Max Holmberg (drums, percussion) and Josh Hou (accordion, keyboards) talk about jazz: records they're listening to, music they're working on, and stuff to check out in Seattle. https://www.facebook.com/jazztalksea/
After 5 full years of monthly episodes, Max and Josh are hanging up the microphones. This is our farewell episode where we wax nostalgic and recap how the podcast got started, the changes along the way, and some highlights of our extremely entertaining guests. Thank you so much for listening and hanging with us for the past half-decade. ❤️
In an absolute first, Max and Josh interview Ariel Calabria, a cymbal maker based down in Olympia. Tune in to hear how he not only hand-hammers cymbals, but also plays a sizable number of instruments!
Trumpeter Brennan Carter and trombonist Scott Flynn met playing in the horn section for ODESZA. Many years of playing together later, they've recently released Many Moons, a jazz record recorded right here in Seattle! Tune in to find out all about it!
It's almost October and that means it's Earshot Jazz Festival season! We've got a WHOLE MONTH of incredible jazz concerts jam packed throughout the entire month and this episode is just me and Max chatting about a few of the ones we're most excited about. Hope to see y'all out there!
Drummer Jerry Steinhilber is August's guest. Listen in to hear about his trio's unique compositional and arranging style! He's got a bunch of live performances in the Bellingham and Seattle area that should not be missed. Don't let this month's episode pass you by!
The fantastic pianist, keyboardist, and synth wizard Rob Homan is here this month. Join us as we learn all about the veritable force that is High Pulp, fresh off a multi-week nationwide tour. We learned all about how the band got started, their latest record, Pursuit of Ends, and what's coming in the future. Check it out!
Kassa Overall is a Grammy-nominated musician, emcee, singer, producer and drummer. We're super excited to talk to him about his latest releases: "Shades of Flu" and "Shades of Flu 2", as well as how he got into producing and drumming in the first place.
We now officially have as many episodes as playing cards in a deck! Guitarist Ian Hughes leads Freudian Slurp, whose latest record is "The Getaway Car". Listen in to hear all about how this band got started and what went into this live recording! Edited and mixed by Ronan Delisle
Neil Welch is a veritable powerhouse of a musician. Many know him for his work in Bad Luck with drummer Chris Icasiano (Episode 26). His latest solo project is "the ink around it", featuring a gorgeous piece for solo saxophone that showcases his trademark skill with multiphonics, followed by a long-form composition with a large ensemble cast of some of Seattle's greatest. This is deep and beautiful music, don't miss this episode!
Episode 50!! This month's guest is Leanna Keith, who makes more sounds out of flutes than we knew existed, in addition to making flute sounds out of more objects than should be possible. Check it out to hear about why she started playing the flute out of spite, what coffee mugs and flutes have in common, and her whirlwind masterpiece of an album: Tarot.
Haley does many many things in the Seattle jazz community: trombonist, tour manager, project producer, photographer and more. In addition to all that, she is also one of the folks behind the Racer Sessions, that storied regular free improvisation jam session that has been happening at Cafe Racer for over a decade. Check out this month's episode to hear how it's been going over the years and maybe even a bit how the Racer Sessions have interacted with the Beaver Sessions, *another* regular jam session in Seattle that Max runs. Content warning: gun violence
Singer, songwriter, and composer Taylor Zickefoose's new EP is called "Love in A9" and every song is infectious, complex, and layered. There's much to unpack in this music. We got to talk to Taylor a couple weeks ago, check this out to hear what went into this LIVE record! Mixed by Ronan Delisle
Marina Albero is a composer, educator, pianist... I'd list all the instruments she plays but I'd run out of room here. Seattle jazz fans are certainly no stranger to her music. We're excited to have her as this month's guest. Tune it to hear all about her latest record, "A Life Soundtrack", all that went into it, and just how many instruments she actually plays.
Trumpeter Skyler Floe's new record is called "Abstraction". Tune in to hear all about his travels around the world, what this record is about, and what's coming up next!
Trumpeter, composer, educator, and author Jared Hall is October's guest. His latest record, Seen on the Scene is out now, and we're super excited to get to talk to him about it. Check it out! Photo credit: Jim Levitt
Pianist Eric Verlinde is a mainstay of the Seattle jazz scene and we're so excited to chat with him this month about his newest record of originals: Crazy, Lazy Day. Don't miss it!
Saxophonist Gary Hammon has been playing jazz since the 1960s. Having started on the saxophone as a junior at Garfield High, he then went on to study at the New England Conservatory of Music in 1969, the first year Black students were accepted. Listen in to hear about his storied career as a musician in Boston, New York, and Seattle! This episode was edited and mixed by Ronan Delisle.
Guitarist and composer Ronan Delisle has moved from Seattle to LA. In this episode, we chat about the move, as well as his newest solo record, "Write to Me a Coda".
Grammy nominated vocalist, composer, and professor Johnaye Kendrick is June's guest. We're so stoked to talk to her here about her start with music and her amazing work with vocal supergroup säje.
Gordon Brown and Brady Harvey from Loudswell are this month's guests, telling us all about their award winning livestream platform that has been airing livestreamed concerts all pandemic long! They tell us all about how they got started, how it works, and what they think things might look like for livestreams in the future.
