Bill Warfield, a dynamic and innovative composer, bandleader and trumpeter, has energized audiences, performers and writers for over four decades. Warfield’s most recent accomplishments are two highly regarded recordings including “Mercy Mercy Mercy”, recorded on the BluJazz label by the Hell’s Kitchen Funk Orchestra in 2015 and “Trumpet Story” with Randy Brecker on Planet Arts Records, recorded in 2014. These recordings are a celebration of the composer’s formative musical experiences. The two groups perform Jazz selections based on the genres of funk, Latin Jazz, and Hard Bop, all arranged by Warfield.

He holds an M.M. in Jazz Commercial Trumpet Performance from the Manhattan School of Music where he received the William H. Borden Award for Outstanding Accomplishment in Jazz/Commercial Music, The Carmine Caruso Award for Outstanding Musicality and Trumpet Performance and the Maynard Ferguson Scholarship. In 1990 he participated in the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop, directed by Bob Brookmeyer and Manny Albam.

Guitarist Akira Ishiguro studied Jazz performance and composition at Berklee College of Music. Since graduating in 2006, he has been entrenched in the New York City jazz scene.     Tour life has taken him to Japan, Chile, Coasta Rica, Canada, and much of Europe. He has six albums as a leader or co-leader and has appears in over 20 records.   He has shared the stage with Myron Walden, Nate Smith, Ari Hoenig, Mark Guiliana, Takuya Kuroda, Maria Schneider, Dayna Stephens, Jason Lindner, Henry Hey, Will Vinson, John Zorn, George Garzone, Christian McBride, Joe Martin, Matt Penman, Seamus Blake and many more.     Ishiguro’s accolades include grand prize in the 2013 Wilson Center Guitar Festival and Competition, and first prize “Public’s Choice” as well as overall second place in the 2009 Gibson guitar competition as part of the Montreux Jazz Festival.    His latest album “BON” was released in August 2024. 

Brian Scarborough is a top-call trombonist, improviser, composer, and educator in the greater Kansas City area. As a musician, Brian is regularly booked as both a bandleader for his quintet and a sideman for many local and touring bands of various sizes, in jazz and other genres. Moreover, Brian is a veteran musician of musical theatre, having performed for more than 50 productions in the greater Kansas City area. Internationally, Brian has performed in the European circuit in jazz, classical, and chamber music idioms. Brian has received critical acclaim as a soloist from international competitions including the J.J. Johnson Jazz Trombone Competition, the ATW Jazz Trombone Competition, and the Gilberto Gagliardi Tenor Trombone Competition, amongst others. Brian maintains a studio of private students and is equally passionate about creating new and interesting educational resources. Additionally, Brian is regularly on the faculty for various jazz camps and presents masterclasses widely.

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Feifke is an internationally recognized arranger and orchestrator and has written commissioned works for notables like the Manhattan School of Music Jazz Orchestra featuring Sean Jones and John Faddis, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra with Ken Peplowski, the Malmo Big Band with Katie Thiroux, and the New Generation Festival with Orchestra Senzaspine and Dominick Farinacci. He is the recipient of the 2020 David Baker Prize in composition from the Ravinia Festival and serves as musical director for the Tony Award Winning actor and singer Santino Fontana. In this episode, Steven shares his background, education, and musical journey.

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Nicolas Stocker is a core member of the celebrated ritual groove music ensemble Nik Bärtsch's Mobile since 2015. His extensive sideman work includes collaborations with Ricardo Villalobos, Maarja Nuut, Areni Agbabian, Witch’n’Monk, and many more - «...the music is really enhanced by Stocker's outstanding work on drums. In addition to numerous album productions, he has recorded drums for several movie soundtracks and worked with GRAMMY-Award-winning producers Manfred Eicher and David Odlum. He is featured on the ECM Records releases Continuum by Nik Bärtsch's Mobile, Bloom by Areni Agbabian, as well as on John Zorn’s Tzadik Records release Witch’n’Monk, which won the prestigious Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik. Both Bloom and Witch’n’Monk have been named Contemporary Album Of The Month by The Guardian. In this episode, Nicolas shares his background, education, and musical journey.

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Born and partly raised in Uganda, Mark Kavuma is a prominent young Trumpet player on the British jazz scene. Leading his own Quartet, the 'Floor Rippers' house band, and his main outfit 'The Banger Factory'. As well as, playing with Jean Toussaint's Young Lions, Jazz Jamaica, Nu Civilisation Orchestra and also one of the brass leaders at London based carnival band Kinetika Bloco. 

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Dani Rabin is a member of MARBIN, with fellow bandmate Danny Markovitch. MARBIN is a progressive jazz-rock band based in Chicago, IL, with a unique story that stands out in today's music world. With a do-it-yourself approach, Marbin started touring extensively in 2011, bringing their original instrumental music to every part of the United States. Through word of mouth, Marbin has gained hundreds of thousands of devoted fans all over the world and has sold tens of thousands of albums. Check out his Latest release Fernweh.

