All That's Jazz

Season 4 Episode 18 Rebecca Poole

British singer-songwriter and composer Rebecca Poole’s story is one of a musical journey that began as a child on a farm in Oxfordshire, England.  The family lived in a house on an estate owned by Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond.  Their simple farm home was always filled with music, two of her brothers became professional musicians, her mother sang a bit and she also had an aunt and uncle who played gypsy jazz professionally.  

Choosing initially to take a different tack, Rebecca became an avid writer of poetry and loved the creative arts and painting which she studied in college.  Though she never formally studied music, she eventually became interested in singing after hearing a recording of Nina Simone and also listening to other great jazz vocalists.  Friends encouraged her to sing with a contemporary/pop band that playing gigs during après ski in Zermatt, Switzerland, where in the evenings she also sang at a jazz club she discovered in the town. 

But despite all that jazz influence, Rebecca’s path led her to the commercial realm. Changing her name professionally to Purdy, she  recorded two widely acclaimed albums and garnered a large following. Her instincts, however, were telling her to return to her jazz roots. So for now, she’s set the Purdy moniker aside, and returned to using her birth name, Rebecca Poole.  Her new album called “Dreamers Ball” is the main focus of my conversation about Rebecca’s fascinating musical journey.

Season 4 Episode 17 Kings Return

With their newly-released first album of a cappella Christmas music, GRAMMY nominated, Dallas TX based Kings Return continue to defy expectations.

Tenor Vaughn Faison, bass Gabe Kunda, tenor JE McKissic, and baritone Jamall Williams , whose bare-bones a capella stairwell singing went viral on social media, have been compared to some of the iconic groups like Take 6 and Boyz ll Men. Their brand of R&B is entwined with free moments of jazz, soulful bursts of gospel, and bright touches of pop—all built on a solid, classical foundation.

Our music-filled conversation introduces their new release titled “We Four Kings,” allowing you to meet these talented, dedicated and engaging men and learn the backstory to what is sure to become a new holiday tradition.

Season 4 Episode 16 Cheryl Fabio

In September, as part of their 75th anniversary celebration, Smithsonian Folkways Records re-released two albums by the poet and activist Sarah Webster Fabio, often referred to as “the mother of Black studies.”

The albums, “Jujus: Alchemy of the Blues,” and “Together: To the Tune of Coltrane’s ‘Equinox’” contain poems authored and read by Sarah Webster Fabio, who, in her just 51 years, wrote more than 500 poems and recorded four albums for Folkways, in a style that reflects “a funky blend of Black poetry, spoken word, and jazz/blues” that were not only forward thinking, but in many ways a precursor to Hip-Hop’s distinctively African-American form of poetic expression.

We talk with her daughter, Cheryl Fabio, a documentary filmmaker, educator, and former Program Director at Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in Oakland, California, about her mother and her impact, the albums,  and the far-reaching importance of these works.

Season 4 Episode 15 Coffin Perlson Krauss

This All That’s Jazz episode is a conversation with three diverse and virtuosic musical masters - renowned saxophonist Jeff Coffin, venerated drummer Jordan Perlson and bass legend Viktor Krauss - have joined together  for a nine-track debut of all original music that’s been described as “a thrilling sonic odyssey that showcases undeniable musicianship and boundless artistic expression.”

 

Coffin, Perlson and Krauss first started playing together in 2020. The connection between them was evident instantly. During the pandemic, the three Nashville based musicians formed a social pod, and made playing together a regularity as long as they were safe to do so. Using this unexpected time, the trio decided to record at Krauss’ home studio to officially document this special collaboration, eventually settling on seven compositions and two solo works.  The result is their first album as a trio, self- titled ‘Coffin /Perlson/Krauss. 

