There is a new jazz record of note on the scene created by  Rin Seo, a Korea- born composer/conductor, titled ‘City Suite,’ released on the Cellar Music Group record label.  Rin was raised in a rich musical environment encompassing Western classical, Theater, and Korean folk music, but her work and life is now fully committed to jazz. This debut album is a remarkable musical journey for Rin. As an immigrant, her compositions reflect her decade-long life as a New Yorker, while also honoring her Korean heritage.   My fascinating conversation with Rin picks up with her moving to New York City and the development of her debut album. 

Brandon Sanders, has always cut his own unique path. Born in Kansas City but spending his formative years in Compton, Brandon grew up in a musical household. He also honed his love of Jazz at the Kansas City jazz club, Casablanca, run by his grandmother.  But first, college called. After playing basketball for a junior college near Los Angeles, he enrolled at the behest of his grandmother—actually, she did the enrolling for him—at the University of Kansas. While studying communications there, Brandon became a walk-on practice player for the top-seeded team in the country where quickly gained a reputation as a dogged defender.  After receiving his undergraduate degree in communications, and Master’s in social work at Kansas, Brandon dedicated himself to that field. But eventually his passion for music caught up with him. So, at age 25, he taught himself how to play drums, until a Kansas City drummer named Todd Strait, who used to play with Marian McPartland, took Brandon under his wing. And with  years of intense practice, Brandon attained such a high level of proficiency that he was accepted at Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music, where he formed friendships and musical associations with future jazz greats including Warren Wolf, trumpeter Darren Barrett, and drummer Kendrick Scott. He started playing in various bands at Boston clubs including Wally’s Jazz Cafe and the Wonder Bar, gaining experience that eventually led him New York. Now  living in Brooklyn, Brandon has a third album titled “Lasting Impression,” on the heels of two critically acclaimed releases “Brandon Sanders: The Tables Will Turn,” and his first titled, “Compton’s Finest.”  In this episode,  I talk with Brandon  about his remarkable career trajectory, and the forming of collaborations with a stellar list of jazz all-stars to create a path to his musical success.

Roger Glenn is truly one of the most interesting people in the world of music.  He is a multi-instrumentalist who has performed, recorded and toured with a Who’s  Who list of Jazz and Latin Jazz luminaries.   As our conversation came to a close, it became clear that we simply could not tell Roger’s story without making it in two parts. So, Part 1 was about Roger’s backstory. To call him multi-faceted and unique is an understatement.  Interestingly, before I started production of Part 2, we had the serendipitous privilege of spending time with Roger at Keys Jazz Bistro during a quick trip to San Francisco, and it brought our Part 1 episode full circle. Meeting  Roger in person proved to be everything I thought it would be. He was gracious, funny, a marvelous storyteller and thoroughly engaging - all the attributes I was delighted to experience when we recorded our interview via Zoom. Now, in  Part 2, we shift gears to talk about his latest release as a leader. The album, called ‘My Latin Heart,’ is out now on the Patois Records label.  The most remarkable thing about it, besides the incredible music, is the fact that for this 80-year-old musician it is only his second album as the front man in 49 + years.  

My guest  is Roger Glenn, who would have been the perfect spokesperson for a series of commercials titled the “Most Interesting Man in the World” -  in the world of music. Roger is a multi-instrumentalist who plays flute, vibes, marimba, saxophone, clarinet, percussion and more. He’s been described as being overshadowed but in plain sight for decades. In fact, the bio on his website says it best: “He is ingredient X. The secret sauce. The cat behind the cat. Now, after decades of elevating the music of bona fide legends in jazz, Latin jazz, blues, and funk, this versatile, singular multi-instrumental master is stepping out of the shadows and into the spotlight with his first new album in four decades.”  Roger is the son of the legendary jazz trombonist and vibes man Tyree Glenn. Roger is also a pilot, and sailing aficionado, who studied math and physics. And this interesting man, who has  just turned 80-years old, can still do it all. To celebrate his 80th birthday, Roger has released his second album as a leader in 49 years, on the Patois Records label, titled,  “My Latin Heart.” It’s a panoramic journey through his lifelong passion for Afro-Caribbean rhythms.  Because his amazing story is so all-encompassing, we feel compelled to tell it in two episodes. Here is Episode One. It’s where we take a deep dive into the backstory of his life and times, and how it led him to his breakout moment on the occasion of his 80th birthday. 

