Vintage Newport Jazz and Folk Festival Programs

A couple of weeks ago my friend John Murphy invited me to see his collection of Newport Jazz and Folk Festival memorabilia. John is a former WRIU jazz radio host (aka, The Monsignor or John of Jamestown) and has been going to the Newport festivals since the early 1960s. I wish I had recorded our conversation, he had stories about Duke Ellington and James Brown that I wish I could remember.

The note in the autograph from Myself Among Others relates to having to pull the plug on Jimmy Smith in 1965. The police were about to shut down the festival for running too late and the band was showing no signs of stopping.

John told a story about how he had ordered tickets by mail for the 1966 Folk Festival. When he went to pick them up at the ticket window there were none there. To make good on the error they gave him very good seats right up front, sitting next to Pete Seeger and his wife. He said they were very friendly and he ended up going home with Seeger’s program with his notes for the day inside.

 

Dave Liebman talks about History, Teaching and his Expansions Group

Dave Liebman
Dave Liebman

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reed player Dave Liebman has a career spanning over 50 years. The discography on his website lists 512 albums as a leader and with others. Starting in New York City in the 1960s he is a former sideman of Elvin Jones and Miles Davis. Although he plays tenor saxophone and flute there was a long part of his career where played exclusively soprano saxophone.

We talked about his early free playing with Jack DeJohnette and Dave Holland (he has recently been in the studio with them again), his teaching perspective and his Expansions Group that will play at the Newport Jazz Festival this year.

davidliebman.com

whalingcitysound.com

Music used in this podcast:
The David Liebman Group – The Puzzle
Dave Liebman – First Visit
The David Liebman Group – Hat TrickThe David Liebman Group – Samsara
The David Liebman Group – Sivad

Dave Douglas and High Risk: Trumpet and Electronic Sound

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Dave Douglas

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I’m proud to say that this is the 30th episode of the Jazz New England podcast. My guest today is trumpeter Dave Douglas a versatile musician with a 20+ year solo career his active projects include his Quintet, Sound Prints, a quintet co-led with saxophonist Joe Lovano, Riverside, a quartet co-led with Chet Doxas and a duo with pianist Uri Caine. His latest release is Dark Territory the second album with High Risk, his electronic music-influenced quartet with Mark Guiliana, Jonathan Maron and Shigeto.
He also runs the successful online record label Greenleaf Music which features his own music as well as artists: Rudy Royston, Linda Oh, Kneebody and more. The Greenleaf site is the home of his podcast A Noise From the Deep.

davedouglas.com

greenleafmusic.com

Jon Lundbom & Big Five Chord, Four EP set in progress

Jon Lundbom with a craft beer
Jon Lundbom with a craft beer

boxed_set_discsSome people are just easy to talk to and wander into interesting topics without much prodding, one of these people is Jon Lundbom. This is part two of our conversation from last January. Jon has released two EPs this year (Make the Magic Happen and Bring Their ‘A’ Game) in what will be a series of four, eventually to be released as a boxed set.

We talk about live albums, interpreting Wiccan music, recording in series, Ornette Coleman and recording new music.

jonlundbom.com

Tenor Saxophonist Noah Preminger Explores the Delta Blues

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I first became aware of Noah Preminger when I heard his last album Pivot. It has all the things I like in good jazz, spontaneity, a chance to stretch out and the blues.

He has two albums coming out this spring, Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground another album of delta blues interpretations and an album of ballads on the vinyl only Newvelle label.

noahpreminger.com

 

 

 

 

Dan Moretti a 20 Year Brazilia Reunion and Other Projects

Dan Moretti
Dan Moretti

MI0001644860This is the second time I’ve had the opportunity to interview Dan Moretti a man of many projects. His current one being the reunion of Brazilia and a 20th anniversary live performance at Chan’s in honor of the 1996 album. Out of print, 100 copies of the CD have been pressed for the occasion.

