The Late Set

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BONUS: Search for the New Landmark: honoring Lee Morgan May 03, 2024

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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.

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Search for the New Landmark May 03, 2024

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Trumpet great Lee Morgan now has a historical marker in West Philly, at the site of his final hometown gig. We were there for the ceremony, so we could bring you this report.

Breathe Open: Shabaka Apr 23, 2024

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When Shabaka hung up his tenor saxophone in favor of bamboo flutes, the world reacted with a mix of admiration and puzzlement. In this episode, we talk with him about his remarkable new album, Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace, and the challenge of making such a decisive pivot.

Breathe Open: Shabaka Apr 23, 2024

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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

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The Seeker: Melissa Aldana Mar 19, 2024

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In this episode of The Late Set, tenor saxophonist Melissa Aldana talks about absorbing influences, and her path to a personal sound. And she reflects on the process of refinement that can be heard on her captivating new album, Echoes of the Inner Prophet.

The Seeker: Melissa Aldana Mar 19, 2024

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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

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Deep River: Gary Bartz Feb 20, 2024

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Ahead of his induction as an NEA Jazz Master, alto saxophonist Gary Bartz joins us on The Late Set to share some profound musical insights.

Deep River: Gary Bartz Feb 20, 2024

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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.

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I Hear a Rhapsody: Marcus Roberts [BONUS] Feb 12, 2024

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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.

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BONUS: I Hear a Rhapsody Feb 12, 2024

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Marcus Roberts was recently in town to perform Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue' with The Philadelphia Orchestra, and he stopped by our studio to talk about it. In this bonus episode of The Late Set, we feature that interview along with our own thoughts about the 'Rhapsody,' which can still inspire heated debate.

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