Los Angeles has long been one of America’s great jazz cities, yet its place in the music’s history is often overshadowed by New Orleans, Chicago, Kansas City, and New York. In this episode of Strictly Jazz Sounds, Steve Braunginn sits…
When someone says jazz is dead, or that they cannot find great jazz being made today, I always think of the artists, mentors, and leaders who continue to move the music forward. Jeremy Pelt is one of those essential voices.…
Today on Strictly Jazz Sounds, we enter the musical world of violinist and composer Jenny Scheinman — an artist whose music is shaped as much by landscape and community as by jazz tradition, classical music and folk. Before collaborating with…
Jazz for Philadelphia native and alto saxophonist Jaleel Shaw is a soulful, boundary-pushing journey. His impressive collaborations include NEA Jazz Masters Roy Haynes and Terri Lyne Carrington, Grammy Award-winning artists: bassists Dave Holland and Christian McBride, and pianists Kris Davis,…
Welcome to Strictly Jazz Sounds. In this episode, we spotlight saxophonist Mark Turner, an LA native known for his technical brilliance and soulful undertones. Turner’s music is influenced by R&B and jazz from his upbringing, as well as legendary saxophonists…
It’s a challenge to describe bassist John Patitucci. He’s a 2025 Jazz Journalists Association Award winner for Electric Bassist of the Year, and four-time Grammy Award winning artist, one of today’s elite bassists, not just jazz but in all of…
Producing a historical recording requires enormous patience, investigative powers like an investigative journalist. The journey is long, emotional, and exciting when the recordings are discovered, and the final package completed. This is what Zev Feldman does. He is the producer…
Alto saxophonist Erena Terakubo, from Sapporo, Japan, began her recording career early, releasing her first album when she was only 15 years old. Inspired by a saxophone-playing M&M doll, Erena developed an interest in music that led her to become…
Taiwanese vibraphonist and percussionist Chien Chien Lu, along with Pittsburg, Pennsylvania native bassist Richie Goods, have crafted a sound that is both captivating and rhythmic. Their music draws from a rich tapestry of cultural influences including Taiwanese, American, and African-American…
There’s a not so polite saying about teaching music and music teachers that goes like this: If you can, play. If you can’t, teach. That is what jazz legend Ellis Marsalis once said to a Detroit drummer who was considering…
World-renowned saxophonist and Blue Note recording artist Walter Smith III is the model music educator and practitioner. This enormously talented saxophonist pursued music education as a profession as far back as high school. In this episode, Walter’s storied career follows…
In this episode, I spend time with Grammy Award-winning pianist and Berklee College of Music professor of Jazz Kris Davis on ‘Strictly Jazz Sounds.’ We do a deep dive into her latest project, Run the Gauntlet, dedicated to six influential…
Award winning vibraphonist Yuhan Su is another Gary Burton/Chick Corea-inspired musician, lured away from classical to the art form where improvisation reigns, jazz. This Taiwanese-born, New York based artist, left her homeland pursuing a jazz education at Berklee College of…
Grammy-Award winning saxophonist Wayne Escoffery is my guest on the 21st episode of Strictly Jazz Sounds. What attracted me to Wayne was his prolific traveling, extensive performances and recordings with his own band (11 recordings), the Mingus Big Band (3…
Roni Eytan, a renowned Israeli-born, New York based jazz harmonica player, performs with a passion that differs from other harmonica artists. Perhaps it’s the region from which he derives-the Middle East and North Africa. His culture greatly influences his compositions…
Alexandra (Alex) Ridout is a young jazz trumpeter from the UK, now residing in the New York City. In this episode of Strictly Jazz Sounds, she lays out her journey as a musician, comparing the experiences and educational backgrounds between…
In this episode of Strictly Jazz Sounds, I have a conversation with Jocelyn Gould, a professional jazz guitarist who fills all the shoes it requires to drive a successful career. Jocelyn shares her journey from pretending to play a cardboard…
