All That's Jazz

Season 2 Episode 15 Roseanna Vitro

GRAMMY nominated vocalist Roseanna Vitro is celebrating the release of her 15th album called Sing a Song of Bird.

Sing a Song of Bird is but another daring flight from Roseanna Vitro, a study of Charlie Parker, one of the greatest figures in jazz and popular music. Roseanna joins forces with Bob Dorough, Sheila Jordan, and Marion Cowings bringing a lifetime of inspiration to her through their legendary virtuosity. As Her devotees know well, she always weaves a tale through music and lyrics that resonate to the soul.  We talk in depth about this journey, it’s development and what it means to her to finally accomplish a mission that began back in 2017.

Season 2 Episode 14 Sheila Jordan

At the age of 92 and still going strong, singer-songwriter Sheila Jordan has been one of the most revered and utterly unique voices in jazz for decades. Beginning with her debut album, 1963’s Portrait of Sheila on Blue Note Records, she pioneered a bebop-inflected approach to singing accompanied only by solo bass (in that case, a duet with Steve Swallow on one of her signature tunes, Bobby Timmons’ “Dat Dere”). Following the release of that album, however, Sheila retreated from the scene to concentrate on raising her daughter, working as a typist for the next two decades and not recording as a leader again for more than a dozen years.
 
The never-before-released Comes Love: Lost Session 1960 thus adds a crucial new chapter to Jordan’s remarkable story. Recorded on June 10, 1960 at New York’s Olmsted Sound Studios for the little-known Chatam Records, the recently discovered studio date presents the singer in nascent but instantly recognizable form on a set of standards.Release by Colorado-based Capri Records on September 17, 2021, the album is otherwise shrouded in mystery: Jordan has no recollection of the date or the names of her accompanists, a nonetheless deftly attuned trio. We are honored to have her share her rich history and incredible stories.

Season 2 Episode 13 Jonathan Kane

In August 1958, a budding photographer by the name of Arthur Kanofsky (Art Kane) conceptualized the notion of assembling the musicians of New York’s jazz community for a photo in front of an East Harlem brownstone. He came up with the idea of getting as many musicians together in one place as he could. As a result of Kane’s efforts, 57 jazz musicians, including Mary Lou Williams, Count Basie, Thelonious Monk and Dizzy Gillespie duly assembled at the unlikely hour of 10:00 am at 7 East 126th street, between Fifth and Madison Avenues. The photograph was published in Esquire Magazine in the January 1959 issue. 

In 2018, Wall of Sound published Art Kane: Harlem 1958 – a visual history of the iconic shoot, edited by Art’s son, Jonathan Kane, and Guido Harari. Jonathan Kane is our guest this week to tell us the backstory and share anecdotes of “Harlem 1958” more widely known today as “A Great Day In Harlem.”  

Season 2 Episode 12 Dave Liebman

Dave Liebman has always declared that if he had to name one primary influence and inspiration it would be John Coltrane. Liebman's latest release is titled ‘Selflessness’ and is a tribute to Coltrane. It’s an album featuring his working band, Expansions, that features alto saxophonist Matt Vashlishan, pianist Bobby Avey, drummer Alex Ritz and bassist Tony Marino. All the pieces are newly arranged and rethought – mostly by Liebman, but also by members of the band. It also marks Dave’s return to an album entirely on soprano saxophone, the instrument with which he is most associated.

Dave Liebman is a NEA Jazz Master for good reason. His fluency, clarity and originality on soprano sax is mind-boggling. We’re honored to have him join us for an in-depth conversation on this new release.

Season 2 Episode 11 Anaïs Reno

Anaïs Reno is a 17-year old jazz vocalist who was born on November 29, 2003, in Geneva, Switzerland and now resides in New York. Despite her very young age, Anaïs has been artistically very active, involved in the performing arts since age 8. Anaïs has had a rapidly growing career as a singer with a love for jazz and the Great American Songbook. Since age 10, she has had the opportunity to sing with highly acclaimed professionals in the field and perform in prominent venues: the NY Philharmonic in David Geffen Hall with her own compositions, Rose Hall at Lincoln Center, Feinstein’s 54 Below and has performed with the Birdland Big Band, as well as several times at Carnegie Hall.

She has released her debut album celebrating the music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn called “Lovesome Thing Anais Reno sings Ellington & Strayhorn” accompanied by the Emmet Cohen Trio. Join us for a wonderful conversation about this amazing young artist and her music.

Season 2 Episode 10 Daversa & Morell

John Daversa is a multi-Grammy winning artist, composer, arranger, producer, bandleader, educator. Justin Morell is a composer, guitarist and educator whose work crosses genres between classical and jazz styles. The two have collaborated before, but the release of “All Without Words…variations inspired by Loren” is a project of deep personal meaning.

The theme is built around the spontaneous vocalizations of Morell’s autistic, nonverbal son, Loren. Our conversation takes us through the inspiration and development of the project.

Season 2 Episode 9 Falkner Evans

A conversation with Falkner Evans pianist/composer about his stunningly beautiful solo album, Invisible Words, the pianist/composer refers to this solo outing as “a record I never planned to make.” Those plans were tragically upended, however, on May 19th, 2020, when his wife Linda took her own life.  

 

Falkner moved to New York City and into the jazz scene in 1985 after touring for four years with the Grammy-winning western swing band Asleep at the Wheel. Always an artist who preferred the collaborative process of playing with a group of like-minded fellow musicians, Evans had never even considered recording a solo album prior to Linda’s death. This is a difficult subject, but the music on this album is beautiful, thoughtful, and in his words, a “snapshot” of Linda’s life through his own lens. We are grateful to Falkner for talking to us and taking us through his journey and process. 

Season 2 Episode 8 Christian McBride

Founded in 1954, the Newport Jazz Festival® has been host to legendary performances by iconic figures and contemporary geniuses. We talk to 7-time Grammy winner Christian McBride about being Artistic Director to “The Granddaddy of American Music Festivals.”

 

 

Season 2 Episode 7 Sunny Sumter

 Sunny Sumter is President & CEO of the DC Jazz Festival (DCJF), an organization that provides enriching and entertaining jazz performances and programs that introduce students and adults from all walks of life to jazz; our nation’s singular original art form. Prior to her tenure at the DC Jazz Festival, Sumter held management/director positions with the Aspen Institute, National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. Sumter earned her bachelor’s degree in music business from Howard University where she minored in jazz voice.  As a professional vocalist, Sumter has performed at festivals, and clubs internationally. In this episode we explore her impressive, successful career and the upcoming DC Jazz Festival September 1-5 in Washington D.C.

 

Season 2 Episode 6 Tim Mayer

 Tim Mayer is an accomplished saxophonist, flute player, composer, bandleader and educator with a fascinating story and rich musical experiences. All throughout his career, Tim has traveled the world bringing jazz to new places including to Hawaii, Cape Verde, Colombia, and the Canary Islands.  He currently resides in Xalapa, Mexico where he recently completed his Master’s degree at Universidad Veracruzana, and is currently building up their jazz program while making a huge difference in jazz education.

 

Tim attended Berklee College of Music in Boston where he studied privately with Andy McGhee, George Garzone, and Bill Pierce. In June of 2021, Tim released “Keeper of the Flame” on D-Clef Records featuring bassist Rodney Whitaker, drummer Ulysses Owens, and Emmet Cohen as a guest pianist. “Keeper of the Flame” is his first album as a leader since 2011’s star-studded and critically acclaimed “Resilience.”