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Irwin Hall got his start at the age of 9 when he won a lottery in school and was gifted an alto saxophone. By the age of 11, he was on stage performing professionally and began winning state and national competitions. Irwin attended Princeton University on a full ride to study East Asian philosophy. He learned Japanese and after graduating began work at a major Japanese newspaper in Tokyo. As fate would have it, he ran into songstress Melody Gardot backstage at the Tokyo Jazz Festival who heard him play and immediately hired him to tour with her band. He quit his job and went on back-to-back international tours as her featured soloist. Soon after he caught the ear of 3x Grammy/Tony Award winning NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater and joined her working band, honing his skills under the master vocalist on saxophone, flute, and bass clarinet. His woodwind work is featured on the two Grammy-nominated albums: Star People Nation by trumpeter Theo Croker and Currency of Man by Melody Gardot. He has toured extensively with Grammy-nominated vocalist Jazzmeia Horn and bass virtuoso Charnett Moffett, among many others. Irwin now leads his own band - Irwin Hall Organ Trio (#IHOT) - and continues to perform in cities around the world. In this episode, Irwin shares his background, education, and musical journey.

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One of the most sought-after drummers of his generation, Ulysses Owens Jr sets the mark. From GRAMMY award-winning performances with Christian McBride’s acclaimed Trio and Big Band to world tours with Kurt Elling and Joey Alexander, Owens’s artistic command of percussion has earned him positions in some of the most successful jazz ensembles of the 21st century. Owens’s reverence for tradition distinctly manifests in his straight-away playing style, but it is the versatility of his talent— his unique ability to manipulate texture and create penetrating musical shapes— that attracts the attention of jazz’s heavy hitters. His performance catalog includes collaborations with Nicholas Payton, Wynton Marsalis, Monty Alexander, Dianne Schurr, Renee Fleming, and Mulgrew Miller, just to name a few. In this episode, Ulysses shares his background, education, and musical journey.

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Isobella Burnham is a vibrant Bassist, Vocalist and Composer from England. Growing up in Barbados she soaked up the rich musical culture around her and studied Jazz at the Barbados Community College. Since moving back to London, Isobella has played and toured around Europe, Africa and Asia with Connie Constance, Steamdown, Tom Misch, Sampa The Great and Poppy Ajudha. The Boss/Roland, Rotosound artist is featured on Blue Note’s Reimagined Album performing bass and vocals for Steamdown. Her Debut EP Dancin’ Garuda set to be released on 21 st May 2021. In this episode, Isobella shares her background, education, and musical journey.

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Returning to Improv Exchange, Christophe Schweizer talks about his latest project PLENITUDE by Brazilian trombone legend Raul de Souza.

Christophe Schweizer is considered one of the most innovative and creative musicians on the European Jazz scene, both with respect to his abilities and versatility on the trombone and other low brass instruments (also as an interpreter of classical and new music), as well as especially to his work as a composer, arranger, and bandleader.

Born in Switzerland and nowadays residing in Hamburg, Germany, he lived in New York for seven years starting in the mid-nineties. During this period, he worked with the George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band for three years, and occasionally with the orchestras of Maria Schneider and Sue Mingus, playing two European tours with the latter. In this episode, Christophe shares his background, education, and musical journey.

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Lynne Arriale is an active educator and adjudicator. She has conducted master classes and clinics internationally throughout the US, UK, Europe, Canada, Brazil, and South Africa. She adjudicated the Chamber Music America’s New Jazz Works, the Montreux Jazz Competition, American Pianists Association Fellowship Awards, The Kennedy Center’s Mary Lou Williams Competition, The American Jazz Pianist Competition, and the Jacksonville Piano Competition. She was a featured mentor at The Mary Lou Williams Emerging Artist Workshop at the Kennedy Center. 

Lynne is a Yamaha Artist and is currently a Professor of Jazz Studies and Director of Small Ensembles at The University of North Florida in Jacksonville. In 2018, she was awarded the UNF Presidential Leader Award and was runner-up for the 2020 UNF Faculty Association Distinguished Professor Award. In this episode, Lynne shares her background, education, and musical journey.

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A world-class musician, composer, arranger, and educator, Diego Rivera has entertained audiences for over 20 years. Rivera is known for his muscular tone and unique blend of straight-ahead mainstream jazz fused with music inspired by his Latino background and heritage. He is a tenured Associate Professor of Jazz Saxophone at Michigan State University where he also serves as Associate Director of Jazz Studies. 