Season 4 Episode 14 Sammy Figueroa

‘Searching For a Memory’ is a truly remarkable album. Released in July, legendary GRAMMY-nominated percussionist Sammy Figueroa brings together a stellar group of GRAMMY winning and nominated friends to musically tell the story of his late father, Charlie Figueroa, a singer of romantic boleros back in the 1950's, one of the best, whose records still sell to this day. Charlie passed away as a young man, when Sammy was just a small boy, as he describes it “a victim of his bohemian lifestyle. “

 

We talk with Sammy about his remarkable musical journey in ‘Searching For a Memory,’ and how the song choices and arrangements allowed him to make his peace. This is an album of cathartic strength, and a backstory takes you on a journey that isn’t soon forgotten.

Season 4 Episode 13 Richard Baratta

All That’s Jazz catches up with drummer Richard Baratta to talk about his newest release, “Off The Charts,” a departure from his previous two albums that focused on music from the movies. It’s a subject he knows well having spent upwards of 35 years as a film producer.

We pick up with Richard where we left off in 2020, Season 1-Episode 30,  that focused on his incredibly rich background and how it led him to his album “Music in Film: The Reel Deal”. 

This time, we drill deep into the backstory of album number 3, “Off The Charts” and why he chose to change course to present music mined from the catalog of his youth, focusing on the 1960’s and 1970’s, a period he describes as “full of intense musical creativity and experimentation.”

Season 4 Episode 12 Eunmi Lee

Pianist, composer, and educator EUNMI LEE brings a distinct compositional flair with her debut album, INTROSPECTION. Originally from South Korea, Eunmi has been living in New York City since 2020.

 

In this episode, we talk about how Eunmi crafted INTROSPECTION from the disparate musical traditions of big band jazz, post-bop, chamber music and even Brazilian music. Though her compositions are very contemporary, they are also subtly shaded with Eunmi’s Korean culture, creating a unique and musically diverse palate.

Season 4 Episode 11 Shana L Redmond

In this episode of All That’s Jazz, we talk with Shana L. Redmond, professor of English and Comparative Literature at the Center for the Study of Ethnicity & Race at Columbia University. She is past president of the American Studies Association and a recipient of a 2023 Guggenheim Fellowship. Dr. Redmond is the album notes author for the critically acclaimed Verve Record’s new release titled ‘Nina Simone: You’ve Got To Learn.’

 

Here’s the backstory: On July 2, 1966, the Newport Jazz Festival witnessed a legendary six-song set by Nina Simone that has remained etched in the memory of music aficionados for over half a century. Now, this previously unknown and unreleased recording of the unforgettable concert is available for the world to hear. 

Our conversation is centered on the backstory of Nina Simone’s Newport set, but it is also wide-ranging discussion of the woman, songstress, and ardent activist who spoke truth to power for her generation.

 

We learned a lot. We know you will, too. 

Season 4 Episode 10 Dr. Javier Nero

One of the most intriguing albums we’ve recently encountered is also the subject of our conversation with one of our most intriguing guests.

 

Javier Nero has many titles: trombonist, composer, arranger, educator; Doctor of Musical Arts  with a cognate (minor) in classical trombone performance at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, and. along the way, he’s also a Staff Sergeant in the US Army with the Army Band’s premier musical unit: “The Pershing’s Own” and  as part of the pop element with the US Army Blues, a big band comprised of some of the nations most talented musicians. His musical career has been shaped by such jazz luminaries as Carl Allen, Steve Turre, John Daversa, Shelly Berg and Brian Lynch. 

Javier has two album releases as a leader to his credit, the 2020 recording “Freedom”, and his recently released second album on the Outside In Music label called “Kemet:the Black Land” which is a tribute to this ancient Egyptian, highly-advanced Black civilization. It’s a backstory as fascinating and diverse as the man himself.

Season 4 Episode 9 Ricky Riccardi

Ricky Riccardi is the director of research collections at the Louis Armstrong House Museum, located in the Corona section of the Queens in New York. In 2022, Ricky won a Grammy Award for “Best Album Notes”  The Complete Louis Armstrong Columbia and RCA Victor Studio Sessions 1946-1966 on Mosaic Records.

 

In this “Catching Up With” episode, we find out what he’s been up to and also learn about the newly opened Louis Armstrong Center, located directly across the street from Armstrong’s fabled home-turned-museum.