Episode 24-Walter Smith III: Jazz Educator and Saxophone Virtuoso
Release Date: 10/24/2024
Episode 35-Joe Lovano: Still on the Rise
Strictly Jazz Sounds
Having a virtual conversation with someone like Joe Lovano invites you to take in more than the words. You find yourself looking around the room with him — the basement, the books, the CDs, maybe a few records, family photos, and a trombone resting naked on top of a bookcase like it had just stepped away from the bandstand. Behind Joe, as we begin talking, there’s a music stand with sheet music on it, though I couldn’t quite make out the title. Somehow, that feels right. With Joe Lovano, there is always music in view, and always something still being discovered. Grammy Award winning...
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Episode 34-Martin Ludlow: Reclaiming LA's Jazz Legacy
Strictly Jazz Sounds
Los Angeles has long been one of America's great jazz cities, yet its place in the music's history is often overshadowed by New Orleans, Chicago, Kansas City, and New York. In this episode of Strictly Jazz Sounds, Steve Braunginn sits down with Martin Ludlow, President and CEO of Bridge Street, Inc., to discuss the vision behind the inaugural LA Jazz Festival and why he believes it's time for Los Angeles to take its rightful place on the global jazz stage. Their conversation explores the rich legacy of Central Avenue, the Dunbar Hotel, Leimert Park, and the generations of musicians who have...
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Episode 33 — Jeremy Pelt: Jazz, Leadership, and Legacy
Strictly Jazz Sounds
When someone says jazz is dead, or that they cannot find great jazz being made today, I always think of the artists, mentors, and leaders who continue to move the music forward. Jeremy Pelt is one of those essential voices. Welcome to Strictly Jazz Sounds, the place where the music talks. I’m your host, Steve Braunginn. In this episode, I’m honored to welcome trumpeter, composer, bandleader, educator, and author Jeremy Pelt, one of the most compelling voices in contemporary jazz. With his recent work holding the number one spot on the JazzWeek chart for eight out of nine weeks, Jeremy has...
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Episode 32-Jenny Scheinman: Improvising Nature Through Jazz
Strictly Jazz Sounds
Today on Strictly Jazz Sounds, we enter the musical world of violinist and composer Jenny Scheinman — an artist whose music is shaped as much by landscape and community as by jazz tradition, classical music and folk. Before collaborating with musicians like Bill Frisell, Jason Moran, and Brian Blade, Jenny grew up off-the-grid in rural Humboldt County, surrounded by redwoods, wildlife, and acoustic family music. That environment taught her the art of deep listening — something that still defines her improvisational voice today. We talk about how nature, silence, and influences ranging...
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Episode 31-Jaleel Shaw: Painting the Invisible in Jazz
Strictly Jazz Sounds
Episode 31-Jaleel Shaw: Painting the Invisibility in Jazz Jazz for Philadelphia native and alto saxophonist Jaleel Shaw is a soulful, boundary-pushing journey. His impressive collaborations include NEA Jazz Masters Roy Haynes and Terri Lyne Carrington, Grammy Award-winning artists: bassists Dave Holland and Christian McBride, and pianists Kris Davis, Robert Glasper, and Jason Moran. Shaw's musical story emerges from his mother’s insistence on raising her son in a household where diverse music was heard throughout his young years, leading to lessons on multiple instruments-piano, the...
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Episode 30-Mark Turner: Jazz and Race-Tells It Like It Is
Strictly Jazz Sounds
Welcome to Strictly Jazz Sounds. In this episode, we spotlight saxophonist Mark Turner, an LA native known for his technical brilliance and soulful undertones. Turner’s music is influenced by R&B and jazz from his upbringing, as well as legendary saxophonists like Warne Marsh and John Coltrane. Mark’s humility and self-deprecation are evident, but his artistry shines through, especially in his latest project, Reflections On: An Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, produced in collaboration with Jimmy Katz and Giant Step Arts. The episode explores how Turner’s experiences as an African...
