Category Archives: Outta World interviews

One of the world’s most acclaimed comedy ensembles, Baby Wants Candy has performed more than 3,000 completely improvised musicals for audiences across Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Singapore and Madison! Each performance is powered by audience suggestions, a full band and the troupe’s lightning-fast wit—creating a rollercoaster of spontaneous songs, intricate dance numbers and side-splitting comedy. Each show is a roller-coaster ride of spontaneously choreographed dance numbers, rhyming verses and witty, jaw-dropping comedy. Each performance is the opening and closing night of that performance. BWC has performing casts in Chicago (Apollo Theater), Los Angeles (UCB) and New York (UCB) and tours internationally. The world-renowned improv comedy ensemble Baby Wants Candy returns to Madison with two popular shows, “Baby Wants Candy” and “Shamilton,” at Overture’s second annual Fringe Festival running Saturday, February 28 and Sunday, March 1, 2026.

I had a chance to catchup with the group’s leader, Al Samuels about just what will be going down as Baby Wants Candy gets back to Madison for this year’s Fringe Festival at the Overture Center. We get into how this is the type of show for people who like (or don’t like) musicals, the type of examples they might encounter during the performance, how much the band and the cast like to ‘get’ each other and speaking of the band, just what type of musician gets that gig. There are also workshops the cast will be providing, so we talk about the warming of the heart moments when those who thought they could not, do and all the same types of surprises as being on the stage. Here in Madison there will be two shows of each, the audience suggested title of a musical and ‘Shamilton’ – so that is four unique experiences over a weekend for those who attend. If you think you need a laugh (and I speak from experience) this is definitely a show for you.

