Liner Notes with David Bixler

Tenor saxophonist Rich Perry might be most recognized from his long term associations with both the Maria Schneider and Vanguard Jazz Orchestras, but where he truly shines is fronting his quartet with pianist Gary Versace, bassist Jay Anderson, and Vanguard band mate John Riley on drums and cymbals. In this episode of LINER NOTES we discuss the music and musicians on Progression, his fourth recording on the Steeplechase label with this line-up.  

Known for his many exploratory projects, percussionist Adam Rudolph's latest  recording, Beingness, features saxophonist Dave Liebman and drummer Billy Hart. The music was recorded over two nights from a residency at New York City's Stone and captures three venerated musicians in selfless conversation. In this episode of LINER NOTES Adam shares insight into his creative process taking a deep dive into the rhythmic and intervallic concepts that drive his work.

Pianist Eric Reed calls on tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, trumpeter Nicholas Payton, bassist Peter Washington, and drummer Joe Farnsworth to join him on his new recording Out Late on Smoke Sessions Records. The record, which will be available on May 16, features seven originals that were intended to get this group of well-known musicians out of their comfort zones. In addition to our conversation in this episode of LINER NOTES, Eric uses the piano to give the listener a behind the scenes peek into his process and musical thought life.

AI-labor saving tool or existential threat? On his new recording Server Farm, saxophonist and composer Jon Irabagon contemplates the potential threat and promise of this omni-present technology. For this recording Irabagon augments his regular quartet consisting of keyboardist Matt Mitchell, bassist Chris Lightcap, and percussionist Dan Weiss with violinist and vocalist Mazz Smith, trumpeter Peter Evans, guitarists Miles Okazaki and Wendy Eisenberg, bassist Michael Formanek, and percussionist and electronic musician Levy Lorenzo. Imitating AI, Jon spent several years doing a deep dive into the musical output of his collaborators, mining their entire catalogues for ideas that create the foundation of the music on this exciting recording.   

Drummer and composer Allison Miller begins 2025 with several diverse and exciting projects. Big and Lovely, a recording of her original music with the University of North Texas One O'Clock Lab Band was released on January 10. On February 2 at 3pm at the 92nd Street Y in NYC Allison will present Rivers In Our Veins, an ambitious multi-media work featuring the award-winning dancer Michelle Dorrance as a special guest and features three additional dancers: Claudia Rahardjanoto, Maleek Washington and Luke Hickey, plus live video projections by Todd Winkler and an ensemble that features violinist Jenny Scheinman, pianist Carmen Staaf, trumpeter Jason Palmer, clarinetist Ben Goldberg and bassist Rashaan Carter.  Lastly, Artemis, Downbeat magazine's group of the year, makes its debut at the Village Vanguard the week of March 4.  

2024 has been a productive year for LA based pianist and composer John Beasley. He released three new recordings, two of which are up for GRAMMY awards. Nominated in the category of “Best Latin Jazz Album” is El Trio on Challenge Records which features bassist Jose Gola and drummer Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez. The second nomination in the category of  “Best Large Ensemble Album” is for the recording Returning to Forever, a reimagining of Chick Corea's Return to Forever with the Frankfurt Radio Big Band on Candid Records.    

Love Is is guitarist John Hart's sixth trio recording for SteepleChase records. For this recording producer Nils Winther wanted to mix things up for John and suggested keeping the trio format, but with a different instrumentation. This recording finds John playing with bassist Carlo DeRosa and cornetist Kirk Knufke. Carlo is a long-time collaborator, but the short rehearsal prior to the recording was the first time that Kirk and John had met, let alone played together. The result is a gratifying session of standards and originals demonstrating the artistry of seasoned professionals. For the jazz student, professor Hart offers a detailed analysis of Giant Steps toward the end of the podcast.

