The Late Set

Tyshawn Sorey describes his musical output as “a bundle of contradictions” — and who would know better? He’s a riveting drummer whose dynamic range runs from cyclonic intensity to whisper-like calm.




As a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, Sorey favors a glacial pace and the subtlest of movements, but also knows how to deliver a thunderous jolt. What unites all of his work is a call to focus the attention, for listeners and musical participants alike.




So in this lively conversation, we dig into that imperative — as it applies both to Members, Don't!, a principled tribute to Max Roach, and “For Marilyn Crispell,” a piano concerto dedicated to one great pianist (Crispell) and designed for another (Aaron Diehl).




We also touch on the value of an academic perch, the friction within arts institutions, and the lessons imparted by elders like Roscoe Mitchell.




Photo: John Rodgers



Chapters


00:00 — Intro & the “irreducible polymath”

06:59 — Interview with Tyshawn Sorey

13:47 — Unbroken suite & long-duration momentum

19:25 — Village Vanguard trio & the Coltrane influence

25:36 — Silence & the audience as “experiencers”

33:55 — Aaron Diehl, collaboration & the Mesmerism sessions

39:38 — Marilyn Crispell & the piano concerto

49:24 — Writing for orchestra

56:44 — Can American music escape capitalism?

1:01:07 — Academic writing & self-definition

1:05:29 — Institutions & relationships

1:11:22 — “This I Dig”: Josh on Saban

1:15:10 — Nate on Widow’s Bay




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Who is our next breakout jazz singer? Chances are, they were in Paris this month for the Herbie Hancock International Jazz Vocals Competition. Nate was there, too, and now he brings us a field report — including a backstage interview with Malou Oheix, the 27-year-old French vocalist who won first prize, and insights from a few of the distinguished judges.




It’s also a moment to consider the nature of the competition, what it reflects about the art form, and what it can really do for an artist building an emerging career.



Chapters


00:00 — The Late Set wins a Signal Award

01:20 — Nate Chinen in Paris for the Herbie Hancock Vocal Competition

05:29 — Kate Quartum on camaraderie among jazz singers

08:00 — Meet the finalists: Georgia Heers, Luciane Daniels & Malou Hoex

11:47 — What makes a great jazz vocalist?

14:07 — From semifinals to finals: the pressure shifts

17:34 — Malou Hoex’s winning performance

24:52 — Gretchen Parlato on seeing herself in Malou

29:48 — Do jazz vocal competitions still make a difference?

33:17 — Meeting competition winner Malou Hoex

35:51 — “This I Dig”: Tyreek McDole’s Chroma

38:20 — “This I Dig”: Josh’s 25-year-old Irish whiskey

40:30 — Nate’s Paris encounter with Céline Dion

41:31 — Credits & sign-off




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Some conversations are worth revisiting and sharing. In this special guest drop, we hand the mic to a friend of the show: trumpeter and composer Dave Douglas, who has appeared on The Late Set and whose Greenleaf Music podcast, A Noise From the Deep, is one we never miss. Here, Douglas sits down with master drummer Andrew Cyrille to discuss Lebroba, Cyrille’s ECM album with Wadada Leo Smith and Bill Frisell.




Cyrille also reflects on his Brooklyn beginnings, his first recording date with Coleman Hawkins, and his 11 years in the Cecil Taylor Unit. We’re especially excited to share this conversation at a time when Cyrille has two fine new albums: Trio Imagination and the forthcoming Drum Stories.




There’s still time to vote for The Late Set in this year’s Signal Awards! Cast your vote in two categories:




Arts & Culture: Vote for us here




Interview or Talk Show: And here




Listen to A Noise From the Deep: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts



Chapters


00:00 — Welcome: Josh Jackson & Nate Chinen

01:15 — Andrew Cyrille's big year & “Freeway” from Drum Stories

06:20 — Dave Douglas and Andrew Cyrille on A Noise From the Deep

10:00 — “Pretty Beauty” & recording Lebroba

18:30 — Learning by ear & a first date with Coleman Hawkins

24:15 — Coming up in Brooklyn: Louis Hayes, Max Roach & Philly Joe Jones

30:45 — Cyrille's Haitian roots

35:45 — “Lebroba”: Leland, Brooklyn & Baltimore

44:20 — What makes good music

52:40 — 11 years with Cecil Taylor

1:07:40 — Time, rhythm & “TGD”

1:13:00 — “Time to Dig”




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A bonus drop celebrating our two Signal Awards nominations! Vote for The Late Set in two categories:




Arts & Culture: Vote for us here




Interview or Talk Show: And here




Sound and spirit are inseparable in the music of Kenny Garrett. A saxophonist who served a series of heavyweight apprenticeships, most notably with Miles Davis, Garrett now stands as a jazz elder himself — one who continues his search for knowledge.




Several years ago, around the time of his album Sounds from the Ancestors, Garrett performed on the campus of Temple University. He sat down with Josh Jackson for a conversation about musical lineage, mentorship, and the lessons that keep the music moving forward. We’re thrilled to bring you that conversation as a bonus episode.




Watch the full interview: Kenny Garrett at Temple University



Chapters


00:00 — We're Signal Awards finalists

01:35 — Bonus episode: Kenny Garrett at Temple

05:10 — Coltrane's Philadelphia & playing soprano saxophone

07:45 — Roy Hargrove & Sounds from the Ancestors

10:10 — Feeling the ancestors on the bandstand

15:05 — Lessons from Miles Davis

17:35 — Mentors, monuments & honoring elders

25:00 — The pandemic: how to stop the train

27:40 — Passing it on beyond the academy

35:40 — What does it mean to live with music?

37:20 — “This I Dig”

42:20 — Credits




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The Myth We Chose, the entrancing new album by South African pianist Nduduzo Makhathini, foregrounds hope and healing, and a conviction in the redemptive power of connection. It’s a song-forward statement for Makhathini, who is also a composer, vocalist, philosopher, and ambassador for the Global South.




This summer, he brought his trio to Solar Myth ahead of an appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival. On the first of two nights, he joined Josh Jackson for an onstage conversation about ritual, responsibility, and why he prefers the term “encounter” to “discovery” when describing a person’s formative contact with improvised music.



Chapters


00:00 — Intro: South African jazz

05:00 — Zulu language, myth & musicality

11:30 — Music education, colonialism & Indigenous knowledge

15:30 — Growing up during apartheid

21:00 — Encountering John Coltrane & the roots of jazz

23:30 — The identity and sound of South African jazz

28:45 — Collective memory & the African diaspora

35:15 — Myth, ancestral memory & sonic creation

38:15 — Ndu cosmology, time & musical continuity

41:00 — Artificial intelligence, knowledge & human experience

45:15 — Nate and Josh on music, healing & ancestral knowledge

49:30 — “This I Dig”

53:15 — South African music, cultural boycotts & current debates

56:15 — Closing credits




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