A longtime cornerstone of the New York City underground music scene, bassist, producer, label boss & documenter Mr. Bill Laswell has been among the most prolific artists in contemporary music. As a performer, producer & label chief, his signature is on thousands of albums, including more than 135 of his own starting with 1985’s Baselines, the majority are characterized by a signature sound fusing the energy of post-punk with the bone-rattling rhythms of funk, fusion, & dub. He’s also known for star-studded collaborations, having founded Praxis, Material, and several other groups. Mr. Laswell also records immersive electronic ambient explorations as well as fusions of disparate genres from Indian, Latin, & African music to opera, klezmer, hip-hop, jazz, and many other genres. He released 2022’s Nammu with Ulf Ivarsson, and 2 duo recordings with John Zorn, 2022’s The Cleansing and 2023’s Memoria. Mr. Laswell has been a staple of the downtown New York music scene since the late ’70s when he founded Material, a rotating ensemble whose output ranged from angular art-funk (1981’s Memory Serves) to club-friendly, futuristic electro-pop (One Down). His commercial breakthrough came when he co-wrote & produced Herbie Hancock’s groundbreaking 1983 electro track “Rockit.” Throughout the decades, he has participated in many musical projects as a bassist, including Last Exit, an avant-jazz-rock supergroup, and has produced dozens of records for a staggering array of artists including Mick Jagger, Nona Hendryx, & Iggy Pop. During the ’90s, Laswell founded/ran the Axiom label to release ambient, dub, & electronic outings. He also helmed a series of remix & reconstruction projects, kicked off by the release of Panthalassa: The Music of Miles Davis 1969-1974. In the early part of the 80’s he explored Indian music with supergroup Tabla Beat Science, and founded futurist drum’n’bass ensembles Method of Defiance with Submerged. Throughout the 2010s and well into the 2020s, he ran M.O.D. Technologies, a genre-defying label that released albums by avant-jazz artists including Milford Graves & Rudresh Mahanthappa, as well as On Common Ground, a power trio with guitarist Mike Sopko & drummer Tyshawn Sorey. Born on February 12, 1955, in Salem, Illinois, he initially played guitar but soon switched to bass. Raised primarily in the Detroit area, he honed his skills in local funk outfits before relocating to New York in 1978. There Laswell formed Material, an outlet for his experimental approach toward sounds ranging from jazz to hip-hop to worldbeat. Originally the backup unit for Daevid Allen, the group soon began working on its own, issuing its debut EP Temporary Music in 1979. While Material’s early work was more esoteric, they soon released more accessible, pop-influenced music, including the club classic “Bustin’ Out” and the full-length One Down, which included one of Whitney Houston’s first lead vocal performances. In addition to fronting Material, Laswell also mounted a solo career, issuing Baselines in 1983 on Celluloid, a label he partly owned and operated. Appearances on key recordings by the likes of David Byrne, John Zorn, Fred Frith, and the Golden Palominos established him as a virtual nexus of the downtown N.Y.C. community and he broke into the mainstream with his production work on Herbie Hancock’s 1983 smash “Rockit,” which he also co-wrote; Hancock’s follow-up LP, Sound-System, won him a Grammy. Throughout the mid-’80s Laswell was everywhere, playing bass on LPs from artists including Mick Jagger, Peter Gabriel, Yoko Ono, & Laurie Anderson. He also joined the avant group Curlew and produced a number of African acts. In 1986, Laswell joined guitarist Sonny Sharrock, drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson, & saxophonist Peter Brötzmann in the group Last Exit; a second solo LP, Hear No Evil, appeared 2 years later, and after a long hiatus he also resurrected Material in 1989 with Seven Souls. Another project, the hip-hop-flavored Praxis, was resumed after almost a decade of inactivity with 1992’s Transmutation (Mutatis Mutandis). In 1990, Laswell formed another label, Axiom, to explore his interest in the new sounds of ambient and techno; where in the past his work rarely appeared solely under his own name, by the middle of the decade he was issuing several solo records annually in a wide range of styles from dub to jazz. He also remained among the most prolific producers in the business, collaborating with the likes of Dub Syndicate, Pete Namlook, Buckethead, & DJ Spooky. In 1998 he released Panthalassa: The Music of Miles Davis 1969–1974, a “remix translation” that won acclaim across the music world. IN 2001 he issued one with Carlos Santana as its subject entitled Divine Light: Reconstructions & Mix Translation. In 2004, Laswell signed a multi-album label deal with the Sanctuary Records group. The deal spawned his new label, Nagual. He also began to collaborate on a series of drum’n’bass-styled recordings with Submerged (aka Kurt Gluck of the Ohm Resistance imprint), the first of these, attributed to Bill Laswell vs. Submerged, was entitled Brutal Calling and issued by Avant in 2004 with contributions from Toshinori Kondo & Guy Licata. Through the Sanctuary label’s earlier acquisition of the seminal reggae