We also talk about his recent tour in Asia with Nile Rogers and recording in Italy with Piccola Orchestra La Viola. In the 1980s he co-founded Celebration Sound a recording studio in Pawtucket, Rhode Island and has recorded 17 albums to this point.

 

danmoretti.com

chanseggrollsandjazz.com

 

Jorma Kaukonen: A Major Figure in Rock, Blues and Acoustic Fingerstyle Guitar

Jorma Kaukonen
Jorma Kaukonen

Although not really a jazz musician there are few guitarists that stand as tall in late 20th Century music as Jorma Kaukonen. A founder of both the Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna he has been tremendously influential in electric rock and blues as well as acoustic finger style guitar.

As well as touring solo and with Hot Tuna he also runs the Fur Peace Ranch a music school and concert venue in southern Ohio. He will be performing at the Odeum Theater in East Greenwich, RI on March 6, 2016. (in the interview I misspoke and said Odeon)

This interview was recorded February 16, 2016

jormakaukonen.com

furpeaceranch.com

 

 

The 4th and Best Interview with Greg Abate and the 25th Podcast on Jazz New England

Greg Abate
Greg Abate

AbateWoods_KindredSpirits-cover

This is the 25th interviews that I have posted on Jazz New England it is also the fourth time that I’ve interviewed Greg Abate in the course of two years. His current album Kindred Spirits Live at Chan’s recorded with Phil Woods and the Tim Ray trio was released at the end of January. He has been working on his third recording for Whaling City Sound since the end of last summer.

I always enjoy talking to Greg. He is very gracious with his time and although he tours the United States and Europe regularly he still plays local venues when he is home in Rhode Island.

The recording of this podcast was an experiment. I have heard Greg mention Main Street Coffee in East Greenwich, RI before and I live only a short walk from there. Sometimes interviews can be stiff and awkward so I thought it might be good idea to sit and relax and have a cup of coffee and see where the conversation led. I recorded the conversation with my iPhone using a recording app with good noise cancellation. The sound came out pretty well and only needed a minimal amount of equalization. The interview went well too. The only problem being that the conversation was maybe too relaxed and I had edit to find the more focused parts of the conversation for the podcast.

We talked about writing music, Greg’s sextet performance, touring in the UK and his musical favorites and influences.

The sextet gig that We talk about has passed. We also talked about the reunion of Dan Moretti in Brasilia featuring Greg Abate which will take place April 9th at Chan’s in Woonsocket, RI.

gregabate.com

 

Jon Lundbom: A four EP Series and Exploring Jazz in Austin TX

Jon Lundbom
Jon Lundbom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s perhaps fitting that this is my first two part podcast considering that I’m interviewing is Jon Lundbom whose current project is a four-part EP release. Although Jon moved to Austin Texas about a year ago, the album was recorded last fall in New York with his group the Big Five Chord.

We talked about the group, which has recorded seven other albums since 2003 and other projects (Merle and the Hagards, Baltobom). We also talked about playing jazz in Austin and his philosophy of putting recording projects and music together.

This interview is continued in Part 2

boxed_set_discs

 

 

 

 

 

jonlundbom.com

 

Elan Mehler of Newvelle Records

Jack DeJohnette, Leo Genovese, Esperanza Spalding, Elan Mehler and Marc Urselli ©Paul Yanshyshynadj

Frank Kimbrough Cover jpegNewvelle Records is a new vinyl only record label Launching in the spring of 2016. Using a curated subscription model the first years crop of six albums includes such artists as Jack DeJohnette, Noah Preminger, Frank Kimbrough, Ban Alison & Don Friedman. A series of albums for 2017 is already in the planning stages.

I expected my interview with co-founder Elan Mehler to be all about business and marketing demographics. Instead we had a long conversation about finding an economic vehicle to create a high quality product and empower artists. Artists retain the ownership of the masters and may release them later as they see fit after a waiting period.

A KIckstarter Campaign is underway for the first years pressings here.

Newvelle Records