Rivera was born in Ann Arbor, MI, and raised ‘just up the road’ in East Lansing, MI. Born into a Mexican-American family, his Chicano heritage has always been important to him and shaped his creative endeavors. His parents named him after the famed muralist, Diego Rivera. A trip to the Detroit Institute of Arts at a young age inspired him to make his own mark with the Saxophone rather than the brush. He attended Michigan State University where he studied with Andrew Speight, Branford Marsalis, Ron Blake, and Rodney Whitaker. In this episode, Diego shares his background, education, and musical journey.

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Lawrence Fields, born and bred in St. Louis, has earned a spot at the forefront of young jazz pianists, thanks to his blending of vintage ideals with a contemporary mindset. For the last five years, in 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, and 2019, Downbeat Magazine has placed him close to the top of the keyboardist category in their “Rising Stars” critics poll. Fields showcase his dynamic blend of composition and playing in his trio and quartet, and his music is currently being featured internationally. His debut album featuring his trio and solo playing, “To the Surface”, was released to critical acclaim on February 2, 2024.

Veteran saxophone icon Joe Lovano – with his unerring ear for youthful talent – has become one of the pianist’s biggest fans. Fields is a member of several bands led or co-led by Lovano: his Classic Quartet (originally featuring Lewis Nash and George Mraz in the rhythm section); the Sax Supreme Quartet (with Chris Potter); and his Sound Prints quintet with trumpeter Dave Douglas. The Wall Street Journal praised Fields’ “elegant, probing” solos with Sound Prints, while The New York Times noted that he is “integral to the band’s plunging, changeable style.” A modern-minded bandleader from the younger generation also relies on Fields, as he mans the piano and keyboards for the Christian Scott Group. Referencing his role on acoustic and electric pianos in the trumpeter’s band, NextBop said: “Fields remains a constant lyrical presence on the keys – innovative, expressive, supportive, able to soar like a bird in his solos. He never fails to impress.”

Fields has collaborated with Christian Scott on several albums — including co-writing and co-producing 3 songs on the Grammy-nominated The Emancipation Procrastination (Ropeadope, 2017), as part of his work on Christian’s Centennial Trilogy with releases Diaspora and Ruler Rebel. He features prominently in the piano and keyboard chairs on Christian’s Grammy-nominated live recording Axiom (2020), as well as the Grammy-nominated Ancestral Recall (2019), and the Stretch Music (Ropeadope, 2015) and Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah (Concord, 2012) albums.

With Lovano and Douglas, the pianist features on Sound Prints’ two critically-acclaimed studio releases: Other Worlds (2021), and Scandal (2018, Greanleaf) — selected by The Guardian as their #1 jazz album of 2018, as well as one of Rolling Stone’s top 20 jazz albums of the year. Fields also plays on the live album Sound Prints: Live at Monterey Jazz Festival (Blue Note, 2015), which featured two brand-new compositions written for the ensemble by the legendary Wayne Shorter. He appears on the album Marsalis Music Honors Alvin Batiste (2007) alongside Branford Marsalis, Herlin Riley and Russell Malone, as well as on drummer Terri Lyne Carrington’s More to Say (a 2009 disc for which he served as a pianist, keyboardist, and composer-producer). Fields also appears on releases by drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts, bassist Yasushi Nakamura, vibraphonist Warren Wolf, and saxophonists Jaleel Shaw and Steve Slagle. The pianist has been a member of the Watts band, as well as that of trumpeter Nicholas Payton. In addition to performing onstage with the likes of Payton, Watts, Marsalis, and Carrington, Fields has appeared with star bassist Christian McBride, drummer Nate Smith, trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis, trumpeter Takuya Kuroda, and bassist Robert Hurst, among others.

Lawrence's playing is also featured on Christopher North's score for the new Sam Pollard documentary "Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes", which premiered in Fall 2023 on PBS' American Masters television series.

Described as "one of the most compelling voices to emerge on her instrument in recent years", Australian-born-based trumpeter/composer Nadje Noordhuis possesses one of the most unforgettably lyrical voices in modern music. Her deeply-felt, clarion tone and evocative compositional gift meld classical rigor, jazz expression, and world music accents into a sound that is distinctively her own. Noordhuis was one of ten semi-finalists in the 2007 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Trumpet Competition and was selected as a Carnegie Hall Young Artist in 2012. Based in New York since 2003, she is a member of the multiple Grammy-winning Maria Schneider Orchestra, Grammy-nominated Darcy James Argue's Secret Society, and the Grammy-nominated Anat Cohen Tentet. In this episode, Nadje shares her background, education, and musical journey.

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Guitarist/composer Amanda Monaco has performed at venues such as Jazz at Lincoln Center, Birdland, Jazz Standard, and Flushing Town Hall, and with artists such as Milt Hinton, Steve Wilson, Rufus Reid, and the Mingus Orchestra. She has released eight albums to date and her current jazz projects include her eclectic quartet Deathblow, rambunctious organ quartet Glitter, an all-female jazz sextet Lioness. Her New Music ensemble The Pirkei Avot Project performs her original music with lyrics from selected verses (from a collection of rabbinical teachings with the same name) compiled in the third century C.E. An educator since 1990, Amanda is an Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music where she teaches private instruction, labs, and guitar ensembles. In this episode, Amanda shares her background, education, and musical journey.