label Trojan, Laswell now had access to the Jamaican label’s sizable back catalog. Picking some of his favorite cuts and remixing them, He issued the Trojan-sourced Dub Massive: Chapter One and Chapter Two in May 2005. Laswell and Submerged re-teamed under the Method of Defiance moniker for 2006’s The Only Way to Go Is Down on Sublight Records. This was followed by 2007’s Inamorata, on Ohm Resistance. This date found the pair teaming various drum’n’bass producers, including Future Prophecies, Evol Intent, & SPL, with jazz, rock, & avant artists such as Herbie Hancock, Pharoah Sanders, Nils Petter Molvaer, & Buckethead. That same year he issued the mix translation outing The Tony Williams Lifetime: Turn It Over (Redux). Laswell also released a collaboration with Finnish producer Fanu on Ohm Resistance titled Lodge, which includes contributions from Molvaer & Bernie Worrell. The notion of a live band created around the Method of Defiance structure was initiated with participation from Laswell, Worrell, Kondo, Licata, & Dr. Israel. The group was documented on Nihon from the RareNoise imprint in 2009. In 2010, Laswell initiated a new label called M.O.D. Technologies. Said to be centered around the principles of a solidified Method of Defiance lineup, the label released 3 albums that year: Method of Defiance’s Jahbulon, the instrumental dub-centric Incunabula, and a live offering from Laswell’s spouse, Gigi, with Material, entitled Mesgana Ethiopia. Laswell also collaborated with Submerged (who had left Method of Defiance) for a new group called the Blood of Heroes, which also included Dr. Israel, Enduser, & Justin Broadrick. The band released a self-titled debut & remix album Remain on Ohm Resistance in 2010. Laswell collaborated with master reggae & Radical Jewish Culture bassist/composer David Gould on a dub version of the latter’s 2009 album Feast of the Passover. The new recording, titled Dub of the Passover, was issued by Tzadik in 2011. Metastation released Aspiration, an electronic album billed to Bill Laswell & Friends (including Alice Coltrane, Carlos Santana, Pharoah Sanders, & Zakir Hussain),the tunes were dedicated to the ensemble members’ own inspirational figures, including H.H. Dalai Lama XIV, Sonny Sharrock, Rumi, & Pattabhi Jois. The Blood of Heroes’ 2nd album, The Waking Nightmare, appeared in 2012. M.O.D. Technologies continued releasing material, including archival releases by Praxis as well as Laswell’s collaborations with artists including DJ Krush, Milford Graves & Wadada Leo Smith. In 2014, Laswell collaborated with several Hawaiian musicians for the album Kauai: The Arch of Heaven, which appeared on Metastation. Laswell and Submerged collaborated once again in 2016, when After Such Knowledge, What Forgiveness? appeared on Ohm Resistance. Along with Masahiro Shimba, Laswell combined dub & opera on the ESP-Disk release Risurrezione. He also released work with Japanese drummer Hideo Yamaki & avant-rock guitarist Raoul Bjorkenheim. In 2018, Laswell collaborated with drummer Simon Barker, guitarist Henry Kaiser, & saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa on Mudang Rock, an album inspired by the Shamanic ritual music of Korea. The following year, he teamed with Jah Wobble to release the group offering Realm of Spells with guitarist Martin Chung, keyboardist George King, alternating drummers Mark Layton-Bennett & Hideo Yamaki, with guest Peter Apfelbaum on saxophone & flute. Before year’s end, he cut the single “Showing Up”/”The Power of the Vote” with Dave Douglas and released the 2017 Sonar session featuring electric guitarist David Torn. In April 2020, Laswell released Against Empire, an electro-acoustic offering issued by MOD Reloaded. His sidemen on the session included Sanders & Apfelbaum on saxes & flutes, Herbie Hancock on electric piano, drummers Jerry Marotta, Chad Smith, Satoyasu Shomura, & Yamaki, and Adam Rudolph on percussion. In October he collaborated with guitarist Mike Sopko & drummer Tyshawn Sorey on the power trio outing On Common Ground. Freely improvised, it was inspired by the live albums of the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream. Laswell spent most of 2021 working with his M.O.D. Technologies, issuing archival recordings for the first time and long out of print titles. Among the offerings that appeared that year were his own long-form ambient work Essay in Light and Tokyo Rotation, offering volumes drawn from various live sets played in 2009 and 2010 with an enviable clutch of Japanese musicians including Toshinori Kondo, Hideo Yamaki, DJ Krush, & Akira Sakata, among others. In 2022, Mr. Laswell & Swedish composer & multi-instrumentalist Ulf Ivarsson released the avant, electronica-laden fusion of Nammu on Ropeadope. He also issued The Cleansing on Tzadik, a duo recording with John Zorn. They followed it with a 2nd album titled Memoria in May 2023. He has been involved with many projects to this day, which leads us to one of his latest, Cosmic Trip, the new solo album by legendary Miles Davis saxophonist Sam Morrison. Blazing with heat, flowing with cool, crisp and edgy electric sound, the music allows you to savor every aspect of his remarkable talent. Mix-translation of course by Mr. Laswell and the album is presented by his MOD Reloaded label.

