All That's Jazz

Season 5 Episode 14 Javon Jackson

More than 25 years ago, I met tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson who was raised in Denver Colorado and that meeting made a wonderful memory and a deep impact that still resonates with me today.  It impressed me that he took the time out of his very busy and impressive career to offer his time in a very giving manner to help a small-town, non-profit radio station.  But that is just the kind of person he is, one who gives back and makes a difference.  He is still doing that today as the Chair of the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz at the University of Hartford since 2013.  

Besides being a dedicated educator, Javon has also been a member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers; he has recorded over two dozen albums as a leader and has also recorded with such jazz legends including Ron Carter, Elvin Jones, Freddie Hubbard, Louis Hayes and of course, Art Blakey and others. 

It was serendipity that led to Javon forming a friendship and collaboration with the influential poet and activist Nikki Giovanni.  Giovanni was invited by Javon to lecture at the University. Discovering they had a shared love of jazz music which resulted in this duo recording an album together called ‘The Gospel According to Nikki Giovanni.’ The relationship between the two has only deepened through the years, and from that, other shared passions have emerged. One of them, American cinema, is referenced in the title of their recent and much-anticipated follow-up album called ‘Javon and Nikki Go to the Movies.” 

This is the subject of my conversation with Javon Jackson which begins with a reference to another one of Jackson’s musical influences...Sonny Rollins.

Season 5 Episode 13 Delfeayo Marsalis

New Orleans is a place where virtuosity is always deployed with a celebratory spirit, and Crescent City Jewels is like a Gratitude Journal in song, a rollicking collection that expresses NEA Jazz Master, Grammy-winning producer, trombonist and bandleader, Delfeayo Marsalis, appreciation for the good things in life at a time when so much attention seems to focus on doom and gloom. 

In this latest album, Delfeayo set out to celebrate the undersung heroes in his own hometown. To accomplish that, he’s brought together a host of veteran and rising New Orleans musicians, as well as a number of guest stars, including big brother Branford Marsalis for a pair of jaw-dropping sax showcases, Rebirth Brass Band co-founder and Big Easy ambassador Kermit Ruffins, “Piano Prince of New Orleans” Davell Crawford, drummer extraordinaire Herlin Riley, and trombonist Maurice “Miracle Meaux” Trosclair.

“One of our goals is to show the breadth and the dynamic possibilities of New Orleans music. Our philosophy is to take the important ingredients from past generations and use them in the gumbo that we're creating today.” 

That’s where our conversation begins. 

Season 5 Episode 12 Shelly Berg

There are times when you get a sense that you’re talking with an old friend that you’ve actually never met. There are shared times and memories that travelled on parallel lines but somehow never managed to intersect. That’s the best way that I can describe the conversation I had with Shelly Berg. From places lived and mutual friends, to times spent working with Jazz Aspen Snowmass in Colorado, our off-mic discussion created “allegría,” the Spanish word for joy, which is not only the name of his new album, but the foundation of his perspective on life. 

Shelly feels that the more an audience feels included in the music, the better time everybody has, the more opportunity there is for the music to reach - and move - them. That’s the foundation of ‘Allegría,’ a collaborative album of  Berg originals, plus fresh takes on classics from Leonard Bernstein and The Beatles, performed with longtime friends, bassist Carlitos Del Puerto, drummer Dafnis Prieto and special guest, Melvin Butler. 

Shelly draws inspiration not only from his experiences as a leader in higher education as dean of the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music since 2007 - and before that  as a professor at USC’s Thornton School for 16 years - but also as a collaborator with jazz legendary international artists, including Gloria Estefan, Arturo Sandoval, Steve Miller, and Pharrell Williams, among others. 

All of that rich backstory is brought into ‘Allegría,’ creating an understanding of joy, and all its co-existing chambers — sorrow, longing, faith, peace, reflection.  Shelly describes it as, “A big narrative made up of smaller ones,” that allows listeners to feel “connected to the music and the arc of the album.”

