Feel that rumble underfoot? It might be the stampeding onrush of new music this fall. This episode, we’re throwing a spotlight on the most anticipated albums among them, by alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, vibraphonists Patricia Brennan and Simon Moullier,  pianist Kris Davis and Joe Alterman, and violinist Jenny Scheinman. We’re also talking shop with tenor saxophonist Nubya Garcia, whose aptly named Odyssey is simply undeniable. Joining us from her home in London, she reflects on transatlantic contrasts, unhurried creative intentions, and the welcome challenge of enlarging her musical canvas to epic scale.

Support WRTI: https://bit.ly/2yAkaJs

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sixteen years ago, when esperanza spalding made her breakout second album — before she’d performed at the White House, won Best New Artist at the Grammys, or served on the music faculty at Harvard — she made a point of opening with a song by Milton Nascimento. For spalding (who stylizes her name in lowercase), the iconic Brazilian troubadour exerts an influence as deep, intense and magical as that of the late Wayne Shorter, their mutual friend. So it makes sense that spalding describes their luminous new album, Milton + esperanza, as the realization of a dream. In this episode, she explains why it was also “surreal, challenging, scary, terrifying,” and how all the elements were made to harmonize. And we’ll hear Greg and Nate’s differing opinions on Native Dancer, the Shorter-Nascimento collaboration that celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, and looms as a clear precursor here.

More to Explore:

• WRTI: On the cusp of a major album drop, esperanza spalding rests in motion
• NPR: 'What Do You Need A Song For?': Esperanza Spalding's Search For The Answer
• NPR Music: Esperanza Spalding Is The 21st Century's Jazz Genius

Support WRTI: https://bit.ly/2yAkaJs

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What caught our ear in 2023? Who set the agenda, or just leveled up their game? For our final episode of this year, we’re looking back, taking stock, and talking about the albums we can’t let go. One of them was Rivers in Our Veins, by drummer and composer Allison Miller, who joins us here for some illuminating conversation. This is a supersize edition of The Late Set, but we think you’ll appreciate how much we packed in. 

More to explore: 

• The 10 Best Jazz Albums of 2023
• Roulette TV: Allison Miller presents Rivers in Our Veins
• The Year in Jazz: A Critics’ Roundtable

Support WRTI: https://bit.ly/2yAkaJs

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hark! The holidays are upon us, and so are the holiday tunes. Who better to join us than a pair of sublime vocalists with soulful new Christmas albums, Samara Joy and Gregory Porter? Together they reflect on the season’s warm and wonderful traditions, as well as a sense of mission behind their glad tidings and good cheer. Meanwhile, Greg and Nate are still arguing over the basic merits of holiday jazz, while taking stock of this year’s new releases.

More to explore: 

• Samara Joy's polyphonic stardom
• Gregory Porter: Personal Stories For Universal Songs
• Ready or not, here come the yuletide grooves

More from WRTI:

Website: https://www.wrti.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRTImusic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wrtimusic/

Support WRTI: https://bit.ly/2yAkaJs

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it mean to pick a winner in jazz? We’re considering that question in the wake of the Herbie Hancock Jazz Piano Competition, which Nate covered in New York City. The subject leads us to a discussion of the competitive tradition in this music, which extends from Kansas City jam sessions to Jazz at the Philharmonic Tours to the present day. Nobody has a more nuanced handle on the topic than Joshua Redman, who hit the ground running when he won the Thelonious Monk Jazz Saxophone Competition 30 years ago.

References for this episode:

• Jahari Stampley wins the Herbie Hancock Jazz Piano Competition
• Joshua Redman's new group walks the "Streets of Philadelphia"
• What Did The Monk Competition Ever Do For You?

Support WRTI: https://bit.ly/2yAkaJs

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Philadelphia has always punched above its weight as a jazz town, producing legendary players and sometimes even changing the game. We each have our own history with the City of Brotherly Love, so on this first episode of The Late Set, we’ll compare notes — and check in with an absolute authority on the subject, pianist Orrin Evans. He has thoughts (a lot of thoughts) about what it means to be a Philly cat, how to describe “the Philly sound,” and how we should feel about the scene.

