My new podcast: The Jazz Session

Posted 28 February, 2007 in Podcast, The Jazz Session

It’s here — the first episode of The Jazz Session, my new jazz interview podcast. On the first show, I interview tenor saxophonist Grant Stewart. Stewart has been in New York for the past 16 years, since moving there from his native Toronto. He’s played with quite a roster of jazz artists, from Curtis Fuller, John Hendricks and Clark Terry to Brad Mehldau, Larry Goldings and Jimmy Cobb. Stewart’s new album on Sharp Nine Records is In The Still Of The Night.

You can listen to The Jazz Session at thejazzsession.com, or better yet:

You decide: Which model works better?

Posted 17 February, 2007 in Atheism, Random Musings, Science

(Click the image for a larger version.)

NewsTalk 950 in Rochester strengthens its lineup

Posted 15 February, 2007 in Radio, Rochester

NewsTalk 950 WROC, former home of the original The Jason Crane Show, is Rochester’s progressive talk station. With the departure of Al Franken from Air America yesterday, WROC took the opportunity to revamp its lineup. The new version is much, much stronger. Here it is:

12 a.m. — Politically Direct (hosted by David Bender, sponsored by People for the American Way)
1 a.m. — Joey Reynolds (old-school variety talk show from WOR in NYC)
6 a.m. — The Bill Press Show
9 a.m. — Stephanie Miller
12 p.m. — Ed Schultz (live instead of taped, as it had been until now)
3 p.m. — Randi Rhodes (also live now instead of taped)
6 p.m. — News 8 (audio of local TV newscast)
6:30 p.m. — Rachel Maddow (for my money, the brightest light to come out of the whole Air America adventure)
8 p.m. — Democracy Now! (finally, a local station dares to air this daily progressive news program from Pacifica)
9 p.m. — Lionel (in my opinion, this show is the low point of the schedule, but you can’t have it all…)
11 p.m. — News 8 (audio of local TV newscast)
11:30 p.m. — Lionel (again)

I’ve got to say that I’m really impressed with this new lineup. Sounds like the program director has a vision for what to do with this station. Kudos!

The full schedule and links to the shows are at the NewsTalk 950 Web site.

A union remembers

Posted 14 February, 2007 in Labor movement

ILWU photo

My mom and dad took this picture in San Francisco this summer, in front of a union headquarters. My guess is the ILWU. Does anyone know for sure?

My interview with Steve Swallow at All About Jazz

Posted 12 February, 2007 in All About Jazz Articles, Jazz, Music

Bassist Steve Swallow and poet Robert Creeley were friends for 30 years. Swallow first read Creeley’s work in the 1950s, and instantly fell in love with what Creeley had to say and the way he said it. Twenty years later, a chance meeting with Creeley led to a personal and professional relationship. Creeley’s work inspired two of Swallow’s albums — Home (ECM, 1980) and his most recent recording, So There (XtraWATT/ECM, 2006).

I talked with Swallow about So There and his relationship with Creeley. Swallow proved himself to be as consummate an appreciator of poetry and life as he is a master of the electric bass. You can read the interview at All About Jazz.