Category: Interviews

Interviews with artists and other interesting people

5049 Records Podcast Episode 173 – Sandy Ewen 

Source: 5049 Records.

Brooklyn based and Houston raised, Sandy Ewen has been incredibly active for the past several years as an improviser with an idiosyncratic approach to the guitar that is all her own. She’s worked closely with Maria Chavez, Weasel Walter, Damon Smith and Tom Carter. Her language for guitar is incredibly evocative and tactile. She is a wonderful addition to the New York scene as well as a delightful person to spend an afternoon with, talking about a broad range of topics.

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A Conversation with Nate Wooley on Solo Improvisation

Source: NewMusicBox.

As a listener, I’ve long found myself seeking musical experiences that generate a kind of sustained ecstatic energy from a foundation of rigorous thought and technique. Gaining access to that plane as a solo improviser is a particularly challenging task. It takes a special type of artist who engages deeply with the details of sound, upending instrumental conventions while setting boundaries and reference points (as if to say, “Here is a trumpet, unadorned—let’s see what I can do with it.”) and who is able to transfer an emotional experience through the instrument to the listener. Part of what makes trumpeter/composer/writer Nate Wooley such an extraordinary musician is his ability to achieve all of those things in performance. He is a true sonic explorer who has redefined the capabilities of his instrument while making profound spiritual connections with his listeners.

Nate’s music and relationship to his instrument has been a huge inspiration to me as a violinist. Nate wrote an eloquent introduction to the liner notes of my debut solo violin album, Engage (New Focus Recordings – August 3, 2018), and graciously agreed to have a conversation with me about solo improvisation for NewMusicBox. I’m very grateful to Nate for taking the time to offer his take on some thoughts I’ve had since recording the solo improvised material on Engage, and to share a veritable masterclass on improvisation as part of my series of posts.

Interview with Stephen O’Malley

Source: The Creative Independent.

Stephen O’Malley is a guitarist, producer, composer, and designer based in Paris, France. He’s played in a number of doom, drone, and experimental bands, and is best known for his work with Greg Anderson as Sunn O))). He’s collaborated with a number of musicians, including Merzbow, Scott Walker, Alvin Lucier, Iancu Dumitrescu, Keiji Haino, Johann Johannsson, and Attila Csihar, as well as visual artists, including Banks Violette, the theatre director Gisèle Vienne, and the performance artist Nico Vascellari.

Nicole Mitchell Interviewed

Source: burning ambulance.

Episode 23 of the Burning Ambulance podcast features an interview with flutist and composer Nicole Mitchell. Mitchell is originally from Syracuse, New York, but she grew up in California and eventually went to college in the Midwest, where she became an important figure on the Chicago jazz scene. In fact, she eventually became the first female president of the AACM there. Her primary group is called the Black Earth Ensemble, which has a fluctuating membership but Tomeka Reid is one of the core members—Tomeka was featured on episode 7 of this podcast, back in January, and spoke about working with Nicole and how important it was to her development as an artist, so we’re getting the other side of the story in this episode.

Interview with Scottie McNiece of International Anthem 

Source: Jazz Right Now.

Co-founder, Scottie McNiece quickly replied to my interest in speaking with him and invited me to his office where McNiece and his business partner David Allen operated in a tucked away corner of the upstairs space of the Co-Prosperity Square, where his cluttered desk and impressive catalog of his artists’ music sat contently crammed on wooden shelves. McNiece knew where every album was like the back of his hand.

Nels Cline Interview

Source: wisconsingazette.com.

For his latest musical endeavor, Nels Cline 4, Cline has once again partnered up with longtime collaborator Julian Lage, a child prodigy guitar player who started turning heads at only eight years old in 1995. Rounding out the quartet in the rhythm section is bassist Scott Colley and drummer Tom Rainey. The Nels Cline 4 released its debut album Currents, Constellations earlier this year and despite the members’ busy schedules, have found time to hit the road and perform some live versions of the tracks. As is customary with many jazz performances, the Nels Cline 4 live show is likely to contain a healthy amount of improvisation, taking the versions that fans have been listening to on the record and turning them upside down.