My conversation with vocalist and composer, Mandy Harvey, may be one of the most memorable we’ve done. Why? Because this incredibly talented woman with an exquisite voice has been profoundly deaf since the age of 18. We conducted the interview over Zoom with Mandy using a voice-to-text captioning program in order for her to see and reply to my questions. Her voice? Well, you’ll find out that it speaks for itself. And her story is one you’ll never forget.   Our episode begins  with a discussion about her musical life, followed by a journey through how she was able to transcend the hardships and challenges she faced to become a successful artist and motivational inspiration for others.

Sheila Jordan has been one of the most revered and utterly unique voices in jazz for decades. Beginning with her debut album, 1963’s ‘Portrait of Sheila,’ she pioneered a bebop-inflected approach to singing. We talked about this, and much more, in our 2021 All That’s Jazz episode.    With her recent passing, we decided to resurrect our conversation one more time so that you could hear the extraordinary stories she shared in her own words.

If Jim Caruso’s name sounds familiar, that’s not surprising. Jim is also host of the wildly popular “Cast Party” which has been a Manhattan mainstay for more than two decades at the iconic Birdland Jazz Club.   In 2011, this irrepressible, affable, and talented singer recorded and released an album titled, “The Swing Set,” which he calls a true labor of love. It’s  a smart and sophisticated romp through the Great American Songbook. In it, Jim was joined by special musical guests including the late guitar legend Bucky Pizzarelli, jazz violin sensation Aaron Weinstein, pianist and singer Billy Stritch, music phenom Michael Feinstein and Tony Award-winning Broadway leading lady Stephanie J. Block.   Fast forward to 2025 and this album has now been given a new life and has a new label behind it called Club 44 Records. The album has been remastered and re-released as the Swing Set-Deluxe Edition. As Caruso says about the recording..“But wait – there’s more, this Deluxe Edition comes with two surprise additions: a hilariously fun new track featuring my musical partner-in-crime Billy Stritch at the piano, and a fresh take on an old recording with the divine Jane Monheit.  While the album released in streaming and digital formats last spring,  it took us until now to nail him down for a conversation. So on that note, enjoy my conversation with the delightful man of the hour himself...Jim Caruso. 

Jazz Vocalist Andy James has just released her eighth studio album. It’s on Le Coq Records which is an independent label started by James and her husband Piero Pata, not only as a vehicle for releasing her music but also to work with acclaimed veteran jazz musicians including John Patitucci, Nate Smith, Terell Stafford, Alex Acuna, Rick Margitza, Chico Pinheiro, and many more.   This latest recording is a fusion of jazz and flamenco music called, “Happy People.” You might ask why the blend of jazz and flamenco?  Here’s where the story gets really interesting.  Born in  Melbourne, Australia, Andy heard both jazz and flamenco music at home. Her mother was a jazz vocalist and her father an aficionado of Flamenco music. At a young age, she fell in love with dancing, and particularly flamenco, but instructors were scarce in Australia. In order to pursue her passion, Andy moved to Spain to study flamenco and went on to become a world acclaimed flamenco dancer.  So, what influenced her to take a 180° career turn move to United States to become a jazz vocalist? That’s where we pick up the rest of this story in our conversation. 

When vocalist ANAÏS RENO burst onto the scene in 2021 with her debut album, ‘Lovesome Thing: Anaïs Reno Sings Ellington & Strayhorn,’ I had the distinct pleasure of featuring this young and talented  vocalist in Season 2-Episode 11. At the time,  listeners were delighted - and surprised - to learn that she had recorded it a year earlier when she was just 16 years old.  There have been a number of significant changes in the life of this noteworthy singer four years after releasing her debut recording. No doubt, people will be making even more comments about Anaïs’ ability to interpret song lyrics with emotional depth, enhanced musical maturity, and style after discovering more about her latest release. She has, once again, tackled the Great American Songbook with her newest album, LADY OF THE LAVENDER MIST, the inspiration which began while taking a train ride and listening to the music of Duke Ellington.

