The Late Set

Some conversations are worth revisiting and sharing. In this special guest drop, we hand the mic to a friend of the show: trumpeter and composer Dave Douglas, who has appeared on The Late Set and whose Greenleaf Music podcast, A Noise From the Deep, is one we never miss. Here, Douglas sits down with master drummer Andrew Cyrille to discuss Lebroba, Cyrille’s ECM album with Wadada Leo Smith and Bill Frisell. Cyrille also reflects on his Brooklyn beginnings, his first recording date with Coleman Hawkins, and his 11 years in the Cecil Taylor Unit. We’re especially excited to share this conversation at a time when Cyrille has two fine new albums: Trio Imagination and the forthcoming Drum Stories. There’s still time to vote for The Late Set in this year’s Signal Awards! Cast your vote in two categories: Arts & Culture: Vote for us here Interview or Talk Show: And here Listen to A Noise From the Deep: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Chapters 00:00 — Welcome: Josh Jackson & Nate Chinen 01:15 — Andrew Cyrille's big year & “Freeway” from Drum Stories 06:20 — Dave Douglas and Andrew Cyrille on A Noise From the Deep 10:00 — “Pretty Beauty” & recording Lebroba 18:30 — Learning by ear & a first date with Coleman Hawkins 24:15 — Coming up in Brooklyn: Louis Hayes, Max Roach & Philly Joe Jones 30:45 — Cyrille's Haitian roots 35:45 — “Lebroba”: Leland, Brooklyn & Baltimore 44:20 — What makes good music 52:40 — 11 years with Cecil Taylor 1:07:40 — Time, rhythm & “TGD” 1:13:00 — “Time to Dig” Want to support The Late Set? Become a WRTI member: wrti.org/donate Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/wrtimusic Subscribe to our YouTube: youtube.com/@WRTImusic Write us an email: [email protected]

A bonus drop celebrating our two Signal Awards nominations! Vote for The Late Set in two categories: Arts & Culture: Vote for us here Interview or Talk Show: And here Sound and spirit are inseparable in the music of Kenny Garrett. A saxophonist who served a series of heavyweight apprenticeships, most notably with Miles Davis, Garrett now stands as a jazz elder himself — one who continues his search for knowledge. Several years ago, around the time of his album Sounds from the Ancestors, Garrett performed on the campus of Temple University. He sat down with Josh Jackson for a conversation about musical lineage, mentorship, and the lessons that keep the music moving forward. We’re thrilled to bring you that conversation as a bonus episode. Watch the full interview: Kenny Garrett at Temple University Chapters 00:00 — We're Signal Awards finalists 01:35 — Bonus episode: Kenny Garrett at Temple 05:10 — Coltrane's Philadelphia & playing soprano saxophone 07:45 — Roy Hargrove & Sounds from the Ancestors 10:10 — Feeling the ancestors on the bandstand 15:05 — Lessons from Miles Davis 17:35 — Mentors, monuments & honoring elders 25:00 — The pandemic: how to stop the train 27:40 — Passing it on beyond the academy 35:40 — What does it mean to live with music? 37:20 — “This I Dig” 42:20 — Credits Want to support The Late Set? Become a WRTI member: wrti.org/donate Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/wrtimusic Subscribe to our YouTube: youtube.com/@WRTImusic Write us an email: [email protected]

The Myth We Chose, the entrancing new album by South African pianist Nduduzo Makhathini, foregrounds hope and healing, and a conviction in the redemptive power of connection. It’s a song-forward statement for Makhathini, who is also a composer, vocalist, philosopher, and ambassador for the Global South. This summer, he brought his trio to Solar Myth ahead of an appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival. On the first of two nights, he joined Josh Jackson for an onstage conversation about ritual, responsibility, and why he prefers the term “encounter” to “discovery” when describing a person’s formative contact with improvised music. Chapters 00:00 — Intro: South African jazz 05:00 — Zulu language, myth & musicality 11:30 — Music education, colonialism & Indigenous knowledge 15:30 — Growing up during apartheid 21:00 — Encountering John Coltrane & the roots of jazz 23:30 — The identity and sound of South African jazz 28:45 — Collective memory & the African diaspora 35:15 — Myth, ancestral memory & sonic creation 38:15 — Ndu cosmology, time & musical continuity 41:00 — Artificial intelligence, knowledge & human experience 45:15 — Nate and Josh on music, healing & ancestral knowledge 49:30 — “This I Dig” 53:15 — South African music, cultural boycotts & current debates 56:15 — Closing credits Want to support The Late Set? Become a WRTI member: wrti.org/donate Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/wrtimusic Subscribe to our YouTube: youtube.com/@WRTImusic Write us an email: [email protected]

John Coltrane’s centennial has brought a flurry of tributes and testimonials, along with archival discoveries. At WRTI, we’re gearing up for “A Love Park Supreme,” a weeklong celebration in the city that Coltrane called home. And here at The Late Set, we’re doing what we do best: digging into an enlightened conversation. Our guest is Peabody Award-winning oral historian and producer Steve Rowland, creator of the five-hour audio documentary Tell Me How Long Trane's Been Gone, which is rebroadcasting on WRTI the week of Sept. 21, one hour at a time. Rowland, an alumnus of Temple University and WRTI, has incisive things to say about Coltrane’s spiritual quest and creative legacy, and how we can best remember him today. Chapters 00:00 — Intro: Coltrane 100 Philly 06:30 — Steve Rowland joins the show 10:30 — Philadelphia roots & building the documentary 13:00 — Early life, faith & the August Bloom tape 24:30 — Bebop, addiction & the road to A Love Supreme 27:30 — A Love Supreme: Psalm, poetry & the saxophone-as-voice 34:00 — Alabama, civil rights & the Black Arts Movement 46:00 — Material world, spirit world & art as the bridge 49:30 — The Coltrane houses & life with Alice 1:02:00 — Legacy & takeaways The Late Set is a production of WRTI and made possible by WRTI members. wrti.org Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/wrtimusic Subscribe to our YouTube: youtube.com/@WRTImusic Write us an email: [email protected]

Jazz radio has never had a better friend than Rhonda Hamilton. During a broadcasting career spanning nearly 50 years, she’s brought the music to a worldwide audience with her trademark warmth, integrity and composure. This year she received a fitting honor: the A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship for Jazz Advocacy, which she’ll formally receive on Sept. 15 during a gala concert at Walt Disney Hall in Los Angeles. She’ll be in fine company there: the 2026 class of honorees also includes drummer and percussionist Airto Moreira; keyboardist, vocalist and producer Patrice Rushen; and singer, songwriter and bandleader Carmen Lundy. Rhonda is now on the air at KKJZ-FM in Southern California, but during her longtime tenure at Newark Public Radio, she worked with Josh Jackson, Nate Chinen and our producer, Alex Ariff. We were all delighted to reconnect with her in a conversation brimming with insights from one of our very best. Chapters 00:00 — Coltrane 100 Philly kickoff 02:00 — NEA Jazz Masters & this year's honorees 10:00 — Interview with Rhonda Hamilton 49:00 — Key records & jazz recommendations 55:30 — Dizzy Gillespie dinner story 1:02:30 — “This I Dig” Learn more about WRTI’s John Coltrane @100 celebration: wrti.org Want to support The Late Set? Become a WRTI member: wrti.org/donate Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/wrtimusic Subscribe to our YouTube: youtube.com/@WRTImusic Write us an email: [email protected]