Improv Exchange Podcast

Episode #48: Nadje Noordhuis

Described as "one of the most compelling voices to emerge on her instrument in recent years", Australian-born-based trumpeter/composer Nadje Noordhuis possesses one of the most unforgettably lyrical voices in modern music. Her deeply-felt, clarion tone and evocative compositional gift meld classical rigor, jazz expression, and world music accents into a sound that is distinctively her own. Noordhuis was one of ten semi-finalists in the 2007 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Trumpet Competition and was selected as a Carnegie Hall Young Artist in 2012. Based in New York since 2003, she is a member of the multiple Grammy-winning Maria Schneider Orchestra, Grammy-nominated Darcy James Argue's Secret Society, and the Grammy-nominated Anat Cohen Tentet. In this episode, Nadje shares her background, education, and musical journey.

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Episode #47: Amanda Monaco

Guitarist/composer Amanda Monaco has performed at venues such as Jazz at Lincoln Center, Birdland, Jazz Standard, and Flushing Town Hall, and with artists such as Milt Hinton, Steve Wilson, Rufus Reid, and the Mingus Orchestra. She has released eight albums to date and her current jazz projects include her eclectic quartet Deathblow, rambunctious organ quartet Glitter, an all-female jazz sextet Lioness. Her New Music ensemble The Pirkei Avot Project performs her original music with lyrics from selected verses (from a collection of rabbinical teachings with the same name) compiled in the third century C.E. An educator since 1990, Amanda is an Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music where she teaches private instruction, labs, and guitar ensembles. In this episode, Amanda shares her background, education, and musical journey.

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Episode #46: Jihee Heo

Born in Incheon, South Korea, Jihee Heo is a New York-based jazz pianist, composer and keyboardist. Heo holds a Master of Music degree (Jazz Piano Performance) from Manhattan School of Music (2013), and a Bachelor’s Degree (Jazz Piano Performance) from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam (2008). Heo has performed at acclaimed festivals and venues such as The Washington D.C. Jazz Festival, O+ Festival, Leverkusen Jazz Festival, The International African Arts Festival, The Jersey Shore Festival, Bergen Pac, Harlem Stage, National Sawdust, The Bitter End, Arthur’s Tavern, Rockwood Music Hall, Nublu, Cornelia Street Cafe and Brooklyn Bowls, among others. In this episode, Heo shares her background, education, and musical journey.

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Episode #45: Terri Lyne Carrington

Multiple Grammy Award–winning drummer, producer, and educator Terri Lyne Carrington has recorded and toured with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Stan Getz, Dianne Reeves, David Sanborn, John Scofield, Diana Krall, Yellowjackets, Cassandra Wilson, Kassa Overall, and countless other jazz luminaries. Carrington made history as the first woman to win a Grammy Award in the Best Jazz Instrumental Album category for Money Jungle: Provocative In Blue, a reimagining of the Duke Ellington classic. Her collaborations with Esperanza Spalding and Geri Allen, as well as her female-driven Mosaic Project recordings, have received critical acclaim. She is Zildjian Chair in Performance at Berklee College of Music and received an honorary doctorate from the college in 2003 as well as a bachelor's degree in 1983. She also serves as artistic director for the Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival and Berklee's Summer Sessions: Women’s Performance Program, and is co-artistic director of the Carr Center in Detroit, Michigan. Carrington is also going for her fourth Grammy after receiving her fifth nomination for her Album "Waiting Game". In this episode, Carrington shares her background, education, and musical journey. 

 

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Episode #44: Jonathan Barber

