Improv Exchange Podcast

International Recorded artist, composer, educator, and bandleader Jonathan Barber was voted the #1 Up-and-Coming Drummer of 2018 in Modern Drummer. Barber has already recorded and toured worldwide with such artists as Pat Metheny, Erykah Badu, Nicholas Payton, Buster Williams, Jimmy Greene, Jeremy Pelt, Wallace Roney, Terrace Martin, Jennifer Holiday, Harold Mabern, Steve Davis, J.D. Allen, The Brooklyn Philharmonic and many more. In addition to his first-call status as a sideman, Barber has recently stepped forth as a composer and leader with his Vision Ahead band. Even with Barber’s history of high-profile gigs and recordings taken into consideration, DownBeat magazine gave his latest album “Legacy Holder” 4.5 stars. Jonathan Barber & Vision Ahead is a powerful declaration of intent for a band that’s been making waves on the modern jazz scene. Barber’s blend of classic, swinging jazz with elements of gospel, rock, soul, and fusion is a compelling showcase of Barber’s broad stylistic range as a drummer, performer, and composer. Jonathan Barber & Vision Ahead was featured and headlined the 2018 Rainy Days Jazz Festival held in St. Petersburg and Moscow, Russia, 2019 Hartford Jazz Festival, and the 2020 Clifford Brown Jazz Festival. During Spring 2020, Jonathan Barber & Vision Ahead completed their first national tour performing throughout the West-Coast. Being an independent artist Jonathan Barber just released his third album with Vision Ahead entitled “Live at Jazz Standard” which is exclusively on Bandcamp. Also stepping into the role as a Drum Clinician, Barber toured as a solo clinician in Latin America (Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina) and China (Kumming, Loyung, Hefei, Nanjing, Beijing). Barber endorses Ludwig Drums, Istanbul Agop Cymbals, Evans Drumheads, Promark Drumsticks, and Sunhouse Percussion. In this episode, Jonathan shares his background, education, and musical journey.

New York City-based pianist, singer-songwriter, and composer Cestari creates a world that melds the sounds of jazz, pop, classical, latin, and free improvisation together. With rich vocals, vivid lyricism, and a powerful approach to the piano, Cestari's music takes on various inspirations that have merged into one distinct sound. Studying Music Business at NYU, Cestari aims to use his knowledge to share evocative, captivating, and impactful stories. In conjunction with the release of his debut album “In A Moment”, Cestari organized “MOMENTS”, a 90-minute concert on young adult life, mental health, and acceptance, which premiered all the music off the album with an 11-piece ensemble as well as never-before-seen music videos at the renowned DiMenna Center for Classical Music. As written in RAG Magazine, “[Cestari has] so many different undertones that range from a cinematic and almost haunting approach to a pop-coated singer-songwriter style [that] also incorporates just about everything in between.” However, this is only the start as Cestari continues to work and grow as one of the most dynamic voices in the New York music scene.