I had the complete honor to get some time with Mr. Laswell to dive into ‘Cosmic Trip‘ to get inside how it came to be. We talk about how the project went from that idea to the powerhouse sonic exploration it turne dout to be. We talk about one of the tracks specifically to get a sense of how it was born and the interesting part of the discussion around the album was just how Mr. Laswell found out just who this cat, Sam Morrison is. This is where the gold started ot be mined. We also talked briefly about his recently departed friend Sly Dunbar, and once again it wasn;t just anbout the music, it was about the person he was (which happens to be all about every side of music)/. We even quickly touched base on one of more recent artists he worked with whom I have had on the proGram, Nevaris, which just keeps reminding me how much of the things I have put into my ears, my mind and all my emotions that Bill has been a part of. He has literally shaped the listener and feeler of music I am. More to come.

Photo by: Hiroshi Ohnuma

Mike Mattison, a member of the Tedeschi Trucks Band & the Derek Trucks Band for over 23 years, today releases Turn A Midnight Corner, his 3rd solo outing for Landslide Records. So, what is Turn A Midnight Corner? As is often the case with Mattison, there is a back story. He had an idea to write a novella about a country blues duo from the 1930s, ‘Ted ‘n’ Turk,’ who are ‘rediscovered’ in the early 1970s by a music critic. They’re brought together as aging men and are poised to re-record their old 78 rpm sides. However, the ‘rediscovery’ turns into a bit of a media circus when rockstars come sniffing around, money muddies the waters, race stuff encroaches, resentments emerge, and the whole thing falls to pieces. All the songs in this collection were written by Mattison (Thumbs Plus Music / ASCAP) and recorded in a couple of week-long sessions at Studio MG in Roswell, GA. The LP was co-produced by Mattison and mix engineer Jason Kingsland [Band of Horses, Bryan Ferry, Belle & Sebastian] and engineered by Spencer Garn and drummer Tyler “The Falcon” Greenwell. It features members of his current band, Trash Magic: guitarist Dave Yoke (Dr. John/Susan Tedeschi Band/Scrapomatic), guitarist Greg Spradlin (Los Lobos satellite member), bassist and keyboardist Wesley Flowers, and drummer Tyler Greenwell (Tedeschi Trucks Band.) A native Minnesotan and Harvard University graduate, Mattison penned some of Tedeschi Trucks Band’s signature tunes, e.g., “Midnight in Harlem.” With TTB & DTB, Mattison has won two GRAMMYs, eight Blues Music Awards, and four Canadian Maple Blues Awards. He’s toured the planet, played on five continents, and every state except Alaska.

I have had the chance to chat with Mike a few times over the years. Each time is a growing experience for me. Anyone who knows me knows just how much his group with Paul Olsen (and others of course), Scrapomatic is certainly a guilty please of mine. His voice is something that cause a feel that runs thru me and heads right to my soul. This time around we have a different project to dive into. We talk about the new album ‘Turn a Midnight Corner with his latest group, Trash Magic. We go see to flower on this new music and get to know the band a little bit more. Not a big surprise to me that the beGinning of this music stars with him working on a book. Mike clues us in to how he attempts to box out the other things he has ongoing to find time to make all this happen. Here we are on the day this album drops and a few tour dates with Trash Magic lined up. We take time also to dissect one of the tracks, often I am easily set astray when a tune comes on sounding like the rhythm of a train and there’s one of those right her eon this new record, so we take a walk through that one together as well. The music and Mike make me feel like for a little bit, I (and hopefully we) get to walk into some new stories and be a[part of it, or away from that, for just a little bit.

Photo: Alix Lamber

Thollem is a pianist, keyboardist, composer, improviser, singer-songwriter, activist, author & teacher. He has toured throughout North America & Europe as an itinerant artist for 2 decades, performing, teaching & collaborating in myriad situations across the idiomatic spectrum. Thollem’s known in concentric circles as an acoustic piano player in the free jazz & post-classical worlds, as the lead vocalist for the Italian agit-punk band Tsigoti, and as an electronic keyboardist through a multitude of projects. His lifelong interest has been to work with people from all walks of life, bringing artists & communities together in ways that may create something uniquely valuable to everyone involved. He is currently focused primarily on his multimedia collaboration with New Mexican visual artist ACVilla, his solo piano work Infinite-Sum Game, his new autobiographical songs project Godammit Tommy!, and workshops on the collaborative process. Since 2005, he has played over 3,000 concerts throughout N. America & Europe, releasing more than 100 albums on 27 different vanguard labels. A very brief cross section of his many collaborators include William Parker, Pauline Oliveros, Stefano Scodanibbio, Nels Cline, Sara Lund, Rob Mazurek, Michael Wimberly, Mike Watt, Susan Alcorn, & Carmina Escobar. Thollem is a published author about art, politics and his travels in NewMusic Box, The Anthology of Essays On Deep Listening, Full Moon Magazine (Prague) & First American Art Magazine. 2 years ago Other Minds Records released The Light Is Real with Terry Riley, Thollem, & Nels Cline. This latest album, ‘The Right Is Real’ features Mr. Terry Riley, and is a return to the original duo concept, starting from scratch. Tracks 1 – 4 are the recordings from the 1st session Terry & Thollem recorded on-line. The rest of the album are samples of these recordings played by Thollem through a Wavestate, in real-time. The impetus for this project together was a kind of epiphany he had when he walked into his Suegra’s bathtub room in northern New Mexico surrounded by her mural of a Redwood forest. Thollem was so captivated that he took a photo and simultaneously thought “the light is real” & “Terry Riley”. Mr. Riley and Thollem have been friends for many years and Thollem shared this epiphany with him. They decided to improvise with their voices while meditating on this photo & concept. Now, on the Winter solstice, ‘The Light Is Real (VOICES)’ has been let out into the world.