Our mission at All That’s Jazz is to elevate the voices of the people who create, produce, present and write about all Jazz idioms by helping them tell their backstories about  why they do what they do, and what got them to this moment.   One such person is a man named Eric Oberstein.  A young, highly educated,  New York born and raised saxophonist and drummer of Cuban American heritage, Eric has always been on a fast track to success. He has followed a path that’s taken him from being a musician to becoming a brilliant, internationally respected and trusted arts leader, and a two-time Grammy and two-time Latin Grammy winning producer, curator and educator.   Eric collaborated for multiple years with GRAMMY-winning bandleader, pianist, composer Arturo O'Farrill, as well as forming a collaboration since 2016, with Cuban-born, GRAMMY-winning bandleader and drummer, Dafnis Prieto, who he currently manages.  My conversation with this highly accomplished and interesting man begins with a discussion about the often misunderstood role of a music producer. We also explore his career that was serendipitously launched by a questionnaire in a performance program, and all the experiences leading up his new business,  Eric Oberstein Productions. 

This is the first definitive biography of the pioneering drummer and bandleader , Gene Krupa, who brought percussion from back to center stage, influencing generations of musicians from jazz to rock - and beyond. In this episode, I go behind the pages with author/historian Elizabeth J. Rosenthal, to discover what led her to write ‘The Master Of The Drums’ and unravel the complicated and tumultuous story of the man who was indisputably the most controversial, influential, and famous drummer of his time. 

In this episode, I sit down with pianist/vocalist Champian Fulton and saxophonist/clarinetist/composer Klas Lindquist to discuss their latest release, “At Home,” the concept for which began with an event held in a home owned by Turtle Bay Records founder Scott Asen, who suggested they actually record in in his living room.  Oklahoma native and New York based Champian Fulton is the daughter of trumpeter and flugel hornist Stephen Fulton. She began her career at the age of 10, performing for Jazz legend and family friend Clark Terry’s 75th Birthday Party. A Jazz pianist and vocalist for more than 20 years, Champian has now released 19 albums as a leader and has performed in more than 25 countries, both in concert and on TV. She has been recognized with numerous awards, including Album of the Year in the NYC Jazz Record (2018, 2020, 2023) and Pianist and Vocalist of the Year (2019) by Hot House Magazine, among other prestigious accolades. A world-renowned ambassador of Jazz excellence, alto saxophonist, clarinetist and composer, Klas Lindquist, was born  in Göteborg, Sweden.  Klas is considered one of Sweden’s most exciting Jazz musicians. He is the recipient of the “The Golden Sax” award, “The Alice Babs Award,” “The Stockholm Stads Kulturstipendium”, and the “Gavatin Foundation Prize for Jazz Music.” Recognized for his technical brilliance, imagination and style, Klas is in demand as a recording artist, and has appeared on over 40 albums as a featured soloist and five albums as a leader.  These two seasoned artists with impressive resumes are very fond of the duo format, which is what led them to develop their latest release. And this is where we start our conversation. 

This episode is about a story that needs to be heard. It’s the tale of an amazing individual and jazz artist named René Marie.  Her story has been portrayed in an award - winning short documentary by Rachel Kessler, a Brooklyn-based director, screenwriter, and producer with over a decade of experience deeply rooted in her artistic and creative beliefs.  The beauty and soul of René Marie has been captured in this film called, ‘Tuning René Marie’, that weaves you through the early life of this GRAMMY-nominated jazz vocalist. It premiered at the Oscar-qualifying Woodstock Film Festival in 2022 where it was nominated for Best Short Documentary;  it’s now available for all to see on the prestigious short film channel, Omeleto.  It’s an extraordinary story that we’re honored to share as we speak to both women about how it came to be, and the impact it’s had on them, and on everyone who’s seen it.