With inspiration from his stylistic ancestors Nat King Cole and Joe Williams, John Dokes brings new life to the deep-souled world of baritone jazz vocals on his elegant new album, Our Day on his Swing Theory Entertainment imprint. In delivering a distinctive post-pandemic outing of classic songs embodied with hopeful passion, Dokes—also promises that his new endeavor is “an album that will make you move.” Our Day features songs associated with Cole (such as the smooth low-toned “Almost Like Being in Love,” the delightful Rodgers and Hart gem, “This Can’t Be Love,” the Latin-vibed “L.O.V.E.” that elicits dancing), two vocalese numbers (Jon Hendricks’ take on one-time Jazz Messenger composer Bobby Timmons’ “Moanin’,” Mark Murphy’s swinging run through Freddie Hubbard’s “Red Clay”), the full-energy pop vibe on Billy Ocean’s hit “Suddenly,” the calming Michel Legrand tune “I Will Wait for You” made famous from the Frank Sinatra songbook. “I grew up dancing hip-hop, I made a transition to something that I could do for a longer time in my life,” says Dokes. “I switched to Lindy Hop also known as swing dancing. I came to singing later in my life, but I gravitated to the music I was most passionate about—the eras of the ‘40s, ‘50s, early ‘60s. I started picking songs that really moved me. Dokes’ last two albums were quintet affairs. For Our Day, he convened a nonet that includes members of the New York-based George Gee Swing Orchestra where he launched his career as a vocalist. (He documented that with his debut album, John Dokes Sings, George Gee Swings.) Key to the album’s success is the arranging of Gee’s musical director trombonist David Gibson. “Dave is a great arranger,” Dokes says. “He provides layers for the nonet where everyone has a chance to shine on solos as he fills up the space with his lines.” Now, with his fourth album, Dokes has fully arrived. There’s not a dull moment on Our Day. He opens with “Our Day Will Come.” “It’s a love song,” Dokes says. but it’s also an opening from the past. Now is our time. Now is our day. It’s really a song about us as a band coming back together.” Originally, Dokes was in the midst of fashioning a trilogy of quintet recordings (2017’s Forever Reasons and 2019’s True Love on Ian Hendrickson-Smith’s Rondette Jazz label). While the third album is still in the works, a couple of events intervened. “I got derailed,” says Dokes. “First, my drummer Lawrence Leathers died after True Love came out. I moved to Chicago with my wife and two children. Then there was the pandemic that changed how I was looking at the future. I had to restart my brain. I decided to work on some of my material that had never been recorded. I contacted George Gee and he was working on his nonet’s Christmas album in May 2023, so we combined that with David arranging my album. It was a back-to-back operation of small big bands.” The nonet comprises saxophonists Anthony Nelson Jr. and Michael Hashim, multi-reeds player Patience Higgins, trumpeters Freddie Hendrix and Andy Gravish, Gibson on trombone. pianist Steve Einerson, bassist Malik McLaurine and drummer Chris Latona. A native of Little Rock, Arkansas who grew up living in Oakland, California, Dokes never dreamed of becoming a professional singer even though he was fascinated by black-and-white reruns of Nat Coles’ short-lived 15-minute network television show that ran on NBC in 1956. “I watched them nonstop before I ever thought about singing,“ Dokes says. “But there was his elegance, his smoothness, his ease. That resonated with me. And it informed how I approach my singing today. I don’t dive into a lot of vocal acrobatics - but like some of my favorite acrobatic and non-acrobatic singers I like to lean in and tell the story to connect with my audience.” His father was steeped in music while Dokes was growing up. He played Nat King Cole albums in the house, and he was in an r&b band in the Bay Area in the ‘70s that often opened for soul/r&b stars of the day like The Whispers and The Stylistics. He moved to New York and became a regular at swing dance shows including dates by the George Gee Swing Orchestra. One of his dance partners was the legendary Lindy Hopper, cabaret star, alto sax player Dawn Hampton, the cousin of jazz hero Lionel Hampton and sister of legendary trombonist and composer Slide Hampton. She told him that she really liked his voice when he was dancing. “If Dawn likes my voice, I’m going to surprise her one night and sing a couple of songs with George’s band. George only knew me as a dancer. He saw my potential and asked me to join the band. That built my confidence and gave me the path to get better.”

Almost immediately, he found himself as sideman for notable locals such as Kermit Ruffins, Michael Ward and The Reward, and Sun Ra trumpeter, Michael Ray.  In 1992 he co-founded the New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars(NOKAS), a pioneering klezmer ensemble that infused that music with the vibrancy and energy of the funk, jazz and brass music of New Orleans. To date he has had opportunity to play with most of New Orleans' greatest musicians from across all genres.  NOKAS was playing some of his compositions, but by 1993 he found himself seeking outlets for his compositions in other styles and forms.  After playing with a plethora of combos and experimenting with many great local musicians he formed Naked On The Floor and eventually The Naked Orchestra. Naked on the Floor (quintet) and the Naked Orchestra (18-24 piece creative orchestra) play Freilich's original compositions exclusively and still play regularly in New Orleans. He has appeared at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival 24 times as well as headlining the Berlin Jazz Festival with NOKAS. He has appeared at numerous other festivals inside and outside the country including Bonnaroo, the Ann Arbor Jazz Festival, The American Folklife festival at the Washington Monument, collaborations with poet, Andrei Codrescu at the Holocaust museum in NYC and many others. Other notable work includes appearances with Sam Rivers, Burton Greene, Marshall Allen, The Wild Magnolias and backing songwriters such as Robbie Robertson. He has done arrangements for a wide range of recordings from, Peter Stampfel to Hal Willner’s presentation of U@ doing music of T-Rex. He is featured on over 21 recordings ranging from Klezmer to Afro-Cuban and avant-garde orchestra music. Recently he put out two CD’s of a large orchestra playing his original compositions, a small group, and played on Marianne Faithfull’s latest release.  Many of these recordings are either Big Easy or Offbeat entertainment award winners across a number of categories.  He also has music featured in films and TV shows (Andy Richter conquers the Universe, The Dukes of Hazzard(Warner Home Video) as well as commercials for companies such as Southwest Airlines and Mercedes.    n 2016 he produced and arranged an album, NOLA? for legendary Basque artist, Fermin Muguruza. Rearrangements of Muguruza’s classic work utilizing the great players and sounds of New Orleans. That led to a very successful European run for the Basque New Orleans Orchestra. Other arranging credits include Hal Wilner and U2 tribute to T. Rex and Grammy Award winner, Peter Stampfel’s 100 songs of the 20th century project.      His work includes 4 completed and performed operatic works: a comic-satirical opera, Bang the Law, about a couple of New Orleans lawyers and their movements through New Orleans class detritus after Hurricane Katrina, a two movement orchestral fantasy about Elias Cannetti at carnival, formation of a new quintet to play new original compositions, an octet reduction of Peter and the Wolf for a New Orleans Contemporary Art Center/Guggenheim foundation presentation; a second opera, ee me & cummings thee which premiered in New Orleans in Nov. 2011.   2019 saw the completion of two operas. One a hyper-collaborative project with writer, Bernard Pearce, The Coronation, on the selecting of queen bees. In June 2019 he wrote an operetta on the Dirty Letters of James Joyce to Nora Barnacle, titled Darling, Please do not be offended at what I wrote.  He is the subject of the one hour radio documentary Jonathan Freilich’s Freedom Double-O Naked Klezmer Jazz Latin Boogaloo: The Radio Documentary by award winning documentarian, David Kunian and was the 2008 Louisiana Governors’ Music Fellowship Award recipient.  This year he figured as a Rising Star guitarist in Downbeat’s Critics Poll.  Freilich was born Oct.13, 1968 in Philadelphia, Pa.  He spent most of his early years, up until a late teenager in London, England before moving to Los Angeles in 1985.  Thereafter, he moved to Santa Cruz, Ca in 1987 before the 1989 move to New Orleans.  Currently, he is residing in Los Angeles after completing further studies in composition at California Institute of the Arts. Aside from music, Freilich is also a certified Iyengar yoga instructor and co-owner of a studio in New Orleans for many years.