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Born in Incheon, South Korea, Jihee Heo is a New York-based jazz pianist, composer and keyboardist. Heo holds a Master of Music degree (Jazz Piano Performance) from Manhattan School of Music (2013), and a Bachelor’s Degree (Jazz Piano Performance) from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam (2008). Heo has performed at acclaimed festivals and venues such as The Washington D.C. Jazz Festival, O+ Festival, Leverkusen Jazz Festival, The International African Arts Festival, The Jersey Shore Festival, Bergen Pac, Harlem Stage, National Sawdust, The Bitter End, Arthur’s Tavern, Rockwood Music Hall, Nublu, Cornelia Street Cafe and Brooklyn Bowls, among others. In this episode, Heo shares her background, education, and musical journey.

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Multiple Grammy Award–winning drummer, producer, and educator Terri Lyne Carrington has recorded and toured with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Stan Getz, Dianne Reeves, David Sanborn, John Scofield, Diana Krall, Yellowjackets, Cassandra Wilson, Kassa Overall, and countless other jazz luminaries. Carrington made history as the first woman to win a Grammy Award in the Best Jazz Instrumental Album category for Money Jungle: Provocative In Blue, a reimagining of the Duke Ellington classic. Her collaborations with Esperanza Spalding and Geri Allen, as well as her female-driven Mosaic Project recordings, have received critical acclaim. She is Zildjian Chair in Performance at Berklee College of Music and received an honorary doctorate from the college in 2003 as well as a bachelor's degree in 1983. She also serves as artistic director for the Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival and Berklee's Summer Sessions: Women’s Performance Program, and is co-artistic director of the Carr Center in Detroit, Michigan. Carrington is also going for her fourth Grammy after receiving her fifth nomination for her Album "Waiting Game". In this episode, Carrington shares her background, education, and musical journey. 

 

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International Recorded artist, composer, educator, and bandleader Jonathan Barber was voted the #1 Up-and-Coming Drummer of 2018 in Modern Drummer. Barber has already recorded and toured worldwide with such artists as Pat Metheny, Erykah Badu, Nicholas Payton, Buster Williams, Jimmy Greene, Jeremy Pelt, Wallace Roney, Terrace Martin, Jennifer Holiday, Harold Mabern, Steve Davis, J.D. Allen, The Brooklyn Philharmonic and many more. In addition to his first-call status as a sideman, Barber has recently stepped forth as a composer and leader with his Vision Ahead band. Even with Barber’s history of high-profile gigs and recordings taken into consideration, DownBeat magazine gave his latest album “Legacy Holder” 4.5 stars. Jonathan Barber & Vision Ahead is a powerful declaration of intent for a band that’s been making waves on the modern jazz scene. Barber’s blend of classic, swinging jazz with elements of gospel, rock, soul, and fusion is a compelling showcase of Barber’s broad stylistic range as a drummer, performer, and composer. Jonathan Barber & Vision Ahead was featured and headline the 2018 Rainy Days Jazz Festival held in St. Petersburg and Moscow, Russia, 2019 Hartford Jazz Festival, and 2020 Clifford Brown Jazz Festival. In this episode, Jonathan shares his background, education, and musical journey.   

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Andrew McGowan is a New Orleans born pianist who played with renowned artists such as Jason Marsalis, Joe Dyson, and Sasha Masakowski in New Orleans as well as bands such as The Stooges Brass Band and The Session at venues such as Snug Harbor, The Jazz and Heritage Festival, and also many international clubs and festivals such as the Edinburgh Jazz festival and South by Southwest. After moving to NYC in 2016, Andrew played at major jazz clubs in NYC such as Blue Note, Minton’s, Dizzy’s, Smalls, and Fat Cat.

Andrew's most recent releases are "MicroCosmos" with MicroCorgi, and "Collusion" with The Session. He also produces a cooking and music YouTube show called "Cooking with the Woodsiders".  

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Through more than a quarter-century as a first-caller on the jazz scene, Eric Reed has articulated this inclusive conception as a leader of numerous ensembles, solo performer, composer, producer, educator, and sideman with numerous artists, including extended stints with Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Buster Williams, and Wynton Marsalis. Whatever the context, whatever the style, he consistently animates the flow with fresh ideas, virtuosic chops, intellectual clarity, and an unwavering will to groove. In this episode, Eric shares his background, education, and musical journey.

