Liner Notes with David Bixler

Love Is is guitarist John Hart’s sixth trio recording for SteepleChase records. For this recording producer Nils Winther wanted to mix things up for John and suggested keeping the trio format, but with a different instrumentation. This recording finds John playing with bassist Carlo DeRosa and cornetist Kirk Knufke. Carlo is a long-time collaborator, but the short rehearsal prior to the recording was the first time that Kirk and John had met, let alone played together. The result is a gratifying session of standards and originals demonstrating the artistry of seasoned professionals. For the jazz student, professor Hart offers a detailed analysis of Giant Steps toward the end of the podcast.

In the summer of 2023 saxophonist Wayne Escoffery found himself in Europe processing changes in his personal life while at the same time nursing a broken finger that prohibited him  from playing his horn. He used this time of reflection to compose the music presented on his new record Alone on Smoke Sessions Records, which features pianist Gerald Clayton, bassist Ron Carter, and Carl Allen on drums. In this episode of LINER NOTES Wayne speaks of the challenge of creating something meaningful in a society that places a premium on the immediate.

On his new recording, Something About Believing tenor saxophonist Tim Armacost is joined by trumpeter Tom Harrell and baritone saxophonist Gary Smulyan as well as the outstanding rhythm section of  bassist John Patitucci and drummer Al Foster. Listening to the music one is struck by the comfortability of master improvisers doing what they do best, however in this episode of LINER NOTES Tim explains that this recording is a snapshot of a journey that he embarked on a number of years ago while exploring synesthesia. The project began as a chordless quartet in which the musicians worked with lighting designer Liz Liebeskind in real time and beyond this recording Armacost has assembled a new quartet that is working with visual artist Mary Shah who joins the band at performances and creates a visual response to the band’s music.  

The shoes that grace the cover of Orrin Evans’ new record are special shoes from his childhood that were necessitated by being born with neurofibromatosis. The record is called Walk a Mile in My Shoe, and the shoes are a reminder of his condition and the impact that this neurological disorder has had on him. However, Evans yearns to move past the initial metaphor of the title in order to convey the ideas of feeling worthy and taking ownership of his journey. In this episode of LINER NOTES Orrin talks about the music, the musicians, and the music business.  

After several decades of creating music in a manner that was beginning to feel routine, guitarist Miles Okazaki was searching for a fresh way to make music. He examined the processes of artists Ed Ruscha, Sol Lewitt, and Ken Price as templates for creating. In possession of these new ideas gleaned from these artists, he went into the studio with a group of musicians that were given prompts which were recorded and formed into what Miles refers to as musical “slabs.” These “slabs” were then sanded, polished, and sculpted, and the result is Miniture America, which Okazaki describes as a sonic treasure hunt, a collection of 22 vignettes exploring the wonder of chance encounters and “found” compositions.

The colors black, white, brown, beige, and blue have all had a prominent place in music, but in the eyes and ears of saxophonist Troy Roberts the color green piqued his interest due to its ambiguity. Not only can the color green convey greed and envy or rot and decay, it can also represent nature and tranquility. Troy embraces green as an impetus to move and has named his new release Green Lights which is the subject of the first episode of the 7th season of LINER NOTES. 

Saxophonist Jon Gordon’s new recording, 7th Ave South takes its name from the iconic club owned by the Brecker Brothers that closed its doors in 1987. The title of the album is emblematic of a time that shaped Jon as a musician as a high school student in NYC in the 80s. In this episode of LINER NOTES he pays homage to the people, the musicians, and the clubs that shaped his life and the importance that he places on recreating the generosity that he experienced for the students and musicians that are currently part of his life.

Slow Water is the latest release from bassist and composer Stephan Crump. In this ambitious 67 minute work, Crump explores how society uses water and addresses the question “What does water want?” as proposed by Erica Gies in her 2022 book Water Always Wins. For this project he assembled a new ensemble comprised of musicians with which he had little previous history with the goal of creating both a band and music that flowed in an improvisatory manner similar to water.

This month we join in congratulating pianist Luis Perdomo for his recent GRAMMY award for El Arte del Bolero vol. 2 in the category of Best Latin Jazz Album. In this episode of LINER NOTES, Luis recounts the musical journey from his native Venezuela and then coming to New York initially to study before transitioning into one of the most in demand pianists on the scene, gracing the bandstand with musicians such as of Ravi Coltrane, Tom Harrell, and his long time musical partner Miguel Zenon.

The week of March 5 guitarist Peter Bernstein brings a quartet to the Village Vanguard in New York City that includes pianist Sullivan Fortner, bassist Doug Weiss, and the iconic drummer Al Foster. In this episode of LINER NOTES Peter expresses a genuine gratitude for being able to play music. He also offers insights on how he personally approaches this music as a guitarist, sharing valuable lessons learned from his legendary teachers Gene Bertoncini, Ted Dunbar, and Jim Hall.