All That's Jazz

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.

Season 5 Episode 4 Chris Digirolamo: Two for the Show Media

Chris DiGirolamo could be called “The Accidental Publicist.” 

A lifelong drummer from age 5, Chris was hooked. His mother took him to Jazz from a young age, but he truly fell in love with the genre at 14, when a friend’s uncle introduced him to Jean Luc Ponty’s “Rhythms of Hope.” 

Chris attended Berklee College of Music and New York Institute of Technology. From there, he went on to work as assistant engineer at the legendary Systems Two Recording Studio, followed by a turn in Sausalito, California at Record Plant Studios (“The Plant”). 

Moving back to the East Coast and looking for something new, Chris became a freelance writer for several small music publications. But post 9/11, work in that field was nearly nonexistent. However, one unexpected phone call from a guy who said “Are you Chris? You were recommended to me as a publicist,” changed his life. And that’s where the story of Two For The Show Media begins. 

Season 5 episode 3 A Letter to Bill Evans

For their seventh outing together as a close-knit, collaborative rhythm tandem, bassist Leon Lee Dorsey and drummer Mike Clark tapped pianist Michael Wolff as third man in their ongoing trio adventures. Wolff, who had previously appeared with Dorsey and Clark on 2020’s Play Sgt. Pepper, completes the triumvirate on this heartfelt tribute to the late, great pianist-composer in the new album titled “A Letter to Bill Evans.” 

These renderings of Bill Evans classics contain the kind of sparkling energy and improvisational freshness that always animates these trio sessions between Dorsey, Clark and their third partner. And this time around they hit on the perfect choice with pianist Michael Wolff, who first heard Evans live at Davies Hall in San Francisco when he was 18, and got the only available tickets which were actually on the stage, where he got to experience the concert close up. 

“A few years later, when I was 20,” Wolff explained, “I went on the road with Cal Tjader . I ran into Bill Evans a lot in various cities where we all were playing; I befriended him and, of course, hounded him for information about his music. He was very open and understanding with me. And whenever he was performing in the Bay Area, I would go hear him every night.” 

Wolff’s connection with Mike Clark, who is celebrating his 50th anniversary as a member of The Headhunters, goes back to the late ‘60s on the Bay Area jazz scene  when Wolff was house pianist with Bishop Norman Williams’ Sunday afternoon jam at a great SF club called the Both/And. “I was 17 years old and still in high school, I wasn’t old enough to get into most clubs then. But I had this gig and Mike came by one Sunday to sit in. And that was the beginning of a long working relationship.” 

While the music of “A Letter to Bill Evans” captures the spirit of the great pianist, Wolff/Clark/Dorsey take some liberties with this classic Evans material, interpreting it through their collective musical lens. In my conversation with all three musicians, we talk about how the album came together, their concept for each track, and how it’s truly their “love letter” to the music and the man who is one of the giants of jazz.

Season 5 Episode 2 Jay Bordeleau

Jay Bordeleau, the owner, creator, and mastermind behind one of the top Jazz venues in San Francisco, Mr. Tipple’s, has always loved the arts and is constantly driven by his “it’s-so-crazy-it-just-might-work” ambition. He was able to combine this deeply rich cooperative leadership style with a profound passion for hospitality while designing, building, and operating his first restaurant: Maven. 

Jay’s collaborative work style was formalized while playing drums behind the orchestra as a music performance major at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. And his life-long passion for wine also led him to earning his Certified Sommelier and Advanced Wine Specialist title from Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET).

Mr. Tipple’s is a cozy yet elegant jazz club, cocktail bar and restaurant with three distinct - but also overlapping- types of clientele. Some come in for the music, others for the expertly crafted and carefully poured drinks and a third group for the dumplings, bao and clay pot rice. Adding to that is its alcohol-free CBD cocktails, and gratuity-free pre-calculated tipping policy, all of which make the club feel honest and welcoming.

Join us for a deep dive into Mr. Tipple’s with Jay and hear why it’s been rated the best jazz club by San Francisco Magazine; one we personally enjoy each time we visit “The City by the Bay.”

Season 5 Episode 1 Grace Kelly

A singer-saxophonist-songwriter-composer and band leader, this American-born unequivocal musical prodigy of Korean descent, with the memorable name Grace Kelly,  has rocked the jazz world.  With sold-out concerts, 14 acclaimed albums and a resume that includes performing at the Hollywood Bowl as well as being part of the house band for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” – all before reaching her mid-twenties, Grace is touted for her scorching saxophone stylings and purring vocals. She’s performed and recorded with renowned artists including Lin Manuel- Miranda, Dave Brubeck, Lee Konitz, Phil Woods, Huey Lewis, Harry Connick Jr., Gloria Estefan, Questlove, and Wynton Marsalis.

Grace’s newest project, “ Grace Kelly with Strings: At the Movies” with her fifteen piece large ensemble is inspired by “Charlie Parker with Strings” - one of Kelly’s all time favorite albums -  as well as her love of classic and contemporary movies. With this album, Grace reimagines her favorite movie music, as well as songs by legendary film composers John Williams, Ennio Morricone, and contemporary artist Billie Eilish ‘s ‘No Time To Die’ from the latest James Bond film, with fresh arrangements fully merged into her signature sound. 

In this first episode of Season 5, we talk with Grace not only about her background, name (and, yes, that actually is it), and her dizzyingly impressive accomplishments, but also explore the backstory of her album and how she’s taken classics and made them her own. 

Season 4 Episode 24 Nicole Zuraitis

Singer-songwriter, pianist, arranger, New York-based bandleader and winner of the prestigious 2021 American Traditions Vocal Competition Gold Medal, Nicole Zuraitis, had been there once before. But when the presenters at the 2024 Grammy®️ Awards announced her name as winner of the Best Jazz Vocal Album for her release, “How Love Begins,” her immediate reaction was “Holy Cow!” 

 

To many of her friends and supporters, however, it was an affirmation of what they’ve known for more than a decade of working with, for and beside her. Nicole is an undeniable force- in music and in life. 

Besides leading her quartet, Nicole is the premier vocalist for the Birdland Big Band and frequently headlines iconic NYC jazz clubs like Dizzy’s Club at Lincoln Center, Birdland, the Blue Note, the Carlyle,  54 Below and the late, great 55 Bar. She’s collaborated with an extensive list of luminaries, including Christian McBride - who co-produced her Grammy-winning album - and worked with David Cook, Gilad Hekselman, Veronica Swift, Benny Benack, Stephen Feifke, Cyrille Aimee, Antonio Sanchez, Dave Stryker, Omar Hakim,  Rachel Z, Helen Sung, and Bernard Purdie. And Nicole is also a proud educator, currently serving on the vocal faculty at NYU, SUNY Purchase and the Litchfield Jazz Camp. 

In this last episode of Season 4, we focus specifically Nicole’s Grammy-winning album because its story is a microcosm of who and what she is as an artist, composer, vocalist - and person. As Jazz Police aptly put it, Nicole has a “heart as big as her remarkable voice,” and Broadway World added, she’s one of the top "prolific songwriters" to watch in the genre of jazz and beyond.  

To learn more about Nicole,  visit her website https://www.nicolezmusic.com