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Art Hirahara is a jazz keyboardist and composer based in New York, NY. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Art moved to New York in 2003 to be challenged by its pool of world-class musicians. Here he has honed his craft, performing in a wide range of musical situations ranging from straight-ahead standards to time cycle-based progressive jazz to working with singer/songwriters. From the traditional to the avant-garde, Art has found a sound of his own that cuts across genres and boundaries. Art has had the privilege to perform with Don Braden, Stacey Kent, Freddy Cole, Akira Tana, Rufus Reid, Dave Douglas, Vincent Herring, Royal Hartigan, and many others. He has performed around the world in Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, the Middle East, and extensively around the United States. As a bandleader, he has released five recordings on Posi-Tone Records, working with well-known musicians including Donny McCaslin, Melissa Aldana, Linda May Han Oh, Joe Martin, and Rudy Royston. In this episode, Art shares his background, education, and musical journey.  

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Nathan East is one of the most in-demand bassists of all time. A founding member of the chart-topping contemporary jazz group Fourplay, Nathan was 16 years old when he got his first break and found himself on the road with Barry White. The next time the phone rang, Quincy Jones was on the line. The calls kept coming and for the last forty years, Nath has been churning out hit songs with artists as legendary as Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Michael Jackson, Phil Collins, Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, Barbra Streisand, and Stevie Wonder. In this episode, Nathan shares his background, education, and musical journey.

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London-based jazz vocalist James Hudson has all of the unique qualities that epitomize the 21st-century crooner. An assured and charming performer, his natural affinity with an audience is complemented by effortless vocals, tasteful phrasing, and interpretive prowess.

James’s debut album 'TOMORROW', set for release in February 2021, will be the biggest milestone of his career so far. Over a year in the making, the album features James and his band performing brand-new interpretations of classics from The Great American Songbook. Greatly influenced by Nat King Cole, Mel Torme, Oscar Peterson, Sarah Vaughan and Tony Bennett, James is fuelled by a desire to play his part in keeping jazz standards alive. In this episode, James shares his background, education, and musical journey.

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Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Greenville, NC, contemporary jazz vocalist Christie N. Dashiell honed her skills at Howard University and later at the Manhattan School of Music. Ms. Dashiell’s trajectory includes performances with Howard’s premiere vocal jazz ensemble, Afro Blue. She has also performed at the Kennedy Center as a participant in the 2010 Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead program; at the Lincoln Theater in Washington, D.C.; and, as a part of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Jazz for Young People program. She is the recipient of DownBeat magazine’s Best College Graduate Jazz Vocalist and Outstanding Soloist awards in the jazz vocal category. Most recently, Ms. Dashiell appeared on season three of NBC’s The Sing-Off, as a member of Afro Blue. She can be heard on several nationally released recordings including John Blake’s Motherless Child, The Jolley Brothers’ memoirs Between Brothers, and as a Kennedy Center Discovery Artist on NPR’s JazzSet hosted by Dee Dee Bridgewater. She has since performed in concert with Esperanza Spalding, Fred Hammond, Smokey Robinson, Geri Allen, and Allan Harris.

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John Beasley, Multi-GRAMMY® and Emmy Award-nominated pianist, composer, arranger, producer, music director. An uncommonly versatile pianist, he has backed such jazz icons as Miles Davis and Freddie Hubbard – playing in the bands of both these trumpet greats while still in his 20s. Since then, Beasley has performed with a wide range of artists from Dianne Reeves, Ivan Lins, John Patitucci, Chaka Khan, Christian McBride, Carly Simon, Steely Dan, Lee Ritenour, Somi, A.R. Rahman, and James Brown’s last concert at the Hollywood Bowl. His extensive work as a composer-arranger extends beyond jazz, with many credits in television such as Star Trek:TNG, Cheers, and Fame; and in films scored by 15-time Oscar nominee Thomas Newman 1917, James Bond’s Spectre and Skyfall, Finding Dory, He Named Me Malala, and Shawshank Redemption. While on tour with Miles Davis, Beasley was inspired to record his first album Cauldron, which was produced by Steely Dan’s Walter Becker. A dozen albums later, Beasley has earned ten GRAMMY nominations, six for his project called MONK’estra. In this episode, John shares his background, education, and musical journey.

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Jim Lang is a seasoned composer in the film and television world, having strengthened many projects through his diverse musical palette. He is most recognized for his theme music, original songs, and score for Nickelodeon‘s hit animated series Hey Arnold!, which has aired in over 70 markets worldwide. Most recently, Jim scored Hey Arnold: The Jungle Movie, the highly-anticipated return to television after a 13-year hiatus. The film, which features updates to the iconic themes from the series, picks up after the cliffhanger ending of Hey Arnold: The Movie, and finds Arnold and friends searching for his parents in Central America.

 

Jim is currently scoring season two of Wind Dancer Films‘ popular early childhood science show, Ready, Jet, Go! for PBS. His original music is also featured in the Ron Howard films The Paper, Ransom, and ED TV. Other film scores include the independent features Born Killers, Fred & Vinnie, Cellmates, and Guido. Additionally, Jim scored The Jim Henson Company’s animated feature series Unstable Fables, and Houston International Film Festival’s Best Short Grand Prize winner World Song. He has also collaborated with acclaimed horror director John Carpenter, for his film In the Mouth Of Madness.