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Episode 29-John Patitucci: The Soul, Spirit and Sound of Jazz
Strictly Jazz Sounds
It’s a challenge to describe bassist John Patitucci. He’s a 2025 Jazz Journalists Association Award winner for Electric Bassist of the Year, and four-time Grammy Award winning artist, one of today’s elite bassists, not just jazz but in all of music, but that’s too limiting. John is a bassist with not only excellent rhythm but a complex, angular rhythmic style with dynamic and warm tones and a style that moves people emotionally as well as physically. No, that’s too inadequate. John describes himself as, “a man of faith.” But when I step back, I realize all the above pretty much...
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Episode 28-Zev Feldman: Guardian of Jazz Legacies
Strictly Jazz Sounds
Producing a historical recording requires enormous patience, investigative powers like an investigative journalist. The journey is long, emotional, and exciting when the recordings are discovered, and the final package completed. This is what Zev Feldman does. He is the producer for and co-president of Resonance Records, a record label that releases archival recordings that are previously unissued. The Resonance catalogue includes John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Wes Montgomery, Freddie Hubbard, among many other legendary musicians. In this episode, Zev Feldman and I discuss his insights...
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Episode 27-Erena Terakubo: The Little Woman with a Big Sound
Strictly Jazz Sounds
Alto saxophonist Erena Terakubo, from Sapporo, Japan, began her recording career early, releasing her first album when she was only 15 years old. Inspired by a saxophone-playing M&M doll, Erena developed an interest in music that led her to become a notable figure in contemporary jazz. Her journey inclu0des playing in big bands in Sapporo and preferring jazz over classical music. In this episode, Erena Terakubo exuberantly shares her early influences, including J Fusion and musicians like Charlie Parker and David Sanborn. She shares insights into her life in the United States, cultural...
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Episode 26-Chien Chien Lu and Richie Goods: A Real Team
Strictly Jazz Sounds
Taiwanese vibraphonist and percussionist Chien Chien Lu, along with Pittsburg, Pennsylvania native bassist Richie Goods, have crafted a sound that is both captivating and rhythmic. Their music draws from a rich tapestry of cultural influences including Taiwanese, American, and African-American traditions, especially within the jazz sub-culture. Chien Chien Lu and Richie Goods are dedicated to expanding their musical repertoire, creating a unique connection that resonates deeply with listeners. In the fall of 2024, Chien Chien Lu and Richie Goods visited Columbus, Ohio, where they met with...
info_outlineWorld-renowned saxophonist and Blue Note recording artist Walter Smith III is the model music educator and practitioner. This enormously talented saxophonist pursued music education as a profession as far back as high school. In this episode, Walter’s storied career follows the path beginning with performing at McDonald’s at age 7, to an exciting area of study at one of today’s premier high schools, Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) in Houston, Texas to leadership roles at Berklee College of Music, reflecting on experiences at the Thelonious Monk Institute (today, the Herbie Hancock Institute) and exciting tours with legends like Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock. Gender equity in jazz, a priority for Walter, is spearheaded by the Berklee Jazz and Gender Justice Institute, and innovations in jazz education promoting inclusivity. Walter touches on his transition from Boston to New York, emphasizing the interplay between performance and teaching.
Walter Smith III just released his eleventh album as a leader. Our conversation on Strictly Jazz Sounds also takes a deep dive into three of us are from Houston and Reuben is not. This project includes three of his closest music cohorts who are three of the most accomplished and influential musicians in jazz today: Jason Moran-piano, Reuben Rogers-bass, and Eric Harland-drums. The music does not disappoint in any way. We listen to clips of selected tracks, discuss the music and the significance, if any, of the composition titles.
Walter is/has been a member of many legendary and highly accomplished groups (recording and/or touring) including the Roy Haynes Fountain of Youth Band (Walter was fired when he decided to go to Los Angeles, California), Terence Blanchard Quintet, Jason Moran’s In My Mind: Monk at Town Hall, Ambrose Akinmusire Quintet, and the Christian McBride “Situation”, He’s also teamed up with Eric Harland’s “Voyager”, the Bill Stewart Trio, Marquis Hill’s “New Gospel Revisited”, and the Sean Jones Quintet among others.
Thank you for listening to Strictly Jazz Sounds. You have a choice among many other jazz podcasts, yet you selected this one today. You have my appreciation for your time and interest.
Photo by Travis Bailey.