Hey friends and fans. Thanks for coming over to check out this show.
Matthew and I had a great time setting this one up. Actually, it was quite easy. We met at The Jazz Kitchen, hooked up our microphones and hit record. We were there during the weekly Jazz Jam session and we were able to speak with a few of the musicians who were playing and hanging out.
First we spoke with keyboardist extraordinaire and world traveler, Kevin Anker. He hipped us to what he was doing, introduced us to some ‘gateway’ blues music, and if you listen carefully he explains how it is he gets to sit by NOBODY while traveling!
Second, drummer/vibraphonist/percussionist/steel-pan(ist?)(er?), Mike Kessler stopped by. Mike is a good friend of the show and we love talking with him about whatever he’s listening to and the gigs that he is doing. Mike recently had a pretty major life change and he talks about that as well.
The third and final person to stop by is someone I’ve been wanted to chat with for a while. I love listening to him play and I always enjoy getting to share the stage with him. Rich Cohen is a wonderful alto sax player and he asked us, ‘Have You Heard’ Vincent Herring? We had not, and we are glad we were introduced!
Finally, we play a tune by the Akshara Ensemble that I found through Rock-Paper-Scissors, a PR firm based in Bloomington Indiana. This band plays the classical music of India. The drummer for the ensemble, Bala Skandan has this to say:
“At its root, Carnatic music is very complex and mathematical,” explains classically trained, New York-based mridangam (South Indian double-headed drum) player Bala Skandan. “That makes it interesting rhythmically, even for seasoned Indian players.”
Take a listen and let us know what you think!
Have You Heard 