 

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Dejan has performed in more than twenty – five countries around the globe (USA, Russia, China, Japan, Britain, France, Germany, etc.) both independently and as the leader of the acclaimed jazz-rock band EYOT. Aside from 4 released albums of EYOT, where he is signed as the sole composer of all compositions, Dejan also released three solo piano projects for the US market, under 90&9 Records and Magnatune labels, and one more for Serbian label Metropolis. Ilijic has composed music for multi-awarded documentaries and TV shows that aired on numerous national and local TV channels in Serbia and Europe, and also at international film festivals. In this episode, Dejan shares his background, education, and musical journey.

 

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Christophe Schweizer is considered one of the most innovative and creative musicians on the European Jazz scene, both with respect to his abilities and versatility on the trombone and other low brass instruments (also as an interpreter of classical and new music), as well as especially to his work as a composer, arranger, and bandleader.

Born in Switzerland and nowadays residing in Hamburg, Germany, he lived in New York for seven years starting in the mid-nineties. During this period, he worked with the George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band for three years, and occasionally with the orchestras of Maria Schneider and Sue Mingus, playing two European tours with the latter. In this episode, Christope shares his background, education, and musical journey.

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Danny Markovitch is the co-leader and founder of the jazz-fusion band Marbin. Marbin is a progressive jazz-rock band based in Chicago, IL, with a unique story that stands out in today's music world. With a do-it-yourself approach, Marbin started touring extensively in 2011, bringing their original instrumental music to every part of the United States. Through word of mouth, Marbin has gained hundreds of thousands of devoted fans all over the world and has sold tens of thousands of albums. Marbin has released eight albums: Marbin (2009), Breaking the Cycle (2011), Last Chapter of Dreaming (2013), The Third Set (2014), Aggressive Hippies (2015), Goatman and the House of the Dead(2016), Israeli Jazz (2018), and Strong Thing (2019). Marbin regularly plays in clubs all over the US and in jam and jazz festivals around the world.

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NYC-based drummer/composer/teacher Allison Miller engages her deep roots in improvisation as a vehicle to explore all music. Described by critics as a Modern Jazz Icon in the Making, Miller won Downbeat’s 67th Annual Critics Poll for “Rising Star Drummer” and JazzTimes’s 2019 Critics Poll for “Best Jazz Drummer.” Boom Tic Boom, Allison’s longtime band, won Jazz Journalists Association’s 2019 award for “Best Mid-Sized Ensemble.” Her composition, “Otis Was a Polar Bear”, is included on NPR’s list of The 200 Greatest Songs By 21st Century Women+. She is also the first recipient of the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation’s Commissioning Grant. In this episode, Allison shares her background, education, and musical journey.

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At a young age, Giveton taught himself how to play the trumpet. From there he has gone on to share the stage with some of the biggest names in music such as Wynton Marsalis, Jon Batiste, and Ben Wolfe. On top of that, earlier this year he was awarded the Letter One Rising Star Jazz Award. All that while he’s still continuing his studies at The Juilliard School. Giveton’s debut album, True Design, was released on April 19, 2020, which also happens to be his birthday.  Giveton isn’t the only top-notch player on this album, Immanuel Wilkins (alto sax), Micah Thomas (piano), Kyle Benford (drums), and Philip Norris (bass) all lend their amazing talents to bring this album to life. In this episode, Giveton shares his background, education, and musical journey.

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John Fedchock’s illustrious career in jazz has spanned four decades. Since his emergence on the scene in 1980, Fedchock has established himself as a world-class trombone soloist, a heralded bandleader, and a Grammy-nominated arranger. An in-demand performer and writer in New York City, his multifaceted talents have led him to become one of NYC’s premier jazz artists. His critically acclaimed John Fedchock New York Big Band has become a marquee group, showcasing Fedchock’s trombone and arranging as well as the band’s all-star soloists. The JFNYBB’s five CDs on the MAMA and Reservoir Music labels have all received high praise from critics and extraordinary success on national jazz radio charts. The early success of the band resulted in Fedchock’s name appearing in DOWNBEAT’s Readers Poll under the categories of Trombone, Arranger and Big Band, simultaneously for several consecutive years. In recognition of his formidable arranging skills, Fedchock is a two-time GRAMMY Award nominee for “Best Instrumental Arrangement”. The JFNYBB’s recordings have appeared in jazz radio’s Top Ten, and the New York Times has applauded the band’s “Cheerful Syncopation, Served With Spit-and-Polish Precision. In this episode, John shares his background, education, and musical journey.

