Monthly Archives: May 2025

Isaiah Collier is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, model, curator, activist, motivational speaker and all around cool cat. He may be most known for his saxophone work. He has studied and learned from many of the masters such as Coltrane, Mitchell, Shorter and one can feel and hear his approach is drawn from these influences. As with so many of the great improvisers, he works without a net and crosses all sorts of boundaries that may be drawn. He has worked all over the globe with artists like Chance the Rapper, Waddada Leo Smith, Carl Allen, Paul Rogers, Bernie Maupin, Rudy Van Gelder and many more visionaries. He has played his music and shared his stories at many of the favorite festivals and clubs as he continues to grow and learn with and from. The sometimes untold tales, or hoped to be forgotten tales of the past collide with the now of today and the what if of tomorrow(s) seems to be where Isaiah lives. While he is best known perhaps for his work within Isaish Collier & The Chosen Few, it is very easy to tell how his singularity of voice is one to be listened to, reflected upon and fed to become complete.

I had the honor of reconnecting with Isiah once aGain as he prepare to being a new look Chosen Few to play the Terrace on June 14th for the 2025 Madison Jazz Festival. We talk about showing up at the event with yourself as a blank slate, without expectations and let the sound(s) and rhythms take away the every day all thats that we all get overcome by. I made sure to have him give roll call with a little flip to the backside of the baseball card on who is coming with him to Madison. So, I already feel closer to those who’ll be providing the colors for my easel. This is one powerhouse of an ensemble. We went seed to flower on his latest (Late 2024) release, ‘The World Is On Fire‘, which certainly allows for more meaning with each new listen. We talked about his ‘Story Of 400 Years‘ project which is a musical & multimedia production that explores the history of Black people in North America, starting with the Transatlantic slave trade and continuing through pivotal moments in Black American history. One of the more (and it all was) thrilling part of this conversation was time spent talking about what he gets to be a part of as a Steve Jobs Archive Fellow which led us into him exploring sounds in new ways and shapes while being able to listen to and learn from diverse talents. There so much goodness in this conversation, just as I know will happen in Madison on June 14th and anywhere else Mr. Isaiah Collier will be joining in.

photo by: Johanna Brinckman

Ropeadope presents Quantum Blues featuring Tisziji Muñoz, Paul Shaffer, Will Calhoun, & Jamaaladeen Tacuma AKA: The Quantum Blues Quartet. This serendipitous one of its kind meeting between 4 musicians with life-long accomplishments occurred in New York in 2024. The result is Quantum Blues, a work that takes the listener by the hand on a journey of true musical exploration. It is evident that the artists are dealing with & transmitting much more than just music, they are investigating their own emotion & understanding of the world and communicating the process directly to us. In a world of quickly digestible tracks, Quantum Blues stands like a complex novel of the human experience. I had the honor of catching up with Mr. Jamaaladeen Tacuma to discuss this project. Here’s a little about him to get your mind’s working. Artist, producer, musician & composer Jamaaladeen Tacuma spent his youth in Philadelphia where he received a world class music education from the many Jazz musicians living there and has since traveled the world as a renowned and supremely versatile master of the electric bass guitar. In the 1970’s, when he was just a teen, his creatively funky free approach caught the ear of saxophonist Ornette Coleman and he became a member of Coleman’s Prime Time Band. His work is heard on some of Coleman’s historic recordings: “Dancing In Your Head & “Of Human Feelings.” Tacuma has since lent his bona fides as a jazz force to the work of Grover Washington Jr, Archie Shepp, Gary Bartz, Max Roach, James Carter, David Murray… As band leader he has produced over 25 studio albums with 120 original compositions and has appeared on countless albums as a producer, band leader & soloist. As his career evolved, he found himself right at home in music no matter the genre. Whether it be R&B, Soul, World Music, Classical, Hip-hop, Pop, Country, Experimental or a cross cultural collaboration with a classical symphony, opera’s, Turkish music Ensembles, Alpine brass band, Korean Samul Nori drum ensemble & Moroccan Gnaoua groups. He has lent his one of kind bass flavor to projects with Wiilhelmenia Fernandez, Sheryl Crow, Bob Weir, Dave Mathews, Jason Isbell, The Roots, Marc Ribot, Brad Paisley, Jeff Beck, Derek Bailey, Carlos Santana, Burhan Ocal, DJ Logic, among others. He is a standing member of Super Soul Banned, a group assembled by Rolling Stone’s drummer Steve Jordan, rubbing shoulders with the glitterati at the annual Fox Gala (Michael J. Fox’s annual fundraiser for Parkinson’s research). He has even toured/collaborated with the legendary Australian kids music group The Wiggles. Jamaal believes that music has the profound ability to be a bridge across cultures that unites humanity and has recorded, performed & collaborated with musicians on nearly every continent. He works as a music ambassador elevating the art form and shining a light on Philadelphia as an epicenter of black music culture. In the past decade Tacuma has been recognized for his Artist Excellence with numerous awards & accolades including The Marcus Garvey Foundation 50th Anniversary Award, The Pew Arts & Heritage Fellowship, Philadelphia’s Benny Golson Award & Liberty Bell Medal, Jazz Journalist Association “Philadelphia Jazz Hero Award” & South Arts Creative Residency Grant, Mid Atlantic Arts International Artist. In 2024 he became culture Ambassador for The Third Way Cultural Alliance, and he continues to engage old and new fans on tour, produce and record and teach masterclass workshops worldwide from his current home base in Philadelphia.