In the summer of 2023 saxophonist Wayne Escoffery found himself in Europe processing changes in his personal life while at the same time nursing a broken finger that prohibited him  from playing his horn. He used this time of reflection to compose the music presented on his new record Alone on Smoke Sessions Records, which features pianist Gerald Clayton, bassist Ron Carter, and Carl Allen on drums. In this episode of LINER NOTES Wayne speaks of the challenge of creating something meaningful in a society that places a premium on the immediate.

On his new recording, Something About Believing tenor saxophonist Tim Armacost is joined by trumpeter Tom Harrell and baritone saxophonist Gary Smulyan as well as the outstanding rhythm section of  bassist John Patitucci and drummer Al Foster. Listening to the music one is struck by the comfortability of master improvisers doing what they do best, however in this episode of LINER NOTES Tim explains that this recording is a snapshot of a journey that he embarked on a number of years ago while exploring synesthesia. The project began as a chordless quartet in which the musicians worked with lighting designer Liz Liebeskind in real time and beyond this recording Armacost has assembled a new quartet that is working with visual artist Mary Shah who joins the band at performances and creates a visual response to the band's music.  

The shoes that grace the cover of Orrin Evans' new record are special shoes from his childhood that were necessitated by being born with neurofibromatosis. The record is called Walk a Mile in My Shoe, and the shoes are a reminder of his condition and the impact that this neurological disorder has had on him. However, Evans yearns to move past the initial metaphor of the title in order to convey the ideas of feeling worthy and taking ownership of his journey. In this episode of LINER NOTES Orrin talks about the music, the musicians, and the music business.  

After several decades of creating music in a manner that was beginning to feel routine, guitarist Miles Okazaki was searching for a fresh way to make music. He examined the processes of artists Ed Ruscha, Sol Lewitt, and Ken Price as templates for creating. In possession of these new ideas gleaned from these artists, he went into the studio with a group of musicians that were given prompts which were recorded and formed into what Miles refers to as musical “slabs.” These “slabs” were then sanded, polished, and sculpted, and the result is Miniture America, which Okazaki describes as a sonic treasure hunt, a collection of 22 vignettes exploring the wonder of chance encounters and “found” compositions.

The colors black, white, brown, beige, and blue have all had a prominent place in music, but in the eyes and ears of saxophonist Troy Roberts the color green piqued his interest due to its ambiguity. Not only can the color green convey greed and envy or rot and decay, it can also represent nature and tranquility. Troy embraces green as an impetus to move and has named his new release Green Lights which is the subject of the first episode of the 7th season of LINER NOTES. 

Saxophonist Jon Gordon's new recording, 7th Ave South takes its name from the iconic club owned by the Brecker Brothers that closed its doors in 1987. The title of the album is emblematic of a time that shaped Jon as a musician as a high school student in NYC in the 80s. In this episode of LINER NOTES he pays homage to the people, the musicians, and the clubs that shaped his life and the importance that he places on recreating the generosity that he experienced for the students and musicians that are currently part of his life.

Slow Water is the latest release from bassist and composer Stephan Crump. In this ambitious 67 minute work, Crump explores how society uses water and addresses the question “What does water want?” as proposed by Erica Gies in her 2022 book Water Always Wins. For this project he assembled a new ensemble comprised of musicians with which he had little previous history with the goal of creating both a band and music that flowed in an improvisatory manner similar to water.

This month we join in congratulating pianist Luis Perdomo for his recent GRAMMY award for El Arte del Bolero vol. 2 in the category of Best Latin Jazz Album. In this episode of LINER NOTES, Luis recounts the musical journey from his native Venezuela and then coming to New York initially to study before transitioning into one of the most in demand pianists on the scene, gracing the bandstand with musicians such as of Ravi Coltrane, Tom Harrell, and his long time musical partner Miguel Zenon.

The week of March 5 guitarist Peter Bernstein brings a quartet to the Village Vanguard in New York City that includes pianist Sullivan Fortner, bassist Doug Weiss, and the iconic drummer Al Foster. In this episode of LINER NOTES Peter expresses a genuine gratitude for being able to play music. He also offers insights on how he personally approaches this music as a guitarist, sharing valuable lessons learned from his legendary teachers Gene Bertoncini, Ted Dunbar, and Jim Hall.