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Dutch double bassist, composer and producer Jasper Somsen (1973) graduated in both Jazz and Classical double bass. He collaborated amongst many others with Peter Erskine, Enrico Pieranunzi, Joey Calderazzo, Jeff Ballard, John Beasley, Jean-Michel Pilc, Eric Marienthal, Bob Sheppard, Seamus Blake, Lynne Arriale, Jorge Rossy, Kendrick Scott, Justin Faulkner, E.J. Strickland, André Ceccarelli, Gary Husband and Gabriele Mirabassi. In this episode, Jasper shares his background, education, and musical journey.

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Brian Scarborough is a top call trombonist, improviser, composer, and educator in the greater Kansas City area.  He can be seen performing around Kansas City with his own ensembles, and is a member of the People’s Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City, the Boulevard Big Band, Zen Brass, The Kansas-Nebraska Act, and is a sub for the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra.  Brian has also appeared with the Fountain City Brass Band. In this episode, Brian shares his background, education, and musical journey.

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Lois Deloatch is a songwriter and vocalist known for her powerful contralto voice and distinctive blend of jazz, soul, blues, folk, and spirituals.  Her original compositions and interpretations of classic tunes resonate with purity and emotion, simultaneously intellectual and passionate. Shaped by and reflective of her early life as the seventh of ten children raised in a rural southern town, Lois’s music expresses cultural richness and timeless truths.

She has appeared in concerts throughout the United States and internationally, written and lectured on music, arts, and culture, and co-hosted a radio show. She has produced five recordings as a leader:  Roots: Jazz/Blues/Spirituals,  Closure, Holy Night, Sunrise, and Hymn to Freedom: Homage to Oscar Peterson, which garnered international accolades including selection as one of the Top 10 CDs of 2008 by JazzTimes Magazine’s Owen Cordle.

Lois has shared the stage with legendary musicians such as pianists, Willie Pickens, Ellis Marsalis, Ernest Turner, and Chip Crawford; drummer Ed Thigpen; trumpeter Arturo Sandoval and saxophonist Branford Marsalis as well as emerging jazz luminaries. 

Steve Davis, the father of Tony Davis, is widely regarded as one of today’s leading improvisers on the trombone. Davis has appeared in Downbeat Magazine’s Readers and Critics Polls numerous times, winning the TDWR (Rising Star) Trombone Category in 1998. Davis has also been recently nominated by the Jazz Journalists Association four years in a row (2010-2013) as Trombonist of the Year. In this episode, Steve shares his background, education, and musical journey.

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Hailing originally from Nagasaki, Japan, Keita Ogawa is 2 times Grammy nominees and Grammy Award winner and one of the most versatile and sought-after percussionist and drummer in New York City if not the world. Currently, he works several projects like Snarky Puppy, Bokanté, Banda Magda, Bokantè, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Charlie Hunter, JSquad, Camila Meza and the Nectar Orchestra, Clarice Assad, and more. In this episode, Keita shares his background, education, and musical journey.

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When Jason Burt found the recordings in his late grandfather’s attic, he thought they might belong in a World War II museum gift shop. His grandfather, Richard Burt, was a Juilliard-trained musician; before becoming a music teacher in West Sacramento, he volunteered his talents as the lead trumpet player of the 746th Air Force Band. Quite the storyteller, he often spoke of his time with the band, and his experience of being stationed in the Philippines during World War II. In this episode, Jason shares his background, education, and his journey to make his Grandpa and the 746th Air Force Band go platinum.

 

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Dutch saxophonist Yuri Honing has widened his musical scope through collaborating with such great talents as Pat Metheny and Charlie Haden. Honing achieved his first international breakthrough with his trio recording Star Tracks, an album consisting only of pop songs. Another landmark recording was Seven, made in New York and featuring Paul Bley, Gary Peacock, and Paul Motion, which received the prestigious Edison (Dutch Grammy) Award. In this episode, Yuri shares his background, education, and musical journey.

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Kyle Benford is a percussionist we believe will be making noise for years to come. After hearing his recordings with raising Jazz artist Micah Thomas and Giveton Gelin we seem to be correct. A Juilliard Alum, Wynton Marsalis has mentioned that Benford is indeed an "MVP". In this episode, Kyle shares his background, education, and musical journey.

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Takuya Kuroda is a powerhouse talent, whose writing has been praised as “soulful” and “modern,” “effortlessly bridging the gap between jazz and soul, between history and tomorrow.” This interview marks the upcoming release of Kuroda’s widely-anticipated Album, Fly Moon Die Soon - a fitting title for the work of a musician on the ascent. In this episode, Takuya shares his background, education, and musical journey. 

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Jocelyn Gould is an accomplished guitarist, vocalist, and bandleader. Originally from Winnipeg, Canada, she grew up singing every chance she got and became enthralled with the guitar as a teenager. Jocelyn maintains an active international performance career, including performances at the St. Lucia Jazz Festival, the Detroit Jazz Festival, and the TD Toronto Jazz Festival. Jocelyn’s debut recording, Elegant Traveler, was released in March 2020. In this episode, Jocelyn shares her background, education, and musical journey.