During my conversation with Jamaal, we got into how the stars aligned to get these 4 talents together and how they each shaped a moment in time with a groove and kinship that should come with sunglasses. The music is a piece of each – not only them but it has parts of/for us as well. Jamaal is very generous with sharing his thoughts and feeling and has the resume to prove it (as seen above), he can fit in anywhere and always stands out with flash & pizazz. He recently went down south to get spend time with our family & Third Way Ambassador Todd Clouser brought together key musicians from Mexico and South America to express the vibrant music and arts scene emerging in Mexico City. This week long exploration of music & culture saw Jamaal appear with local musicians at Jazzatlan for two nights of music and panel discussions about the role of music in bridging cultures. Rehearsals and recording sessions will allow musicians time and space to open dialogues and create music together. You see what is meant by building bridges – these folks here. Before we said farewell, he did drop a little nugget mentioning that he is producing friend of the program, Mr. Marshall Allen‘s new album 101 an Audio Odyssey’. This was one of those dream come true conversations for me. Check it out so you can get some of that feeling too.

Ed Palermo is not a “business as usual” musician. After all, when most people think of “big bands,” they think “Oh No! Not Jazz!!” But go to see Ed Palermo’s Big Band, and you might hear Frank Zappa, Todd Rundgren, The Police, Pat Metheny, or one of Ed’s own compositions, loaded with lush turns and unexpected twists. Gil Evans wonderfully articulated Palermo’s unusual approach to traditional instrumentation: “I first heard Ed Palermo’s music in a small club in the SoHo section of Manhattan. He was using the instrumentation of a traditional big band, yet his arrangements and songs were anything but that. When I thought the music was going in a certain direction, it would suddenly turn a corner. Ed has the ability to keep that important balance between cohesiveness and unpredictability. Ed Palermo’s music is alive and represents now.” This is something that attracted me to Ed and his music from the first time I ingested it. Before forming his band, Ed toured and recorded with many different artists, including Aretha Franklin, Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Celia Cruz, Lena Horne, Tony Bennett, Mel Torme, Lou Rawls, Melba Moore, Debbie Gibson, The Spinners, and countless others. He has written & arranged for the Tonight Show, Maurice Hines and Eddy Fischer. He also arranged the music for a James Brown concert at the Hollywood Bowl. Ed’s interpretations of the music of Frank Zappa, Paul Butterfield, Todd Rundgren, The Beatles, Jeff Beck, Procol Harum, Jethro Tull and others have consistently brought him and his band critical acclaim and rave reviews. The Ed Palermo Big Band’s latest CD, “Prog vs Fusion: A War of the Ages,” highlights some of Ed’s favorite progressive rock & jazz fusion compositions. It was released April 18th on Sky Cat Records.

THE ED PALERMO BIG BAND:
ED PALERMO – arranger, bandleader
CLIFF LYONS – alto sax
PHIL CHESTER – alto sax, soprano sax
BILL STRAUB – tenor sax
BEN KONO – tenor sax
BARBARA CIFELLI – baritone sax
RONNIE BUTTACAVOLI – lead trumpet
JOHN BAILEY – trumpet
AUGIE HAAS – trumpet
BOBBY SPELLMAN – trumpet
CHARLEY GORDON – lead trombone
MIKE BOSCHEN – trombone
MATT INGMAN – bass trombone, tuba
BRUCE McDANIEL – arranger, vocals, guitar
KATIE JACOBY – violin
BOB QUARANTA – piano
TED KOOSHIAN – keyboard
PAUL ADAMY – bass
RAY MARCHICA – drums
and special guest
MIKE KENEALLY – guitar, backing vocals