International Recorded artist, composer, educator, and bandleader Jonathan Barber was voted the #1 Up-and-Coming Drummer of 2018 in Modern Drummer. Barber has already recorded and toured worldwide with such artists as Pat Metheny, Erykah Badu, Nicholas Payton, Buster Williams, Jimmy Greene, Jeremy Pelt, Wallace Roney, Terrace Martin, Jennifer Holiday, Harold Mabern, Steve Davis, J.D. Allen, The Brooklyn Philharmonic and many more. In addition to his first-call status as a sideman, Barber has recently stepped forth as a composer and leader with his Vision Ahead band. Even with Barber’s history of high-profile gigs and recordings taken into consideration, DownBeat magazine gave his latest album “Legacy Holder” 4.5 stars. Jonathan Barber & Vision Ahead is a powerful declaration of intent for a band that’s been making waves on the modern jazz scene. Barber’s blend of classic, swinging jazz with elements of gospel, rock, soul, and fusion is a compelling showcase of Barber’s broad stylistic range as a drummer, performer, and composer. Jonathan Barber & Vision Ahead was featured and headline the 2018 Rainy Days Jazz Festival held in St. Petersburg and Moscow, Russia, 2019 Hartford Jazz Festival, and 2020 Clifford Brown Jazz Festival. In this episode, Jonathan shares his background, education, and musical journey. 

 

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Episode #43: Andrew McGowan

Andrew McGowan is a New Orleans born pianist who played with renowned artists such as Jason Marsalis, Joe Dyson, and Sasha Masakowski in New Orleans as well as bands such as The Stooges Brass Band and The Session at venues such as Snug Harbor, The Jazz and Heritage Festival, and also many international clubs and festivals such as the Edinburgh Jazz festival and South by Southwest. After moving to NYC in 2016, Andrew played at major jazz clubs in NYC such as Blue Note, Minton’s, Dizzy’s, Smalls, and Fat Cat.

Andrew's most recent releases are "MicroCosmos" with MicroCorgi, and "Collusion" with The Session. He also produces a cooking and music YouTube show called "Cooking with the Woodsiders".

 

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Episode #42: Eric Reed

Through more than a quarter-century as a first-caller on the jazz scene, Eric Reed has articulated this inclusive conception as a leader of numerous ensembles, solo performer, composer, producer, educator, and sideman with numerous artists, including extended stints with Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Buster Williams, and Wynton Marsalis. Whatever the context, whatever the style, he consistently animates the flow with fresh ideas, virtuosic chops, intellectual clarity, and an unwavering will to groove. In this episode, Eric shares his background, education, and musical journey.

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Episode #41: Art Hirahara

Art Hirahara is a jazz keyboardist and composer based in New York, NY. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Art moved to New York in 2003 to be challenged by its pool of world-class musicians. Here he has honed his craft, performing in a wide range of musical situations ranging from straight-ahead standards to time cycle-based progressive jazz to working with singer/songwriters. From the traditional to the avant-garde, Art has found a sound of his own that cuts across genres and boundaries. Art has had the privilege to perform with Don Braden, Stacey Kent, Freddy Cole, Akira Tana, Rufus Reid, Dave Douglas, Vincent Herring, Royal Hartigan, and many others. He has performed around the world in Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, the Middle East, and extensively around the United States. As a bandleader, he has released five recordings on Posi-Tone Records, working with well-known musicians including Donny McCaslin, Melissa Aldana, Linda May Han Oh, Joe Martin, and Rudy Royston. In this episode, Art shares his background, education, and musical journey.

 

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Episode #40: Nathan East

Nathan East is one of the most in-demand bassists of all time. A founding member of the chart-topping contemporary jazz group Fourplay, Nathan was 16 years old when he got his first break and found himself on the road with Barry White. The next time the phone rang, Quincy Jones was on the line. The calls kept coming and for the last forty years, Nath has been churning out hit songs with artists as legendary as Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Michael Jackson, Phil Collins, Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, Barbra Streisand, and Stevie Wonder. In this episode, Nathan shares his background, education, and musical journey.

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Episode #39: James Hudson

London-based jazz vocalist James Hudson has all of the unique qualities that epitomize the 21st-century crooner. An assured and charming performer, his natural affinity with an audience is complemented by effortless vocals, tasteful phrasing, and interpretive prowess.

James’s debut album 'TOMORROW', set for release in February 2021, will be the biggest milestone of his career so far. Over a year in the making, the album features James and his band performing brand-new interpretations of classics from The Great American Songbook. Greatly influenced by Nat King Cole, Mel Torme, Oscar Peterson, Sarah Vaughan and Tony Bennett, James is fuelled by a desire to play his part in keeping jazz standards alive. In this episode, James shares his background, education, and musical journey.

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