More to explore:

• Moment’s Notice: our Philadelphia-area jazz listings
• As Lovett Hines Turns 80, Philly jazz luminaries share the love
• Jazz Philadelphia's Hometown Heroes: Spotlight on Pianist Orrin Evans

Support WRTI: https://bit.ly/2yAkaJs

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Support WRTI: https://bit.ly/2yAkaJs

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What should the omnivorous young jazz mainstream sound like today? One beguiling answer can be found in the music of Julius Rodriguez, a brilliant multi-instrumentalist who just released Evergreen, his second album for Verve, which synthesizes elements of jazz, R&B, gospel, funk, even electro-pop. “I see it all as different extensions of me,” Rodriguez tells us in a lively conversation that touches on his divergent aims for a studio album and a live show; the essential qualities he shares with his creative cohort; and the way that his New York upbringing now converges with his Los Angeles lifestyle, musically. We’ll also hear excerpts of an exclusive performance captured by WRTI at Notsolatin in South Philadelphia, on Rodriguez’s first tour.

More to Explore: 

• WRTI: Live at from Notsolatin (YouTube Premiere on Thursday, June 27 at 11 am EDT)
• NY Times: A Prodigy of Jazz Clubs Explores Other Stages
• NPR: Julius Rodriguez, a young pianist fusing (all) the music from inside-out

Support WRTI: https://bit.ly/2yAkaJs

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ron Miles reached beyond style and into human feeling. A cornetist who nestled all kinds of complexities into his warm and welcoming music, he left us too soon — but also left a lot to remember him by. Old Main Chapel, a gorgeous trio album recorded a decade ago, is now a part of that legacy. So too are our guests this episode, guitarist Bill Frisell and drummer Rudy Royston, who both knew Miles for more than 30 years. During a recent tour stop in Philly, they remembered their friend for his generosity, his soulfulness, and his fierce commitment to beauty. Like his music, their reminiscence glows with wonder, still inhabiting the present tense.

• Jazzwise: A requiem for Ron: Ron Miles: Old Main Chapel
• NPR: Ron Miles, cornetist who imbued modern jazz with heart and soul, dies at 58
• PBS: Ron Miles, beloved fixture of Denver jazz scene, dead at 58

Support WRTI: https://bit.ly/2yAkaJs

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lee Morgan was many things: a brilliant trumpeter, a hard-bop messenger, a cultural hero, a cautionary tale. He was also a proud product of Philly, and in recent days and weeks we’ve seen the city truly herald him as its own. On April 30, International Jazz Day, a historical marker in Morgan’s honor was unveiled at the corner of 52nd and Chancellor Streets — former site of the Aqua Lounge, where he played his final hometown gig. We were there for the ceremony so we could bring you this report, including remarks from saxophonist Billy Harper, who played in Lee’s last band, and his nephew Raymond Darryl Cox, who came bearing the master’s flugelhorn.

More from WRTI:

• A landmark for Lee Morgan, and the grassroots effort behind it

• How a jazz legend's resting place was lost and found, 50 years after his tragic death

• A Film About Jazz Trumpeter Lee Morgan Sparks Memories for Odean Pope

Support WRTI: https://bit.ly/2yAkaJs

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Shabaka hung up his tenor saxophone in favor of bamboo flutes, the world reacted with a mix of admiration and puzzlement. Over the last decade, as Shabaka Hutchings, he had steadily built a reputation for rampaging fervor on tenor, fueling the fires of a new-breed London jazz scene. His remarkable new album, Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace, drifts in another direction — more contemplative and interior, suffused with flickering calm. During this year’s Winter Jazz Fest, we caught up with Shabaka at Public Records in Brooklyn, and had a far-reaching conversation about this new direction, his motivations, and the challenge of making such a decisive pivot. Naturally we also talked about André 3000, another high-profile flute obsessive, and an eager new collaborator. You’ll also hear Greg and Nate reflect on this soothing new turn in the music often branded “spiritual jazz,” and what it says about our present moment.

