Strictly Jazz Sounds-SJS

Steve Braunginn

5.0 (6)
MUSIC INTERVIEWS

Strictly Jazz Sounds-SJS

Strictly Jazz Sounds (SJS) features the finest legacy and contemporary jazz musicians and beyond. Every episode will feature an in-depth interview with current jazz musicians and their music, or jazz music producers, music critics and writers and jazz music venue owners/operators. SJS is about all things jazz. Host Steve Braunginn was on the air 20+ years for WORT89.9-FM.

OCT 24

Episode 24-Walter Smith III: Jazz Educator and Saxophone Virtuoso

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 the path beginning with performing at McDonald’s at age 7, to an exciting area of study at one of today’s premier high schools, Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) in Houston, Texas to leadership roles at Berklee College of Music, reflecting on experiences at the Thelonious Monk Institute (today, the Herbie Hancock Institute) and exciting tours with legends like Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock. Gender equity in jazz, a priority for Walter, is spearheaded by the Berklee Jazz and Gender Justice Institute, and innovations in jazz education promoting inclusivity. Walter touches on his transition from Boston to New York, emphasizing the interplay between performance and teaching. Walter Smith III just released his eleventh album as a leader. Our conversation on Strictly Jazz Sounds also takes a deep dive into three of us are from Houston and Reuben is not. This project includes three of his closest music cohorts who are three of the most accomplished and influential musicians in jazz today: Jason Moran-piano, Reuben Rogers-bass, and Eric Harland-drums. The music does not disappoint in any way. We listen to clips of selected tracks, discuss the music and the significance, if any, of the composition titles. Walter is/has been a member of many legendary and highly accomplished groups (recording and/or touring) including the Roy Haynes Fountain of Youth Band (Walter was fired when he decided to go to Los Angeles, California), Terence Blanchard Quintet, Jason Moran’s In My Mind: Monk at Town Hall, Ambrose Akinmusire Quintet, and the Christian McBride “Situation”, He’s also teamed up with Eric Harland’s “Voyager”, the Bill Stewart Trio, Marquis Hill’s “New Gospel Revisited”, and the Sean Jones Quintet among others. Thank you for listening to Strictly Jazz Sounds. You have a choice among many other jazz podcasts, yet you selected this one today. You have my appreciation for your time and interest. Photo by Travis Bailey.

55 min
SEP 27

Episode 23-Kris Davis: Creative Processes and Mentorship in Jazz

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 women jazz pianists, which drops on September 27, 2024. A common thread is woven throughout the hour, mentoring. As a recipient of it herself, Kris Davis discusses the importance of fostering the next generation of jazz musicians. She also provides a detail description of her fascinating composition process. Kris Davis and I spend time discussing her label, Pyroclastic Records and how the non-profit organization is critical to creating adventurous improvisational jazz. Davis and Pyroclastic Records generously provide three compositions for this episode. The Kris Davis Trio is comprised of three highly accomplished, award-winning artists: Kris Davis-piano, Robert Hurst-bass, and Johnathan Blake-drums. The 23rd Episode opens with “Heavy-Footed” (6:00); at about 30 minutes you will hear “Dream State (4:55), and it closes with “Little Footsteps” (5:12). Kris Davis is a remarkable composer. She’s brilliant in her work which reflects her dedication to learning and expanding her horizons. Subsequently, Kris has been recognized by DownBeat magazine and the Jazz Journalists Association as Pianist of the Year. She’s a Doris Duke Foundation Artist, her work recognized by the New York Times and NPR-National Public Radio as number one. Since her debut album, Lifespan, which was released in 2003, Kris Davis is a leader/co-leader on 25 recordings. All these accolades are great but what matters most to Kris Davis, is expanding the music and assuring that the next generation of jazz artists is successful. Thank you for spending your time listening to this podcast. If you are a subscriber, wonderful! You are part of a fast-growing membership. If not, when you do subscribe, you become one of the first to learn of new episodes when they are published. Thank you for listening. Photo by Peter Gannushkin-DowntownMusic.net

1h 10m
SEP 8

Episode 22-Yuhan Su: The Imagination is in the Music

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 music, a frequently told story. Yuhan Su draws on her strengths to survive the intense transitions as a single woman migrating to the US to learn a completely different style of music, knowing no one, new to the language and cultures. And she plays the vibraphone, not an easy instrument to lug around given she’s carless. Yuhan is an avid composer whose quality was recently recognized in Taiwan with the Golden Melody Award, the Taiwan-equivalent of the Grammy. Yes, a big deal! She won it for the composition “Hi-Tech Pros and Cons” from her recent album, Liberated Gesture. In this episode, we talk about these topics among others that delve into her compositions, her passion for composing, themes reflecting personal experiences and social issues. And, of course, there’s music, this time from Liberated Gestures (Sunnyside Records). The Yuhan Su Quintet includes: Yuhan Su-vibraphone, Matt Mitchell-piano, Caroline Davis-alto saxophone & poetry reading (“She Goes to a Silent War), Marty Kenney-acoustic bass/electric bass, and Dan Weiss-drums. The episode opens with “Hi-Tech Pros and Cons” (6:27), you’ll hear “She Goes to a Silent War” (poetry read by Caroline Davis) about two-thirds into the conversation, then close with “Siren Days (7:31). Thank you for listening to Strictly Jazz Sounds. Enjoy and listen to live jazz. Steve Braunginn Photo by TeFan Wang

