Liner Notes with David Bixler

Season five begins with saxophonist Abraham Burton. During the pandemic, photographer and engineer Jimmy Katz produced an informal concert series at the sight of the historically significant Seneca Village in Central Park. One of the concerts that Katz recorded was a trio performance featuring Burton, drummer Eric McPherson, and bassist Dezron Douglas. This energetic performance is available as The Summit Rock Session at Seneca Village.

Saxophonist Todd Williams has a new trio with bassist Yuma Takagi and drummer Robert Rucker he has named the Quartet Trio. I spoke with Todd before he presented the music from their new recording Introducing the Quartet Trio at Smalls Jazz Club in New York City.

In this episode of LINER NOTES I speak with guitarist, composer, and now lyricist Freddie Bryant about his song cycle Upper West Side Love Story. With the help of vocalist Carla Cook and soloists Regina Carter, Steve Wilson, and Donny McCaslin, Freddie pays homage to his New York City childhood neighborhood and takes the listener on a journey of the changes it has endured. You can visit upperwestsidelovestory.com to learn more.

Multi-instrumentalist Lou Marini has been visible in American popular music for decades. Woody Herman, Blood Sweat Tears, SNL, The Blues Brothers, and James Taylor are just a few of the iconic names that grace his resume. Throughout his time with these high-profile groups, Lou has remained an artist dedicated to his craft. When his touring schedule was erased because of the pandemic, he turned to composing music for large ensemble that will soon be recorded. In this episode of LINER NOTES, Lou talks extensively about his new music as well as passionately sharing his thoughts on the current political climate.

Fred Hersch’s new recording Breath by Breath, on Palmetto Records features his trio with bassist Drew Gress and drummer Jochen Rueckert along with the Crosby Street String Quartet. In this episode of LINER NOTES Fred talks about the meditation practice that inspired this eclectic music that was created as he was sequestered in North Eastern Pennsylvania during the pandemic.

Pianist Craig Taborn’s new recording Shadow Plays on ECM was recorded in 2020 in Vienna while on a solo piano tour in Europe just as the pandemic was blowing up. In this episode of LINER NOTES Craig reflects on the process of improvisation as well as recounting the uncertainty that surrounded getting back home and his transition to life in the shutdown.

Drummer Jeff Hamilton wants to help you enjoy the Holiday season with his swinging new recording Merry and Bright on Capri Records. The recording features his trio with pianist Tamir Hendelman and bassist Jon Hamar.

The last eighteen months have affected Tony Malaby’s music and personal life in a drastic manner. An early bout with covid created a necessity for Malaby to retool his saxophone playing from a physical standpoint and at the same time it created the space for him to revisit the music that informed his playing in his earlier years. In this episode of LINER NOTES Tony speaks about the music that he created in this time, his new position of professor of saxophone at the Berklee College of Music, as well as a new record on Sunnyside Records recorded live at the 55 Bar with guitarist Ben Monder and drummer Tom Rainey, the week before the shutdown last March.

The quiet of the last year and a half has given alto saxophonist Jaleel Shaw the time to think about his life and the world around him. This solitude manifests itself in his new solo saxophone recording, Echoes, which contains musical ruminations on loss, race, and the pandemic. In this episode of LINER NOTES, Jaleel speaks about the process that produced his intriguing new recording.

The pandemic has given trumpet player and composer Tim Hagans a chance to step away from the physicality of the trumpet and focus on seeking new paths for his music. In this episode of LINER NOTES Tim speaks about preparing for an upcoming gig in Europe after not playing with other musicians for nearly two years, as well as his stunning new recording, A Conversation, featuring Germany’s NDR Big Band.

Brooklyn bred trumpet player Adam O’Farrill is the son of award winning pianist and social activist Arturo O’Farrill, and the grandson of legendary composer and arranger Chico O’Farrill. In this episode of LINER NOTES, Adam ruminates on his realization that his pedigree doesn’t equate success. He speaks about his new recording in which he continues to create his own path as he develops his own personal voice.

2021 has been a busy year for alto saxophonist Miguel Zenon. He released two recordings, El Arte del Bolero with pianist Luis Perdomo, and Law Years, a recording of the music of Ornette Coleman featuring an international quartet. In this episode of LINER NOTES Miguel speaks of the redirection of his artistic pursuits during quarantine.

I also want to draw your attention to the current indiegogo campaign to support LINER NOTES. If you enjoy this episode or have enjoyed any of the episodes of the podcast please consdier donating by clicking here.

Chilean jazz guitarist, singer, and song writer Camila Meza lives in a world of color. She sees the music that she creates in a unique and personal way, inviting the listener to participate with her in the color filled journey. In this episode of LINER NOTES she speaks with an optimistic poignancy on the paralyzing effect that the pandemic has had on the moment of her latest recording, Ambar, on Sony Masterworks.  

Drummer and composer Rudy Royston has created new music for his band Flatbed Buggy for the In this Moment Concert Series at St. Peter’s Church in NYC which will be streamed May 1st at 2pm EST. The music is loosely programmatic, representing a day in the life of the composer in the time of Covid.  

In the episode of LINER NOTES, Rudy sheds light on how the pandemic has affected him both as a person and as a musician, and offers his perspective on the remote recording and outdoor pop-up concerts that he has taken part in during the last year.

As an 18 year-old, pianist Geoffrey Keezer wowed audiences as a member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers with his prodigious technique and improvisations. Describing his own playing, Keezer says that his natural tendency is to “throw in everything but the kitchen sink…all the time.” In this episode of LINER NOTES, Keezer talks about his development as a musician over the span of his career as well as the teaching and writing that are occupying his time while he waits for the return of normal life.

Bassist and composer Bob Hurst made an early mark on the jazz community as a member of Wynton Marsalis’ band and later gained notoriety as a member of the Tonight Show band led by Branford Marsalis. In addition to his performance career the Detroit native has been on the faculty at the University of Michigan for a number of years. In this episode of LINER NOTES Bob talks about many things including the state of jazz education as it related to the current culture in America.

The past year has provided musicians with an opportunity to get creative in new ways. Dave Douglas and Ryan Keberle have a new record out called Overcome on Greenleaf Music. The music is inspired by their heightened sense of a call for social justice and with a respect for social distancing was recorded remotely this past summer. 

Guitarist and educator Sheryl Bailey recently moved from New York to Boston to become the assistant chair of the guitar department at The Berklee College of Music. In this episode of LINER NOTES Sheryl talks about the challenges of moving to a new city while overseeing the education of nine hundred guitarists in the time of the Corona virus. We spoke over zoom-heads up that the interview is replete with the street sounds of Washington Heights.

Composer and percussionist Dafnis Prieto’s new recording Transparency features the front line of saxophonists Román Filiú and Peter Apfelbaum, along with Alex Norris on trumpet. In this episode of LINER NOTES Dafnis speaks about his intentions behind this recording as well the fortunate timing that allowed him to capture the project immediately before the shutdown.