That’s where our joyful conversation begins.

Season 5 Episode 11 Alexis Cole

From an early age, acclaimed and accomplished vocalist, Alexis Cole, not only knew what she wanted to do in life, but also how she was going to do it - her way. 

Both Alexis’ father and maternal grandmother were pianists and singers, and her business-minded mother helped Alexis learn how to carve her way through the financial side of show business. Thanks to their guidance, Alexis not only succeeded in honing her professional career,  she also followed a serious educational path, gaining a Bachelor of Music degree that led her to global life experiences including a year as an Americorp volunteer and studying music in Mumbai, India. Alexis also  worked the cruise ship circuit as an entertainer, and that was followed by years of travelling extensively through Europe. 

Deciding to continue her education, Alexis earned a Masters of Music degree which resulted in her moving in and out of the higher education world as a jazz voice professor. 

But then things really began to change for Alexis. First, she took a year's long music gig in Tokyo, Japan.  Then, in 2009, she enlisted in the U.S. Army to become the lead singer for the West Point Jazz Knights Big Band. 

Our conversation covers all this and much more, including how - and why - she came to make her new album, ‘Jazz Republic: Taiwan, the United States, and The Freedom of Swing’ with the Taipei Jazz Orchestra. 

Season 5 Episode 10 Ben Wolfe

The style of the undeniably talented bassist and composer, Ben Wolfe, is truly unique.

His approach to music and performance has led to a path of development and success that can be attributed to collaborations with the likes of Harry Connick JR, Diana Krall and Wynton Marsalis.  Ben also distinguished himself through a significant catalogue of original music, including well over a hundred songs across ten albums as a leader.  

 

With his 11th release titled “The Understated”, Ben presents a collection of new original compositions paired with the re-imaginings of some of his classic material. This album, with a particular emphasis on the ballad song-form, is a reflection of his philosophy that music is all about the sound of the band as ensemble players. 

 

In this episode, our conversation explores Ben’s musical journey, from a serendipitous experience of becoming a member of his school band playing tuba and trombone, to being a current faculty member at The Juilliard School of Music, an award-winning composer and critically acclaimed  musician.

Season 5 Episode 9 Yvonnick Prene

The music of professional harmonica jazz musician, bandleader, composer, and educator, Yvonnick Prené , is both unique and innovative. 

A transplant from France, Yvonnick is now based in the greater New York City area. He made his professional debut in France in 2007. But it wasn’t until moving to the Big Apple that Yvonnick had that “wake-up call” to really learn the art of jazz by furthering his educational pursuits,  immersing himself in the New York jazz scene, and eventually honing his chops to become the widely recognized and skilled band leader he is today. 

This fascinating musician has now released seven albums as leader, including his latest project , a  duo recording with piano virtuoso Geoffrey Keezer, called “Jobim's World.” 

In this episode, we take a look at the compelling  backstory behind Yvonnick’s musical journey, and hear samples of his most recent and exquisite new release on Sunnyside Records. 

Season 5 Episode 8 Amina Figarova

As a part of our “Catching Up With” series, I recently re-connected with Azerbaijani-born, New York-based pianist/composer Amina Figarova, and her musical collaborator partner and husband, the exceptional flutist Bart Platteau. This dynamic duo has recorded more than more than a dozen albums, and have travelled the world performing at jazz festivals and engagements, all of which has led to a diverse body of work filled with rich influences from their global experiences. 

Even though Amina and Bart are deeply rooted in the U.S., it’s been their travels  - and most notably their visits to South Africa - that brought them to their latest album release. Amina  was inspired to compose and create “Suite for Africa” through her experiences working with students during her travels. However, it was a chance encounter on a rescheduled flight with the Matsiko World Orphan Choir, an ensemble of orphaned and at risk children from war-ravaged Liberia, that brought the stirring piece fully to life. 