1h 15m
AUG 24

Episode 21-Wayne Escoffery: Fostering Pride in Black American Music-Jazz

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 recordings, one a Grammy Award winner), the Black Art Jazz Collective (4 recordings), and as sideman with trumpeter Tom Harrell (7 recordings, co-producing 4) plus works with other notable jazz musicians. He is now a Harlem resident in the neighborhood where Sonny Rollins grew up, Sugar Hill, but he was born and spent his childhood years in London before he moved to the U.S. with his mother. Escoffery graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in jazz performance from the Hartt School at the University of Hartford, where he was a protégé of saxophone legend Jackie McLean. He earned a Master of Music degree from the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance (now the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz) at the New England Conservatory, Escoffery today teaches at Yale University’s School of Music where he emphasizes the value of real-world experience in teaching, reflecting on his own journey and influences, including his time with jazz greats like Jackie McLean and Ron Carter. We cover various topics such as the challenges facing musicians today, the lack of business education in jazz programs, and the exploitation of artists by the music industry. Escoffery also touches on the emotional therapeutic aspects of music, thoughts on mental health in the music industry. We take a deep dive into Wayne Escoffery’s soon-to-be released recording, Alone. Thanks to Smoke Sessions Records for use of the tracks for this podcast. They are: Moments With You (6:32), Alone (8:08), and The Ice Queen (8:16). The episode opens with "Moments With You." You can hear "Alone" about half-way through the conversation, and then the show closes with "The Ice Queen." The conversation begins when Wayne Escoffery and I discuss the importance of real-world experience in teaching. You'll enjoy his thoughts about this topic among others regarding jazz artists getting ripped off by a recording industry that hardly pays anything to anyone anymore. I would appreciate feedback about my podcasts. Past comments have been very useful. Thanks for listening to Strictly Jazz Sounds. This is Steve Braunginn. Photo by Kasia Idzkowskas

1h 13m
AUG 10

Episode 20-Roni Eytan: Jazz Harmonica Colossus

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 and inspires his passions. Roni’s work is influenced by harmonica legend Toots Thielemans but only partially. The folk cultures that make up the regions and his spiritual influences mostly inspire his writing. Roni Eytan stopped by my studio to talk about his harmonica work and how he got interested in this instrument. We talk about Roni's early fascination with music in Jerusalem, initially wanting to play the trumpet inspired by a film by a popular British band, the Beatles. After a short stint with the trumpet, he transitioned to the harmonica influenced by various sources, including friends and inspired by Israeli artists such as Yonathan Avishai and Avishai Cohen. Roni talks about his journey into jazz, mentioning significant influences like jazz legends Oscar Peterson and Charlie Parker as well as Toots Thielemans and the modern-day sound of French harmonica player Gregoire Maret. Educated at the Herbie Hancock Institute at UCLA in Los Angeles, California, Roni emphasizes the importance of mentorship and collaboration and how powerfully important to him and his work were Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter. He also delves into different types of harmonicas, including diatonic, chromatic, and microtonal, and his innovative approach to microtonal harmonica playing for traditional music from his region. The history of the harmonica is fascinating, and I encourage you to delve into it. The conversation wraps up with Roni discussing his compositional process. For this episode, three tracks are presented from the concert the Roni Eytan Quartet presented in Columbus, Ohio, hosted by A Tribe for Jazz. The quartet includes Roni Eytan-harmonica, Gadi Lehavi-piano, Simon Willson-bass, and Alon Benjamini-drums. These tracks are not compressed in any fashion. These are the raw tracks from the show in Columbus, Ohio at the Columbus Dance Theater, thanks to A Tribe for Jazz. The three tracks are respectively: "Winter Dance"-Duet between Roni Eytan and Alon Benjamini: 5:22; "Focus-Hymn"-3:08; and "Melody People"-11:14. Thanks for listening. If you’re a subscriber, you’re one of the first ones to receive this episode. Subscribing gives you that honor. Following the opening track, Roni and I begin our conversation with how his interest in the harmonica started. I’m Steve Braunginn. Photo by Stephen Braunginn.