NYC flutist, composer, Sunnyside Records artist, producer, and clinician, Jamie Baum, has toured the US and over 35 countries performing at major festivals, clubs, and concert halls including the Monterey, Madrid, Oeiras, Bermuda, Edinburgh, North Sea, Winter Jazzfest and London Jazz Festivals, Tampere Jazz Happening, Guimaraes Jazz Festival, Jazztopad, Bimhuis, Unterfahrt, Jazz Gallery, Jazz Standard, 55 Bar, Dizzy’s, Blue Note, etc.. She’s performed with artists as renowned and diverse as Randy Brecker, Roy Hargrove, Donald Brown, Tom Harrell, Paul Motion, Mick Goodrick and Kenny Barron to Dave Douglas, Fred Hersch, Leni Stern, Louis Cole, Jane Bunnett, David Binney, Ralph Alessi, Ben Monder, Anthony Braxton, Karaikudi Mani, V. M. Bhatt, Navin Chettri and Wadada Leo Smith. Though focusing primarily on jazz, she’s been involved in several projects performing classical, new music, Brazilian and Latin music. Receiving critical praise for seven CD's as a leader, with most making several “Best CDs of the Year” lists and four stars from DownBeat, her recently-released What Times Are These received five stars in DownBeat. Inch By Inch (GM Recordings), by the cooperative band Yard Byard: The Jaki Byard Project (w/Jerome Harris, George Schuller), also received four stars from DownBeat. Jamie has appeared on over 40 recordings as a sidewoman including those by Dave Binney, George Colligan, Ursel Schlicht, Frank Carlberg, Patrizia Scascitelli, Taylor Haskins, Monika Herzig, Louise Rogers, Sarah McKenzie, Steve Lampert, Brian Landrus, Laura Andel, Judi Silvano, Shigeko Suzuki, James Hall, etc. Ms. Baum’s many awards and grants for composing and touring include the 2022 Cafe Royale Recording Grant, 2021 South Arts Jazz Road Touring Grant, 2020 International Society of Jazz Arrangers & Composers (ISJAC) Covid Relief Commission, Foundation for Contemporary Arts 2020, 2020 Chamber Music America Jazz Presenter Consortium, 2018 USArtists International Touring Grant, 2017 New Music USA Project Grant, and a 2014 Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship. Baum was selected as a 2014-15 Norman Stevens Fellow/MacDowell resident and has since been awarded residencies again at MacDowell (2021), at UCross (2015), and at VCCA (2020). She won the '99 International Jazz Composers Alliance Award, 2010 CAP Award (American Music Center), the 2003 New Works: Creation and Presentation Award and the 2007 Encore Award, both components of the Doris Duke/CMA Jazz Ensembles Project. Ms. Baum has been in the DownBeat Critics Polls annually since 1998, making #1 “Rising Star Flutist” in ’12, #2 “Flutist” in ’19, and #3 “Flutist” in ’20. She was named a "Major New International Talent” in 2015 lists by both “Musica Jazz” and “Jazzit” (Italy), was #2 “Flutist of the Year” in the 2018 Eleventh Annual International Critics Poll and tied for 4th place with Hubert Laws in the 2018 JazzTimes Critics Poll. Jamie was included in Huffington Post’s "Twenty-five Great Jazz Flute Performances”, nominated by the Jazz Journalists Association for “Flutist of the Year“ fourteen times, and The Jamie Baum Septet+ was nominated in 2014 "Best Midsize Ensemble" - in the same list with only two other bands -The Wayne Shorter Quartet and Steve Coleman’s Five Elements! Media attention for her recent CD, Bridges, and previously released, In This Life, brought features on WBGO’s RADAR and NPR’s All Things Considered, reviews in The New York Times, DownBeat, JazzTimes, All About Jazz, etc.. and two hour-long feature/retrospectives on major German and Czech public radio shows. Bridges was voted #4 in the 2018 JazzTimes Readers Poll for “Best New Release,” and In This Life was in the "Best CDs of 2013” lists including Boston Globe, iTunes, and Francis Davis' NPR Music Jazz Critics Poll. Recently, Baum was included in the JazzTimes 10: Essential Jazz Flute Albums (2019), 3 Questions for Today’s Jazz Musicians by Lilian Dericq, Cricket Publishers (Paris), the “Woodshed” in DownBeat, January 2019, and was the flutist on “The Essence of the Blues -- Flute: 10 Great Etudes for Playing and Improvising, Book & CD”, (Jim Snidero “play-along” series, 2019). Through a highly competitive auditioning process, Jamie was chosen to tour for the DOS/Kennedy Center Jazz Ambassador program from ’99 -’03 in South America and South Asia. The US State Department also sponsored later shorter tours, in addition to several isolated US Embassy-sponsored programs while Baum was on her tours in Europe and South Asia. Baum’s two main active projects featuring her compositions include The Jamie Baum Septet+, together since 1999, and her Short Stories band marking five years by performing at the 2020 Winter Jazzfest. In addition, she co-leads Yard Byard: The Jaki Byard Project and is involved in several other projects either as co-leader or side-woman, including The Richie Beirach/Jamie Baum Duo and NYC Jazz Flutes. Baum has been on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music Jazz Arts department at since 2006, on the adjunct faculty roster at the New School University since 2004, and taught at Berklee College of Music (2011-2013). Summer jazz programs Baum has taught composition, improv, and flute technique, and coached ensembles at including the Stanford Jazz Workshop Institute, Litchfield Jazz Camp, Maryland Jazz Camp, etc. A clinician for Altus Flutes/KHS America since 1993, they have sponsored her innovative, pioneering workshop "A Fear Free Approach to Improvisation for the Classically-Trained Musician” TM, "A Fear Free Approach to Composition for the Improvising Musician” TM and “Flute Technique for Doublers” at colleges, conservatories, festivals, flute clubs and “music and art” schools worldwide.  

