HomeInterviews
Interviews with the most important or interesting musicians of the moment.
Interviews
Wadada Leo Smith “Defiant Life”
Smith’s musical biography should be studied by new generations not because it follows the usual arc of humble beginnings, entrance into the mainstream, and the affirmation of an artistic identity, but because it charts the development of a deeply original system. His work binds together the spiritual, timeless dimension and the reality of historical and civil engagement as a logical continuum. Within this continuum, music becomes paradoxically both an epiphenomenon and the nucleus of his entire system. The best conversations about Smith have been with Frank J. Oteri, recipient of an ASCAP award and author of the 2011 documentary Decoding Ankhrasmation, created for Smith’s 70th birthday. Smith is now celebrating his 84th, defying all odds. This golden opportunity to speak with him coincides with the release of Defiant Life (ECM), recorded in duo with Vijay Iyer over several days in July 2024 at RSI’s Auditorium studio in Lugano under the […]
This is premium content!
Subscribe! If you have already subscribed, log in with your username and password!
Emma-Jean Thackray: Weirdo
Why did you choose Weirdo as the title of your album? Can you tell us how the idea for this record came about?
Originally,...
Artemis “Arboresque”: Renée Rosnes Speaks
Let's go back to 1964, when two Australian biologists published a scientific paper in Nature discussing the phenomenon of the smell of rain, coining...
Thirty Years Later: Remembering Luca Flores
Thirty Years Later: Remembering Luca Flores. What remains today of the music and teachings of the pianist who passed away in 1995? We asked three colleagues who knew him well: Fabbri, Di Puccio, and Maccianti.
- Advertisement -
Emiliano D’Auria “The Baggage Room”
Emiliano D'Auria "The Baggage Room". The release of a new album is the opportunity to catch up with one of Italy’s most intriguing pianists
Yuval Cohen “Winter Poems”
Yuval Cohen "Winter Poems". At 51, the third Cohen sibling makes his ECM debut with a strikingly refined album.
Interview with Orrin Evans
Interview with Orrin Evans. A deep dive into Evans' musical vision, BAM activism, and the legacy of the Captain Black Big Band
Branford Marsalis “Belonging”
Brandford Marsalis "Belonging". The saxophonist makes his debut on Blue Note with a reinterpretation of Keith Jarrett’s landmark 1974 album
- Advertisement -
Jay Leonhart talks about himself to Musica Jazz
Without knowing it, you probably have a house full of records featuring Jay Leonhart, one of the most recorded double bass players in the history of jazz—as well as pop, rock, R&B, and more. Here is his adventurous story.
Nels Cline: Consentrik Quartet
One of the great masters of the contemporary guitar returns with a new band and a new album: a musician who defies classification and thrives on boundless intellectual curiosity.