Fado is a powerful and poignant musical expression of the Portuguese soul, often associated with the hardships of everyday life and characterized by melancholy, expressive vocal performances with a strong emphasis on emotional, poetic storytelling. The unique sound of Fado is highlighted by the guitarra portuguesa, or Portuguese guitar - a pear-shaped cittern with 12 wire strings - and is usually accompanied by a wire-strung acoustic guitar. In many ways, its’ free-form style is reminiscent of early Blues and Jazz.  Intrigued by what we learned from our research, we sought out a specific Fado performance while visiting the city of Porto.  This turned out to be a serendipitous experience.  We were the only two audience members in what ended up being a private concert. This allowed us to dig deeper into the history and soul of this music deeply rooted in Portuguese tradition. The session featured the outstanding talents of noted Fado vocalist, Ana Margarida, and her two musicians, Artur on Portuguese guitar, and Antonio on classical acoustic guitar.  With apologies in advance for the less-than-perfect audio, we couldn’t pass up the chance to record this unexpected, once-in-a- lifetime session with a cell phone since we were without our professional audio equipment.  By sharing our experience, we hope to give you an insight into this extraordinary musical genre through our conversation recorded in the majestic Grand Salon of Porto City Hall. 

This is a  is the story of how New York-based pianist, composer, arranger and educator, Caili O'Doherty, developed and recently released an album called ‘Bluer Than Blue’ which honors the overlooked genius of Lillian “Lil” Hardin Armstrong. If that name is somewhat familiar to you, it’s because this highly talented artist and composer in her own right was married to none other than Louis Satchmo Armstrong. Lil was Armstrong’s second wife, and they collaborated on many recordings in the 1920s.   But it was actually Lil who wrote many famous, classic tunes of that early jazz era.  Caili discovered Lil’s prolific background while taking a course  from Ricky Riccardi, the Director of Research Collections for the Louis Armstrong Museum titled, “The Music of Louis Armstrong.” Not only did it whet Caili’s appetite to learn more about this unsung Jazz heroine, but also led  to assembling her core trio of Tamir Schmerling on bass, drummer Cory Cox ,and saxophonist Nicole Glover, along with special guest vocalists Tahria Clayton and Michael Mayo, to record Lil Hardin Armstrong’s music. My conversation  begins with Caili diving into even more about Lil’s  early career as she unravels for us details of this  little-known magical, musical history.

Israeli born jazz drummer, composer and bandleader, Dan Pugach, grew up not far from Tel Aviv. His Jazz education and service as a drummer in the IDF Air Force Band and attending Israel's Rimon School of Music led him to The US to attend the Berklee College of Music. Dan moved to New York City where he began building an impressive musical resume with his original music and arrangements. Along the way, he formed the Dan Pugach Nonet, and the Dan Pugach Big Band; both leading to award-winning recognition for his talents and musical collaborations.   The most notable collaboration in Dan’s life, however, came in 2009 when he met stunning singer/songwriter Nicole Zuraitis.  Nicole and Dan flourished individually - and together - collecting numerous awards, including several Grammy nominations.   Along the way, their partnership in the studio and on stage, became more permanent when they married in 2018. Nicole went on to win her first Grammy award for her 2023 vocal album “How Love Begins,” which was co-produced by jazz giant Christian McBride and featured her drummer-husband.  Not to be outdone, Dan took to the stage for his first Grammy win this year with his Big Band as winner of the 2024 award for  Best Large Jazz Ensemble album titled “Bianca Reimagined.”  And, you guessed it, the album also features the love of his life, his wife Nicole. The album was inspired by their pit bull rescue dog named Bianca, and 15 years of dedicated efforts by this couple to rescue and rehabilitate pit bulls from shelters in New York City.  It’s a fascinating and unique backstory, highlighted by cuts from the Grammy-winning album, we know you’ll enjoy. 