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The New York Times wrote "Only occasionally — a few times in a generation, even — does a pianist come along who seems to have gobbled up and processed so much music, their style can make sense of both jazz’s history and its presence in a single motion. Micah Thomas is one of those players." Micah performs in venues throughout the city both as a leader of his own groups and as a sideman for such luminaries as Immanuel Wilkins, Joel Ross, Lage Lund, Melissa Aldana, Etienne Charles, Gabe Schnider, Harish Raghavan, Stacy Dillard, and Joshua Redman. He also appeared as a guest with Wynton Marsalis’ Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in 2017 alongside Sullivan Fortner, Aaron Diehl, and Joel Wenhardt, and as a solo performer at the 2018 Newport Jazz Festival. In this episode, Micah shares his background, education, and musical journey.

 

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Yoo Sun Nam is an up­ and ­coming alto saxophonist and composer from South Korea. At a young age, she was very intrigued by many different styles of music including classical, Korean traditional, pop, and funk. In 2011, Yoo Sun moved to New York City, where she began pursuing her Master’s degree in jazz studies from NYU Steinhardt. During her time in New York, Yoo Sun was fortunate enough to have studied and performed with great jazz artists such as Artist Faculty members Joe Lovano, Dave Pietro, Gill Goldstein, Kenny Werner, Alan Ferber, and Ralph Alessi. In this episode, Yoosun shares her background, education, and musical journey.

 

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“One of the most commanding voices on bass today” Yasushi Nakamura is praised for imaginative, quicksilver bass lines that deepen the groove. His blend of guitar-like precision and gut-level blues has sparked collaborations with artists such as Wynton Marsalis, Wycliffe Gordon, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Hank Jones, Dave Douglas, Steve Miller, etc. With his charismatic stage presence and artful, hard-swinging melodic touch, Nakamura is a first-call performer capturing new audiences and fans around the world. In this episode, Yasushi shares his background, education, and musical journey.

 

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Vinnie Sperrazza is a Brooklyn-based jazz drummer, composer, bandleader, author, and educator noted for his versatility and commitment to new music. Born in Utica, NY, Sperrazza moved to Brooklyn after completing his studies at William Paterson University, where he was mentored by pianist James Williams. He leads the groups Vinnie Sperrazza Trio, featuring Ethan Iverson and Michael Formanek, whose first album was released in March 2023, and Vinnie Sperrazza Apocryphal, with a new album coming later in 2023, featuring Loren Stillman, Brandon Seabrook, and Eivind Opsvik.

He is part of several collectives, including Ember, with Caleb Curtis and Noah Garabedian with a new album out August 2023, the Choir Invisible, with Chris Tordini and Charlotte Greve, and Landline, featuring Chet Doxas, Jacob Sacks, and Zack Lober. Additionally, he is a member of Matt Bauder’s Hearing Things, the Hank Roberts Sextet, Michael Formanek’s Drome Trio, and many other NYC-based groups. He tours regularly with the Mark Morris Music Ensemble, led by Ethan Iverson, playing Iverson’s scores and arrangements.

Also a committed writer, Sperrazza’s Substack entitled Chronicles has been active since October 2022 and features over 40 in-depth articles focused on the history of jazz and jazz drumming, with deep dives on well-known and lesser-known figures including Pete LaRoca, Ralph Peterson, and Phillip Wilson, among many others. An experienced clinician, Sperrazza’s teaching emphasizes fundamentals and awareness, principles upon which he’s built his musical life.

Shane Cooper is a bassist, composer, and producer based in Johannesburg, South Africa.  He is part of the new wave of South African Jazz artists pushing the music forward and is also known for his work in the electronic/dance music world, as well as commissioned works for films and theatre. In 2017 he launched MABUTA with band members Bokani Dyer, Sisonke Xonti, Robin Fassie, and Marlon Witbooi.  Their new album Welcome To This World is out now on all digital platforms through Shane’s record label Kujua Records. In this episode, Shane shares his background, education, and musical journey.

Bassist, singer, and composer Ellen Andrea Wang has distinguished herself as an inventive artist, blending genres in new and unprecedented ways. Wang received the Kongsberg Jazz Festivals great musician award in 2015. The prize is awarded to a musician who has a leading position on the Norwegian jazz scene. We believe she's talent on the rise and a force to be reckoned with. In the episode, Ellen shares her background, education, and musical journey. 

 

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Most jazz listeners are surely acquainted with one of the genre’s foremost trombonists, Steve Davis. The good news is his 25-year-old son, guitarist Tony Davis has also picked up the mantle and is continuing the family’s musical legacy. Not only does Davis display considerable talent with his swinging guitar style, but he also wrote most of the tunes on this debut as a leader, Golden Year. In this episode, Tony shares his background, education, and musical journey.

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