In this episode we talk with Amina and Bart about the fascinating backstory of this album’s development and how a chance meeting on a flight from Brussels to New York became the icing on the cake for this musical project.

Season 5 Episode 7 Jacqui Naylor

Jacqui Naylor is not an easy artist to categorize. Naylor is known for a technique she coined, “acoustic smashing,” There are times when she performs straight-ahead vocal jazz, but at other times she favors more of an alternative and diverse approach. Her  groove-based vocals and smoky sound have a subtle, intimate quality that conveys the emotional depth of a song without resorting to vocal pyrotechnics. 

Very  jazz-friendly but far from a rigid jazz purist, Jacqui brings a long list of influences to her work — influences ranging from Billie Holiday, June Christy, and Nina Simone to Tracy Chapman, Natalie Merchant, Carole King, and Sheryl Crow. That is an unlikely combination of influences, certainly, but it is one that works well for Jacqui, who has used all of them to fashion a personal, recognizable style of her own.

Our conversation is as far-reaching as her smoky, alto vocal style. We discuss everything from studying Jazz as a side gig while obtaining her marketing degree, to a stint in New York’s fashion industry; starting a fan-based virtual project during pandemic called Home2Home where she and her husband wrote more than 200 compositions, to having her subscribers decide which songs should be recorded - a practice that Jacqui feels is critical to how she presents music today. 

All of this is intertwined with sample songs, including those from her latest release, ‘Treasures of the Heart,’ the title of which is a story all its own. 

Season 5 Episode 6 Ben & Leo Sidran

The best description of Ben Sidran comes from his son, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and fellow podcaster, Leo Sidran: “In a career spanning over fifty years and thirty five records, Ben Sidran has established himself as a philosopher poet. Equally celebrated for his precise, probing writing style as he is for his improvised spoken word jazz raps, he has carved out a truly unique space for himself. The Times of London aptly described Ben as ‘the world’s first existential jazz rapper,’ and The Chicago Sun Times once referred to him as ‘a renaissance man cast adrift in the modern world.’ He is one of a kind.”

This is my third episode with Ben, who graciously allows us to use his piece “Mr. P’s Shuffle” as our theme song, and my second with Leo. To have them together discussing Ben’s latest album titled ‘Rainmaker’ is not only a thrill, but an honor. 

Ben describes how ‘Rainmaker’ started this way: “The original idea for Rainmaker was to throw a party in a Paris recording studio in honor of my 80th birthday. I saw it as a way to celebrate the survival of so many things, including myself, a life without borders, and my friendship with so many musicians abroad.”

Of course, it’s only the beginning, because that’s how conversations with Ben and Leo go. So, sit back and immerse yourself in this freewheeling conversation with samples from  ‘Rainmaker.’ By the end, you’ll be jumping on your favorite platform to hear more. 

Season 5 Episode 5 Mamiko Watanabe

Being Guided By The Light  is the fifth album by pianist/ composer  Mamiko Watanabe, featuring heralded bassist Santi Debriano and legendary drummer Billy Hart. 

Born in Fukuoka, Japan, Watanabe began playing the piano at the age of four under instruction at the Yamaha School of Music. Her inspiration was Tashiko Akiyoshi, the boundary-smashing Japanese-American pianist, composer, arranger, and bandleader noted for wide-ranging powerful, complex compositions.

Mamiko received a scholarship to attend the Berklee College of Music where she received several awards for Jazz piano and Composition. She was also a semi-finalist at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival Solo Piano Competition both in 2002 and 2003. She has toured Germany, Italy and Japan and has performed with jazz greats such as Joe Lovano, Kevin Mahogany and Bobby McFerrin while in college. After moving to New York, Mamiko performed at notable venues including Blue Note, Dizzy's Club at the Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, Jazz at the Kitano and more.

The story of Mamiko unfolds in this episode as we discuss and sample music from her latest release. This album is her premiere with JoJo Records - created by jazz musician Simon Belelty - with an emphasis on high quality audio and vinyl.