Improv Exchange Podcast

Episode #58: Steven Feifke

Feifke is an internationally recognized arranger and orchestrator and has written commissioned works for notables like the Manhattan School of Music Jazz Orchestra featuring Sean Jones and John Faddis, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra with Ken Peplowski, the Malmo Big Band with Katie Thiroux, and the New Generation Festival with Orchestra Senzaspine and Dominick Farinacci. He is the recipient of the 2020 David Baker Prize in composition from the Ravinia Festival and serves as musical director for the Tony Award Winning actor and singer Santino Fontana. In this episode, Steven shares his background, education, and musical journey.

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Episode #57: Nicolas Stocker

Nicolas Stocker is a core member of the celebrated ritual groove music ensemble Nik Bärtsch's Mobile since 2015. His extensive sideman work includes collaborations with Ricardo Villalobos, Maarja Nuut, Areni Agbabian, Witch’n’Monk, and many more - «...the music is really enhanced by Stocker's outstanding work on drums. In addition to numerous album productions, he has recorded drums for several movie soundtracks and worked with GRAMMY-Award-winning producers Manfred Eicher and David Odlum. He is featured on the ECM Records releases Continuum by Nik Bärtsch's Mobile, Bloom by Areni Agbabian, as well as on John Zorn’s Tzadik Records release Witch’n’Monk, which won the prestigious Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik. Both Bloom and Witch’n’Monk have been named Contemporary Album Of The Month by The Guardian. In this episode, Nicolas shares his background, education, and musical journey.

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Episode #56: Mark Kavuma

Born and partly raised in Uganda, Mark Kavuma is a prominent young Trumpet player on the British jazz scene. Leading his own Quartet, the 'Floor Rippers' house band, and his main outfit 'The Banger Factory'. As well as, playing with Jean Toussaint's Young Lions, Jazz Jamaica, Nu Civilisation Orchestra and also one of the brass leaders at London based carnival band Kinetika Bloco. 

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Episode #55: Dani Rabin

Dani Rabin is a member of MARBIN, with fellow bandmate Danny Markovitch. MARBIN is a progressive jazz-rock band based in Chicago, IL, with a unique story that stands out in today's music world. With a do-it-yourself approach, Marbin started touring extensively in 2011, bringing their original instrumental music to every part of the United States. Through word of mouth, Marbin has gained hundreds of thousands of devoted fans all over the world and has sold tens of thousands of albums. Check out his Latest release Fernweh.

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Episode #54: Irwin Hall

Irwin Hall got his start at the age of 9 when he won a lottery in school and was gifted an alto saxophone. By the age of 11, he was on stage performing professionally and began winning state and national competitions. Irwin attended Princeton University on a full ride to study East Asian philosophy. He learned Japanese and after graduating began work at a major Japanese newspaper in Tokyo. As fate would have it, he ran into songstress Melody Gardot backstage at the Tokyo Jazz Festival who heard him play and immediately hired him to tour with her band. He quit his job and went on back-to-back international tours as her featured soloist. Soon after he caught the ear of 3x Grammy/Tony Award winning NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater and joined her working band, honing his skills under the master vocalist on saxophone, flute, and bass clarinet. His woodwind work is featured on the two Grammy-nominated albums: Star People Nation by trumpeter Theo Croker and Currency of Man by Melody Gardot. He has toured extensively with Grammy-nominated vocalist Jazzmeia Horn and bass virtuoso Charnett Moffett, among many others. Irwin now leads his own band - Irwin Hall Organ Trio (#IHOT) - and continues to perform in cities around the world. In this episode, Irwin shares his background, education, and musical journey.

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Episode #53: Ulysses Owens Jr

One of the most sought-after drummers of his generation, Ulysses Owens Jr sets the mark. From GRAMMY award-winning performances with Christian McBride’s acclaimed Trio and Big Band to world tours with Kurt Elling and Joey Alexander, Owens’s artistic command of percussion has earned him positions in some of the most successful jazz ensembles of the 21st century. Owens’s reverence for tradition distinctly manifests in his straight-away playing style, but it is the versatility of his talent— his unique ability to manipulate texture and create penetrating musical shapes— that attracts the attention of jazz’s heavy hitters. His performance catalog includes collaborations with Nicholas Payton, Wynton Marsalis, Monty Alexander, Dianne Schurr, Renee Fleming, and Mulgrew Miller, just to name a few. In this episode, Ulysses shares his background, education, and musical journey.

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Episode #52: Isobella Burnham

Isobella Burnham is a vibrant Bassist, Vocalist and Composer from England. Growing up in Barbados she soaked up the rich musical culture around her and studied Jazz at the Barbados Community College. Since moving back to London, Isobella has played and toured around Europe, Africa and Asia with Connie Constance, Steamdown, Tom Misch, Sampa The Great and Poppy Ajudha. The Boss/Roland, Rotosound artist is featured on Blue Note’s Reimagined Album performing bass and vocals for Steamdown. Her Debut EP Dancin’ Garuda set to be released on 21 st May 2021. In this episode, Isobella shares her background, education, and musical journey.

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Episode #51: Christophe Schwizer

Returning to Improv Exchange, Christophe Schweizer talks about his latest project PLENITUDE by Brazilian trombone legend Raul de Souza.

Christophe Schweizer is considered one of the most innovative and creative musicians on the European Jazz scene, both with respect to his abilities and versatility on the trombone and other low brass instruments (also as an interpreter of classical and new music), as well as especially to his work as a composer, arranger, and bandleader.

Born in Switzerland and nowadays residing in Hamburg, Germany, he lived in New York for seven years starting in the mid-nineties. During this period, he worked with the George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band for three years, and occasionally with the orchestras of Maria Schneider and Sue Mingus, playing two European tours with the latter. In this episode, Christophe shares his background, education, and musical journey.

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Episode #50: Lynne Arriale

Lynne Arriale is an active educator and adjudicator. She has conducted master classes and clinics internationally throughout the US, UK, Europe, Canada, Brazil, and South Africa. She adjudicated the Chamber Music America’s New Jazz Works, the Montreux Jazz Competition, American Pianists Association Fellowship Awards, The Kennedy Center’s Mary Lou Williams Competition, The American Jazz Pianist Competition, and the Jacksonville Piano Competition. She was a featured mentor at The Mary Lou Williams Emerging Artist Workshop at the Kennedy Center. 

Lynne is a Yamaha Artist and is currently a Professor of Jazz Studies and Director of Small Ensembles at The University of North Florida in Jacksonville. In 2018, she was awarded the UNF Presidential Leader Award and was runner-up for the 2020 UNF Faculty Association Distinguished Professor Award. In this episode, Lynne shares her background, education, and musical journey.

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Episode #49: Diego Rivera

A world-class musician, composer, arranger, and educator, Diego Rivera has entertained audiences for over 20 years. Rivera is known for his muscular tone and unique blend of straight-ahead mainstream jazz fused with music inspired by his Latino background and heritage. He is a tenured Associate Professor of Jazz Saxophone at Michigan State University where he also serves as Associate Director of Jazz Studies. 

Rivera was born in Ann Arbor, MI, and raised ‘just up the road’ in East Lansing, MI. Born into a Mexican-American family, his Chicano heritage has always been important to him and shaped his creative endeavors. His parents named him after the famed muralist, Diego Rivera. A trip to the Detroit Institute of Arts at a young age inspired him to make his own mark with the Saxophone rather than the brush. He attended Michigan State University where he studied with Andrew Speight, Branford Marsalis, Ron Blake, and Rodney Whitaker. In this episode, Diego shares his background, education, and musical journey.

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