I had the chance to get back together with family to the proGram, Thollem to discuss this recent offering into the sonic landscape. We get into the original ideas, hearing them back now since it has been ‘released’ and the work that went into it once the thoughts were shared. In the early Spring, Post Consumer Records will be doing a physical release of this album for people to get a chance to hold it in their hands. Thollem assures us (there is no doubt) that the art that will accompany will be yet another part to this gift. He reminds us of the music he is creating for his forst autobiographical project, Godammit Tommy!, from which I have shared a few tracks, and this is a completely different beast than this work with Mr. Riley. COMPLEETELY! There is no reason to not be reminded about the work he and Angela have done with the documentary series Artists Engaged, as we talk about how we both find new people to become immersed into because of each other. This space is a place where open minded deep listeners can go to be introduced to ‘off the beaten path’ artists to feel.

Grammy Winner, Doris Duke Artist & Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellow Miguel Zenón represents a select group of musicians who have masterfully balanced & blended the often-contradictory poles of innovation & tradition. Widely considered one of the most groundbreaking & influential saxophonists/composers of his generation, he has also developed a unique voice as a conceptualist, concentrating his efforts on perfecting a fine mix between jazz and his many musical influences. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Zenón has released 18 recordings as a leader, including his latest, Vanguardia Subterránea: Live at The Village Vanguard (2025), the Grammy-nominated Golden City (2024), & the Grammy-winning album El Arte Del Bolero Vol. 2 (2023). He has worked with luminaries such as The SFJAZZ Collective, Charlie Haden, Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner, David Sánchez, Danilo Perez, The Village Vanguard Orchestra, Kurt Elling, Joey Calderazzo, Steve Coleman, Ray Barreto, Andy Montañez, The Mingus Big Band & Bobby Hutcherson. In April 2008 he received a fellowship from the prestigious John Simon Guggenheim Foundation. Later that year he was one of 25 distinguished individuals chosen to receive the coveted MacArthur Fellowship, also known as the “Genius Grant.” In 2011 he founded Caravana Cultural, a program which presents free-of-charge Jazz concerts in rural areas of Puerto Rico. In 2022 he received an Honorary Doctorate from La Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the highest honor bestowed by the institution. In 2024 he received a Doris Duke Artist Award from the Doris Duke Foundation. Zenón has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe & The Chicago Tribune. In addition, he topped both the Jazz Artist of the Year & Alto Saxophonist of the Year categories in the 2014 JazzTimes Critics Poll and was selected as Alto Saxophonist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association in 2015, 2018, 2019 & 2020 (when he was also recognized as Arranger of the Year). In 2023 he was recognized by the same organization as the Composer of the Year. As a composer he has been commissioned by SFJAZZ, NYO Jazz, The New York State Council on the Arts, Chamber Music America, Logan Center for The Arts, The Hyde Park Jazz Festival, The John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, MIT, Spektral Quartet, Miller Theater, The Hewlett Foundation, Peak Performances, PRISM Quartet, Kinetic Ensemble and many of his peers. Zenón has given hundreds of lectures and master classes at institutions all over the world and is an Associate Professor in the Music & Theater Arts Department at MIT.

