With the Joe Policastro Trio, everything is on the table: eccentric repertoire, unique orchestration, and an approach that veers from the center to the frontier. Among the elements that are not up…

Javier Red’s Imagery Converter is a device that transforms ideas about music from the Jazz tradition and contemporary composers into an organic sonic ecosystem. Oh, and they’re also a band of…

I interrupted the breakfast of Luke Leavitt, Ari Smith, and Tim Russell — the band Laminal Animil— to chat about their improvising, experimental trio and the way they purposefully subvert language,…

At one time legendary saxophonist Chico Freeman was himself a young lion on the scene breathing the life of a new generation into this music. Now the internationally renowned artist and statesman is…

Mr. Chair opens a new chapter with the release of “Better Days,” an album full of optimism, joy, and, of course–as Mark Hetzler puts it “lots of notes.” Mark joins me on this episode to talk about…

The Esthesis Quartet took the adversity of a global pandemic head on by supporting each other's need to stay creative and focused. These adventurous musician-composers–with deep roots in the…

Amina Figarova looks to a brighter future full of positive vibes with her new album ‘Joy’. Also, surrounding herself with the kind of extraordinary players who will be joining her on this tour, opens…

Larry Ochs makes up one-quarter of the world renowned ROVA Saxophone Quartet (he’s the “O” in the name) which formed in San Francisco during the mid-1970s. Drawing inspiration from a spectrum of…

Aaron Stroessner chased his rock’n’roll dreams to New York City in the 1990s where he spent a decade performing with his band ‘Dead Left’ and working behind the scenes at the Knitting Factory. Fast…

Even with an unrivaled and prestigious body of work behind him, steel pan maestro Andy Narell continues to strive to improve, explore, reinvent, and push the boundaries of what the steel pan can do.…

The band Lovely Socialite celebrates their latest album “The Drift” to be released on the ten-year anniversary of their first record, 2012’s “Registers Her Delight.” Unfolding into its second decade,…

The duo of tenor saxophone and drums is a classic free improv pairing, but the music and sounds each group makes are guaranteed to go in an infinite number of singular directions. That will certainly…

After a few years cultivating his craft in Michigan and Philadelphia, Michael Hudson-Casanova has established himself in Chicago with a new trio featuring Erik Skov on guitar, and Gustavo Coriñas on…

Andy Milne’s outstanding career spans a wide breadth from collaborating among the elite of North American creative music, to being an accomplished film scorer and educator. I originally spoke with…

I spoke with the other members of the Jackson-Heinemann-Shead trio, Keefe Jackson and Adam Shead recently for other projects, so I thought I’d give bassist Jakob Heinemann his due on this program. A…

Josh Smith, Jeremy Bleich, and Joe Tomino came together as the band Birth in Cleveland in 1998 with a shared mission that launched them into a world of meaningful and rewarding musical experiences.…

Pianist Paul Hecht—who divides his time between Chicago and Eau Claire—joins me to talk about an exciting new chapter in his musical life, his delight in exploring some new music with accomplished…

It would be a challenge to run an 18-piece jazz ensemble that plays non-traditional big band music anywhere, but the fact that Paul Dietrich does it in Wisconsin, and attracts the caliber of…

Jeff Kimmel, Ishmael Ali, and Bill Harris commandeered an air b’n’b in the wilds of Michigan during the height of the pandemic in 2020 to record their latest release “Vivary.” The record is an…

Darren Johnston’s pandemic routine included lots of practicing the trumpet and composing . As things opened up he recorded three sessions of his music with different groups in New York and Chicago.…

Ballister is a trio of muscular disquisitive improvisors, whose palette is equal parts bombast, and subtle nuance. After thirteen years together and ten album releases, including this year’s…

When Ken Vandermark was last here with (air quotes) Laul Pytton, in March of 2020, although he didn’t know it he was days away from a canceled tour and an 18 month hiatus from the road. He returns…

Craig Taborn is one of the most brilliant and creative piano and keyboard artists working today. Someone who ordinarily prefers to let the music speak for itself, he was generous enough to join me on…

Ted Piltzecker has a long history of traveling the world, spreading his lyrical approach to playing the vibraphone. He often collaborates with fine local players, and for this performance he has…

The new album “Concentric Orbits” from Trans-Atlantic improvisers Quin Kirchner and Rob Clearfield was recorded during the sessions for Quin’s 2020 release “The Shadows and The Light.” Madison is…

Whether he’s speaking in a whisper or a roar, Dave King’s voice is distinctive and recognizable. Indeed, along with a very select few others, he has redefined the role of drummer for his generation…

Cody Steinmann is on an earnest quest to realize the sound that fulfills his vision and the direction he wants to take his music. He’s also open about the life struggles early on that formed him as a…

Tim Whalen left Madison over a decade ago for Washington DC and the US Army band, but his legacy lives on here in the New Breed Jazz Jam, and Phat Phunktion—musical institutions formed with…

Russ Johnson returned to Wisconsin to take a teaching position in 2011 after thriving on the New York scene for nearly a quarter century. The quality of his work from his New York days through his…

The Montauk Project [più mosso] is a gathering of improvising musicians and dancers from the Western Milwaukee suburbs, the Fox Valley, and Madison itself. A group that expands and contracts to fit…

Today we’re talking to a multi-generational collective quartet of Chicago improvisers: a nameless band in the tradition of nameless bands—more on that later. The members of this group span a spectrum…