Duende Libre's "The Dance She Spoke" is the Earshot's 2020 NW Album of the Year. Joining us this month are pianist Alex Chadsey and vocalist/percussionist Frank Anderson to tell us all about this beautiful album and its influences from Malian and Guinean music. Content warning: discussions about race and cultural appropriation
Ryan Burns is a pianist, keyboardist, guitarist, and bassist. He was just awarded the 2020 Northwest Alternative Jazz Group of the Year by Earshot Jazz last Friday. Listen in to hear all about his new record, Postponed Parade!
Vocalist Kate Voss and guitarist Jason Goessl have spent the past two and a half years touring the country in an RV. Check out this month's episode to hear how they've taken their latest record, Fun and Fancy, out on the road for curbside concerts!
Alex Dugdale tap dances, plays saxophones, clarinet, trumpet and more. He's releasing his debut album as a bandleader real soon, so listen in to find out what it's about and maybe get a sneak peek for what's to come! Photo credit: Bonnie Obremski
Our very own Josh Hou released an album last month called Feeling of Home! Join us as we discuss what influenced it, who's on it, and what's behind the music.
Saxophonist Frank Vitolo is the bandleader of the Bad News Botanists, a fantastic jazz-funk 6-piece. Listen in to get hear the scoop on their latest record, Indignation, out now!
Acclaimed vocalist Jacqueline Tabor joins us this month and talks to us about her singing, her music, and musical collaborations in the time of quarantine.
Guitarist Max Walker's new album Stygia, is coming out September 7th! Listen in for the inside scoop on everything behind the record.
Drummer, percussionist, educator, and record label owner John Bishop talks about growing up with music, how Origin Records got started, and how things are going with the Ballard Jazz Festival.
Drummer, percussionist, and educator Brian Kirk tells stories from his decades long career as a touring musician and music educator, as well as sharing music he's making now!
In light of current national events, we’ve decided to not release an episode for the month of June. As jazz musicians and members of the jazz community, we owe our careers, our music, and a huge part of our identities to an art form borne out of the immeasurable suffering and oppression that the Black American community faced for centuries and continues to face today. We stand with the Black community and pledge to continue to do so even after the news cycle forgets. If you’re looking for ways to support and contribute, there’s a list of excellent organizations on our Facebook page. Please consider donating if you are able. Because Black Lives Matter.
This month, trumpeter Thomas Marriott tells us all about his new record Trumpet Ship.
Saxophonist Steve Treseler just released a record called the Snow Line Suite, a sound portrait of North America's Western mountain ranges. Listen in to hear all about it, then buy his record on bandcamp!
Saxophonist Kate Olson released an amazing album: Live at the Royal Room. Listen in to hear what's behind this fantastic music!
Drummer Chris Icasiano is releasing his first solo record, Provinces, later this month. Listen in for all the details on what went into this fantastic record and then go to his album release show at the Wing Luke Museum on Feb 29th. https://www.chrisicasiano.com/
Tuba player, producer, and recording engineer Jon Hansen released an amazing record called Metallurgy. Listen in to find out how he made it and what else he's been working on since moving from Seattle to Zurich.
Trumpeter and composer Charlie Porter is our guest this month, following the November release of his album, Immigration Nation. Charlie is fresh off a CD release tour and joins us to tell us all about it. Check out https://www.charlieportermusic.com/ to get a copy of this fantastic record!
Our guest this month is Danae Greenfield, joining us all the way from Brooklyn, New York. We listen to her recent EP release: Shelter and discuss music life in New York, social media, playing with the Apartment Sessions and more.
Michael Barnett joins us this month to regale us with stories of musicians he's worked with and music he's enjoyed playing.
Josh and Max dissect Josh's trio's upcoming record release: Bilingualism.
Our musical guest this month is Nate Omdal: bassist, composer, and member of the Director's Board of American Federation of Musicians, Local 76-493. Tune in to hear what the musicians union is doing in Seattle! Links: fairtrademusicseattle.org local76-493.org nate@local76-493.org afm.org Musicians for a Fair Wage survey: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vQc28ts4C7TuVf6WkE7sd_NB3Rn0JCX_3GftPb8qYqrBHlo_sBKg-jttM_boEzRyQqD7b5Qyf4CgJF-/pub
Dylan Hayes discusses his upcoming new record with his electric band.
Bassist Abbey Blackwell shares the latest release of her trio Rae and discusses her experience studying jazz at the University of Washington
Pianist/keyboardist Shawn Schlogel tells us about his time touring China with electro-pop duo Mooselight Kingdom. Listen in to hear about it, as well as what else he's working on! Link to music video "Hide and Seek": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmorl-K9Sdk
Gregg Belisle-Chi joins us this month to discuss his upcoming record "Book of Hours", out in May. Listen in for a preview and be sure to check out the Seattle CD release show on Friday April 12th, 2019.
Ray Larsen discusses his band Tyrant Lizard and their most recent release "Story Time".
Delvon Lamarr joins Max and Josh in the podcast studio right before heading out for Austin. Listen in to hear about what's happening with the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio!
Suzanne Weghorst, owner of Egan's Ballard Jam House (http://www.ballardjamhouse.com/) joins us to discuss the history of Egan's and its place in the Seattle jazz scene.
Max and Josh discuss "A Charlie Brown Christmas" by Cyrus Chestnut (2000) and "A Dave Brubeck Christmas" (1996).
Bassist, composer, arranger and songwriter Evan Flory-Barnes chats with Max and Josh about his latest musical projects and other thoughts on music and art.
Saxophonist/clarinetist Jacob Zimmerman discusses his new album "More of That". Listen to it here: https://jacobrexzimmerman.bandcamp.com/album/more-of-that