With an international background, PATRICK SOLURI is a New York City based composer of music for ballet, opera and film/TV. His love of telling stories through music is evident in a large body of work for the stage, screen and concert hall. Mr. Soluri has had 11 ballet scores performed internationally. This includes a commission and eight sold out performances of JUST BEFORE NOW (2017) at Ballet de l'Opéra National de Bordeaux (France). The same creative team, led by German choreographer Xenia Wiest and costume designer Melanie Frost, first collaborated on TO BE CONTINUED (aka “Continuum” 2009) which was commissioned and performed 18 times over two seasons to great acclaim by Staatsballett Berlin. In 2016 this ballet won the Grande Prixe (1st prize) at the Berritz International Choreographic Competition, and the music was a finalist/winner of the Kaleidescope 2020 international composers competition (with over 8,000 submissions). The latest production is in the 2022/23 season by Ballet X Schwerin in Germany.  During the pandemic the same creative team featuring Xenia Wiest collaborated on “Nacht Ohne Morgen” with Xenia also as the ballet director of Ballett X Schwerin (Germany),  receiving rave reviews and 13 performances in the 2021/22 season, plus 4 additional performances in the 2022/23 season. Other notable ballet works include three productions of MADAME X (1999, 2003, 2019), featuring American Ballet Theater principal Marcelo Gomes, and NY City Ballet principals Abi Stafford and Ask La Cour; FIRE & AIR, premiered at The Kennedy Center with Mr. Soluri conducting; and FANCY NANCY, based on the hit children’s books. Mr. Soluri’s ballets have been performed by STAATSBALLETT BERLIN (Germany), BALLET DE L'OPÉRA NATIONAL DE BORDEAUX (France), BALLETT X SCHWERIN (Germany), INTERMEZZO DANCE CO (New York City), DANCES PATRELLE (New York City), BOWEN McCAULEY DANCE (DC), and CUYAHOGA VALLEY YOUTH BALLET (OH). In opera, Mr. Soluri was a finalist with librettist Deborah Brevoort for ALBERT NOBBS in the 2018 Pellicciotti Opera Composition Prize who then commissioned and work-shopped a 20-minute excerpt in September 2016. In January 2018 ALBERT NOBBS was showcased as part of Opera America's "New Works Forum," with two new scenes added, and won the 2019 Frontiers Competition at FORT WORTH OPERA (FWO). His one-act opera EMBEDDED, commissioned by AMERICAN LYRIC THEATER, also won the 2013 Frontiers Competition at FWO, and had its fully staged world premiere in March 2014 at FARGO-MOORHEAD OPERA, followed by six performances at FWO in their Spring 2016 season where the NY Times praised "Mr. Soluri’s skillfully scored music…” Mr. Soluri is also known for his series of 10 minute comic operas which have performed around the world, four of which have premiered at CARNEGIE HALL. With nearly a dozen productions, his most performed short opera is the dark comedy FIGARO’s LAST HANGOVER. The sequel, FIGARO & THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE was commissioned & premiered by FWO in 2013. His opera INFERNO was featured in the prestigious ‘2003 VOX Showcasing American Composers’ by NEW YORK CITY OPERA. In addition, Mr. Soluri’s operas have been performed by VIENNE EN VOIX FESTIVAL, NEVADA OPERA, CENTER CITY OPERA THEATER, URBAN ARIAS, OPERA ON TAP, UNIVERSITY OF ALBANY, RTB, JUVENTAS, and L'ARIETTA SINGAPORE. Mr. Soluri has also composed numerous film scores, has a vast library of music for film/TV, and a film trailer that showed on 19,000 film screens in the US. Other projects include orchestrating and arranging for the EMMY AWARD winning WONDERPETS, with Sean Lennon on the film score for ALTER EGOS, and scoring the indie short HOSTILE TAKEOVER (2018). Additionally, he has hundreds of cues in various film/tv music production libraries (including SONY/ATV, ReelTracks, and ScoreKeepers), which has been featured worldwide on various TV shows and networks, such as TLC, LOGO and DISCOVERY - including hit shows like NBC's "World of Adventure Sports" and "America's Got Talent." Other works include various chamber and orchestral commissions, including an orchestral overture commissioned by GULF COAST SYMPHONY with multiple performances in their 2014/15 season. Holding dual citizenship in the US and Portugal, Mr. Soluri was born in Brazil, and raised in NYC attending a Montessori School (in Milan & NYC) and later Rudolf Steiner (a Waldorf School). At Bennington College Mr. Soluri studied composition with Tobias Picker and Alan Shawn, then received a BM in classical composition from Manhattan School of Music as a scholarship recipient studying with Aaron J. Kernis and Nils Vigeland. He received a MM in composition from Univ. of Louisville where he held the Moritz von Bomhard Fellowship for Opera Composition. Additionally, he was selected for various prestigious programs including the first “class” of the Composer Librettist Development Program by ALT, the ASCAP Film Scoring Workshop in Hollywood, and VOX Showcasing American Composer by New York City Opera. If you enjoyed this episode please make sure to subscribe, follow, rate, and/or review this podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, ect. Connect with us on all social media platforms and at www.improvexchange.com

