JAZZIZ Conversations

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JAZZIZ Backstage Pass: Actor Michael Imperioli on Jazz, Creativity and Co-Hosting the JFA Loft Party Oct 10, 2019

Show notes

Joining the podcast today is actor, writer, director and longtime jazz fan Michael Imperioli, best known for his role as Christopher Moltisanti on the HBO hit series The Sopranos, for which he won an Emmy in 2004. Imperioli's other onscreen credits include award-winning movies Goodfellas, Bad Boys, Lean on Me and Last Man Standing, as well as the Spike Lee productions Malcolm X, Jungle Fever and Summer of Sam, which he co-wrote and co-produced. In 2018, Imperioli published his first novel, The Perfume Burned His Eyes, which chronicled the life of a Queens teenager who moves with his broken family to Manhattan and goes on to befriend Lou Reed, a luminary of the 1970s downtown New York rock scene.

Imperioli is an avid admirer of that historic musical era in New York City, and an enthusiastic champion of rock and roll in general. But he's also a passionate jazz fan and an active member of the Jazz Foundation of America, an organization that provides financial support, housing assistance and disaster relief to musicians in need. On October 19, he'll return to his duties as co-host —along with actor Danny Glover — of the Jazz Foundation of America's Loft Party in New York City, a concert benefiting JFA's lifesaving programs. It will feature performances by Wyclef Jean and The Pharoah Sanders Quartet, along with a tribute to Miles Davis' Bitches Brew and a celebration of New Orleans icons Dr. John, Dave Bartholomew and Art Neville. The drum legend Roy Haynes will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. If you're in the area and would like to support, you can buy tickets online at jazzfoundation.org.

In this episode, Imperioli talks about the records that brought him to the jazz flame, his total infatuation with Charles Mingus and Ron Carter and the time he smoked a joint with Gil Evans outside the jazz club Sweet Basil.

JAZZIZ Backstage Pass: Jacky Terrasson Breaks Free from the Comfort Zone Oct 04, 2019

Show notes

Joining host Brian Zimmerman on the podcast today is pianist Jacky Terrasson. Born in Germany to an American mother and French father, Terrasson has been a force in modern jazz since his rocket-propelled arrival on the scene in 1993. That year, two major achievements set him on a rapid path to success: the first was winning the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition. The second was recording his self-titled major-label debut with Blue Note Records.

Blue Note has remained a home for Jacky for nearly three decades, and just last month, he released his 12th album for the label. Simply called 53, the album is meant to reflect his truest self as seen from the distance that only experience can provide. With all original music, the album features three different trios comprising some of Jacky's closest musical partners and a few new collaborators. We talk to Jacky about the making of the new album as well as the monumental influence pianists like Bud Powell, Keith Jarrett and Ahmad Jamal on his life. We also discuss his lifelong passion for fine food, his new foray into acting and why the nickname that has hung around him for so long — "the piano player of happiness" — doesn't make him all that happy.

10 Albums You Need To Know: September 2019 Sep 20, 2019

Show notes

In this episode of JAZZIZ Backstage Pass, host Brian Zimmerman is joined by JAZZIZ online editor Matt Micucci to discuss the 10 Albums You Need to Know for September 2019 And this one's a real treat, featuring previously unreleased material from Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong and John Coltrane! That, plus new albums from Herb Alpert, George Coleman and Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders.

Joining us on this very special episode is Matt Micucci's dog, Chloe.

JAZZIZ Backstage Pass: Around the World with Chick Corea Sep 06, 2019

Show notes

Today's guest is internationally acclaimed, 22-time Grammy-winning pianist Chick Corea, one of the most recognizable artists in modern jazz. JAZZIZ spoke with Chick backstage before his performance at the Concord Jazz Festival in Concord, California, where he and the members of his newly assembled Spanish Heart Band performed selections from their most recent album, Antidote.

The album, released in July, finds Corea returning to one of his longest-held musical passions: the music of Spain. It was a genre he began to explore in his early days as a pianist growing up in Boston, and one that he would continue to hone throughout his prolific career as a leader and collaborator alongside other legends such as Miles Davis, Paco De Lucía and Herbie Hancock. Fans of Corea will instantly recognize some of the material on Antidote, which includes reworkings of classic tunes like "Armando's Rhumba" and "Duende" from his previous Latin-tinged albums My Spanish Heart and Touchstone. We talked to Chick about the making of the new album and his long-harbored obsession with Spanish music. And, because Chick is such a relentless globetrotter — the day before his Concord set, he had just flown in from Europe; a few days later, he would be leaving for Japan — we ask him about his favorite international destinations and travel tips. Let's take it backstage.

JAZZIZ Backstage Pass: Dave Koz Salutes the Greatest Horn Sections in Pop Aug 30, 2019

Show notes

Joining host Brian Zimmerman on the podcast for this episode is contemporary jazz saxophonist Dave Koz, whose new album Summer Horns II: From A to Z, is a salute to the greatest horn sections in rock and pop history. It’s an extension of his first Summer Horns project from 2013, which featured hip arrangements of classic tunes by Earth, Wind & Fire, Tower of Power, Chicago, Stevie Wonder and many more.