I had the chance to reconnect with Ed recently to talk about his love for ‘Prog Rock and Jazz Fusion’ and how that journey has led him and now us to this battle royale. We get into the creation of the new record and we talk about getting ‘The Fish’ on there as its own entity. I imagine the homework on choosing the tunes was a whole lotta fun. We talk about where they big band gets to play these songs live, jammin’ in his basement and if he finds time to be able to get out a find new artists or music to enjoy. This is the type of album that will hopefully gain attention by music lovers of all sorts, as it’s openness to explore certainly makes proGramming it over the airwaves and seeing surprised faces as I share it in my own personal listening space, all part of the adventure. THIS is the type oif battles we should be discussing.

Legendary saxman Frank Catalano consistently headlines world-class festivals and sells-out venues throughout the USA, Europe, & Japan. Thanks to his signature sound & renowned reputation, Catalano averages 150 concerts a year with his jazz quartet. As a coveted guest artist, Frank often lends his sax stylings to high-profile rock groups. Recent highlights include playing a 7-minute improvised sax solo at The Hollywood Bowl with The Smashing Pumpkins, closing out the Chicago Blues Festival with Los Lobos, and performing with Les Claypool, Sean Lennon, and the Violent Femmes. He also teamed up on a unique version of the Jane’s Addiction hit “Jane Says” w/Perry Farrell, Billy Corgan, & Jimmy Chamberlin, Frank’s longtime friend & collaborator. A Belgian documentary about Frank entitled “Sugar Jazz” premiered at the Tokyo Liftoff Film Festival and has since screened worldwide. The film captures Frank’s musical essence and reveals his candid musings with the backdrop of iconic Chicago locations in the city where he was born. While just a teenager, Catalano signed to Delmark Records and released a string of critically acclaimed recordings with jazz greats including Randy Brecker, Ira Sullivan, Willie Pickens, Paul Wertico, and his mentor Von Freeman. His co-led album with Freeman, “You Talking To Me” remains a cult classic. Catalano is the only known saxophonist to perform with Miles Davis, Charles Earland, Elvin Jones, Junior Wells, Randy Brecker, Stan Getz, Betty Carter, Tito Puente, Tony Bennett, & Louie Bellson while still in high school. As a sideman, Frank has been heard by millions thanks to his collaborations with Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé, Maurice Joshua, Destiny’s Child, John Legend, Tony Bennett, Seal, and countless others. Frank’s numerous accolades include an IMA award at Lincoln Center and induction into the Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame. He has featured on 3 Grammy‐winning & 11 Grammy-nominated recordings and received a Tech Grammy Award for his numerous patents & developments. At 19 years old, Frank was the youngest sax player to be voted into the Downbeat Critics Poll. Head to his website to find pout more about all he does/did. Amazing cat!

Lurrie Bell is bonified blues royalty and was recently inducted into the Blue Hall of Fame in Memphis. He started playing with his father Carey Bell at age 7 and went on to play with Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Dixon, and many other blues giants. Bell’s career was on a path to stardom when his undiagnosed bipolar and schizophrenia go the better of him. Initially, he failed to receive the medical treatment he needed and unfortunately experienced periods of homelessness and other adversities. Thankfully in 2016, Lurrie’s album “Can’t Shake This Feeling” received a Grammy nomination and his career was again on an upward trajectory. It is clear that Mr. Bell has some soul in his blues and the music he and Frank present, shows that off from the first note.

I had thre chance to play catch-up with friend of the proGram, Frank Catalano ahead of the event with him and Lurrie Bell (bringing along the quintet as well) on May 24th at the North Street Cabaret. We get into what the creation of this project and new album has them doing since late last year. The Summer sounds super busy and as we spoke, he was playing the next day with Mr. Randy Brecker. Frank is one of my favs because of that versatility you’ll hear him mention during this call. Know so much as a jazz guy, not a single avenue would not be neglected by him, I think. The people that call him to be a part of things is wide and wild. We find out who is the band joining them here and Madison and we spent a good chunk of time getting to know the new Set Me Free record. All the things he did, from producing to playing, the soul of this album is felt throughout. Frank tells the tales of the album and some of the tunes – not be be missed, as the feelings are true and need to be heard. Frank also does the same while building a setlist around a track or two from the new record. Absolutely always a good chat (and concert) with Frank Catalano.