As an improviser, trombonist Joe Fiedler describes himself as living half in the inside world and half in the outside world. This is evident in his new recording Will Be Fire. For this project, Fiedler collaborates with guitarist Pete McCann, tuba virtuoso Marcus Rojas, and percussionist Jeff Davis, in an elegant instrumentation that pays homage to the late Arthur Blythe. In this episode of LINER NOTES Joe articulates his perspective on the evolution of the trombone and his aspirations for its future direction.

The last several years have brought about significant change for saxophonist Loren Stillman. A lifelong New Yorker, Loren and his family did a 180, and moved to Montana several years ago. With the time afforded to him by the pandemic, Loren, having made a name for himself as an alto saxophonist focused his energies on the tenor. The fruit of his labor is a new recording,Time and Again, released on Sunnyside Records featuring himself on the tenor along with bassist Drew Gress and drummer Mark Feber. In this episode of LINER NOTES, Loren speaks about the significant changes in his musical and personal life as well as the place that he envisions the tenor will have in his music going forward.

Holding down the bari chair at Saturday Night Live, performing with musicians like Christian McBride, and teaching at Julliard have saxophonist Ron Blake at full capacity. These time constraints left little time for him to focus on his own music, but fortunately he enlisted the help of his long time friend guitarist Bobby Broom and has recently released Mistaken Identity, his first recording under his own name in fifteen years. In this episode of LINER NOTES Ron talks about the journey that has taken him from the Virgin Islands to NYC and from classical saxophonist to jazz saxophonist.

Bassist Christian Dillingham's debut release as a leader, Cascades on Greenleaf Music features ten original compositions written for his Chicago based quartet. In this episode of LINER NOTES he speaks of his desire to capture the moment with this recording both in the recording process and in music that pushes the boundaries of the tradition that he is obviously rooted in. 

Bassist Linda Oh's recording the The Glass Hours features the front line of vocalist Sara Serpa and tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, while pianist Fabian Almazan and drummer Obed Calvarie join her in the rhythm section. Being a new parent has caused her to reflect on what she does as a musician and in this episode of LINER NOTES she talks about how a new awareness of the fragility of life in a world that can be an unsafe place has repurposed her music. 

Guitarist Rez Abbasi's recordings illustrate an artist that is pressing on, going for something new, rather than making alterations to what he has already done. So when sitarist Josh Feinberg approached him about a possible Indian-jazz collaboration he initially declined, as he already had several successful recordings of this nature with pianist Vijay Iyer and saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa. However, he fortunately reconsidered and they recorded Charm, a recording that is fresh and likely unlike anything that you have heard before.

Trumpet player Derrick Gardener recently retired from his position at the University of Manitoba in order to move back to Chicago and focus on playing, but instead he found himself as the head of Jazz Studies at Northwestern University. In this episode of LINER NOTES Derrick explains how that happened as well as sharing some of the details about his life changing trip to Africa that transformed him as a person and gave birth to his latest record Pan Africa with the Jazz Prophets.

LINER NOTES beings season six with saxophonist and educator Steve Wilson. In this episode of LINER NOTES, Steve highlights his new quartet, The Analog Band, as well as an upcoming commissioning project with Billy Childs featuring Steve with wind symphony, two of the myriad projects that he juggles as one of today's most in demand leaders and sideman.

Vagabond is the latest release from guitarist Dominic Miller on ECM and features Jacob Karlzon on piano, Nicolas Fiszman on bass, and percussionist Ziv Ravitz. In this episode of LINER NOTES Dominic shares the story behind this music that was conceived during the lockdown and talks about how his own projects fit into the demands of his ongoing thirty-three year stint as Sting's guitarist.  

Vibraphonist Simon Moullier's new recording Isla reflects the raw landscape of the islands off the coast of Brittany that shaped him in his youth. In this episode of LINER NOTES Simon talks about his journey from France to New York as well as his transformation from drummer to vibraphonist.