In this podcast, we ask Dave to talk about his favorite horn sections of all time and what makes them so special. We also discuss the recent release Lost Koz, which collects previously unissued tracks from throughout Dave’s career, as well as his Dave Koz & Friends At Sea cruise events. Dave has such a warm personality and is such a great storyteller that it wasn’t a minute into our conversation before we were finding common ground. Among our other big similarities: we’re just a couple of Jewish guys who happen to love classic Christmas music. We talk about that, too. You’re going to like what you hear.

If you’d like to help us spread the word about JAZZIZ Backstage Pass, write us a review on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks!

Steven Van Zandt of The E Street Band, 'The Sopranos' and 'Lilyhammer' Aug 22, 2019

Show notes

This week, we take you “backstage” with actor, broadcaster, political activist and rock and roll icon Steven Van Zandt. Steven is best known as the guitarist in the E Street Band, where serves as the right-hand man to The Boss, Bruce Springsteen. But he also generated widespread acclaim for his longtime role on The Sopranos, on which he played Silvio Dante, right-hand man to another boss, Tony Soprano. Others know him as the frontman from groups such as Southside Johnny and the Asbury Dukes or Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul. His latest project is the TV show Lillyhammer, in which he plays Frank Tagliano, a New York mob boss who relocates via witness protection to Lillyhammer, Norway. Van Zandt was also the producer and one of the writers for the show, which was the first original series produced by Netflix. It aired for two seasons starting in 2012.

Recently, music from the show was released on CD and streaming in two volumes. The first volume is a collection of jazz standards and originals written and arranged by Van Zandt, and the second volume collects rock and roll, Norwegian folk music, funk and other musical odds and ends. The albums feature Steven’s latest band, Little Steven and the Interstellar Jazz Renegades, and Steven was generous enough to join us from New York — sitting in traffic no less— to talk about the new project. We also cover his love of Miles Davis, his friendship with Springsteen, his role in helping to end apartheid in South Africa and that famous Sopranos ending.

JAZZIZ Backstage Pass: 10 Albums You Need to Know for August 2019 Aug 16, 2019

Show notes

In this episode of JAZZIZ Backstage Pass, host Brian Zimmerman is joined by JAZZIZ online editor Matt Micucci to discuss the 10 Albums You Need to Know for August 2019,featuring new releases by drum legend Jimmy Cobb, rising star vocalist Veronica Swift, Brazilian jazz icon Eliane Elias and straightahead jazz sensation James Carter.

Also discussed in this episode: Irish accents, the dangers of driving-while-jazzing and what it would be like to fly coach class through the Twighlight Zone. You’re not going to want to miss this one, folks.

Pianist Monty Alexander Plays Monk with a Reggae Twist Aug 03, 2019

Show notes

Monty Alexander is a Grammy-nominated artist whose virtuosic skill at the keyboard and vibrant personality have been packing concert halls around the world for decades. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1944, Alexander moved to the States as a teenager and has since become an American jazz hero, having played alongside luminaries of the genre like Milt Jackson, Ray Brown, Quincy Jones, Frank Sinatra and others. But he still holds Jamaica dearly in his heart.

His vast discography, which reaches back to 1964, showcases a repertoire spanning a broad range of jazz and Jamaican musical expressions — the American songbook and the blues, gospel and bebop, calypso and reggae. His latest album is Wareika Hill: RastaMonk Vibrations, a delightfully imaginative, unique and compelling interpretation of the music of Thelonious Monk. It’s been described as a “mind-boggling collective of classic Monk songs infused with a sensibility that melds the worlds of Jazz, Ska and Reggae into a unique melting pot of Monk with a twist.” It’s due out August 23 on MACD Records.

In this episode, Monty tells about his childhood in Jamaica and discusses the immense influence that Jamaican musicians made on jazz. He also shares some of his favorite reggae artists and tells about the time he was discovered by Frank Sinatra in a small bar in Miami — while playing piano for a Frank Sinatra impersonator. Listen via the player above.

10 Albums You Need to Know for July 2019 Jul 19, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, JAZZIZ Backstage Pass host Brian Zimmerman is joined by JAZZIZ online editor Matt Micucci to present the 10 Albums You Need To Know for July 2019, featuring new records by trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, saxophone icon Houston Person, former Béla Fleck and Flecktones member Jeff Coffin and trumpeter Kenyatta Beasley. We’ve also got the debut jazz album from Steven Van Zandt of the E Street Band.

Also discussed in this wide-ranging podcast: Montreal’s finest poutine, the legacy of João Gilberto and Matt’s new catchphrase. Happy listening, everyone.

Gwilym Simcock of the Pat Metheny Quartet Jul 13, 2019

Show notes

We’re switching things up this week. Sitting in the host chair for this episode of JAZZIZ Backstage Pass is Michael Fagien, the founder and publisher of JAZZIZ Magazine. And he’s brought with him a very special guest.

Gwilym Simcock is one of the best jazz players to come out of the U.K. in recent years, a winner of the prestigious Mercury Prize and the first musician of a jazz background to be named a BBC First Generation Artist. In February, he released a new solo piano album called Near and Now on ACT Music. Recorded at his home in Berlin, the album serves as an intimate showcase for Simcock’s musical style, which blends highly narrative compositions with vivid, exploratory improvisations. When he’s not playing shows with his own group, he’s on tour with legendary guitarist Pat Metheny, holding down the piano chair alongside Linda May Han Oh on bass and Antonio Sanchez on drums. Michael talks about what it was like to work in such an iconic jazz ensemble and so much more.

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