5049 Records

Latest Episodes:

Episode 155, Robert Dick Apr 01, 2018

Show notes

Robert Dick is a master flutist who has literally re-defined the language of his instrument. He was trained classically and studied with Henry Zlotnik, James Pappoutsakis, Julius Baker and Thomas Nyfenger. An active participant in the Downtown Scene of New York since the 70s, Robert has worked closely with artists like John Zorn, Ned Rothenberg, Ursel Schlicht, Herb Robertson and JD Parran. As an educator and author, he has contributed extensively to the advancement of contemporary flute techniques, most notably through the publication of his book "The Other Flute". Robert has chartered an utterly unique musical path and on today's talk we go back to the beginning. Enjoy.

Episode 154, Rebekah Heller Mar 26, 2018

Show notes

Rebekah Heller is an astounding bassoonist, who has been with the International Contemporary Ensemble for the past 10 plus years. She has recently stepped up as their artistic director, while maintaining an incredibly rich and exciting concert and recording schedule. She's also my neighbor and a super nice & fun person. For today's talk we cover a lot of ground in a short period of time: Oberlin, the Lower East Side, bassoon and her stellar new solo record, Metafagote. Today is a fun talk with an exceptional musician.

Episode 153, Tom Rainey Mar 19, 2018

Show notes

Originally from Santa Barbara, drummer Tom Rainey has been an integral part of the New York jazz and improvised scene since the late 1970s. He's collaborated closely with artists such as Tim Berne, Kenny Werner, Nels Cline and saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock. In the past ten years he has begun releasing records and leading projects under his own name: The Tom Rainey Trio and Obbligato, the latter of which is an exploration of jazz standards. Tom is an absolute master of his instrument and a super nice dude.

Episode 152, Moppa Elliott Mar 12, 2018

Show notes

Moppa Elliott is a bassist, composer and band leader who, for the past fifteen years, has led the ever-evolving ensemble Mostly Other People Do the Killing. Based in Queens NY, he's worked closely with Peter Evans, Jon Irabagon and Charlie Evans. For this talk we go to a lot of places, from alcoholism to gun control, the history of jazz to surrealism. Today's conversation is a really good one and I am delighted to share it with you all.

Episode 151, James Brandon Lewis Feb 25, 2018

Show notes

James Brandon Lewis is a virtuosic and creative saxophonist originally from Buffalo NY, now living in Brooklyn. He studied at Cal Arts and has worked closely with Chad Taylor, Dave Douglas, Gerald Cleaver, Joe Lovano and many more. His playing is a thoughtful and powerful and clearly the result of a lifetime of practice and dedication. For this talk we cover a lot of ground, starting with his early days in upstate New York up to his current projects. A great dude.

Episode 150, Theo Bleckmann Feb 18, 2018

Show notes

Theo Bleckmann is a vocalist and composer of startling virtuosity and clarity. In his twenty five year long career he has worked with everyone from Laurie Anderson to Uri Caine, Philip Glass to Ann Hamilton, John Hollenbeck to Sheila Jordan. He leads several projects and most recently presented Schubert’s song cycle “Die Winterreise” on an ice rink, with skaters from the Ice Theatre of New York. Theo is a wildly creative individual and a complete joy to spend an afternoon with.

Episode 149, Michael Foster Feb 12, 2018

Show notes

Michael Foster is a young and intense saxophonist who has been blowing minds and fucking people up in New York City since his arrival in 2012. At the fore of his output is a confrontational musicality that deals with equal parts queer identity and a commitment to the most extreme technical aspects of his instrument. He stays active across a broad range of projects and in 2018 his curatorial platform Queer Trash is in residence at Issue Project Room. For this one we get into sax talk, identity politics, Japanese literature and a whole lot more. Good shit.

Episode 148, Kelly Moran Feb 05, 2018

Show notes

Kelly Moran is an exceptional pianist and composer originally from Long Island, now based in Brooklyn, NY. Her current work focuses on performances for both prepared and unprepared solo piano. A student of 20th century composition, her output contains healthy amounts of lyricism and dissonance, beauty and black metal aesthetics. For today’s conversation we get into a lot of it, from Cage to Krallice, Sakamoto to Kayo Dot. Check it.

Episode 147, Taylor Ho Bynum Jan 29, 2018

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Episode 146, Norman Westberg Jan 24, 2018

Show notes

A proud Detroit native, Norman Westberg is an exceptional and creative guitarist based in the East Village. Since their inception and throughout their evolution, Norman has played in one of my favorite bands, Swans. Just off the heels of their final performances in Brooklyn, Norman came over in the middle of an intense NYC blizzard for a talk about his childhood in Detroit, Swans, his solo work, gear and blowing things up. Norman is a legend and this talk was a true honor and pleasure.

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