Breathe In:

• New Music Friday for April 12, from NPR Music
• Album review in Pitchfork, by Hank Shteamer
• NY Times profile, by Hugh Morris

Support WRTI: https://bit.ly/2yAkaJs

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Melissa Aldana has been a prominent force in motion since she took first prize in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition just over a decade ago. What she has accomplished since then is a matter of public record, but also the result of much private searching — as an improviser, a composer, a bandleader and a human being. Her captivating new album, Echoes of the Inner Prophet, reflects a noticeable maturity on all fronts, which she describes as an ongoing process. In this revealing conversation, Melissa touches on her path toward a personal sound, which involved “a very deep crisis of identity.” She also shares insights about the gift of a working band, the complex play of musical influence, and the power of sound to change perception. 

More to Explore:

• Listen here to Echoes of the Inner Prophet
• NY Times: Melissa Aldana Makes a Focused Statement in Back Home
• NPR: Melissa Aldana Wins Thelonious Monk Competition For Saxophonists

Support WRTI: https://bit.ly/2yAkaJs

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here at The Late Set, we always turn toward the wisdom of elders. So we couldn’t be more excited about our guest this episode: alto saxophonist, composer-bandleader and educator Gary Bartz. We sat down with him in Brooklyn during the recent Winter Jazzfest, and had a fantastic conversation that spans his apprenticeship years (with everyone from Max to Mingus to Miles), his journeyman period (notably at the helm of Ntu Troop), and his master eminence (which predates his welcome induction as a 2024 NEA Jazz Master). The man who gave us “Music is My Sanctuary” is still out along the front line, with insights to share.

More to explore: 

• NEA: Gary Bartz biography
• NPR: From bebop to hip-hop: Gary Bartz's sax sound shapes many eras
• KQED: For Jazz Saxophonist Gary Bartz, ‘Music Is My Religion’

Support WRTI: https://bit.ly/2yAkaJs

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue had its premiere precisely 100 years ago, and has enjoyed a productive and impactful life ever since. But as Greg puts it in this bonus episode: “Whose Rhapsody is it?” A symphonic work openly indebted to Black American musical traditions has often been more celebrated than its source material — one reason to look to an interpreter like pianist Marcus Roberts, our guest this episode. He’s been performing Gershwin’s piece for decades, and before a recent series of blockbuster concerts with The Philadelphia Orchestra, he sat down with Nate in our studio to share his gemlike insights. 

More to explore: 

• NYT: The Worst Masterpiece: Rhapsody in Blue at 100
• NYT: No, ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ Is Not ‘the Worst’
• NPR: Marcus Roberts: 'Playing The History Of Jazz'

Support WRTI: https://bit.ly/2yAkaJs

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Max Roach — the indomitable drummer, activist, bandleader and composer — was born 100 years ago this month, on Jan. 10, 1924. His centenary is the perfect opportunity to reconsider how his genius changed the game, and not just in rhythmic terms. So in this episode, we talk about Max as an innovator and a liberator, a connector and a catalyst. We also consider his sterling example as an elder, with deep insights from Nasheet Waits — one of Max’s leading inheritors on drums, someone he mentored from an early age. Nasheet has incredible stories to tell, and he shares them here.

More to explore: 

• Max Roach at 100: Five stellar tracks that attest to his genius
• Drummer Max Roach Turns 100
• Max Roach Played For Keeps

Support WRTI: https://bit.ly/2yAkaJs

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Urgency is a currency for Isaiah Collier, an ambitious young saxophonist from the South Side of Chicago. We recently caught up with him at Solar Myth in Philly, where he played music from two new albums — The Almighty and The World is On Fire — that showcase his powerful working band, the Chosen Few. As much a dynamo in conversation as he is with his horn, Collier talked about stirring emotions, honoring elders, channeling energies, and his problem with the term “spiritual jazz.”