Guitarist, arranger, ethnomusicologist Mike Allemana traces much of his inspiration back to the influence of Von Freeman, and his nights at the fabled Apartment Lounge where he engaged with both the…

The Bridge is an exchange of music and culture between France and Chicago that began in 2012. Each edition includes a new batch of improvisors who join forces over an extended period of time,…

Bay Stater Tony Barba has hung his hat in Madison for almost a decade now, and built a solid musical career over that time. He’s as serious about work/life balance as he is about writing and…

If there is a fundamental theme to Rodrigo Villanueva’s career in music, perhaps it is in cycles of ambition, struggle, and success. From his beginnings as a successful young drummer in Mexico,…

On this episode we’re talking to Thomas Ferrella and David Stone who founded the non-profit, volunteer-led BlueStem Jazz in 2019, although their history of booking creative, improvised music goes…

With Arun Luthra multiculturalism is a fundamental tenet of his artistic expression, but it also informs his ethos as a person. Raised in a family about as international as they come, it’s second…

Zacc Harris puts all of the pieces together to build a celebrated career as a musician, composer, educator, and record label honcho. This year the Zacc Harris Group’s fall outing brings this sextet…

Tim Daisy is an acclaimed improviser, composer, and performer who has been working in the experimental, Jazz, improvised, and composed music realms for decades as a solo artist, and in collaboration…

Justin Dillard propels the Hammond Organ into the 21st century with his trio, and as a sought-after sideman. Building on the legacies of the legends who came before him, including the recently…

Matt Ulery, ubiquitous Chicago bassist and composer, brings his Delicate Charms quintet to Madison's North Street Cabaret on October 15th. This first-call sideman on so many of Chicago's coolest gigs…

It’s hard to frame the Jazz or classical scene in Wisconsin or the Upper Midwest over the last 30 years without considering the contributions of Dave Cooper. He has been an Associate Professor of…

Drummer Jeremy Cunningham’s recent work draws on trauma and grief to inspire some compelling music -- recorded as a tribute to his brother who was murdered in 2008. His music draws Chicago peers into…

Guitarist Charlie Ballantine is no stranger to ambitious projects having released an album of his own renditions of the music of Bob Dylan, and now a double LP of the music of Thelonious Monk. He's…

Bassist Ethan Philion takes a respectful, well-researched approach to the music of Charles Mingus. This busy Chicago freelancer, with degrees from Oberlin and DePaul -- and a long list of other…

Guitarist/Composer Jeff Swanson joins me to talk about his group Case-fitter in advance of their first gig in umpteen months -- upcoming on the Garver Patio. This sextet of accomplished Chicago-based…

Along with drummer Quin Kirchner, Chicago's Hanging Hearts consists of Cole DeGenova and Chris Weller, two Oak Park high school chums who went on to formulate their musical identities at Boston's…

Trumpeter / Composer Chad McCullough brings his quartet to the Garver Patio on July 23 for a COVID-postponed release show for his new record "Forward." Chicago Jazz Magazine highlights Chad for his…

One of the cornerstones of the Chicago improvised music scene, Mars Williams is one of those rare musicians who successfully approaches music as a continuum, rather than a series of discrete genres.…

This pun-loving band came together in 2003 on the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor as fresh-faced graduate students in the department of music. Although they've never quite breached the…

The Dirk Quinn Band is a hard-travelling jam band from the Philadelphia area. The band is on the vanguard of groups heading out on tour as venues across the country begin to re-open. Our conversation…

Max Bessesen brings his Chicago/Milwaukee based quintet to the Garver Feed Mill Patio to make up for a date postponed from April of 2020. The band will be playing from Max's debut recording as a…

Alex Mercado, considered by many to be one of Mexico’s finest jazz pianists, brings his U.S. based trio to play music from his newly released album “Exilio.” Todd Clouser’s Cinema: Music for Unmade…

Once again responsible people will gather at a social distance on the Garver Patio to experience some great music--some of which is only available to us now due to pandemic circumstances. The Tony…

The two trios coming to Garver, while similar in instrumentation (horn-bass-drums), are substantially different in many ways. The seven-year-old Lesser Lakes Trio draws members from a swath of…

Their music defies categorization, but these days--and in any era, really--the best music does. These are creators whose roots extend into the fertile ‘80s, ‘90s, and beyond, and to artists who were,…

Thomas Ferella, who, along with Dave Stone, makes up the BlueStem Jazz leadership, has collected an extensive archive of video, that he’s shot over the last 15 years. Inspired by the work of another…

Throughout his prolific career, Ken Vandermark has led or collaborated in ensembles of every size--from large groups like his Territory Band, to duo settings like the one he will present in Madison.…

Dave Rempis is a tireless internationally-touring artist, and has led or been a member of 20+ bands, with Chicago-based and other US musicians, and a select group of international comrades. Over the…

Ryan Keberle’s career is an archetype for the talented, creative musician: featured soloist with Maria Schneider; first-call sub on Saturday Night Live; college professor in NYC; projects at every…

The success of Kahil El’Zabar’s innovative and creative vision is evidenced not only by the substance and breadth of his career, but also by its longevity. Coming of age in the early years of the…

It’s widely known that southern Wisconsin is something of a hot-bed for New Music in all of its shapes and flavors. With the upcoming performance by NOW Ensemble, Madison has a somewhat rare…

Collector twists the definition of a jazz piano trio with a collective process, a healthy dose of electronics, and a focus on free improvisation. For this show they may change their routine a little…