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Show #4: Jason Crane interviews French guitarist Francis Jacob. Jacob’s career has taken him around the world: France, Switzerland, Boston, Brazil, Paris and now New York. Along the way, he’s picked up a gift for improvisation and a taste for West African music. On his new CD, Side By Side (2006), he combines his many influences and creates two albums in one — the same tunes, played by two wonderfully different bands. Listen to the show.

Show #5: Jason Crane interviews Japanese pianist Toru Dodo. Born in Tokyo, Dodo started playing piano at age 4, then gave up his dream of concert piano for the economics department at Tokyo’s Meiji University. He found jazz at Meiji, and eventually came to the United States to study at Berklee College of Music. Since moving to New York City in 1998, Dodo has released three CDs and performed with Kenny Garret, Benny Golson, Curtis Fuller, Ruth Brown and Terumasa Hino. His new album is Dodo 3 (Jazzcity, 2006). Listen to the show.

In 1999, I worked for about 15 minutes at The Island Packet, the newspaper that serves Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, and its environs. I left soon after I started, but the association with the paper led to one really good thing: a lifelong friendship with music writer Jeff Vrabel and his wife Leeann and son Jake. Jeff is now in charge of The Guide, the weekly entertainment magazine put out by the Packet. My first article for The Guide appears this week as part of their coverage of the Savannah Music Festival.

Read my article on the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, featuring an interview with trumpeter Marcus Printup.

Tyrone Hill, trombonist with the Sun Ra Arkestra, died March 11 at age 58.

Read the full story.

If you’ve ever seen a press conference by Steve Jobs or George Bush…

Joe Vella has been merging jazz and technology for decades, starting with early Internet bulletin boards, founding JazzOnline.com, and then moving into the world of podcasting. As a podcaster, he’s produced series on everyone from The Beach Boys, for the fortieth anniversary of Pet Sounds (Capitol, 1966) to Pat Metheny. Now he’s turned his attention to one of the towering musical figures of all time—saxophonist John Coltrane. Vella’s Traneumentary is a multi-episode exploration of Coltrane’s music and influence. It features a who’s who of jazz luminaries, from musicians such as McCoy Tyner, Billy Taylor and Jimmy Cobb to writers and producers such as Joel Dorn and Ashley Kahn.

You can read my interview with Joe at All About Jazz.

Then check out the Traneumentary.

Show #2: Luis Perdomo
Since coming to New York from his native Venezuela, Perdomo has blossomed as a player. As a student at the Manhattan School of Music and at Queens College, he studied with pianists Harold Danko and Sir Roland Hanna. As a professional musician, he’s played with Ray Baretto, Ravi Coltrane, Miguel Zenon, Dafnis Prieto, and Timbalaye, to name a few. Perdomo’s adventurous new record is Awareness (RKM Music, 2006). It features his working trio of Hans Glawischnig on bass and Eric McPherson on drums, and on several tracks, an expanded group with bassist Henry Grimes and drummer Nasheet Waits.

Show #3: John Abercrombie
John Abercrombie’s forthcoming record is The Third Quartet (ECM, 2007). Abercrombie has been on more than 50 ECM recordings as a leader or sideman, including sessions with Charles Lloyd, Kenny Wheeler, Jack DeJohnette, Dave Liebman and Dave Holland. This interview features several excerpts from the new CD in advance of its April 3 release. You’ll also hear Abercrombie’s moving remembrace of lifelong friend Michael Brecker.

Several years ago, I celebrated Dr. Seuss’s birthday on my radio show by combining his talents with those of another singular American genius, pianist Thelonious Monk. Today is the good doctor’s birthday, so I bring you my version of his classic Green Eggs And Ham mashed up with Monk’s Blue Monk. Enjoy!

Listen: Green Eggs And Ham (mp3)