I had the honor to get some time catching up with Miguel ahead of the December 5th event in Madison at Arts Literature Laboratory with the great pianist, Mr. Luis Perdomo. We get into what people can expect this time around with their ‘El Arte Del Bolero’ concert that evening. We talk about what a new person to this scene might expect. Miguel also shares about them workshopping in some new music into these sets. That leads to a conversation around improv, live recordings versus studio work and we end up finding out what he has been listening to these days. The dive into making of his latest record and sharing the moments that have been captured in time and getting it to the point of wanting it to be documented and shared was such a highlight for me to wrap my mind around. Considering the people he has worked with and been inspired by, it was very insightful when we get talking about him being an instrument for someone else’s project.

Between the poetic observations of family to the proGram, Oliver and his brother, bassist & vocalist Chris Wood — with percussionist & multi-instrumentalist Jano Rix completing the trio — Puff of Smoke is an 11-song collection brimming with joy in the face of challenges, delivering lyrical wisdom with the winking subtlety of John Prine and the musical hive mind of a seasoned group with two decades of shared experiences. Fans who have hopped aboard at waypoints along the journey that began with their now classic 2006 debut Ways Not to Lose already know to expect a new drop from The Wood Brothers will bring inventive songwriting, a grounded lyrical wit, and an adventurous sweep of sonic avenues. Unpredictability is part of the listening experience. Jano and the brothers Wood will be bringing the tour supporting the latest release to Madison on November 14th at the Memorial Union‘s Shannon Hall. Also, a big event in Jano’s world is another new release, just dropped yesterday, with his father, veteran drummer Luther Rix, whose career includes work with Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue, Leonard Cohen, and Bette Midler among numerous others, have joined forces on record for the first time. Simply calling themselves RIX, today the father/son duo have released their debut album, Legacy, Vol. 1, a collaboration more than 12 years in the making, via RPF Records/Royal Potato Family. Between them, Jano and Luther bring decades of musical experience. Luther’s career has taken him from work with rock ‘n’ roll legends such as Dylan, Cohen and Midler to symphonies, Broadway pits, and Schoolhouse Rock! sessions. Jano’s multi-instrumental work has been central to The Wood Brothers’ acclaimed Americana sound, while he has produced records for artists such as Seth Walker, Steve Poltz, Oliver Wood, Upstate, and Chris Kasper. Yet Legacy, Vol. 1 is their most personal statement, made not to chase trends or charts but to capture their shared love of music, document a unique family bond, and embrace the spirit of their shared groove.

I had the chance to get some time with Jano (like he has any extra to give) to talk about the upcoming event with The Wood Brothers from his perspective. He gets into the ins and outs of the shows, how he became the third member of the trio and the evolution of the Shuitar. Then we slide right into this new album with his father. The stories, the memories and the way it all went down over span of time that seemed long, but it might have been just right. This album does its thing with you as you listen in and it sure was interesting to hear Jano dive into it. It was certainly not just a chat about all the work he has been doing, we take time to hear with track of each of these new albums (Puff Of Smoke & Legacy Vol. 1) he would choose to build a set around and then he fills it in just like you’d come to expect here on the program. Magic will happen.

Bizhiki is almost wholly a made-in-Wisconsin project, a collaboration between Dylan ‘Bizhikiins’ Jennings, Joe Rainey and the multi-instrumentalist Sean Carey (S. Carey). Bezhikiins Jennings grew up singing within the powwow tradition, around the Lac Du Flambeau & Lac Courte Oreilles reservations in Central Wisconsin. He now makes his home in Northern Wisconsin, on the Bad River reservation on the shores of Lake Superior. He’s joined on the album by his adopted brother, Rainey, a Red Lake Ojibwe powwow singer from Minneapolis who now makes his home within his wife’s Oneida Nation on the shores of Lake Michigan. Bizhiki’s first album, Unbound, is a confluence of sounds bringing traditional and powwow music into an expanded musical palette. In 2015, Jennings got a call from Justin Vernon, the front man of the indie folk band Bon Iver. Vernon invited Jennings to participate in Eaux Claires, a music & arts festival he was launching that summer and they took him up on that offer. They are heading to Madison to be a part of a couple of noteworthy events. On Sunday, November 9, 7:30pm, Arts + Literature Laboratory welcomes Bizhiki, part of the programming associated with the Native Art Market, which takes place the day before, Saturday, November 8, from 10:00am to 6:00pm. Also, to celebrate Native November 2025, the six-piece band will be joined by Native dancers alongside classic Ojibwe storytelling, leaving audiences feeling intellectually, spiritually, and culturally nourished. The performance will be followed by a moderated question and answer with Jennings & Rainey. Special thanks to members of the Indigenous Student Center Coalition for making this month’s programming possible. More information here: An Evening With Bizhiki: A Musical Performance followed by Q&A Tuesday, November 18, 2025 at UW Madison’s Union Theater Shannon Hall.

