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Tom Chang: A Jazz Guitarist Mixes Rock, Carnatic and Modern Classical Influences

Tom Chang
Tom Chang
Tongue & Groove Cover
Tongue & Groove Cover

Originally from Toronto Tom studied both at GIT and Berkley School of Music before moving to New York. Although he has been playing there since 1989 and recorded with others this is his first solo album.

Tongue & Groove is a modern jazz album that has many facets. It incorporaties rock guitar, South Indian rhythm and melodies, and influences from modern classical composition.

Tom is also the Curator of Jazz at the Cornelia Street Cafe a well known jazz club in New York. He was also responsible for booking South Indian music and starting Carnatic Sundays at that venue.

I interviewed Tom over Skype on August 11, 2014 and it was originally broadcast over WRIU in Kingston, RI on August 19th.

Tom’s web site is http://tomchangmusic.com

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Mario Pavone talks about Street Stories and Connecticut

Mario Pavone (photo credit steven sussman)
Mario Pavone (photo credit steven sussman)

Mario Pavone had a three day residency at the Cornelia Street Cafe in Brooklyn. On three consecutive nights he celebrated his 50 year history in jazz. When he started playing bass with Paul Bley in 1964 he only had two years on the instrument. He also played with Bill Dixon and was a member of the Thomas Chapin Trio for ten years until Chapin’s early death from leukemia in 1998.

He has been a leader of his own groups since the early 1980s and was the founder of Alacra Records. He has also been on the board of directors of the Litchfield Jazz Festival since it’s inception and has dedicated his a part of his summer to teaching at the Litchfield Jazz Camp for the last eighteen years.

This interview was recorded on July 23, 2014. We talked about his new album Street Songs, his ties to Connecticut, teaching at the jazz camp, Alacra records and how he writes and arranges music.

He will be performing an expanded version of Street Songs with an added brass quartet at the Litchfield Jazz Festival on Sunday August 10th.

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Moppa Elliot – Mostly Other People Do the Killing

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Moppa Elliot

Moppa Elliot is the bassist, main composer and leader of Mostly Other People Do the Killing. Until just recently the band is a pianoless quartet featuring Peter Evans on Trumpet, Jon Irabagon on alto and tenor sax and Kevin Shea on Drums. Piano has replaced the trumpet with the addition of Ron Stabinsky although Steven Bernstein takes over the trumpet chores for the current tour.

Moppa talks about changes in the band and it’s history, composing, Charlie Haden, and the weird story and layered meanings in the music and the cover of the Red Hot album.

moppaelliott.com

hotcuprecords.com

 

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