Trombonist (and baritone saxophonist) Michael Dease uses his new record, The Other Shoe, as an opportunity to shine the light on those around him. It features the music of the composer Gregg Hill and a young band comprised of clarinetist Virginia MacDonald, pianist Luther Allison, bassist Liany Mateo, and Colleen Clark on drums and cymbals. In this episode of LINER NOTES I am joined by Michael and Gregg as Michael shares his thoughts about the motivation behind this project.

  In his early twenties, saxophonist Jim Snidero had surrounded himself with the music of the John Coltrane quartet and the Miles Davis quintet, however upon moving to New York City forty years ago and coming face to face with the tradition, he did an about face and dedicated himself to the pursuit of bebop. In the last decade he has used the foundation of the tradition do give breadth to more contemporary leanings. His new recording, Far Far Away featuring Kurt Rosenwinkle is the latest offering in this path.

After more that 30 years as an omnipresent side man on the NYC scene, trumpeter John Bailey decided it was time to step out as a leader so in 2018 he recorded his first record, In Real Time. This was followed in 2020 with Can You Imagine, and now, in 2023, he has released Time Bandits, with George Cables, Scott Colley, and Victor Lewis. In this episode of LINER NOTES John talks about his music and the patient path that led to his first recording as a leader.

In Shift Bad Hombre Vol. II drummer and composer Antonio Sanchez takes ownership of the pejoratvie remark made by the former president about Mexicans coming to the United States and hits back with a stunning musical counter-punch that features Dave Matthews, Trent Reznor, Pat Metheny, and many others. In this episode of LINER NOTES Antonio shares his feelings about the former presidents remarks and provides the listener with insight behind this innovative project.

On his new record Dedication drummer and composer Dan Weiss presents the listener with sonic portraits of musicians and family members that have figured prominently in his life. He acknowledges the seemingly disparate Elvin Jones and Burt Bacharach as well as honoring his daughter and late grandmother with affectionate tributes. Joining Weiss on the recording are the members of his long-standing piano trio, pianist Jacob Sacks and bassist Thomas Morgan.

After the GRAMMY winning album, Back to the Sunset, and his pandemic sextet project, Transparency, drummer and composer Dafnis Prieto was in search of something new. This journey brought him back to his roots and he again began to compose songs with lyrics as he did in his youth. Collaborating with  Brazilian vocalist Luciana Souza he has created his latest project, Cantar. I am joined in this episode with both Luciana and Dafnis as they talk about the genesis and future of this unique project.

Chicago based bassist and band leader Ethan Philion pays tribute to the iconic Charles Mingus with his new recording Meditations on Mingus on Sunnyside Records. In this episode of LINER NOTES Ethan discusses the care with which he approached the musical canon of the iconic Mingus while simultaneously endeavoring to highlight the social justice themes of the music which are as relevant today as they were fifty years ago when the music was composed. 

It was about five years ago that saxophonist David Binney relocated to California after establishing himself as a fixture on the NYC jazz scene. In this episode of LINER NOTES he shares some of his thoughts behind this move and extols the virtues of what he perceives to be a musically transformed Los Angeles that affords musicians like himself time and space for creativity.

Earlier this year, bassist Gerald Cannon brought a septet into Dizzy's that included a front line of Joe Lovano, Eddie Henderson, Sherman Irby, and Steve Turre, along with pianist Dave Kikokski and the legendary Lenny White. The music features the music of two of Gerald's former employers, Elvin Jones and McCoy Tyner and the performances were captured in an energetic live recording. In this episode of LINER NOTES Gerald reflects on lessons learned in his time playing with Jones and Tyner. We also talk about his other passion-painting.

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.

UK Pianist Kit Downes has released a new recording Vermillion, on ECM Records. In this episode of LINER NOTES Kit delves into how the pandemic and BLM affected the jazz scene in London, and how Brexit ultimately led him to elect to leave the UK.

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.