I had the chance to catch up with Dylan Jennings ahead of these two special events. Dylan and I got into what each performance could shape up to be, the timeline of the group, just how they were able to find the time to get some creative work done in the studio to create the album ‘Unbound’ and get this show out on the road.

Photo by: Graham Tolbert

Get ready for an evening of sidesplitting laughter as the dynamic duo Colin Mochrie & Brad Sherwood from TV’s “Whose Line is it Anyway?,” take the stage in a one-night-only uproarious live show, ASKING FOR TROUBLE. Armed with their lightning-fast wits, Mochrie & Sherwood transform the audience’s suggestions into an unpredictable evening of non-stop comedy gold. No script? No problem! “Asking For Trouble” is a wild rollercoaster ride of hilarity, where 2 improv legends prove they are still the best in the business. Known by TV audiences for their work on Whose Line is it Anyway? Colin & Brad improvise new material every night from audience suggestions & participation. “Interactive” in every sense of the word, Colin & Brad will take the audience on a comedic high-wire act, just like a live version of Whose Line! Their amusing, PG-rated family show includes variations on many of the games showcased on Whose Line Is It Anyway?, including “Sound FX” & “One Word Expert.” As Mochrie & Sherwood take caution to point out at the beginning of each show, the scenes that make up the act are entirely unscripted. Throughout the evening, the show becomes truly interactive as audience members are called to the stage to participate in the fun. Mochrie & Sherwood both rose to prominence on the improv TV series as frequent players in its original incarnation on Britain’s Channel 4 and then as star performers on the American version of the TV show from 1998-2006.

I had the chance to catch up with Colin Mochrie once aGain before the October 23rd show in Wausau at the Grand Theater and October 24th, right here in Madison at the Overture Center. Colin and I discuss the live show, exactly like what is stated above plus he shares a little extra info about one thing they definitely do from city to city. We talk about his work in the movie, Magnetosphere and if I were to bump into him somewhere out in the world, where might that be. A little regular guy Colin kinda talk. We end by talking about the greatest backstage gift he has ever received and just who was the giver of such a thing.

James Carter was born in Detroit, Michigan, and learned to play under the tutelage of Donald Washington, becoming a member of his youth jazz ensemble Bird-Trane-Sco-NOW!! As a young man, he attended Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, becoming the youngest faculty member at the camp. He first toured Scandinavia with the International Jazz Band in 1985 at the age of 16. On May 31, 1988, at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), Carter was a last-minute addition for guest artist Lester Bowie, which turned into an invitation to play with his new quintet (forerunner of his New York Organ Ensemble) in New York City that following November at the now defunct Carlos 1 jazz club. This was pivotal in his career, putting him in musical contact with the world, and he moved to New York 2 years later. He has been prominent as a performer & recording artist on the jazz scene since the late 1980s, focusing on saxophones, flute & clarinets. In 1996, he took part in Robert Altman’s film Kansas City, where he played Ben Webster alongside several other contemporary jazz musicians playing the roles of players from the 1930s, including Joshua Redman as Lester Young, Craig Handy as Coleman Hawkins & Geri Allen as Mary Lou Williams. “Seldom Seen” ‘s fictional “Hey Hey Club” set the stage for several jam sessions caught on film in real time and included on a soundtrack produced by Hal Willner & trumpeter Steven Bernstein. Mr. Carter embraces all elements of jazz history, from Dixieland to fusion to free jazz, and was one of the few prominent players of his generation to do so, participating in a number of projects in all these styles, and incorporating these different influences in the compositions and soloing on his own albums. On his album Chasin’ the Gypsy (2000), he recorded with his cousin Regina Carter. He has won DownBeat magazine’s Critics & Readers Choice award for baritone saxophone several years in a row. He has performed, toured & played on albums with Lester Bowie, Julius Hemphill, Frank Lowe & the Saxemble, Kathleen Battle, the World Saxophone Quartet, Cyrus Chestnut, Wynton Marsalis, Dee Dee Bridgewater and the Mingus Big Band. His sound blends the soul of Billie Holiday, the swing of Count Basie, and the edge of Hendrix, all delivered with jaw-dropping technical command. Whether tearing through Coltrane tempos or whispering ballads, Carter’s mastery of saxophones, flute, and clarinet is unparallel.

