroline Davis on ‘Alula: Captivity’The alula, sometimes called the bastard wing, is a small but important bone on a bird’s wing that plays an essential role in flight. It is a fitting name for Caroline Davis’ electro-acoustic outings as her use of samples lifts the ensemble from more traditional moorings. But what happens when these appendages are fractured? How… Read more: Resilient Hope: A Conversation with Caroline Davis on ‘Alula: Captivity’
- Shimmer Wince: A Conversation with Anna Webber on Just IntonationIt is common for musicians to incorporate recent discoveries – whether the adoption of cutting-edge technology or novel compositional processes – into their works to present a new sound. Far less discussed, however, are cases where artists revisit old conceptions to see how they can forge previously uncharted paths. Anna Webber’s explorations of just intonation… Read more: Shimmer Wince: A Conversation with Anna Webber on Just Intonation
- Hearing Voices: A Conversation with George LewisWhile many organizations present contemporary classical music, the International Contemporary Ensemble has stood out since its founding twenty-two years ago. The Ensemble’s success has come largely due to its stated goal of cultivating a musical ecosystem that honors diversity while focusing on equity, belonging, and cultural responsiveness. The organization’s openness and consideration of all musical… Read more: Hearing Voices: A Conversation with George Lewis
- Live Composing: A Conversation with Vijay Iyer on ‘Love in Exile’Far too often, people equate avant-garde expressionism to high-volume proclamations with flurries of notes. To an uninitiated listener, this perspective is understandable when one considers John Coltrane’s sheets of sound, Cecil Taylor’s densely clustered notes, and Peter Brotzmann’s rough, bluesy cries. But an isolated focus lessens the significance of the artists who have made this… Read more: Live Composing: A Conversation with Vijay Iyer on ‘Love in Exile’
- Vibration Aiming at Silence: A Conversation with Matthew ShippOften the greatest artists have an identifiable voice. This is not to say their works are identical. Instead, no matter their changed surroundings, a shared identifiable quality continues to reflect their artistic essence. Consider Miles Davis. Birth of the Cool (Columbia, 1957) and On the Corner (Columbia, 1973) could not be more different in both… Read more: Vibration Aiming at Silence: A Conversation with Matthew Shipp
- Inevitable Funkiness: A Conversation with Larry Goldings on Scary GoldingsA fifth of the way into the twenty-first century, James Brown’s question of “Ain’t It Funky Now?” Is perhaps best read as “Where’s It Funky Now?” Most funk icons are gone, retired, or mere shadows of their musical former selves. The Godfather of Soul died in 2006. George Clinton continually hosts retirement tours that do… Read more: Inevitable Funkiness: A Conversation with Larry Goldings on Scary Goldings