Ryan Middagh is not only a composer, arranger, baritone saxophonist and educator, as Chair of the Department of Jazz and Global Music at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music, he has delivered all that, and more, in his latest release called “Tenor Madness.” This album is a love letter to both the saxophone itself, and the abundance of saxophonists found in the vibrant and growing Nashville music scene.  To bring the music to this release, Ryan gathered together an amazing group of his talented friends and saxophone colleagues like Jeff Coffin, Joel Frahm, Don Aliquo, Jovan Quallo, Alex Graham, vocalist Jenna McLean, trombonists Jeremy Wilson, and special guest Roy Agee, as well as members the Ryan Middagh Jazz Orchestra.   Join me for a conversation about the development of this stunning album, “Tenor Madness,” and the man behind the music.  If you’re  like me, a fan of big band music and have a keen interest in the sound of the saxophone as a stand-out instrument to deliver that dynamic genre of music, then you are in for a treat with this episode.

Pittsburgh has a strong connection to the world of jazz; in fact, you might say it is sacred ground for this music genre. Many of the legends of jazz - like Billy Eckstine, Billy Taylor, Ray Brown, George Benson, Stanley Turrentine, Mary Lou Williams, Ahmad Jamal, Art Blakey and dozens more - are from this Pennsylvania “burg.”   In this episode, we talk with co-founder and executive producer of MCG Jazz, Marty Ashby, about how MCG Jazz grew out of the organization founded in the 1960’s by Bill Strickland as Manchester Craftsman Guild. What started as Strickland’s dream to serve and give back to the community, has since grown into a powerhouse program.  As a Craftsman Guild, MCG initially provided a space to develop ceramics, photography and digital design education for urban youth. In the late 80’s, Strickland joined forces with jazz guitarist Ashby. Together as co-founders, they started MCG Jazz, where Ashby also continues to grow this legacy program as its executive producer.  Our conversation begins with Marty Ashby telling me about the backstory to this incredible organization, its history, present projects and their vision for the future of keeping Jazz alive for generations to come

Jazz Manouche is a style of music that mixes jazz with traditional French dance music and Romani, also known as Gypsy music. Django Reinhardt is considered to be the pioneer of jazz manouche in the 1930s. Django is, in fact, one of the most influential guitarists of all time. His music and recordings are classics and they have touched the hearts and minds of others for decades. One such artist moved by this legendary figure is vocalist Tatiana Eva Marie.  Tatiana’s latest project, a celebration of the music of Django Reinhardt called “Djangology,” sprang from a desire to reconnect with her Romani (Gypsy) origins.  Born into a family of musicians, painters, and poets, Tatiana was immersed in a world of show business, arts, and culture. Moved by the music she grew up with, her Gypsy soul carried her on a musical journey that took Tatiana from her birthplace of Switzerland to a bohemian lifestyle at the young age of 15 when she entered college in Paris. From there, Tatiana continued to travel across the globe, eventually winding up in New York City where she continues to develop new projects when she’s not traveling.  Join me in exploring the colorful and fascinating story of this artist who the New York Times calls,  “The Gypsy jazz warbler.” 

Band of Other Brothers is a stellar, multi genre supergroup whose members boast incredible associations with a Who’s Who of A-listers. There's pianist Jeff Babko (Jimmy Kimmel Live, Sheryl Crow), saxophonist and woodwind wizard Jeff Coffin (Dave Matthews Band, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones), drummer Keith Carlock (Steely Dan, John Mayer), guitarist Nir Felder (Esperanza Spalding, Jack DeJohnette), and bassist, vocalist Will Lee (Late Show with David Letterman, The Brecker Brothers).   While they’ve joined forces before, this is their first holiday release.  It’s called “This Year At Christmas” on Ear Up records, and offers Christmas standards delivered in a unique, and even unconventional manner, by this all-star group of multi Grammy®️ winning musicians. The album also features two very special guest vocalists, as well as Keith Carlock’s own Carlock Family Choir, all highlighted by an amazing string ensemble that offers the perfect complement the joubilant selection of tunes.   My guests for this fun and more than occasionally frenetic conversation are Jeff Babko, Jeff Coffin, Nir Felder and Will Lee. Drummer Keith Carlock was tending to the reindeer and sadly couldn’t join in the Christmas chaos.  Join me for a whimsical journey through the backstory behind this one-of-a-kind holiday release.