S I had a chance to catch up with Mr. James Carter before he heads to Madison to play two sets at Cafe Coda on October 25. This saxophone powerhouse will be bringing the fire, finesse, and fearless improvisation we have grown to love here. We talk about what this event will feel like and who else is with him making this groove come alive. We listen in as he discusses how much of this music will be made up on the spot and how much is the natural flow of songs they know. We get into how he found his groove, from growing up in a musical family that got him itching from the sting o the music bug to growing that feeling with the array of artists he has worked with. For someone who dancing often in that moment of the music, we chat about how that translates when trying to lay something down on a record which dovetailed nicely into a mention of a new project or two that are in the works.

A bold performer, soulful composer & passionate educator, Trumpeter Marques Carroll is dedicated to preserving the authentic culture of Jazz and spreading his holistic love of music around the world. He has been drawing national attention since 1996, having worked & shared the stage with today’s most celebrated artists & ensembles including Carmen Bradford, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Etienne Charles, Christian McBride, Jon Faddis, Meshell Ndegeocello, Randy Weston, Jimmy Heath, Jeff Hamilton, Randy Brecker, Nicholas Payton, Tom Harrell, Bob Brookmeyer, Bobby Watson, the Count Basie Orchestra, The Temptations, Chicago Jazz Ensemble, The O’Jays, The Four Tops, May Wilson & Aretha Franklin. Born into a musical family in St. Louis, Marques fell in love with the trumpet when he was only 8 years old. His grandfather worked with Jazz legend Clark Terry, who became an influence on him and his musical growth. Marques also developed a lifelong friendship with Wynton Marsalis who has become one of his greatest supporters. Marques studied at DePaul University where he earned his Bachelor’s & Master’s Degrees in Jazz Studies Performance. A storyteller at heart, he uses his experience and mastery of multi-genre vocabulary to break down barriers between genres writing evocative music that speaks directly to the soul. Rooted in the tradition of Black American Music (BAM), Marques is consciously challenging norms of genres such as Blues, Funk, Soul, Neo-Soul, & Hip-Hop, expanding and pushing into new places of expression & mastery. Marques Carroll captures and shares this journey with his audiences through his own compositions, The Ancestors’ Call and most recently released album, Foundations. The Ancestors’ Call, a GRAMMY© considered album for 2021’s Best Jazz Album, is a soulful exploration of culture & consciousness that reflects upon the African Diaspora through a balance and attention to detail encouraging its audience to feel, reflect, & celebrate. The sequel to the Ancestors’ Call, Foundations, is a tribute album that pays respect to his mentors & supporters from all walks of life including artists, teachers, family & friends. Marques is co-founder of JMarq Records and is the leader of his self-titled quintet featured in both of his albums, The Ancestor’s Call and Foundations released by JMarq Records.

I had the pleasure of spending a little time with Marques ahead of two dates upcoming in Madison. Friday, July 18th at North Street Cabaret and aGain on August 13th as part of Jazz At Five. We give props to the folks that’ll be playing with him as part of the Quinet for these events (including our pal, Pawan Benjamin), what type of scene this music, these people will attempt to create as a play to gather and be. We dive head first into the new live album(s) he is going to be dropping soon. He documents the notorious Jazz clubs in Chicago that helped form and develop the scene there, places he has adopted as a home and the people that helped make them grow and survive. It’s a thank you card to that scene. I had to give a shout out to a tune that really helps me turn any boxed in corners – check out which track and will it be on the new albums? We also talk about his friend, mentor and colleague, (friend of this program, Mr. Wynton Marsalis) and get some stories about the person he is and what things have rubbed off on Marques. It is always soothing to talk it up with someone who inspires you, and they just add to that feeling with their words and energy.

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.