Yasushi Nakamura loves his music. And he truly loves laying down the groove lines behind a hot band like he does for almost a dozen bands. However, being one of today’s first-call bassists means frequent and long show tours that…
Question: What would jazz music sound like if it had been born in a country without patriarchy; taught without bias and performed on a stage with radical inclusivity? That’s what jazz titan Terri Lyne Carrington says is the foundation behind…
In jazz, two legendary harp musicians come to mind. Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane. Now, there is a third musician whose image immediately erupts into focus. For harp artist, educator, and Grammy nominated musician Brandee Younger, both Ashby and Coltrane…
“When you’re teaching jazz, you’re a messenger of the music.” -Lucas Pino For tenor saxophonist, composer, bandleader, educator and artist Roxy Coss, jazz education is everything. When we talked in July, she and her husband, saxophonist, educator and composer, Lucas…
Listen on Libsyn Japanese jazz pianist Miki Yamanaka, born and raised in Kyoto and Kobe Japan, now resides in New York City with her drummer husband Jimmy Macbride. Her upcoming album, Shades of Rainbow is set to drop on September 8.…
“Music in the soul can be heard by the universe.”— Lao Tzu Music moves the soul in so many ways. It moves the spirit and inspires living beings to become one with the music. Argentinian Julieta Eugenio was just that person…
Welcome to the Bonus recording of Episode 11. More stories to tell by Jon Irabagon. The recording by the group, Mostly Other People Do the Killing, Blue, the note-for-note recreation of Miles Davis’ classic album is “A work of conceptual…
Episode 11- Jon Irabagon: Always Moving Forward Jon Irabagon is always driving ahead whenever he wants to make a statement with a new recording. With his saxophones facing forward, Jon’s bold and articulate improvisations draw on his singular drive to…
Yonathan Avishai and I met in a conference room at Bexley Public Library in the village of Bexley in Columbus, Ohio. He was bright, friendly, and alert despite his long flight the day before. Yonathan is an Israeli-born French resident.…
What’s the difference between a producer of an event and a promoter? I’ve often wondered about that when it comes to producing or promoting a music community event or a jazz concert. Cincinnati, Ohio resident and Jazz Alive Executive Director…
2022 was a banner year for drummer Brian Blade. Nine recordings were released with Brian as a leader, co-leader, or side-player that year. As the year was coming to a close, I began to compile my list of “Best Jazz…
Fabian Almazan gives his heart, music, and soul to sustaining the environment. He gives so much that he started a record label, Biophilia Records, that does not print CDs or vinyl records. How does he sell recordings? Each carefully designed…
German-born saxophonist and jazz educator Timo Vollbrecht is a mild-spoken man which slightly disarms you. You would not know by first sight that he is a practitioner and scholar of electronic-infused improvised jazz. He has long been a fan of…
Immanuel Wilkins is considered one of the most compelling instrumentalists in improvised music today. His primary instrument is the alto saxophone but that’s not all he can play. There’s a video you can find on YouTube of an interview he…
Marta Sanchez combines the technical of classical with the soul of jazz, presenting innovative and emotive compositions that stir the mind and fill the spirit. This Madrid, Spain native now resides in Brooklyn, NY, performing in New York clubs with…
Caleb Wheeler Curtis designs playgrounds for his band members when he composes, creating opportunities for improvisation within a structured framework. It’s all about space to freely express oneself. This Ann Arbor, Michigan native who now lives in Brooklyn, New York…
The jazz scene in Columbus, Ohio is an eclectic one. Like many big cities Columbus has a 24-hour jazz radio station that plays mostly smooth and R&B-tinged jazz peppered with some classic jazz from the 50s, 60s and 70s; it…
On today’s episode of Strictly Jazz Sounds, I have a conversation with Emmet about his show: how he selects the guests, the challenges doing the show, the dreams he holds for it and the impact he hopes to have on…