Also see:

• NYT: Isaiah Collier Funnels a ‘Very Radical Time’ into a Vivid New Album

Support WRTI: https://bit.ly/2yAkaJs

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WRTI’s Josh Jackson subs in for Greg, talking with Nate about their rich experience at the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival. Their guests are saxophonist Chris Coles and trumpeter Sean Jones, who had just performed a powerful suite titled Nine Lives. Coles composed the suite in response to a 2015 church shooting in Charleston. This conversation touches on the power of grace, the call to forgiveness — and a quietly thriving jazz scene in Akron, Ohio.

Support WRTI: https://bit.ly/2yAkaJs

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Thanksgiving rolls around, it’s a good time to ask: what are we grateful for? Here at The Late Set, our first answer is you, our listener. So we decided to spend this holiday episode answering your questions. In the process, you’ll hear Greg and Nate shout out scenes both near and far, admit to a few blind spots, and compare pet peeves. It’s a high-spirited Q&A session that gets right to the heart of the matter, which is genuine conversation around the music and its message. For that, we’ll always be thankful.

Support WRTI: https://bit.ly/2yAkaJs

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“I’m a jazz musician first, I feel,” says Bilal. Maybe this comes as news to the many admirers who know him as an ethereal singer with a shape-shifting R&B profile, or as one of the original catalysts for neo-soul. On a compelling new album, Adjust Brightness — his first studio release in almost a decade — Bilal explores a galactic sweep of sound, making genre distinctions feel all the more irrelevant to any conversation. But we had plenty to talk about during a spirited interview backstage at World Cafe Live, before Bilal’s homecoming album-release show. “I grew up with my heroes being Miles Davis, or Jimi Hendrix, or Sun Ra,” he attests, aligning himself with a legacy of Afrofuturist improvisers. We put him there too, and this episode explains why.

Support WRTI: https://bit.ly/2yAkaJs

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Dreams do come true.” That’s how Greg sums up this episode, as he and Nate talk with master drummer Jack DeJohnette about an incredible recording made in the spring of 1966. Featuring a ferocious quartet co-led by pianist McCoy Tyner and tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, it captures each of those giants at a turning point in his career. Blue Note Records will release this album, Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs’, on Nov. 22. (Nate contributed the main liner notes.) In our far-reaching conversation, Jack reflects on what makes this recording special; the dynamics between the musicians in the band, including bassist Henry Grimes; and the secret to keeping one’s composure in the midst of a musical storm.

Support WRTI: https://bit.ly/2yAkaJs

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The jazz vocal tradition is always an evolving proposition, but rarely does that notion feel truer or more affirming than in the output of Michael Mayo. Fly, his sterling second album, captures the forces of energy and creativity that he brings to the art form, on reimagined standards as well as smart original songs. Michael stopped into WRTI during a recent swing through town, straight from the airport. We talked about his upbringing as the child of two busy backing musicians, and how he pursues a band ideal even as he’s shining out front. He also reflects on the state of jazz singing, and considers how a vocalist can sneak musical complexities into the mainstream. And he divulges some secret intel about a cult-favorite side project, Shrek is Love.

Follow WRTI: 
https://www.instagram.com/wrtimusic 
https://www.facebook.com/WRTImusic 
https://www.youtube.com/WRTImusic 

Support WRTI: https://bit.ly/2yAkaJs

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We heard so many great albums in 2024, none more imaginative or compelling than Blues Blood, by alto saxophonist and composer Immanuel Wilkins. This episode features an illuminating conversation that Immanuel had at REC Philly with Josh Jackson, as part of the Jazz Philadelphia Summit. We’re also taking a look back at the stories, themes and other highlights from a jam-packed year. And on a bittersweet note, this is Greg’s last episode on The Late Set, as he bids a fond farewell to Philly and WRTI. You don’t want to miss it.

Support WRTI: https://bit.ly/2yAkaJs

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.