AARON JENSEN (he/him), is an award-winning Toronto-based composer and producer. His creative work has been premiered and recorded by JUNO and GRAMMY award-winning artists, including Randy Brecker, Mariah Carey, Natalie MacMaster, and Dame Evelyn Glennie. He had the pleasure of acting as musical director, band leader, and composer for the nine-time EMMY award-winning series, Schitt’s Creek. Jensen’s compositions have been performed around the world by choirs and symphony orchestras. He has contributed to a Broadway-optioned musical, a BAFTA-nominated video game, and a New York Times Bestselling book. His love of vocal music, obsession with language, and penchant for interweaving musical genres can be heard throughout his body of work. Jensen is the Artistic Director of Countermeasure and the Artistic Director Emeritus of SING! The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival. COUNTERMEASURE: Since forming in 2010, this twelve-person vocal group has enjoyed sell-out concerts across Canada, the U.S., the U.K., Italy, and Japan. Countermeasure has recorded with GRAMMY and JUNO award-winning artists including Larnell Lewis, Cindy Cashdollar, and The Barenaked Ladies. They've shared the stage with artists such as Corey Hart, Alan Frew, The Swingle Singers, and Naturally 7. Their albums have been recognized with awards and nominations by the international CARA Awards (Best Album, Best Song), the John Lennon Songwriting Competition (Best Jazz Song), and the Independent Music Awards (Best A Cappella Song). Countermeasure has recently released their 4th studio album, Orchestral Sessions. They are excited to launch their performance season with symphony orchestras in 2025-2026. If you enjoyed this episode please make sure to subscribe, follow, rate, and/or review this podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, ect. Connect with us on all social media platforms and at www.improvexchange.com

