Charles Tolliver’s professional career began in earnest in 1964, when he recorded as a sideman with alto saxophonist Jackie McLean. In subsequent years, Tolliver worked with Max Roach, Horace Silver, Andrew Hill, Sonny Rollins, Gerald Wilson, and others. Recently, Mack Avenue records reissued his first session as a leader, under the title Right Now… And...Read More

In honor of the birthday of pioneering jazz guitarist, trombonist, composer, and arranger Eddie Durham, I am reposting an interview with Loren Schoenberg about the PBS documentary he helped to produce called Wham Rebop Boom Bam: The Swing Jazz of Eddie Durham. Schoenberg is the Senior Scholar at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem as...Read More

Jazz88 Morning Host Peter Solomon speaks with composer and saxophonist Stephanie Wieseler and bassist Charlie Bruber about the long awaited new recording by Society of Chemists. The Twin Cities-based ensemble has a unique musical approach with they describe as “chamber jazz fusion.” They discuss what that means, and Wieseler talks about the ways she sometimes...Read More

In honor of the 125th anniversary of the borth of Louis Armstrong, we are reposting an interview with Ricki Riccardi, the Director of Resaerch Collections at the Louis Armstrong House and Museum and the author of three biographies of Armstrong. In this segment, he speaks with Jazz88’s Peter Solomon about his most recent book, called...Read More

Logan Richardson in a saxophonist, composer and producer who will be Artist in Residence July 29th through 31st at Berlin in Minneapolis. He speaks with Peter Solomon about growing up in Kansas City in the 1980’s and how that shaped him as an artist. Richardson’s music incoporates a lot of sampling and sound manipulation in...Read More

Tom McDermott moved to New Orleans in the early eighties and has quickly himself as a leading voice in early jazz and New Orleans roots music. He brings a personal and inventive approach to the repertoire of Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Moreau Gottschalk, Professor Longhair, and James Booker, as well as ragtime and Brazilian Choro...Read More

Jazz88’s Peter Solomon speaks with guitarists Joe Cruz and Scott Keever about the new guitar duo they are bringing to Aster Cafe on July 23rd. Both musicians have diverse musical interests, ranging from Americana to Latin, Blues, Jazz, and more. Information on the performance July 23rd from 8 – 10 PM can be found here....Read More

Russell Ferrante is a founding member of the legendary fusion band, the Yellowjackets. He spoke with Jazz88 Morning Host Peter Solomon about his musical path, including an eye-opening first tour with blues singer Jimmy Witherspoon. He also discussed the collaboration with guitarist Robben Ford that led to forming the Yellowjackets, and the leaderless philosphy that...Read More

Choro Borealis is a Twin-Cities based Brazilian ensemble that performs a variety of musical styles from South America’s largest country, including choro, samba, forro, and original compositions that incorporate jazz influences. The term choro references a type of instrumental music that evolved in the late nineteenth century from the fusion of European dances like polkas,...Read More

Twin Cities-based guitarist Zacc Harris speaks with Jazz88 Morning Host Peter Solomon about his latest trio project American Reckoning, the upcoming Zacc Harris group appearance at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival, and his work in the Atlantis Quartet. You can catch Harris’s set at the TCJF Saturday, June 20th at 4 PM at Mears Park....Read More