Scott Hamilton 4/12-18
Tenor sax great Scott Hamilton and I have been friends since early in our careers. As our luck would have it, we both were playing the Ascona Jazz Festival in Switzerland in 2009 so I took the opportunity to record a conversation with Scott about his long career and his perspective as an American jazz musician living in Europe.
Kristin Korb 4/19-25
Bassist/vocalist Kristin Korb’s latest CD Sweet Dreams is a tribute to the music of The Eurythmics, an idea inspired by her being asked to be a part of a 2023 international Jazz Festival which had the theme of celebrating world-famous duos. Kristin was given a choice of focusing on the Carpenters or The Eurythmics and for multiple reasons, including that she felt it would be the more challenging of the two options, Kristin chose The Eurythmics.
Antonio Aldofo Two 4/26-5/2
Brazilian composer/pianist Antonio Adolfo grew up listening to and being influenced by the music of Cole Porter, a favorite composer he celebrates on his new CD, Love Cole Porter. Aldolfo feels there is a natural synergy between jazz, the American songbook and especially the poetic sounds of this favorite composer.
Kurt Elling One 5/3-9
Vocalist Kurt Elling’s spectacular technique and four-octave range are often mentioned and celebrated: each of his ten recordings has received Grammy nominations. What’s most important to Kurt, is his emotional connection to music, and telling a story through his performances, which draws his audience into a shared, heightened experience. Today is the first half of a conversation I had with Kurt in spring 2015 in NYC.
Kurt Elling Two 5/10-16
Vocalist Kurt Elling’s CD, “Passion World”, celebrates the many views of love throughout the world. Kurt collaborated with songwriters and musicians from different countries to realize this theme and talked to me about this process and the many musicians who continue to inspire him.
Petra van Nuis & Dennis Luxion 5/17-23
Pianist Dennis Luxion and vocalist Petra van Nuis are a fascinating pairing of two very different personalities with a shared purpose in the music they choose to make, and the message they want to impart with it. Both have worked in a variety of settings—Petra with her husband, guitarist Andy Brown and her own bigger band, the Recession Seven—and Dennis with everyone from Chet Baker and Gunther Schuller to Lee Konitz and Toots Thielemans. An interesting note, Dennis said no to a tour with Stan Getz, a fascinating tidbit we explored during our conversation.
Ricky Alexander 5/24-30
Imagine my delight when a CD called Just Found Joy came in the mail with a vaguely amused-looking horn player on the cover with a goat standing behind him digging the sounds. Ricky and I explore his inspirations, including his goat-love and how he discovered those critters interest in jazz.
Jim Self 5/31-6/6
Alan Broadbent One 6/7-13
Two-time Grammy winner Alan Broadbent left his native New Zealand at the age of 19 to study at the Berklee College of Music in Boston after receiving a scholarship from Downbeat Magazine. Alan went on to work as pianist and arranger for Woody Herman’s band, Nelson Riddle and Natalie Cole and did studio work with Johnny Mandel and David Rose and for many years now he’s conducted and arranged for Diana Krall and Kristin Chenowith.
Alan Broadbent Two 6/14-20
The second half of my 2017 conversation with two-time Grammy winner, jazz pianist/composer Alan Broadbent. Alan and I discussed his work with a wide range of artists from Kristen Chenowith and Diana Krall to Charlie Hayden and Paul McCartney, and his different approach when arranging for each.