Jose Miguel is a Filipino singer-songwriter based in the south side of Manila. Heavily influenced by jazz, folk, and big band music, it's no surprise that he believes he was born in the wrong era. The authenticity and the distinct slick sound and energy of that time are what his music is.  An old soul living in the new, his work encapsulates themes, melodies, and words that 100% speak to him-and he hopes it speaks to you, too.  With suave vocals, a charismatic presence, and innate musical talent, Jose Miguel could’ve easily pushed forward with sounds and genres most familiar to today’s generation. Instead, he pushed the rewind button and stayed true to his roots of jazz standards and big band music. However, that’s not to claim that jazz is a genre of the past. Its resurgence first broke into the scene again through artists like Laufey, Stephen Sanchez, and Bruno Major who have been gaining massive streaming numbers and popularity, especially on social media platforms like TikTok. If you still believe that jazz is just old-fashioned music, Jose Miguel is on a mission to reverse that notion. Today’s audience is a critical bunch–they like music that speaks deeply to them and support artists that they can easily connect and resonate with. They see through the honesty and relatability of music. That’s what matters to them and luckily, that’s what Jose Miguel is all about. The album is comparable to a diary–expressing intrusive thoughts, sharing exciting moments, and displays of overthinking anything and everything. In other words, simply writing from the soul. Jose Miguel mentions that all the songs were inspired by real life experiences that left an impact on him, and translated into sophisticated and polished ways of storytelling. Paired with the stories are masterful melodies and refined instrumentals that represent the sounds of the golden age but still incorporating touches of sounds from today, so there’s something for everyone. The best way to interpret the album is that it's an old soul living in the new. Jose Miguel hopes the album resonates with the listeners lyrically and sonically and enjoys it with a little singing and dancing. It’s a dream come true to finally share the music with everybody and he hopes to also give confidence to those people who want to pursue their dreams and raise the flag of homegrown Filipino talent.

Brian Scarborough is a top-call trombonist, improviser, composer, and educator in the greater Kansas City area. As a musician, Brian is regularly booked as both a bandleader for his quintet and a sideman for many local and touring bands of various sizes, in jazz and other genres. Moreover, Brian is a veteran musician of musical theatre, having performed for more than 50 productions in the greater Kansas City area. Internationally, Brian has performed in the European circuit in jazz, classical, and chamber music idioms. Brian has received critical acclaim as a soloist from international competitions including the J.J. Johnson Jazz Trombone Competition, the ATW Jazz Trombone Competition, and the Gilberto Gagliardi Tenor Trombone Competition, amongst others. Brian maintains a studio of private students and is equally passionate about creating new and interesting educational resources. Additionally, Brian is regularly on the faculty for various jazz camps and presents masterclasses widely. If you enjoyed this episode please make sure to subscribe, follow, rate, and/or review this podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, ect. Connect with us on all social media platforms and at www.improvexchange.com

Lawrence Fields, born and bred in St. Louis, has earned a spot at the forefront of young jazz pianists, thanks to his blending of vintage ideals with a contemporary mindset. For the last five years, in 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, and 2019, Downbeat Magazine has placed him close to the top of the keyboardist category in their “Rising Stars” critics poll. Fields showcase his dynamic blend of composition and playing in his trio and quartet, and his music is currently being featured internationally. His debut album featuring his trio and solo playing, “To the Surface”, was released to critical acclaim on February 2, 2024. Veteran saxophone icon Joe Lovano – with his unerring ear for youthful talent – has become one of the pianist’s biggest fans. Fields is a member of several bands led or co-led by Lovano: his Classic Quartet (originally featuring Lewis Nash and George Mraz in the rhythm section); the Sax Supreme Quartet (with Chris Potter); and his Sound Prints quintet with trumpeter Dave Douglas. The Wall Street Journal praised Fields’ “elegant, probing” solos with Sound Prints, while The New York Times noted that he is “integral to the band’s plunging, changeable style.” A modern-minded bandleader from the younger generation also relies on Fields, as he mans the piano and keyboards for the Christian Scott Group. Referencing his role on acoustic and electric pianos in the trumpeter’s band, NextBop said: “Fields remains a constant lyrical presence on the keys – innovative, expressive, supportive, able to soar like a bird in his solos. He never fails to impress.” Fields has collaborated with Christian Scott on several albums — including co-writing and co-producing 3 songs on the Grammy-nominated The Emancipation Procrastination (Ropeadope, 2017), as part of his work on Christian’s Centennial Trilogy with releases Diaspora and Ruler Rebel. He features prominently in the piano and keyboard chairs on Christian’s Grammy-nominated live recording Axiom (2020), as well as the Grammy-nominated Ancestral Recall (2019), and the Stretch Music (Ropeadope, 2015) and Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah (Concord, 2012) albums. With Lovano and Douglas, the pianist features on Sound Prints’ two critically-acclaimed studio releases: Other Worlds (2021), and Scandal (2018, Greanleaf) — selected by The Guardian as their #1 jazz album of 2018, as well as one of Rolling Stone’s top 20 jazz albums of the year. Fields also plays on the live album Sound Prints: Live at Monterey Jazz Festival (Blue Note, 2015), which featured two brand-new compositions written for the ensemble by the legendary Wayne Shorter. He appears on the album Marsalis Music Honors Alvin Batiste (2007) alongside Branford Marsalis, Herlin Riley and Russell Malone, as well as on drummer Terri Lyne Carrington’s More to Say (a 2009 disc for which he served as a pianist, keyboardist, and composer-producer). Fields also appears on releases by drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts, bassist Yasushi Nakamura, vibraphonist Warren Wolf, and saxophonists Jaleel Shaw and Steve Slagle. The pianist has been a member of the Watts band, as well as that of trumpeter Nicholas Payton. In addition to performing onstage with the likes of Payton, Watts, Marsalis, and Carrington, Fields has appeared with star bassist Christian McBride, drummer Nate Smith, trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis, trumpeter Takuya Kuroda, and bassist Robert Hurst, among others. Lawrence's playing is also featured on Christopher North's score for the new Sam Pollard documentary "Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes", which premiered in Fall 2023 on PBS' American Masters television series.

Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Greenville, NC, contemporary jazz vocalist Christie N. Dashiell honed her skills at Howard University and later at the Manhattan School of Music. Ms. Dashiell’s trajectory includes performances with Howard’s premiere vocal jazz ensemble, Afro Blue. She has also performed at the Kennedy Center as a participant in the 2010 Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead program; at the Lincoln Theater in Washington, D.C.; and, as a part of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Jazz for Young People program. She is the recipient of DownBeat magazine’s Best College Graduate Jazz Vocalist and Outstanding Soloist awards in the jazz vocal category. Most recently, Ms. Dashiell appeared on season three of NBC’s The Sing-Off, as a member of Afro Blue. She can be heard on several nationally released recordings including John Blake’s Motherless Child, The Jolley Brothers’ memoirs Between Brothers, and as a Kennedy Center Discovery Artist on NPR’s JazzSet hosted by Dee Dee Bridgewater. She has since performed in concert with Esperanza Spalding, Fred Hammond, Smokey Robinson, Geri Allen, and Allan Harris. If you enjoyed this episode please make sure to subscribe, follow, rate, and/or review this podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, ect. Connect with us on all social media platforms and at www.improvexchange.com

Lois Deloatch is a songwriter and vocalist known for her powerful contralto voice and distinctive blend of jazz, soul, blues, folk, and spirituals.  Her original compositions and interpretations of classic tunes resonate with purity and emotion, simultaneously intellectual and passionate. Shaped by and reflective of her early life as the seventh of ten children raised in a rural southern town, Lois’s music expresses cultural richness and timeless truths. She has appeared in concerts throughout the United States and internationally, written and lectured on music, arts, and culture, and co-hosted a radio show. She has produced five recordings as a leader:  Roots: Jazz/Blues/Spirituals,  Closure, Holy Night, Sunrise, and Hymn to Freedom: Homage to Oscar Peterson, which garnered international accolades including selection as one of the Top 10 CDs of 2008 by JazzTimes Magazine’s Owen Cordle. Lois has shared the stage with legendary musicians such as pianists, Willie Pickens, Ellis Marsalis, Ernest Turner, and Chip Crawford; drummer Ed Thigpen; trumpeter Arturo Sandoval and saxophonist Branford Marsalis as well as emerging jazz luminaries. 

Vinnie Sperrazza is a Brooklyn-based jazz drummer, composer, bandleader, author, and educator noted for his versatility and commitment to new music. Born in Utica, NY, Sperrazza moved to Brooklyn after completing his studies at William Paterson University, where he was mentored by pianist James Williams. He leads the groups Vinnie Sperrazza Trio, featuring Ethan Iverson and Michael Formanek, whose first album was released in March 2023, and Vinnie Sperrazza Apocryphal, with a new album coming later in 2023, featuring Loren Stillman, Brandon Seabrook, and Eivind Opsvik. He is part of several collectives, including Ember, with Caleb Curtis and Noah Garabedian with a new album out August 2023, the Choir Invisible, with Chris Tordini and Charlotte Greve, and Landline, featuring Chet Doxas, Jacob Sacks, and Zack Lober. Additionally, he is a member of Matt Bauder’s Hearing Things, the Hank Roberts Sextet, Michael Formanek’s Drome Trio, and many other NYC-based groups. He tours regularly with the Mark Morris Music Ensemble, led by Ethan Iverson, playing Iverson’s scores and arrangements. Also a committed writer, Sperrazza’s Substack entitled Chronicles has been active since October 2022 and features over 40 in-depth articles focused on the history of jazz and jazz drumming, with deep dives on well-known and lesser-known figures including Pete LaRoca, Ralph Peterson, and Phillip Wilson, among many others. An experienced clinician, Sperrazza’s teaching emphasizes fundamentals and awareness, principles upon which he’s built his musical life.