1h 12m
JUN 30

Episode 19-Alexandra Ridout: Her Journey Into Jazz

Alexandra (Alex) Ridout is a young jazz trumpeter from the UK, now residing in 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 the UK and the US. Ridout recalls her time at the Royal Academy of Music in London and Manhattan School of Music, emphasizing her family's influence, especially her jazz musician parents. Highlighting her musical achievements, the conversation includes her participation and victory in the BBC Youth Competition, winning at 17 years old. She talks about her association with renowned musicians and mentors, including trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, now Dean of Jazz Arts at the Manhattan School of Music, and her involvement with the all-female group, Artemis. As with many women in the jazz industry, the topic of women’s growing strength emerges. She also addresses the challenges and realities of the recording industry today, stressing the importance of patience and genuine passion in pursuing a music career. The conversation culminates with her upcoming performance on International Jazz Day and a surprise familial discovery. Alexandra Ridout generously allowed me to record portions of the show she and her quintet performed at their concert, hosted by A Tribe for Jazz as part of their 2024 International Jazz Series for International Jazz Day. This episode provides two tracks from the show and one from her Remote Duets EP that can be found at Bandcamp.com. The first track, “Compersion Song” (7:71), an original composition by Alexandra Ridout, features solos by Alex on trumpet, Tal Kalman - tenor sax, Iver Cardas – guitar and Karl Henrik-Ousbäck - drums. Rafael Enciso is on double bass. The second track is “BM Blues” (9:47), also written by Alexandra Ridout. The band members remain the same with soloists: Alexandra Ridout-trumpet, Iver Cardas – guitar, Tal Kalman - tenor sax and Karl Henrik-Ousbäck – drums. The third track heard near the end of the show is from Remote Duets Alexandra Ridout has on Bandcamp. The track is entitled “No Train” (3:41). Miles Midlin joins her on guitar. Photo of Alexandra Ridout by Melody McLaren.

1 hr
MAY 25

Episode 18-Jocelyn Gould: Striking a Chord

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 guitar at the age of four to winning a Juno Award for her first album, Elegant Traveler. She later discusses the challenges and triumphs of her career, including her education in the U.S. at Michigan State University, her experiences in New York's rough and tumble jazz scene, and her recent endeavors, including her podcast and latest album releases. Jocelyn also explores her passion for mentoring young women and non-binary people in jazz, highlighting the importance of diversity in the music industry. The conversation touches on the intricacies of guitar playing, her teaching career, and the financial and logistical challenges faced by modern musicians. Thanks to Jocelyn Gould for use of the three tracks of music from her Juno nominated album Elegant Traveler (2023) and her second album Golden Hour (2022), both released on the Jocelyn Gould Music label. They are: “Trailblazer”, “Serendipity”, and “Gemini”. All original compositions by Jocelyn. Photo by Lain Geoghan

1h 21m
APR 8

Episode 17-Yasushi Nakamura: The Shy Bassist with the Groove

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 can take him away from his family of two-children and spouse for weeks, even months at a time. It has resulted in an impressive list and number of recordings made on both electric and acoustic or double bass. Pianist and longtime friend, Emmet Cohen, says that Yasushi “…is known in the music community for playing in over a dozen bands and is hardly ever seen reading music.” The reason, says Yasushi, is he has a photographic memory for the music. He takes one look at it and the rest he recalls. This allows him to internalize the music, a practice he highly recommends to young bassists today. Yasushi is a pretty shy guy on and off the bandstand. Watch a video of him and you’ll notice he kicks it like the good bassist he is but rarely engages in any dialogue. He says he likes to lay back, be the guy behind the sound. You wouldn’t know it, though, when it’s time for him to step out. Sometimes a big grin will shine, but Yasushi is mostly focused on delivering a ballad or driving his bass through the high pace sounds left behind by the pianist or the horns. His discography is already enormous. Yasushi has performed in and out of the studio with many noted jazz musicians including Cecile McLorin Salvant, Emmet Cohen, Christian Sands, Amina Figarova, Shamie Royston, Jon Irabagon, Rudy Royston, Vincent Herring, and Ulysses Owners Jr. I saw Yasushi at the 2023 Monterey Jazz Festival touring concert at Denison University near Columbus, Ohio. In that show he was part of an all-star billing with Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kurt Elling, Lakecia Benjamin, and good friends and long-time collaborators, Christian Sands and Clarence Penn. Yasushi Nakamura is sharing two compositions with the podcast so thanks to him for that. They are:“Yasugaloo”-A Lifetime Treasure, Yasushi Nakamura-bass, Lawrence Fields-piano, Clarence Penn-drums; 9/29/2016 (Atelier Sawano)-7:03“Awesome Beef”-Hometown, Yasushi Nakamura-bass, Lawrence Fields-piano, Clarence Penn-drums, Bigyuki-Synths; 11/10/2017 (Atelier Sawano)-3:56 This episode is being released during Jazz Appreciation Month. What better person and humbler guy than Yasushi Nakamura to kick off this year’s celebration of jazz. And thank you for listening to Strictly Jazz Sounds. Spread the word about this podcast and share it with others when you can. Finally, support live jazz wherever you are. Photo by Stephen Braunginn

55 min

5

out of 5

6 Ratings

Strictly Jazz Sounds (SJS) features the finest legacy and contemporary jazz musicians and beyond. Every episode will feature an in-depth interview with current jazz musicians and their music, or jazz music producers, music critics and writers and jazz music venue owners/operators. SJS is about all things jazz. Host Steve Braunginn was on the air 20+ years for WORT89.9-FM.

Creator

Steve Braunginn
Years Active

2023 - 2024
Episodes

25
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2022
Show Website

Strictly Jazz Sounds-SJS

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