Shai Jaschek is an Israeli-born guitarist, composer, and music educator in New York City. After first picking up the guitar at 10 years old, Shai has since dedicated his life to music, playing and performing constantly. Before establishing himself in NYC, Shai completed his Bachelor’s in Arts from Israel’s top jazz performance programs, such as “The Jazz Institute” at the “Rimon School of Music”, and the “Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance”. During this time, Shai sought the opportunity to seek mentorship from world-renowned musicians, such as trumpeter Avishai Cohen, saxophonist Eli Degibri, and composer Yoni Rechter. As their mentee, Shai developed his unique voice as a composer and improviser. During his Bachelor’s, he played in different musical groups, such as The Haifa Big Band, and The Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, and became an in-demand guitarist in the Israeli music scene. These experiences led Shai to start his band, play his original compositions, and perform in clubs and festivals both in Israel and abroad. Driven by his passion for jazz music, Shai relocated from Israel to NYC to pursue his music graduate studies and to be a part of the local jazz scene in the city. In 2021, Shai was granted a Master’s in music from Queens College, an institution with internationally acclaimed musicians, such as Antonio Hart, Mike Moreno, David Berkman, and Michael Mossman. After setting foot in NYC, Shai has been performing as a sideman in different bands and as a leader. His debut album, First Fall, was released in October 2023 and features his original compositions. If you enjoyed this episode please make sure to subscribe, follow, rate, and/or review this podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, ect. Connect with us on all social media platforms and at www.improvexchange.com

Award-winning vocalist, composer, and educator Kavita Shah’s latest album, Cape Verdean Blues, is the culmination of a diasporic quest to find a spiritual home. The carefully curated album of traditional Cape Verdean music is also a tribute to the charismatic and unapologetically individual artist Cesária Évora, and a love letter to her breathtaking archipelago and its welcoming people. On Cape Verdean Blues, Shah’s ethnographic research on the island of São Vicente, and her bold self-possession have enabled her to achieve a rare feat: creating a world music album that feels like home. At the heart of the 12-song album is “sodade,” an idiomatic word that doesn’t have a strict English definition, but connotes a melancholy sense of transience that permeates Cape Verde, its music, and its free-spirited island population. “In this paradise in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, I found a sense of home that has eluded me for much of my 37 years,” Shah says. She continues: “When I look back, I realize that upon hearing Cesária’s voice nearly a decade ago, she was summoning me down a path I must continue walking in search of sodade.” Shah is a global citizen and cultural interlocutor whose work involves deep engagement with the jazz tradition, while also addressing and advancing its global sensibilities. She is a lifelong New Yorker of Indian origin hailed for possessing an “amazing dexterity for musical languages” (NPR). Shah speaks 9 languages—she is fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, and French—and incorporates ethnographic research into original music. She has researched traditional music practices in Brazil, West Africa, East Africa, Turkey, and India. To support her work, Shah has earned grants from the Jerome Foundation, Chamber Music America, Asian Cultural Council, and New Music USA. Shah holds a B.A. in Latin American Studies from Harvard, and a Master’s in Jazz Voice from Manhattan School of Music. To date, Shah’s projects include Visions (2014), co-produced by Lionel Loueke; Folk Songs of Naboréa, which premiered at the Park Avenue Armory in 2017; and Interplay in duo with François Moutin, which was nominated in 2018 for France’s Victoires de la Musique for Jazz Album of the Year. Shah regularly performs her music at major concert halls, festivals, and clubs on six continents. 乐团 whose 2020 album “The Adventures of Pie Boy” won Best Instrumental Album, Best Instrumental Recording and Best Arrangement (Bittersweet) at the 32nd Annual Golden Melody Awards and serves as music director for Tia Ray 袁婭維. He has recorded, produced, performed and arranged for dozens of artists across Greater China, including David Tao陶喆, Li Ronghao 李榮浩， Matzka馬斯卡, Leah Dou竇靖童, Maobuyi 毛不易， Karen Mok莫文蔚， A-Lin, Kevin Sun and more. He graduated from Oberlin College and Conservatory, where he studied Jazz performance with Robin Eubanks. Hsieh plays Denis Wick mouthpieces and the Adams F5 Flugelhorn. If you enjoyed this episode please make sure to subscribe, follow, rate, and/or review this podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, ect. Connect with us on all social media platforms and at www.improvexchange.com